chacos- check
raft - check
sunscreen - you better believe check
life jacket - check
sunglasses - check
bruised foot from getting stomped on - check
fun group of people - check
ready to get hit by the cold cold water - check
we brought lunches to eat on the river.
erin had to get out of the raft to pee, i can't even tell you how many times. we got to see the people on the little train that drove along the river. they all waved and some even cheered and clapped while erin mooned them. it was pretty hilarious.
this picture makes me giggle. george's jacket looks like it could be a couple sizes too small.
then after we got all done, i watched as everyone packed the raft up to the top of the hill to load it.
we went back to ryan's parents house. and decided to take the fixed boat out to the dam.
looking good my love.
after, we went for a bite of mexian....food that is.
i think i mentioned that i was going gluten free.and let me tell you. it feels sooo great.i don't feel like crap after i eat anymore!
i love that.
so i have been trying to talk my sisters into doing a gluten free blog. or something. i think it would help motivate us all to continue doing it. cause there are the temptations of a good scone or a piece of cake at a wedding. i want to be able to make a lot of new things that are not only gluten free.. but yummy!
so here is my first post about a yummy gluten free dinner i had.
ryan loves to make pizza for family and friends. and we have been wanting to have my mom and her family over for dinner. and we were finally able to find a good time for all of us to get together.
my house is pretty fun to have parties at, because you can sit at the bar and watch the chef at work. aka ryan.
we mad a green salad and brownies and ryan made a pizza for each person, with whatever they wanted on it. so it was fun to get creative. ryan likes the 4 season pizza.
it really is called that, even though my mom may not believe it.
so everyone decided on their delicious choice and watched the baker master his pizza making skills.
i patiently waited for my turn, as it required it to be made differently than the others.
on a cookie sheet rather than the pizza stone.
i was really nervous to try it. because i didn't know how well gluten free would compare to ryan's yummy pizza.
but it was SO good! just ask my mom. she said she would eat that for sure.
i was very pleased.
thanks mom, todd and dawson for coming! it was really fun to get together!
i have met some remarkable people in my ward. sweet sweet sisters. none afraid to talk to me and tell me their names.
but there is one special lady... i just feel we were friends before we came here to earth. i feel like i have known her all my life. i have talked 2 her 3 separate times, but i feel like we are the best of friends. she is the same lady that gave that sweet lesson and had to post about it. the same lady that invited me to the temple to help pack up crystals. she is so tender and full of love.
she spoke this sunday on eternal marriage.
she opened with this talk, from Elder Richard G. Scott,
And then she began asking sisters to expess why they decided to get married in the temple.
some felt it was not an option. that they always wanted it. one sister said they had it the other way, married outside of the temple, and wanted something more. when she found her second husband she knew with out a doubt that was what she wanted.
i had a feeling she may ask me to share my feelings, after our beautiful temple experience together. it felt like there was a big chance. she said my name at the very end. i was caught off guard, not feeling totally ready to share. but as i took a second and thought. my feelings were strong. the spirit was right there. i started to weep. and she looked at me and teared up as well. the spirit was so very strong. and i felt so grateful to share my part.
i began saying i have always known i wanted to go to the temple. i remember the day my sister was married in the idaho falls temple. when she walked outside with a beautiful glow around her and her new husband. knowing she was able to be with him for time and all eternity. she was completely elated and unable to stop grinning. she adored him. i wanted that exact moment of my very own. and i was truly blessed the day i knew ryan and i were going to the temple to be sealed.
she shared with each of us that she is a convert and at a very young age she got pregnant. and after having the child, she wanted to give it up for adoption to an active LDS family. the father didn't want that, and took her to court to fight it. he won. she knew after what she wanted. she went to rix college and started dating a young man who was not a member. she realized that wasn't what she wanted and told him that they needed to stop dating. he was in shock, and didn't agree. she said she knew exactly what she wanted. and that was to get married in the temple. and soon after she said that. he started going to church, was baptized and asked her to marry him. she told him that they both needed to fast and pray about it. and they did. he called her 24 hours later and asked what answer she got. she knew that she was supposed to marry him. he was pleased of her answer because he felt the same, and asked her to marry him once more.
they were married in washington dc. at the same temple she went to as a young teenager. she fell in love with one of the sealing rooms there. and she was married in that very same room. she shared how much she loved the temple and is so sad to see that it is closed for a long period of time. but someone mentioned to her, as she mentioned to us... that our bodies are a temple and we need to work on bettering them while the temple is closed.
this hit me hard. i have so many things to work on.
her stories are so incredible and she has been through so much. it's made her who she is. so strong and willing to help and love anyone. she is inspirational.
after her lesson, she came to me and wrapped her arms around me and i whispered in her ear that i loved her. she squeezed me tight and said she loved me too. we were both full of tears.
i can't help but think heavenly father knew we were supposed to end up here. he helped me find my old friend.
yesterday (saturday) we floated the river with canoe. ryan and his dad and brother worked really hard to patch up the giant hole that was made from dragging on the ground. i guess they learned the hard way to tie the boat tighter to the trailer.
