6 Straight Days with Greg!

I'll not be posting for several days because Greg and I get to spend the next 7 days together traveling! Tomorrow very early in the morning we are leaving for Sun Valley and the Idaho Cattlemens' Convention where Greg's company always has a booth at the trade show. It is our turn to go. It is always a nice time...nice time with him...and nice time for me in a beautiful hotel room as I can just come and go as I please. Baxter Black is entertaining this year which should be lots of laughs! We're looking forward to going and just being together. Wednesday we'll leave for the Condo for a couple of days. We are going to meet Lori and Brad and kids and their friends, Mike and Amber Tribe and kids, at Bubba's for dinner Wednesday night! This is quickly becoming a tradition, one we really enjoy and look forward to. Todd's birthday was on the 9th and he had Young Men that night so there wasn't enough time to have a big party with him. We are, therefore, taking him to breakfast Thursday morning and shopping! Again, we are really looking forward to that! Can it really be that we have two teenage grandkids? We'll come back Friday morning sometime and do a little unpacking and organizing and then head to Brigham City to visit Greg's Mom in Willow Glen and then on to Tremonton for Natalie Jex's reception. We are so happy she is getting married and has found such a fine fellow. On Saturday we are looking forward to watching Kate dance in their annual Hansel and Gretel ballet. What a fun-filled week for many reasons...but reason #1, I get to be with the man of my dreams for 6 days! I love you, honey!

Jackson Getaway

Oh, how grateful I am for a few days getaway to our beautiful condo timeshare unit in Jackson (actually Wilson) Wyoming! It's the same week every year and many times we cannot go for the entire week, but it is still wonderful to anticipate and even more wonderful to actually enjoy while there! This year we were able to make it by Tuesday night and stay until Saturday morning...longer than usual. It is always made more fun by our Wilson family being up there at the same time. They usually stay in our condo but this year decided to buy their own and were joined by the Tribe family for their vacation. Since we were not up there from Sunday night until Tuesday night, Todd and Dillon made the top floor of our condo their "man cave" (as they called it). And they continued to stay up there even after we arrived until they all had to leave on Thursday morning. I'm sure it wasn't nearly as cool to be in the "man-cave" when two old fogies were downstairs, but they made the best of it! We were so sad to see both families go, but enjoyed eating at Bubba's with all of them and also watching the ice-skating festivities on Wednesday. We appreciated being included in the fun.

While there we loafed some, did crossword puzzles (which Greg has me hooked on--I'm using my brain and it feels good!), read (Greg... the new Priesthood Leadership Handbooks, me...Pres. Monson's biography), studied the scriptures, Christmas shopped for grandkids (is there anything quite as fun as finding the perfect gift for the perfect little person?) and made Greg a warm quilt for HIS "man-cave", the den. I took my new sewing machine and further learned how to use it. Greg was great help in getting the quilt cut out and put together ready to machine quilt and in helping to feed it through the machine during the process. It is so bulky it would have been very difficult if not impossible without him. I appreciate how he is always so willing to help me with projects...of course, this one was for him, but he would have helped me regardless. The quilting capabilities on this machine are so fun! We are still going to tie it, however, just because it will look better! We came home Saturday night and bound it on the machine as well. It looks great and for a first try, it turned out well. When it is tied I will take a picture of it.  We love the colors! Thanks, Lori, for taking me to "The Gathering Place" once again and helping me find just the right fabric! Why is it you can't walk out of that store without spending $50 - $100.00?!!! Love that place!

The weather was pleasant on the trip up and all week until Saturday morning when we awoke to plenty of snow! So beautiful!!!!! We decided to pack up and come home during the daytime but certainly didn't hurry! We had the new company car (new to us) and it had great tires. I knew we had Greg at the wheel so I really didn't stress at all. We came home to several inches of snow. So beautiful! It has really made me excited for Christmas! I took this picture of the famous "climbing" tree in our backyard. I love it so much and am very protective of it! This year as we have not had a hard frost yet, there are still many leaves remaining and in combination with the snowfall, its branches are weighed down pretty heavily. I have been going out with my broom and where I can reach, shaking the snow off the branches. As you can imagine, I look like a snow bunny after. How I love this tree! I know it's just an ordinary Little-leaf Linden tree, but we planted it right after we moved here and now it provides much-needed shade in the summer, a place for grandkids to climb, and something beautiful to enjoy all seasons of the year.

