Salt Lake Girls Trip

In the week between the fair and school starting and during the heat of the harvest, we decided it was high time we took a little girls trip. 

Addi, my mom, and I headed down to Salt Lake! 

Our first stop was Scheel's because it was just kind of neat and we'd heard a lot of good about it. We actually found some really cute non exercise clothes and did a little shopping as well as looking around. 

After that we headed to the hotel to freshen up and then ate at P.F. Chang's which was quite fabulous.

From there we headed back to the hotel because we had a little more time to chill and freshen up before we headed to the theatre to see WICKED! 

Oh my stars, it was amazing. 

We somehow ended up with seats on the very front row which we were a little nervous about but it was absolutely amazing. 

Oh, I just can't even describe it. 

We were so up close and personal. The bubbles were popping on our noses and the smoke was right in our faces and we were making eye contact with the actors and it was just....I don't even know. Just the best ever. 

I had been to Wicked when I went on American Heritage and loved it then but it was even better this time. I loved Glinda. She was sooo good and darling. I knew the story a little more too so it was fun to have an idea of what was coming next and just really soak it in. 

Oh man. I could go to that show every night for the rest of my life and be completely happy. It was fabulous. 

The next day, after we'd spent some time that night gushing, we woke up and headed to City Creek to do some shopping. That mall is just super fun even though it is still a little too high class for me. We did find some fun stores before we headed to the Gateway which is also a fun mall. And also had some fun stores. 

By that afternoon we were all shopped out and ready to head home. We stopped in Layton for some Red Lobster which I have been craving since we stopped there on the way to our cruise. And it did not disappoint. 

Then we were back on the road. Around Pocatello we got into the biggest rainstorm ever. It was slightly terrifying. The rain was pounding the windshield so hard that we couldn't see and lightning was all around us and I was trying to soothe my mom and we were all pretty happy to finally be home. 

It was a fabulous trip and super fun to just hang out with the girls.

He's Home!

In the middle of August, ole Ethan finally returned! 

We didn't get his release date until about three weeks before he got home, so we didn't actually know if he was ever going to leave Guam or not! 

We headed into town and met everyone at the airport. From there we waited, and waited, and waited for the plane to come in. 

Finally we saw him coming down the escalator and the tears started. When the door finally opened, the tears increased as did the smiles and hugs. It was so good to see him and I just feel like he is the same old Ethan. Like he never was even gone. From there we headed to a park where we ate some lunch and visited and then Kolton left on the roadbike to do some combining and I left to run some errands. It was a good day and it's been so nice to have him back! 

Jalapeño Business!

So last night my mother and I made plans to team up for dinner. These are my favorite kind of plans because its half the work for double the delicious. It doesn't get better than that. 

Anyway my part of the menu included jalapeño poppers. 

And let me tell you, those peppers were spicy.

10 minutes after I had finished assembling them, my hands started burning. I have never had this happen before, but it was like the burning your mouth has when you eat something spicy but it was  in my hands and just the worst. 

The burning lasted until we ate dinner and then subsided (or maybe I was just too distracted by the spread of good food to notice). 

After dinner we watched a movie and it came back in full force. Just burning and burning and I couldn't figure out how to make it stop. I tried lotion and it helped for approximately two minutes. 

Then we got home and climbed into bed and the burning intensified. It had been manageable before but now I knew that I was not going to be sleeping it this kept up. 

So I did the only logical thing to do in that situation, I googled it. 

Obviously. 

And I found quite a list of remedies and slowly began working my way through them. 

With each remedy I would put a pair of socks on my hands to avoid washing them off because water and soap was really doing nothing for me. 

I started with rubbing Vaseline all over my hands. 

When that didn't work I tried rubbing alcohol.

When that didn't work I tried bathing my hands with lime juice. 

Next I tried soaking my hands in milk.

This just made matters worse so I tried the rubbing alcohol again because that one had had the most success so far ( a full 3 minutes of relief) . 

Then I tried rubbing mustard all over my hands. 

