Gnome Road ~

 We took a school field trip to gnome road...it was a wonderful 4 mile hike through beautiful lakes, forests, rocks and of course....Gnomes......

 Later that evening was the 5th grade graduation ceremony.  The kids performed a song and then read poems about the graduates.

 Hats off to the class of 2013!!!

Summer is almost here!  :)

Memorial Weekend ~

 Jordyn rescued this snake from the cats, and then set him free somewhere else to keep him safe :)

 Daddy let Jordyn mow the meadow for the first time, solo!  Look how excited she is...i should have taken a photo of Justin though, since he had an even bigger grin!

 Grandpa wanted to do a little fishing with Jordyn...in 5 minutes they caught 3 fish, which they returned back to the pond...

 Jordyn likes to do a little kiss and release :)   She gives new meaning to the phrase "fish lips" !

 There was a lot of relaxing by all of us...it was the first Saturday we had off in over two months, so it was great not having to be anywhere!  Grandma and Grandpa stayed over for an impromptu BBQ, so we enjoyed Beer Brauts, chips and some salad...and we washed it all down with an ice cold beer! :)

It was a fabulous weekend!

Graveyard Gulch

 The Manhattan Cemetery, once known as Graveyard Gulch (or Graveyard Draw), is a unique graveyard that we pass by every day on the way to Jordyn's school.  Its slightly hidden from the road, so if you dont know its there, you could easily miss it.  Its one of the last surviving signs that there was once a little town up here named Manhattan.  Most of the buildings were torn down or relocated, so this is all that remains of Manhattan.

 There are only about 6 graves, and only a few of them are marked.  The one below is the marker for "Rattlesnake Jack".  Its difficult to read, but it says...

My Good People, as you pass by
as you are now so once was I.
As I am now soon you shall be,
prepare yourself to follow me.

 Its actually the marker for Mike Brinkhoff's father, Joseph F. Brinkhoff (Feb.15,1897 - March 21, 1970).  You may remember Mike from our visit in February, when we drove up the mountain to sell him girl scout cookies :)  Theres also a little iron cross next to it for his wife, Mikes mom, Linnie Bess "Polly" Powell Brinkhoff.

Its a tiny cemetery, but its packed with a lot of history, and im glad it was fenced in to keep it preserved!  We enjoyed visiting the past and thought you might enjoy the history too.  :)

Nature Photographer

 We had all the deer in our yard the other day, so i ran outside with my camera to get a few shots...and beside me, is mini me, with her camera, trying to capture the shot too!  I love that Jordyn and i have similar hobbies!  My little nature photog...i just love her!  :)

My Quilt From Bonnie ~

 I recently participated in a Doll Quilt swap on about.com, and this is the gorgeous quilt i received by Bonnie Hampton!  Its made with beautiful batiks and i love the colors!  I also love all the little embroidery stitches and the applique.  Thank you for my beautiful quilt Bonnie!  Ill treasure it forever!  :)

Game Fest

Each year all three mountain schools participate in Game Fest, some of you may remember a similar activity from your childhood called Field Day.  The kids really look forward to this event, but we never know what the weather will do, so we are always excited when the sun shines!  And shine, it did...

Jordyn took 2nd place in the 50 yard dash and the 75 yard dash, but in the 440, she took first place!  Way to go Jordyn :)

And a great time was had by all!!! 

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

 We had another game on Saturday...we lost, but the girls played hard and had some great moments!  We also took our team pictures...and i think they came out rather cute!  Thanks for helping with that Christy!  :)

 On Mothers Day, i lounged and didnt do much (which is just what i wanted :)  I have been on the go for 3 months straight, so i was happy to do nothing all day!

 The weather was fabulous, the food delicious, and the company the best!  :)  Though i do admit to hiding out most of the afternoon while daddy entertained Jordyn...and the solitude was sublime! 

 We picked out some flowers for our garden on Saturday after the game, so Jordyn and i planted these beauties and made the bees very happy!  I normally wait until after Memorial weekend to plant anything, but my yard was desperate for color!  (or maybe it was just me)  :)

 I got this lovely Mothers Day basket of flowers from Christy, including dinner at El Burritos with Justin and Jordyn after the game, so that was great...thanks again Christy...youre the best!

 and a little something for me from me :)  Jordyn got a travel paint kit for Christmas, and i realized i didnt have one, so here it is...now we can go on painting adventures together!

 And finally...my super cool mothers day card that daddy & jordyn made for me today!  I just love it!

Happy Mothers Day to all of you beautiful women out there, and specially to my mom...who refuses to go online to read my blog, but ill post here anyways...Happy Mothers Day Mom...I love you!  :)