Our Teton Wagon Train and Horse Adventure Vacation

A look at Jackson from the Teton Pass Summit

The beautiful team of horses that pulled our Conestoga Wagon. (Gun and Smoke) There were four beautiful teams in all!Bergman Reservoir - our first camp site.

All the duffel bags, sleeping bags, pads, tents, etc.

Heading out on the first trail ride

Circle the wagons - Look at this beautiful vegetation!

Closeup of the wildflowers and foliage

There were so many activities. Greg enjoyed practicing his roping skills. He's still got it!

En route to the second camp - believe it or not, this is a lake completely covered in lily pads!

Lunch break on the way to Loon Lake - 2nd Camp
Greg is talking to Dave "Squirrel", the foreman of the wagon train
and playing with Buddy the camp dog.

I had been hiking with another gal and snapped this picture as the wagon was stopping to pick us up.

One section of Loon Lake covered with lily pads starting to bloom. Most of the lake was clear.
We canoed across and took a little dip to freshen up.

Jeff and Dave giving a history of the Indians of the area.

The two cooks, Ann and Deb, at work.
They never seemed rushed or stressed and meals were always ready on time!
Absolutely delicious dutch oven fare!

Around the campfire- lots of time to relax, visit and enjoy getting to know our fellow travelers.

One of the crew, Sheena, an expert horse team driver, visiting with Joseph from Germany.

We really enjoyed riding together and seeing the beautiful Teton country!

It's not a camping trip without S'Mores!

Greg was packing up the camp chairs for loading

Traveling to the final camp site

Flat tire on the wagon!

Our new friend and her kids from back East. She is a doctor who tragically lost her husband 7 years ago.
She is wonderful person and a first rate mom of these three beautiful kids!

Greg on "Angel"

Me on "Fox" - Yes, I did enjoy 3 different trail rides!

North Boone Creek waterfall we rode up to from our last camp site. The picture does not do it justice!

It is a lot farther down than it looks!

Jeff looking down into the water hole beneath

Heading back to our horses after enjoying the waterfall

The Pony Express arrived with mail the last morning.

Jeff, Cindy and their five kids. Cindy came up the last day as she
works at the BarT5 and takes reservations for the trip.
Their four boys and one daughter were part of the crew.
Absolutely great kids! They are a wonderful family.

The Teton Wagon Train Crew
A tremendous group of people and oh, so capable and friendly!

Our fellow travelers for the week! We had such a great time getting to know them all!

A picture of the east side of the Tetons from the bus window on our return to Jackson