anyway, it was a beautiful day. i loaded up with sunscreen. i was NOT going to burn like i did at the reunion. i'm still peeling skin from that burn. i look like i have some kind of disease.
i didn't get burned. i got a tiny bit of color. but that's not saying much. everyone at the reunion called me vampire. evidently vampires are extremely white.
the day was absolutely gorgeous. ryan did a tiny bit of fishing. he was trying to out-fish the master of fishing. his friend joe.
he did beat him. for a little while. the 2 little fish were swimming in the water at the bottom of the canoe from the waterfall we flew over. which through me on my back into the boat. ok ok... it wasn't really a waterfall, it was a diversion dam. and it scared the crap out of me.
the fish were too little joe said. so we had to let them go.
all in all the trip was awesome. and much needed.
went back to ryan's parents and ryan and his dad fixed up the chicken coop well enough for the chickens to stay in. they let them out in the pasture to "graze".
and then we had to catch them. those buggers are quick!
speaking of chicken, what do you think we had for dinner? (thanks diane)
we were able to attend our beautiful niece's wedding yesterday. everything was perfect and so romantic.
we are so happy for them. they looked so in love.
during the ceremony, we thought we were going to get clobbered by the giant storm that was headed our way.
but we didn't.
the bride(s)?
the lovely photographer (holly) and the beautiful bride....
the bride changed into the party dress and it was time to boogie the night away.
i am in love with my new ward. all the ladies are so incredibly friendly. and none of them have a problem introducing themselves to me. i am sorta shy in that department. i have met a new lady each sunday i have gone. they are all so very sweet.
this sunday was wonderful. it was a lovely lesson on family responsibilities. given by a wonderful teacher. the lady that sat next to me that day, i was so excited about, because she has given my favorite lesson so far. i spoke about it in this post. her name is Virginia. she is beautiful and so very sweet. we chit chatted for a little while. she asked me to come to the temple (monday) to help pack away things that are inside the temple because the temple is now closed for up to a year plus for remodeling. i was instantly hooked on going. she said they would be putting away the crystals from the chandeliers. that sounded so neat. i wanted to go for sure.
ryan left that night for burley to go to work until tuesday. so i thought it would give me something to do while he is away. i suddenly thought of holly and how i wanted her to come with me to share the experience. there are a few more people i would have loved to take with me, but there wasn't really an option to take all of them (because of work schedules and living far far away). i was so pleased when holly said she was able to come. and she suggested we go shopping after! i wanted a new dress for our niece's wedding.
Monday...
holly came and picked me up after i was done with work. when we got there it was a little crazy. there were so many people helping and it almost looked done. after looking and walking around the temple we finally found virginia and she lead us to one of the chandeliers that they were working on taking down. we got to wrap them up. it was awesome. it took a pretty long time and i think my back hurts from bending the way i was, but it was so worth it. it was really and amazing experience.
so then we went shopping. holly found some way cute shirts for her mom. and holly told me that diane got her hair cut too. i totally wanted to see it, because it sounded adorable. when she went home she took a picture of her in one of her new outfits and sent it to me on my phone....
looking beautiful diane :)
ryan texted me and told me he was done early and was heading back that day. YAY! I was so excited he was coming home a day early.
ryan has been talking about chickens ever since we got married. he has wanted them to be raised naturally and to eat the grass out on his parents land (someday on ours... when we find some).
anyway, his dad finally gave in or something like that.
his mom wasn't thrilled about the idea, as she is a little disgusted about the eggs they lay. she likes to walk out in bare feet on the grass without the chance of having chicken poop between her toes.
i didn't love the idea of having his parents being the ones to raise them.
in the end, we all compromised.
ryan decided to get 20.
yes, 20 whole chickens. these aren't the laying kind. they are the kind to butcher.
i guess i better find a lot of good chicken recipes.
when you see one of these....
how can you say no?
well, if you watch as they grow, you just might. they have very ugly stages.
these babies grew soo fast. so fast in fact, they can barely walk. so fast in fact, some died.
(after i took this picture, one died the very next day)
they think it might because of what they are feeding them. and that they are eating ALL. THE. TIME.
so they are taking the food out of the coop for part of the day now.
hope that's enough.
ryan has been so excited about this chicken business that he ordered parts to make a chicken plucker.
is that a camper shell? why yes... yes it is. classy right? there is an electric wire wrapped around the bottom to keep the wild animals from getting to them.
ryan has been working awfully hard on this chicken coop for the laying hens. he was working on it in the shop, out of the sun. but it got heavy way too fast with all the wood he was using. so they had to figure out a way to move it over by the "to be butcherd" chicken coop. this is the idea they came up with...
lift it with a winch and put it on the trailer.
so this is what all his hard work turned into (not finished yet)
lovely! im so proud. it will be painted and insulated and have chicken wire on the windows and a sliding door for the chickens to walk out of. a perch inside and laying boxes.
these little chickies are gunna have a nice warm home to live in all peaceful and happy.
