Memorial Day-Lake Koocanusa

We met Ryan, Jeannie and family for the day last Monday at Lake Koocanusa.

Lake Koocanusa and the Libby Dam were completed in 1972 as a joint project between the United States and Canada in an effort to provide flood protection and to generate hydroelectric power. The Kootenai River fluctuated wildly in the spring causing flooding in Montana, Idaho and British Columbia. Lake Koocanusa received its name in a contest to name the Libby Dam reservoir. A lady from Rexford, Montana, combined the first three letters from KOOtenai River, and the first three letters of CANada and USA. The lake is 90 miles long extending up into Canada and is up to 370 feet at maximum depth.*

We spent a relaxing morning on the boat fishing and roaming around the south end of the lake. Here is one of the catches for the day!

And the kids got to do a little fishing...

Lane admiring a fish that his Daddy caught...

Colter holding the line...

Waiting for a big one...

Grandpa Larry, we thought and talked about you and wondered at what place you would have been working/eating/sleeping, back in 1964, hundreds of feet below us in the forests and town that was covered up by the waters of the reservoir. The kids weren't quite sure if they like thinking of a town being way down there... At one point, the guys were talking about seeing a "school of fish" down below on the depth finder and Kyla was sure they were talking about seeing a "school" down there. ;) (I tried to find some information on this little town of Worland that was covered up by the reservoir in 1972 but I'm afraid it got completely washed right off the map...)

We had to dock for awhile because of a little squall that came up. A little thunder and rain. So here we are staying dry...

Kyla enjoying her book...

In the afternoon, the kids and I vacated the boat and we understand the boat was very quiet and peaceful. Lane and Morgan fell asleep, Jeannie read a book and the brothers spent uninterrupted time fishing, and visiting.

And what were we doing on the shore? Here is a little peek, and I'll tell you one thing... we were NOT taking naps... or sitting still... or being quiet...

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We were up here running off a lot of excess energy...

And they were way down there in the boat enjoying a quiet, peaceful ride...(do you see the boat to the left of Maya in the picture below?)

Yes, there they are! Do you think they will come back and pick us up?
I don't think so! ;)

We also enjoyed walking along the dam and playing on the new awesome playground structure. We ended our time together with a quick barbecue supper and headed home. Thanks R and J for another fun time together! Here are a few more pics from our time.

Hope you enjoy these Grandpa Larry and Grandpa Steve. We know you both spent time in these areas and it was fun to spend a little time there too.

Have a GREAT week!

* information from http://www.libbymt.com/areaattractions/lakekoocanusa.htm

Flowers For Friday

We had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. Randy was home Thursday and Friday and we got lots of stuff done. Saturday we went to preps and Sunday evening we enjoyed a picnic in the park with family. On Monday we met Ryan and Jeannie and family for the day at Lake Koocanusa. (more pictures to come) The kids and I took a little walk along a trail in the woods that overlooked the lake far below. We found lots of beautiful flowers...










May your day be full of happiness and beauty! Happy Friday,

10 of 52: Flashback May 1997

It was 12 years ago that we became engaged. So I thought I would post this picture (taken from our wedding scrapbook)for this weeks challenge.* I laugh now as I look at this silhouette picture of us. When someone suggested we display it on our guest book table at our wedding, I turned a little pink, thinking of people seeing us being "kissy" and all. I believe I turned several shades of red when we actually kissed in front of all those people at our wedding! Now after 12 years of being "kissy" with my husband and 3 kids, it doesn't bother me much anymore.
Anyway...

Here is the story of our engagement in order to record it for memory failure in our later years...

We met at Bible Study in November of 1995 after he moved to this area, accepting his first job after college. I was going to the local community college at the time. We began dating a couple months later. After one and a half years of dating, talking on the phone every day and seeing each other nearly every day, I began to wonder if he was ever going to ask me to marry him. We talked about getting married a few times but that's about as far as it would go. When people asked me where I was headed after I finished school at the community college, I would say "I'll probably go on to school in Idaho (my parents were living there at he time) or to the U of M and get my degree in accounting." Despite all my childhood ambitions to become a teacher, a pilot, a horse trainer, and on and on, there is one ambition that weighed out all of the rest. It was the ambition to be a wife and a mother. And I knew this was the man I wanted to be a wife too.