The last week of July Greg and I had the privilege, thanks to Jeff and Cindy Warburton, of celebrating our 38th anniversary participating in the Teton Wagon Train and Horse Adventure originating in Jackson Hole. Jeff and Cindy own this business along with his brother Chris and his wife. They also own the BarT5 and the Elk Refuge Sleigh Rides. We ran into Jeff while while enjoying the Elk Sleigh Ride and got acquainted. He invited us to come on the wagon train as their guests this summer! Could you say no to that? I don't think so! Jeff grew up in Grouse Creek, Utah, just over the mountain from Park Valley. Jeff and Greg's grandfathers were good friends as were both of their dads.
We have been eagerly anticipating this trip but I must say that it was much, much better than I ever expected. In the first place, it was great to be with my husband for four straight days! We had the most wonderful time just being together enjoying the beauties of the Tetons. We both love these mountains so much! They are breath-taking! One amazing part of the trip was the opportunity to completely circle the Teton Range in the course of those 4 days...by bus and by Conestoga wagon and horses. You can't imagine how beautiful the vegetation was after a spring and summer of rain, rain, and more rain! I think we lucked out and went on the best possible week of the summer because the wild flowers were still gorgeous and we did not get rained on a bit! The temperatures were in the 70's and low 80's. Just perfect!
We met the bus at the Painted Buffalo Inn in Jackson on Monday morning, July 27th, and they loaded all 32 of us and our gear. Greg was able to take his saddle so he rode in comfort all week. We started the bus trip going west over Teton Pass eventually heading into the Targhee National Forest east of Ashton where we met the wagon train and crew, had an orientation session, and enjoyed a great lunch. We were very impressed that Jeff made a point of the safety record they have enjoyed and gave credit for that to prayer at the beginning of the day and before every meal calling upon "a higher power" to protect the party in their travels. Anyone of any religion is invited to volunteer to say those prayers, and anyone not wanting to participate is certainly excused from doing so. He told of an atheist woman on one of their trips who refused to MISS the prayer times because she loved the way she felt. Interesting, I thought. We then headed to our first camp. Bergman Reservoir. Jeff invited Greg and me to ride with him in the front of the gear wagon where we visited and enjoyed learning about the beautiful teams of work horses and how Jeff and Cindy got involved in this business 12 years ago. We arrived at our first camp site at about 3:00pm, set up tents, got our sleeping bags, pads, pillows, and sheets and were settled by about 4:00 and ready to participate in any of the many available activities including horseshoes, roping, knife and ax throwing, canoeing, and trail riding, or just visiting with our camping companions. That evening after a wonderful meal of beef and gravy, salads, homemade bread and fresh fruit we sat around the campfire and Jeff told us the history of cowboys. It was so interesting. The man is a walking history book and has obviously spent years studying the lore and history of the area. He has such a humorous and fascinating way of talking that the time just flies by! Then he pulled out the guitar and we sang around the campfire. He made it perfectly clear that we could go to bed whenever we wanted and no offense would be taken, telling us a funny incident from when he first took over the business. Jeff has to be the last one in bed at night and one gentleman just stayed around the campfire until 2:00 in the morning. Jeff, not wanting to force him to head to bed just kept playing and talking with him . Finally, the guy said he was tired and went to bed. The next morning Jeff heard someone talking to the fellow and saying "Did you hear Jeff playing and singing 'til 2:00 am?" The guy said, "Yes, I felt like I had to keep him company and I thought he'd never quit and go to bed!" Well, no trouble getting us old foggies to bed! We slept pretty well and were up in good time Tuesday morning. There is nothing like the smell of bacon cooking and hot chocolate to warm you up when you're camping...especially when you don't have to do any of the cooking or cleaning up! Oh, so nice! We always had plenty of time to be leisurely, never feeling rushed and I very much enjoyed that aspect of the trip. We were always packed up and out of camp by 10:00 am, however, and ready to head to the next camp spot. If you wanted to hike all or part way to the next camp spot, they let you leave ahead of everyone else with a crew member. If you wanted to trail ride there, you left a little later with a crew member. If you rode in the wagons, you waited a little longer. And amazingly, we all arrived at the camp site pretty close to the same time no matter how we decided to do it! These people have this whole process down to a "fine science". It is so organized and really adds to the enjoyment because with organization comes safety and security that all will go well.
