Am I a River Rat?

We spent most of the day at the River yesterday with friends, and are going to the lake today again with the same friends. (mostly) I am starting to feel like a Kern Valley River Rat! It's nice to be able to enjoy our lake and river in the summer, during the week. On the weekends it is over ran by L.A. people and they make it miserably impossible to do anything on the lake, river, or even in town. Oh well, that's why I'll enjoy it during the week. Only 3 weeks until school starts back up, and football/cheer starts Monday, so it looks like my fun summer is almost over.

Alex and Jimi swimming across the river.

Trever and Sami looking for catapults (tadpoles) Trever couldn't remember what they were called.

Cori, Tisha, Michelle (Sara) and me hanging out and cooling off in the water.

Happy Birthday Trever Monster!

Well, my baby is now 9. Not double digits yet, but close enough. Trever is a very sensitive boy, who gets his feeling deeply and truly hurt. He either wants to please everyone or just be a monster. He is a cuddler and loves to sit on daddy's lap. He is defiantly a daddy's boy and follows and does everything Jim does. It's like looking at a little Jim, and talking to him too. He is the funniest kid I have ever seen. He is quick witted and comes up with the funniest things. He amazes me every day. He truly loves people and worries deeply about them too. He will defiantly have anxiety issues, well he already does. He will worry about someone for days, until he knows they are ok. He is very athletic. He loves football the most, and is amazing on the field. he just knows the game, he is a natural at it. Even though he is on the shorter side, he is a brick and is definitely the hardest hitter on the team, and never backs down to anyone. He is a great dirt bike rider, and again just has natural ability. He does things that just can't be taught. As he grows up I see him much more like his dad. Very sensitive, anxious, a worrier and a fixer. He doesn't like contention and can't stand to see someone in pain or suffering. He is an amazing little boy and it makes me sad to see my baby grow up. I know he is going to be a great man, serve a mission, and one day marry in the Temple. He will be a great provider for his family and a very hard worker! If he doesn't kill himself on his dirt bike or on the football field first.

For his birthday Jim did some trading and got him a Kawasaki 65. I don't like it. I HATE it! It goes 80 mph, and while doing a wheelie it got away from Jim. He has dreamed of this bike for a year, and sold his Yamaha 50 so that he could get it. He is a safe and responsible rider and knows it is MANDATORY that he uses ALL safety gear any time he rides.

Trever we love you so much! We don't want you to change one bit!

A rafting we will go...

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I can honestly say I had one of the funnest days of my life! Thanks to Marcie and Kenny Bushling and to Kern River Tours I had the most incredible adventure that I could easily be addicted to.



Highlights... the girls we went with. I am closest with Marci, Cori and Michelle. We were also joined by Marcie's sister Teasha, and friends Tisha, Sarah, and a great girl who I can't remember her name but I do know she liked "teaching aerobics for FUN."



Swimming where it wasn't too swift. I did dislocate my shoulder (yes again) but toughed it out, and was a great one armed swimmer.



The 25 foot rock that I jumped off! Five times! The river was so deep right there and the raft guides know all about it and said it was "safe". If you saw some of the rapids that we went down then "safe" for a 25 foot jump into the water was SAFE!



Watching the raft in front of us wreck and flip numerous times, and saving several "victims". Now I know that sounds mean, but I was just glad I wasn't on that raft.



The best sandwich I ever had. EVER! I don't know if it was the avocado, sprouts, or that I was hungry, but it was AMAZING!

The fact that "I ROCK!" inside joke. I was terrified that I would hit my head on a rock be knocked out and drown. Every current looked like it was going to throw my side of the raft into the rocks and I started out saying, ok yelling "ROCK, ROCK, ROCK..." Then deciding that I sounded a little dumb, I changed it to "I ROCK! I ROCK! I ROCK!" I know MUCH better.

Even the bus ride back was so much fun. We all talked and laughed so hard at the happenings of the day. When we got back to Kern River Tours we got to see the pictures that were taken on a few of the big rapids and I swear I almost peed my pants.



The only bad parts... the fact that Tisha and I talked Michelle into jumping off the big rock and she hit the water wrong and bruised her leg really bad. I feel HORRIBLE! (I hope you forgive me Michelle).



When Marcie thought she was going out of the raft and switched it up, due to her guide experience, and tried to PUSH me out! (hahah)

I could barely walk for the next 2 days. EVERY muscle in my body was so sore, not to mention my shoulder. I dug into that raft so tight, with every ounce of strength I had, that's why I was so sore, I wasn't going over!

And when it was over. Yes it was an all day event, 8:15am until I got home at about 6:00pm. I can't wait to do it again and could easily get addicted to rafting. I know I said it already but I just can't thank the Bushlings enough, it really means a lot to me that Marcie would put this together all because Karrie and I said we wanted to go rafting for our birthdays. (although Karrie was at girls camp and didn't go, we missed her)

Just a day at the lake

I gave Trever the choice to go swim at Jenny's or go to the lake for his birthday, knowing we would celebrate this weekend. A.K.A. payday. He chose the lake. The water wasn't green, and it was actually pretty warm, but it could be that the temperature was around 108 that day. Alex and I played football in the water, while Sami and Trever collected "Sea Shells". A.K.A clam fish bait, but they didn't know that. It was a ton of fun and we will be going back a lot more often.

