Lake Pend Oreille

Last Saturday found us enjoying a boat ride on beautiful Lake Pend Oreille...

Pend Oreille is the 13th deepest lake in the world, 5th deepest in the United States with maximum depths at 1,150 feet.

It's amazing how these mountains just shoot right up out of the lake. No wonder it is such a deep lake if the mountains continue right down into the water!

These house give new meaning to the phrase "Home on the lake"! We saw lots of homes like this!

During World War 2, the south end of the lake was the second largest naval training ground in the world. Built as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the training station is now a state park. The lake is still used by the Navy's Acoustic Research Detachment to test large-scale submarine prototypes: the significant depth gives acoustic properties similar to the open ocean.*

Here we are cruising by a submarine launching area...
"US GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
NO TRESPASSING"

One happy passenger...

Uncle Randy and Lane...

Doing a little fishing...

Cousins...

A stop along the shore...

Looking for skipping rocks...

Deep in thought...

Headed back to the launch after a big day...

Thoroughly tired out!

Getting to drive!

Sweet Morgan...

Thank you Ryan, Jeannie and kids for the beautiful day!

*This information comes from Wikopedia

Daddy's Suprise!

Remember this note we left for Daddy before we left on our spring break trip? Well here is his surprise! No, we didn't buy him a new bike. His bike had gotten "broken" a couple years ago. The kids and I hauled the pieces out of the barn and brought it to the local bike shop. They fixed it up and called to say it was ready a couple hours before we were going to leave on our trip. We jumped in the van and ran to town to get it so we could surprise him when he got home from work. And now you know...the rest of the story.

To a 6 year old, bike rides with the family may be the greatest thing in the world!

Happy Riding!

Buds and Blooms

Thanks to all who participated in our suitcase poll. It's fun to see the results. Tonight I am again surrounded by suitcases that need unpacked... I think it will have to wait until tomorrow... or the next day... I'm beginning to wonder if we should start living out of our suitcases... ;)

We had a great weekend visiting Uncle Ryan, Aunt Jeannie and cousins Lane and Morgan. Pictures to come sometime soon. Until then, here are a couple pictures I took recently. I like how the bud above is wrapped in a soft blanket like a newborn baby. The blooms below look down on me from a plant I have on top of our desk.

Hope you all had a great weekend! Goodnight...

4 of 52-Shadow Shot

Here I am* with Maya! Guess what we did on this beautiful sunny evening...

*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!

Windy Weekend

It was windy here this last weekend. Colter spent some time on Saturday digging for dinosaur bones. Didn't find any...yet.

Randy harrowed the pasture, while the elk grazed behind him...

And the kids hunted for Easter bucket on Sunday...

Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.
John Ruskin

Spring Break-2009

Last Monday, Mom called me and wondered if I wanted to go together with her and Dad down to Bozeman and meet Melinda and boys there for a few days. It was spring break for the kids so after a few minutes of considering the idea, we happily decided to go. Dad had work down at Cook City, so we traveled down together and Mom, Melinda, myself and the kids enjoyed 2 days together and then Dad joined us later...

We did a lot of swimming,

a little bit of sleeping,

some sightseeing,

and lots of smiling!

Here are a few more picture...

We had a great time but it was good to get back home to Daddy and school...Well, Daddy anyway. Yes, Kyla and Colter were both excited to go back to school but this Mom could have used another few days off... ;)

Grandpa's Farm

We had the privilege of spending a night at Grandpa Clarence's Farm on Saturday night. This place holds lots of special memories for Randy. I took the picture above and below on our way to the farm...
Maya finds a little gate...
An old shed on the place...
Checking out a combine...
Wide open spaces from the front deck...
A beautiful Sunday Morning...
After Sunday morning meeting and a potluck we said "Goodbye" and headed home...
Our mountains greeting us as we near East Glacier...
And that was the wonderful start to our Spring Break. Time spent with family and friends is never wasted time and we are so thankful for every opportunity we have to be with those we love.

Hope all are having a great week!