Grandpa Guy

My Grandpa Guy is the best Grandpa anyone could ever have. I am so grateful for having him in my life. He taught me games like "Here Stands a Post" and "Don't Smile." He was a master with wood work and loved to tease us grandkids. He loves Grandma and you know it whenever you see them together. I have so many wonderful memories with Grandpa I can't name them all but I do cherish them. My Grandpa Guy passed away on June 23, 2011. He was surrounded by his family. It was hard to see him suffer. When I received the call that Grandpa had passed, I felt peaceful and calm. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know I will see my Grandpa again. I know he will be with my Grandma forever. I love my Grandpa. He is a wonderful man. I am blessed to have him in my life.
Grandpa's funeral was on June 30, 2011. It was wonderful. The tribute given and testimony of our Savior were perfect. I was honored to sing a song with the granddaughters. We sang "Each Life that Touches Ours for Good," from the LDS Hymn book. I love that song. The great-grandkids sang "I am a Child of God" and "Families Can Be Together Forever." It was beautiful.

Bear Lake Comes to an End

We had so much fun in Bear Lake. It was sad to see it end. We did have a great time. We stopped at a burger joint on the way out of town to get some lunch. They had this funky butterfly bench that we just had to try out.

We also couldn't resist a photo with this massive bear.

The Beach

Fun on the beach. Grandpa and Grandma relaxing in the sun. As a group effort we built a grand sandcastle.
What good is a beach if you can't bury someone up to the neck? Gabe and Parker were so excited to do it.

The Lake

We had a great time at Bear Lake. I couldn't believe how warm and shallow the water was. It was so much fun.

Time to Play

The kids played outside our condo on the playground while Matt and Dad grilled up the dinner. The kids had plenty of tricks to show climbing and swinging and anything they could think of.

Parker was so sweet. He went and found me a flower. What a little gentleman.

Matt and Dad taking turns at the grill. They sure cooked up a yummy meal.

The Race is On

We rented these bikes for a ride around Bear Lake. It was a blast. So much fun. Two bikes, two families, one race. I don't think we meant to race but we did. I don't think MaKyra loved us trailing behind. Matt was up for the challenge. Although there were four of us pedaling, Matt was the real power. He would ask if my legs were feeling the friction. Then suddenly I would feel a lot of slack as he pedaled faster.

I don't remember who won but it was worth every cent to rent the bikes.

Minnetonka Caves

We went to the Minnetonka Cave. It was so fun. I wasn't crazy about the drive up the curvy, steep road to get to the cave, but the cave was pretty cool.

While waiting for the cave tour to begin, the kids enjoyed watching the chipmunks. They were really cute and darting from here to there. Emme loved them.Inside the cave there were around 400 stairs in and out. It was so interesting to learn about all the different rooms in the cave - stalagmites and stalagtites.

The kids loved the whole thing. At the very bottom, they turned the lights off so we would know how dark it is in the bottom. You couldn't see anything because the darkness was so thick. The tour guide said your eyes would never adjust to that kind of darkness. Peyton did not like that. She cried and cried til the lights were back on.

At one point, when we were in such a big room, the guide pointed to right above where I stood at a baseball sized rock and explained that it was that rock that held the cave up. If the rock were to dislodge the cave would collapse. Comforting words. Another interesting fact is that our ancestor was the one who discovered the Minnetonka Cave.

Bear Lake!

We headed to Bear Lake for a getaway with my family, Mom and Dad, and Shilo, Eric, and family. Our first morning there we headed to the chocolate store. Yummy! While waiting for everyone to get there goodies, we decided to confront this bear . . .We laid around . . .We ate our treats . . .

And just had fun!

June with Family

The month of June has been hard. My Grandpa Guy's health had been failing. It was hard and sad to see him grow weaker. Through the sadness, we did have joy. Our family gathered together. My Aunts and Uncles were able to come and spend time with Grandma and Grandpa. Chris, Randy, and Dad - oh, the stories they tell. I love to hear about all their crazy childhood experiences. They definitely had some fun.
Shilo, Tonya and I together. So great to get together with cousins.

Dad, Vicki, and Randy - I love my Aunts and Uncles and my dad.

Grandma Valone is so sweet and wonderful. I feel so blessed to have her as my Grandma.

Together with Ashlee, Shilo and Ethan. So fun to see them all!