Finally I was exhausted and it was late and I was keeping kolton up by my getting out of bed five thousand times so I went to the kitchen, filled a ziplock bag with ice and slept with that cradled between both of my hands. 

And finally I was able to go to sleep. 

P.s. Before all this trial and error I had washed my hands thoroughly with soap and water so I figured it was safe to take my contacts out. 

Bad idea. 

Very bad idea. 

I thought that if I did as quickly as possible I could get my fingers out of there before the burning juices were able to saturate my eyeball. I was very wrong obviously and was able to get one contact out which also included writhing in pain and not being able to open my eye for a full minute. 

And I still had another contact to remove.

I debated having kolton come remove it for me but I knew that that would not be a good thing for our marriage so instead I wrapped some toilet paper around my fingers and removed it that way. And it actually worked, so there's that. 

Mud Lake Fair

The Mud Lake Fair is always one of my favorite times of the year, don't ask me why. I think it's the tradition and the sameness and the authentic Mexican food. 

Actually, probably most of it is the authentic Mexican food. Those tamales and rice and salsa just put me over the edge. 

This year the pig show was on my birthday just like it always is but the biggest and best difference was that for the past few years I have been a spectator instead of a participator. Which is kind of awesome, despite all the money that I am no longer making. That night was the parade but we didn't go because I had been craving Stockman's nachos ever since I had discovered them the week before and since it was my birthday I can kind of demand those kinds of things. But as we drove through Terreton in the few minutes before the parade started and saw all the cars lined up on the sides of the road and all the floats lined up in the school parking lot I felt really bad that we were missing it. Even though it's just a dinky little parade, I just think it is the greatest. 

But Stockman's nachos are also the greatest, so it was an okay tradeoff. And they also gave me a free dessert so that was okay too. Also, after dinner Kolton took me to Barnes and Noble and I got to browse to my heart's content and spend both of the gift cards I received last Christmas. That was kind of great.

We went to the rodeo on Friday night because Kolton's Grandma and Grandpa Hansen were the Grand Marshals this year and Kolton had some family coming up. 

I did NOT want to go to the rodeo on account of I was planning on going to the Saturday night rodeo and also because it was pouring rain. But go we did after Kolton made me trade my cowboy hat for a regular hat because it looked like I was trying too hard. Mostly I was just having a bad hair day and it was raining and I thought I looked good in the hat and the rodeo always brings out the tinsy bit of cowgirl in me (that is actually nonexistent once I get near a horse). But Kolton said it had to go, so it did. 

But we were still able to have fun despite the noncowgirl hattage and the pouring rain.  

On Saturday I attended the sale which is always my favorite part of the fair, and not just because it brings back memories of big payoffs. I love to watch this community support each other and it just really warms my heart. They sold a pig for Chris Caudle to pay for some medical expenses and it was just amazing. It was the Grand Champion pig and the first person that bought it told the auctioneer to sell it again. So they did. Again, and again, and again. At least 10 times. It had me all choked up watching the good people of this community give and give and give. Even though we may be in the sticks and town is an hour away, there is not one place else in the world that I would rather live. The people here are just Grade A kind of people.  

The Mickelsen's came out for the sale and afterward we went up to Brody's pond to fish. 

The kids were able to catch a few and it was fun to just hang out and get the kids excited for the rodeo. At the rodeo that night I tried to explain to those kids what the events were (as much as I know, anyway) and I loved watching them enjoy their first rodeo.  We had a nice time and it was infinitely better weather, so that is always good. And then that was the end my friend! Until next year! 

Harvest Time

This year's harvest was a little crazy. 

Once we cut second crop hay all that rain that we had been praying and fasting for back in March came pouring down. And it just poured and poured and poured. 

I have never seen it rain that much in the middle of August. Usually we will have some thunderstorms but this was just really out of the ordinary. Those clouds came in and just settled on us and it got cool and it just rained for a couple days straight. 

After the clouds cleared up, it was time to assess the damage. 

The once green hay was now black. 