As the weeks sped by and the day of my graduation loomed closer, I realized that I really needed to make my plans for the next year. I began looking at colleges and half heartedly packing up my stuff from the place were I lived, in order to move in with my parents for the summer. The weeks of year-end-projects and finals and the spring busyness kept me going and it was with much delight that I looked forward to spending a quiet evening with my boyfriend at one of our favorite restaurants on Friday night. It was a little chinese place and we quietly talked about our week but avoided any discussions of future days.

All too soon, the waiter brought our fortune cookies on a little tray. We each took our cookie, broke it open and exchanged our slips of paper so the other could read it. It was a little ritual we had adopted whenever we ate at a place that handed out fortune cookies. I took the slip of paper he handed me and opened it up and read it. It said "Will you marry me?" I looked up at him in alarm as if to say, "do you know that this says?!"... and he was smiling. I said "are you serious?"... and he nodded his head. So I said "yes...of course!..."

I have no idea what the other fortune cookie said. Maybe something like, "take time for the things that really matter most", or "you will see many of those you love in a few months", or "your plans are about to change for the better". They did change for the better. I did move to my parents for the summer and spent my days getting ready for our wedding that was scheduled for the end of August. I never did go on to more college, but I can still say "it was for the better." Good fortune was smiling down on us that day.

Hosted By Forever in Blue Jeans

*52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!

Plant Potatoes-Check!

We had lots of help with planting the potatoes. Now they are all in the ground and we're just waiting to see that little cluster a fat green leaves burst up through the dirt.

Here is Randy cutting up some of our potatoes left over from last year as seed. We have done it every year since we first had a garden and it always amazes me that it works...

It's a dirty job, I tell you... but, this guy doesn't mind one bit!

This guy really doesn't mind either...

And this Mom tries not to mind but I had two loads of dirt laden jeans this week instead of just one.

And I'm hoping the washing machine doesn't mind either...

From Dirty Hands

My little boy gave these to me...

"Mommy, are these so pretty?"

"Yes, they are SO pretty, Thankyou!"

Tomato Hot Boxes and Planting

In our Northern Climate it is essential to have a "green house" environment to grow tomatoes. In the past we have used walls of water but haven't had much luck with those. So this year Randy built these "hot boxes" to house our tomato plants in the garden. He made six of them. Here you can see the construction of the frames...
After building the frames and staining them, he completed the other two sides with lengths of white pipe that can be removed for easy fold down and storage of the hot boxes. Then he surrounded and topped them in plastic...
He left the bottom of the plastic long to cover with dirt to give them more stability...
After they were positioned in the garden, he dug holes in them and...
planted four of them with tomato plants...

And watered them...
And covered them up....
So far they have been working GREAT! If you reach your hand inside you can feel the moist warm feeling. The tomatoes are smiling! ;) During the day, he opens it up a little and then closes it up at night. We are excited to maybe have our first decent tomato crop this year.

We will keep you posted!

Happy Birthday Heather!

I didn't get this up yesterday but still wanted to wish you...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

I have no idea why we are going down this raging river with our eyes closed but at least we're smiling and still alive to tell about it.

All the best to you in the coming year in your rip roaring adventure of being a Mom. May it be filled with lots of love and laughter!

Love,

Plowing Up More Garden...

...yes he is!

The Sandbox Gang

Last Friday was a beautiful day here in our little corner of the earth. Randy took the day off work and the kids were all home for the afternoon. We spent all our time outside. First the kids enthusiastically helped us in the garden. But after a while their interest in the garden waned and their attention turned to the sandbox.

It's amazing the creative work that happens when they are trying to avoid doing what they should be doing-like helping in the garden.

I know a little bit about that myself...It's called blogging...

Some of their "creative work"-bridges, roads, little hills, valleys, huts, castles, and a dandelions here and there for decoration...
"Mom, come and take a picture of us!!!"

So I went and took a whole bunch of pictures of them and their work. Someday they may not want pictures anymore so I might as well take advantage of it now, right Amy?

And they finished off the day swinging and swinging...

As I post this I realize a whole week has gone by now and I don't know exactly were it went. Randy's home again and we are back in the garden today, planting tomatoes, and breaking up more garden, weeding out the raspberries, etc. More to come...

Hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

As Always,

and the sandbox gang!