A cool 80 !

Let me hear ya say HALLELUJAH !! The weather has finally cooperated and come back down to a respectable 80 degrees. We slept with all the windows open, and fans on, and about 0530 this morning, I rolled over and turned off the fan. I remember smiling to myself and even chuckled. No more 7 million degrees. Poor Dave. He has been all week at Boy Scout camp in the sweltering heat, not much shade. I do not want to smell my house when he walks thru the door. Peeeeeeeeee yuuuuuuuu ! At least it is cooler and more manageable.

I HATE the heat !

Just for the record.....I HATE the HEAT !! If I had wanted to live in Arizona or New Mexico, I would have moved there. We are sweltering in this stupid hot weather. We do NOT have air conditioning except for fans that circulate hot air. I wish we had an air conditioner but it isn't cost effective for the 2 weeks that we roast during the summer. It is over 100 degrees outside and the inside temp in our house is 84. Poor Dave is at Boy Scout camp in this furnace. Yes, I am crabby...Yes, I am irritable, and Yes...I can't wait for fall, winter and spring. I hate the summer. Boooooo

3 new posts in one day

Just to let you know that I posted 3 new postings today. It has been almost two weeks since I had time to get on the computer for anything other than homework. So anyway...please read all three postings. Have a fabulous day.

Pioneer Weekend Camping Trip

Andrea is getting ready to cook breakfast. We ended up

eating hash browns, bacon, eggs, and juice. I even wore my

Brazil hat. We had a great time.

Dave is fixing Jayson's bike after he crashed.

O'Ryan Ethington, Jonah Hjelm, Kellyn Bennett, and Sasha camping.
They are all good friends


Jayson had to put up a tent all by himself and sleep in it
for one of his Boy Scout requirements. He did it successfully
and had a nice quite time in his own little hide away. Good Job, Buddy!

Once a year, on or near the 24th of July, our church celebrates Pioneer Day in remembrance of the Mormon Pioneers arriving in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Our stake, which is 9 congregations big, go camping down near the Nisqually River. It is a gorgeous piece of property. We camped in our trailer and had a great time. I even managed to play a softball game. Let me tell you, softball is not for the faint hearted. Even though it is supposed to be for fun, it gets very competitive. We even had church outside. It is wonderful singing the hymns of Zion outside in the very cathedral that was created for us to enjoy. We could hear the birds singing and we saw the sunlight streaming through the trees. It was breathtaking. We are blessed to live in such a grand place.

Sasha goes to EFY !

Jonah Hjelm, Sasha, and Kellyn Bennett at EFY

Don't they look great all dressed up?? A bunch of really great friends !

Sasha was fortunate enough to be able to go to EFY this summer. It is a youth program sponsored by BYU. It is a week long, super fun youth conference held at the University of Puget Sound. Jonah, Sasha, and Kellyn are all friends and they all go to the same congregation at church. They all looked so nice. Anyway, I thought that you would enjoy looking at them.

Vacation to Idaho

Kellyn Bennett (Sasha's friend) and Sasha Mathison on the

Ferris Wheel in Silverwood Idaho June 25,2009

Jayson and Dave Mathison on the boat ride in Silverwood

Watch out Jayson ! Dad is going to get you!!

Here are a few pictures of when we were in Idaho in June. We all went to Silverwood and had a fabulous time. It was nice and pleasant. Not too warm out...just right. We can't wait to go back next year.

We are going to be GRANDPARENTS !!

We received the best phone call yesterday afternoon. Dave's daughter, Heather, called and said that she and her husband are PREGNANT! We are super excited to have them have a new baby. Heather has been a great "mom" to Mike's son, Mikey, so I KNOW that she will be an awesome mother to this baby too. Yippee Skippee. Now I can go shopping for baby clothes when I find out what sex the baby is. So...now comes the hard part of waiting and waiting and waiting. I guess for now, we will just be happy to belong to the grandparent's club. Families are the best thing, aren't they? May Heavenly Father pour out his blessings to them all.

All of our kids. Sasha 14, Jayson 11, Sarah 20 and Heather 26

Aren't they a bunch of good looking kids???

I forgot to add this picture a few weeks ago so I am adding it now. I love this picture. It is really good of all the kids...ok...so they aren't so much kids anymore. We had the funnest time getting family pictures done. Heather and her new family were up so it was a perfect time to get family pictures taken. Everyone should have nice family pics done every few years. Kids grow up so fast and before we know it, they are gone from the house and have lives of their own. I am getting nostalgic here, but it seems like yesterday that they were all small....and now look at them. Yes, I am proud of them all.

Sasha is exhausted from Girls Camp !

Sasha fast asleep after Girls Camp

This is Sasha asleep after she came home from Girls Camp. She went to Camp Zion on the Peninsula. For the last three weeks, she has been gone. First we went to Idaho, then immediately to EFY, then off to camp. Needless to say...Princess Sasha is tired. Isn't she precious? Even in her sleep she has luscious lips. Nighty Night !

Our trip to Bonners Ferry Idaho June 25 2009

Bob Deubel and the backside of Don Deubel

My Favorite Aunt Jean Mace

Dave, Andrea, Sasha, Kellyn Bennett (Sasha's friend) and Jayson Mathison sitting on my Aunt Jean's steps


Jean Mace, Bob Deubel, and Don Deubel. These are all of my mother's siblings. Too bad she couldn't be there too. The picture was painted by Jean Mace. Isn't is beautiful?

Jean Mace and Jayson Mathison eating rhubarb crisp for dessert. Yummmmm !

L to R: Uncles Lewie Mace, Don and Bob Deubel ( brothers) and cousin Judy Mace

Kellyn Bennett ( Sasha's friend), Sasha and Dave Mathison and half of Uncle Lewie eating lunch at Aunt Jean and Uncle Lewie's house

We went to Bonners Ferry Idaho on June 25 2009 to visit with my mother's brothers and sister. I have spent a ton of my childhood with my aunts and uncles, so I really look forward to seeing them whenever we get to Idaho. We all ended up staying for several hours and ate this really good Mexican Lasagna. Jean made homemade rhubard crisp for dessert. It was super nummy. We couldn't stay there as long as I wanted to, but a short visit is better than no visit at all. Family is what it is all about, right !!!!!

Going to the Rainiers Baseball game

Sasha and cousin Rosemary Mathison at the Rainier's Game

Sasha, Rosemary, and Jayson Mathison at the Tacoma Rainiers Baseball Game in June 2009

We had a great time at the Tacoma Rainiers game. We were able to get tickets through Don ( Dave's brother) for the game, hot dogs, and the firework show afterwards. The Rainiers lost the game to Reno but we had a fabulous time inspite of the loss. We all had a great time. We even met up with the Hoeppner Family. They are our awesome friends from the Fruitland Ward. Afterwards, we went for ice cream at McDonalds in Fircrest. There is no time like family time.