I was driving down the road to take Kolton lunch one day and saw a guy out on a tractor in the middle of the field. The tractor was smoking and I was ready to call Kolton to tell him that somebody had a tractor on fire. On further examination, however, I realized that the tractor was still running and the rake behind it was what was making all the black smoke. I tried to figure out what on a rake could possibly be on fire to be smoking like that. Upon even FURTHER examination, I discovered that neither piece of equipment was smoking. The hay that was being battered by the rake was sending up that thick black dust. 

It was that bad. 

And it didn't stop there. 

We would rake and get a field or two baled and then the rain would come in again to do more damage. It was just the worst! We couldn't get ahead of it and all that hay was sure ugly. When Hansen's were finally getting the last of it baled I volunteered to make everyone dinner and have them stop by the house on their way home. When Kortni and Teagan came by to get their dinner I could not stop laughing. I wanted to take a picture so badly. Their faces were just black. Every square inch of skin was covered in that nasty black dust. Oh, I just died over it, but I don't think they thought it was too funny. 

The grain harvest was a whole other story.
Kolton had told me that if it rains enough, the grain kernels will actually start to sprout while they are still on the plant. I told him that there was no way that could happen.
It turns out that it definitely CAN happen and that it definitely DID happen.
After the first bout of rain left us, Kolton got on the combining and was going like crazy. He nominated me as the person to take the grain samples to Osgood so they could see how they were doing on moisture, sprout, and other things that I don't understand.
I took in the samples each day for two or three days and every day the results went from bad to worse. Kolton had watered his grain a week longer than about anybody else so it was already sopping wet before the rain came in. We had contracted all our grain and it was all going to be useless. Busch will only take about 1% sprout and Kolton's lowest was 10% and the highest was about 20%. It was not looking good. But regardless they just kept combining. Not knowing what they were going to do with all that grain sitting in the bin.
Things were looking pretty dim.
Then another rainstorm came through.
Kolton had finished all his grain but with this next bout of rainstorms Kolton's 20% sprout on his grain was starting to sound pretty good.

All anybody could talk about was what they were going to do with all this malt barley that has a limited market. . We had been hoping that with all the ups and downs of harvest we would at least be able to break even, but it didn't look like that was even going to happen. We were feeling a little picked on.
It was not a good month.

But then September rolled around and the hay and grain somehow got finished and Kolton started hauling in his barley. He was nervous with the first couple loads because they were testing every single truck that came in and he didn't know if he was going to make it. They had raised the amount of allowable sprout so we were hopeful that we could haul in at least a little bit of the grain.
Over the last couple of weeks, Kolton has been able to haul in about 85% of his barley.

I was sitting in church last Sunday and pondering all that has happened over the last month of harvest and I felt an overwhelming gratitude for all that we have been blessed with.
I can't put into words how stressful this harvest has been. With the rain and the sprout and all the problems that we have faced I really was wondering how we were going to make it. I think we have all been humbled. Each of these circumstances was something that was so far beyond our control. There wasn't much we could have done differently to avoid the problems that we had. It made me realize how much we have to depend on Heavenly Father to help us get our crops up. It also made me so grateful for all the years that everything has gone smoothly with no major problems.
It is only by Heavenly Father's goodness and blessings that these seeds we plant in the ground grow and produce. I really came to realize and know how much we depend on him to have everything work the right way. And I also came to realize how much he loves us and blesses us. In a way, I am grateful for the stress and problems that we have had because I feel like it has helped me to come to know my Heavenly Father better and to learn to be grateful for all that He has given me.

Newman Reunion

We had our annual Newman Reunion up at Island Park. 

I just love that place and never want to leave. It was especially sad because it was our last time up there for the rest of the summer so I tried to soak it all up. 

I left Kolton at home and rode up with my family on Thursday morning. We played in the water and relaxed on the lawn and just had a nice time.

Later that afternoon there was a huge rainstorm and it was crazy watching the wind and waves and rain. Keston, Brevan, and I just sat by the windows and observed. 

After dinner we headed out on the boat. 

Island Park is wonderful, but really the best times for wakeboarding are early in the morning and later at night. In the middle of the day there are a lot of boats out and then that dang wind always picks up. 