Out of the mouths of Babes...

Alex is a 14 year old boy so I KNOW he wasn't using this white sheet to make his bed. He comes out chanting "TOGA, TOGA, TOGA" and Jim and I are thinking he's off his rocker. Then Trever walks in, not knowing exactly what Toga means and says "Hey look it's Jesus!" Jim and I about died laughing. My son Jesus!

Go to your room and the goose

I've been waiting for six years for someone to tell me this. Now I'm getting ready. We have been working on our "bedroom" for a few days now, and it has came a long way.
It's going to have a vaulted ceiling, and it's taken Jim a lot of work to get the trusses strong enough to make it work.
Yep, those are windows!!!! Our bed is going in between those two windows.

While working on our room, we decided that the goose had just gotten too big to be in the house anymore. Jim made a great goose pen outside. It's only been two nights and we will see how good it is if the goose is still alive in a week.

Once the goose gets a little bigger this area is going to be my "green" area. Grass, a fountain and flowers. Until then I'm letting the goose fertilize.

It's all fun and games until someone gets their eye poked out

I think our family should have a rule against saws. I will in the future be using safety goggles. It was simple, I was cutting a board when sparks flew (probably a nail) and searing pain in my eye. I went inside rinsed it out and tried to go to bed. It hurt so bad all night long so in the morning since my eye felt like it was going to fall out we took a trip to the ER, where our DR. was a HUGE Bronco fan. So I knew I was in great hands.

They died my eye yellow, then put a black light on it that showed a deep laceration They stuck this THING to my eye, and squirted water through it. It was so amazingly painful! SO PAINFUL! Nothing like going into the ER in pain and them wanting to stick a suction cup to your eye. After antibiotic drops I was sent home, with a patch, to sit and do nothing. This morning it feels so much better, still red and scratchy but much better. It should heal quickly and I will be back to remodeling my bedroom in no time.

This is what was stuck to my eye!

I actually jumped up when only half of this bag of fluid was shot at my eye. I jumped out of bed yanked that thing of my eye and said, " all better, I quit, I'm outta here". I don't know what the nurses thought, but the Dr. knew I was serious because he agreed that I had had enough.

Camp, camp, camp

Alex left for the High Adventure Boy Scout camp yesterday. They are camping up somewhere on Greenhorn. They are rock climbing, mountain biking, rafting, he's learning photography and many other things. I don't like it. I like when I see my kids every night and know where they are and what they're doing and that they ate their dinner. I'm surviving only because Jim is a leader and goes up to check on the boys during work. (well he did yesterday, and will again today)
Next week Jimi goes to girls camp for church. I did this as a leader for 4 years, I know where they are going, I know what they are doing so it is a little bit easier. But it's still just not the same when you take one kid out of the equation. Girls camp is a great spiritual time, I loved it and I know she will too. I know her testimony will only grow.
It has been so hot, 108 yesterday. I don't tell many people that I love it cause they would think I was crazy, but I do. I love swimming and being in the water. Today we are either going to the river, or to the lake.
Jim and I are starting our bedroom. The kids and I cleaned out the garage last Friday so that we can start. We have to place a few windows and run wire and insulate. Then we have a friend that will put up the drywall for us. I'm excited, I think I will like it better here if I had a little space.
So no pictures, mainly because Alex has my camera, but still a busy summer of fun!

Sami's new pet

Sami is an animal lover. Me... not so much. While we were at the pancake breakfast for the 4th, Keith showed up to bring Sami her late birthday present. A GOOSE! She is so so cute. She is soft and yellow and when you put her down she follows everywhere tweeting and trying to flap her little wings. Sami named her Lucy, or Lue Lue. We take her outside and let her swim around in a little pool and she never goes very far, just follows you anywhere. I know they can get mean, but I'm hoping that being raised around people that it won't get mean. If it does it will be Christmas dinner. When she gets bigger I will introduce the dogs to her and let them all lived outside. I hear that Geese are the best watch "dogs".

Now it's summer

I love the summer, I love the heat. Most of the time. I LOVE the water and swimming and lazy days. Thanks to my friend Jenny who has a great pool, I get to swim almost whenever I want and I love it! I have only gone twice so far but both times were great. My kids are old enough and comfortable enough in the water to swim and not hang on me so I can actually play and swim too. I went for a quick dip with the Reiswigs the other day followed by a quick lunch at the park before book club. Great day, and they all slept good that night. Me too!

We all know Zach was playing cause he's just too sweet to throw Josh in the pool. (yeah right)

NO PHYSICAL CONTACT

That's my old rule with NEW consequences! If for ANY reason one child strikes another, or instigates someone to strike them, they have 30 minutes on their bed with NOTHING, maybe a book to read, but so far they have all chosen NOTHING! One day while Sami was doing her "hard time" this is what I saw...