The trip to our second camp site, Loon Lake, was about 8 miles, so we stopped for lunch in a beautiful place called Gibson Meadow. I rode the wagon to this spot and then walked part way to camp. Greg rode with the trail riders on that leg. In fact, I know it is hard to believe, but Greg rode every time a horse was available! He always made sure everyone else who wanted to ride got the first opportunity, but usually Angel was left and the crew would saddle him up! Trail riding is not the reason Greg owns a horse, but I think he really enjoyed doing it on this trip. The Loon Lake camp site was so nice...we had good flat ground to put up our tepee style tent and the lake itself was beautiful. We canoed in a zig-zag pattern across the lake because I am terrible at rowing...but we had a great time anyway! We had fabulous dutch-oven chicken and baked beans, salad and watermelon for dinner...so good I can taste it now! Our evening around the campfire was spent learning about the Indians of the area. Jeff also did a great job of giving an encapsulated history of the California, Oregon and Mormon trails. He did a superb job of recounting our Mormon history from the time of Joseph Smith until the Saints crossed the plains and helped settle the west and he accomplished it without being offensive to those not of our faith. I'm not sure anyone would even have known he was a member. It was obvious to us, however, how much the Church means to him and his family. I know everyone on our trip was impressed with his kids and the rest of the crew who worked tirelessly from early morning until late at night to make this a memorable vacation for all of us. I think all but one of the crew were members of the church, some having served missions and others preparing to go. Many of them come from Utah State University and work at the BarT5 the first year to gain experience before going "up on the hill" as they call it. Anyway, very exemplary of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As some of our group learned we were Mormons they were not surprised that Jeff and his family were as well. I believe they left the trip with a favorable impression and a good "taste in their mouths" for who we are and the joy we find in everyday living. Anyway, to close the evening, we enjoyed roasting marshmallows for s'mores and heard some more great stories from past camp groups over the years. Can I begin to tell you how much we laughed on this trip?
The next morning after boiled eggs, french toast, bacon, juice, and fruit, we headed to our last camp site called Boone Creek . This is where we took the beautiful trail ride up to the waterfall which everyone enjoyed so much. I think nearly every one in our party rode at least once during the week and the 10 or 12 kids rode over and over again! We had cowboy potatoes, ham, salads, fruit and dutch oven cherry chocolate cake. Though Greg couldn't eat the desserts, there was always plenty of food that he could eat which was a blessing. The cooks were the best and took good care of him! That evening we learned about mountain men with a little surprise twist. We laughed a lot that night! Jeff and the crew are so full of funny experiences and Jeff himself has written some pretty good cowboy poetry. The kids on the trip enjoyed sitting around the campfire as much as the adults did.
Thursday morning after breakfast we packed up again, and then gathered around the campfire to be formally inducted into the Teton Wagon Train family. Jeff and the help must have stayed up awfully late that night preparing certificates with our own special camp "names" on them. You could tell they had put a great deal of thought into them. Jeff got pretty emotional saying good-bye to everyone and it made me wonder if he really gets that attached to every party they take on this trip! And the answer is probably "yes" because of the close associations you gain being together for four straight days. Greg's certificate bore the name "Get on Again Greg" because of his tireless love of riding! Mine was "Wonderful Wendy" due to the lack of any other word that starts with a W, I am sure! The 80 year old woman we had with us rode a horse the first day and was named, "I'll Try Anything Once Ivy"! She was such a trooper! Afterward, we had a little history about the Pony Express and then a surprise visit from a rider with mail for everyone! We then had a lunch consisting of all the sandwich makings you can imagine, chips, cookies, etc. and after taking final pictures, loaded in the wagons to head out to meet the buses. I was not in any hurry to leave even after only sponge baths for four days! Greg helped me wash my hair that morning so I was revitalized! But all good things must come to an end and a shower was sounding pretty nice!
The Wagon Train experience in Targhee National Forest is nestled between Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park...an area not too many get to see. Absolutely pristine! It is the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone. Needless to say, we had many lessons on how NOT to attract grizzlies! It is also the home of wolves, moose, elk, loons, ducks, eagles, hawks, owls, etc. many of which we were able to see or hear. This was really an unforgettable experience...you have to be a participant to appreciate it. We met the buses on the North East end of the Tetons, traveled to Flag Ranch where we took a little break and then headed south on the east side of the Tetons back to Jackson. I love to see the different perspective each side of the Tetons provides.