My siblings always want to go at 7 in the morning, but I sure have a hard time wanting to get in the water then. My favorite time is after dinner as the sun is going down. 

Oh my, it is just fabulous.

There are hardly any boats out so we have the lake to ourselves and it is just quiet and peaceful and the sun is setting and the water is just glass. I always refer to it as buttery, because when you are out on the wakeboarding cutting through it it feels just like slicing through butter. (Kolton tells me that this is a weird metaphor, but I keep saying it because it is true! and also because I like to annoy him.) 

That night they put in Rio 2 and since I didn't have a bed to sleep in, I just zonked on the couch. And actually slept really good! 

The next morning Laird made us some super awesome french toast and then everyone headed out to go see Quake Lake and a movie at the IMAX theatre in West Yellowstone. 

Kolton was coming up on the roadbike that morning after running some errands in Rexburg, so I decided to wait for him so we could ride together. 

So I grabbed my book that I've read five thousand times and sat out on the deck in the sun and just chilled. I was all alone, it was quiet, and just so great.

Then Kolton showed up and we headed off on the bike. We figured that we would be late for the IMAX movie and had missed lunch so we headed to the little fifties diner in West and had some lunch. I wowed Kolton with my expertise in typing knots in cherry stems. It was most impressive.

Then we met the rest of the crew as they were leaving the movie. Half the people decided to drive through the park and the other half went back to the cabin. 

After a little convincing from Kolton, we rode back to the cabin the long way past Hebgen and Quake Lake. And it was totally worth it. 

That Hebgen Lake was so beautiful with the mountains and the water and we just had a really nice time riding right alongside it.

Quake Lake was a little more on the eerie side. After the earthquake a lake was formed where a popular campground used to be. So now there is the lake and there are a whole bunch of dead trees out in the middle of the water. It gave me a bit of the heebies.

After that, the ride consisted mostly of sagebrush til we hit Henry's Lake and then made it back to the cabin. 

After that we just hung out till dinner and then after dinner we went out on the boat again and it was just as great as the night before. But I couldn't believe the tricks the kids were pulling out! I was happy to take it easy and just cut back and forth through the water but the kids were doing their darndest to jump the wake, and that little bit of competition really was fun to watch!

When we got back to the cabin we watched The Help and everyone fell asleep during it. 

The next day we played in the water and had a good time.

 The best part of the day was when we were all sitting out on the dock and decided to have a contest to see who could do the coolest trick as they jumped in the water. There were lots of backflips and front flips and arials and if I didn't know better, I would have thought I was back at school watching those crazy 5th graders flipping out of the swings! (because that's what they did....every. single. recess.) I really was impressed by all of the tricks though. My biggest trick was a cannonball that wasn't even that impressive. I think everyone was most impressed with little Kolden running out there and pulling out a front flip. We all watched in awe as he did it. 

Then we just relaxed and visited before it was time to pack up, clean up, and go home. I sent Addi and Kolton on the bike because I just didn't feel like going on it again and rode home with my parents. 

And that was that! It was a good time and a nice final boating party. 

I'm BAAACK!

So. 

I had to take a short hiatus from blogging because I was making myself crazy. While we were doing fun things I was taking pictures BECAUSE I wanted to put them on the blog and mentally composing blog posts WHILE I was supposed to be out living life and having fun. 

And that is just plain dumb. 

So I thought a little break to take my mind off of it would be nice and maybe help me get my priorities back in order. Which sounds so dumb that I put that much thought into this little ole thing, but it really is fun and I enjoy writing and getting my thoughts out and revisiting our adventures and making my blog books. 

It's fun to write just to write. I felt like that part of me kind of got destroyed in college when I was writing papers all the time and the TA proofreading them was crossing out any sentences that had personality and my voice in them. 

I've always thought I was a decent writer, so this is a fun space to get it out there. And also, it's a lot niftier than journal writing because my hands don't cramp up so quickly and I can backspace until I get the wording right. 

So.

I'm back and ready to revisit all the things and thoughts I've done and had in the past months. It'll be nice to finally get them out of my head and set somewhere solid. 

That's all.