This post is very long...just too many important memories to record. All 32 of us were strangers when we met and we left as dear friends. We met and became close to people from Germany, Massachusetts, Indiana, Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina to name a few. Some were grandparents there in the beauty of the Tetons becoming heroes to their grandkids for bringing them on a better vacation than Disneyland! Our doctor friend, Marisa, has taken her kids on a different and exciting vacation every year since their dad died. They want to come back and do this again. Our friend, Joseph, from Germany is divorced and his kids live in Portland with their mom. He gets them a couple of times a year for two weeks and tries to do something really fun with them each time. His children were charming! It was hard to get Iona off a horse! Some were there like Greg and me just to spend some time together as a couple. One couple didn't have a great relationship and commented many times on how they admired ours. We hope theirs is better after this trip. Thanks again to Jeff and Cindy and family for a wonderful 38th anniversary vacation!

A Memory with Brent and Janet!

Janet and Brent at Shoshone FallsGreg and I at Shoshone Falls

On April 23rd, Greg and I met up with Brent and Janet and headed to Boise to enjoy a little time together...just the four of us! We have talked about doing something together for almost 20 years but have never done it! Well, Greg and I decided a few weeks ago that we wanted to go see and Ian Tyson concert and we knew that Brent and Janet love his music, too! We found one in Boise and with little discussion, just booked the tickets and room and hoped that Brent and Janet would actually be able to get away to go! Talk about a leap of faith because we know life on the ranch! But it worked out and we had a ball together! We had the best time visiting on the way to Boise and then checked in and cleaned up a bit before heading out to eat. It was somewhat of an adventure to find a place to eat, but we finally did (pretty swanky for country folk at heart!). It was called Chadwicks. We then headed to the concert where I realized I had either lost my camera, or more probably left it in the hotel room when I was cleaning out my purse! I can't believe I didn't have my camera! The concert was at a little theater called the Egyptian...an old renovated movie theater so very intimate and fun for a concert setting! We thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful authentic cowboy/rancher music. Just Ian and his guitar and two other members of his band backing him up with vocals and bass and acoustic guitars. I could have listened to him for another couple of hours! Very enjoyable! We were hoping he would sing his Bill Kane ballad but he did not. Greg and Brent did talk to him afterwards at his CD signing and he said that Bill had sent him a hackamore in the mail that week but he has never met the man. Bill is a legend in the ranching world! He is a family friend and a very humble nice man! He was a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and when asked about it, he would say (about interviewing): "I just backed 'em in a corner and made 'em face me!" Spoken like a true cowboy! Anyway, due to lack of camera, I did not get a picture of us! URG!!!

And then to top it off, when we arrived back at the hotel, we got stuck in an elevator for about 5 minutes and I missed another photo op! You should have seen Brent pushing the alarm over and over! He has a little claustrophobia like Greg! We were laughing and a little panicked at the same time! After calling on the elevator phone, someone FINALLY answered and said they would send help. Brent punched the buttons again, and like magic, the door opened! Guess where we were? On the first floor! We had not moved at all, the door just stuck shut (heaven only knows why!) It reminded Greg of Italy when they got stuck in elevators on a daily basis! Anyway, funny memory! We changed into our jammies and talked for a couple of hours before heading to bed. In the morning we got up early and drove to Mountain Home for breakfast at AJ's and then on to Shoshone Falls. These are the only pictures I got of the trip! We had a wonderful time laughing, reminiscing, and just visiting...really the traveling time was the most wonderful part of the mini-vacation! Every person should have a brother-in-law and sister-in-law they love this much! Janet and I had a special "connection" from the first time we met and spent many wonderful hours together when we lived on the ranch. We paid the ranch bills together (THAT's another story!) and have some pretty humorous memories in that regard! Her oldest, Bill, is the same age as my youngest, Julie! But the age difference was never an issue in our friendship. She is my "sister" in every sense of the word. Greg absolutely adores Brent and it is a pure joy for me to listen to them visit with each other! They are both a wealth of information and humor! We love you, Brent and Janet. Thanks for going with us!

"Grandma Heaven" in Florida!

After a fun night of bowling.
Art projects

Gavin, Emma and me at the mall!

Emma, Gavin, and Sara on our shopping trip.

Three beautiful kids ready for church.

Bathtime for Emma!

Climbing the tree!
Ah, cookies and milk!

Licking the cookie batter off the beaters! Grandma's can't say no!

Hand-slapping game I taught Luke and Emma.

Snuggling!

Guitar Hero!

Following the car and saying goodbye!Just happy to be here!

Matt and Sara just before leaving! Riding scooters before Mom and Dad leave.Before I get started, remember that I have slowly been catching up on my blog and there are some entries after Greg's Christmas post and MANY new posts that are now before Greg's as I wanted events in chronological order.

Okay, does it get any better than this...a call from Matt asking if I would like to come and tend the kids for a few days if they pay for me to fly out there??? And my answer? ... A resounding YESSSSSSSS! (of course). So Greg took me to the Idaho Falls Airport early in the morning of January 28th. It was snowy and miserably cold, and the wings on the plane kept icing up as we were trying to take-off. Thank goodness for the "de-icing machines!" It took an hour but we were soon able to travel...(such a miracle in and of itself!). Because of the late flight, I missed my connection and was amazed that all I had to do was stick my little voucher in the nearest customer scan machine (whatever it is called), scanning the bar code, and my new flight information printed right out. And amazingly enough, instead of two layovers, they put me on a direct flight to Orlando and I arrived an hour earlier than I was scheduled and best of all, my luggage even arrived with me! Again, it just doesn't get any better than this! The marvels of modern flight and technology! Matt and the kids picked me up at the airport and we headed to a wonderful pizza/salad dinner at a place I had not been before and I now don't remember the name. I DO remember, however, that this pizza had pears on it and was very exotic and delicious! Matt always knows the best places to eat! Sara was teaching dance and then had Young Women after so we headed home. It was just fun to visit with Matt and the kids! It always amazes me that no matter how long it has been since we have seen them, it is as though we have never been apart! The kids were warm and loving from the word go! I love them so much! The only thing better would have been for Greg to be there with me. This is his very busiest time at work and it is absolutely impossible for him to leave for a week. Bless his heart for encouraging me to go and "baching it" for that week without me. We really missed each other and he missed being with our Florida Roses. I, however, gave many loves and hugs from Grandpa while there. Thank you, Sara and Matt, for keeping us alive in the hearts of your kids in between visits!

The next morning, Matt and Sara left for their little cruise to Cozumel! I was so glad they were able to get away and the kids and I had a great time as you can see from the pictures. They were definitely on "company manners" because they didn't give me a bit of trouble. I thoroughly enjoyed them. Gavin got a high fever Sunday afternoon just before the end of church, but I'm thankful for prayer because by the next morning he was feeling much better! I felt pretty good driving around the area and think I could now find my way to church okay, but a big "thank-you" goes to Sara's friend, Becky Lowe, for helping transport the kids during the week and also picking us up Sunday morning so I could follow them to church.

Matt and Sara arrived home Monday about noon and it was fun to be there while the kids opened their fun souvenirs from Cozumel. It was wonderful to see pictures and video from their trip on their big screen TV so quickly after they arrived home. Again, the marvels of modern technology and a son and daughter-in-law who understand it! It was a pleasure to be there to enjoy their Family Home Evening and once again see the Family Night Dance that has become tradition in their family. Emma informed me that she LOVES dancing with her Dad and I could see why!

Tuesday, Sara, Emma, Gavin and I headed for a very upscale mall (just to window shop) and IKEA for the day. We had a ball! IKEA is amazing and we could have spent much longer there than we did. Can I say that my daughter-in-law is such a fun person? I love her so much! That evening, my last night there, we headed out to eat and to go bowling per Luke's request. I very much STINK at bowling and was beat by everyone but Gavin and he ALMOST beat me! But we had a ball and I don't mind providing the comedy for such an evening! I would even do it again as I obviously have no pride!

Anyway, it was hard to say goodbye to our Florida kids and grandkids. I still get a bit teary thinking of it. We miss them so much. Thank you again for giving me the opportunity and blessing to do this, Matt and Sara. Posted are a few of the wonderful memories from a very memorable trip!