Funeral....

My Grandpa Zentner passed away Sept. 21, and the funeral was that next weekend Sept. 26. We went to Missoula, Montana, to the funeral. My grandpa had been fighting kidney failure for almost 2 yrs. He had been quite miserable for a while. We knew it was coming, but it is still sad. I'm not a crier, but when I got up there it was much harder than I thought. We traveled all day on Friday and went to the viewing Friday night. Me, my sister, and my brother were in charge of music. It is so hard to sing when you look out there and everyone is crying. Everyone did really good amazingly enough. I was doing pretty good the night of the viewing until Kiersten asked if she could give grandpa a hug and kiss. I lost it and the tears started flowing. I worried that my kids would be scared at the viewing, but they really enjoyed saying goodbye to grandpa. They touched his hands, gave him a kiss on the check, and asked a lot of questions. Kiersten wondered if she would be in a box and look like grandpa when she dies. It was cute. The funeral was beautiful too. My grandma was so worried that no one would be there. They have lived in Missoula their whole married life. I kept telling her that there would be lots of people. Sure enough, the chapel was full and they had to open the overflow. They did a military salute at the graveside. That was really neat, and for me persoanlly, very hard. He was a very loved man. He was a great husband, dad, grandpa, and friend. All of us knew that grandpa loved us. He would help anyone at anytime. He (and my grandma) are the most giving people. He will be truly missed. I was very glad that I was able to be there with grandma and the rest of my family. All of my cousins were there.

Everytime we go to Missoula, we go down to the carousel. The kids think it is great fun and there is a neat park there. After the funeral, we headed down to the park so the kids could get some energy out. They ran for hours, and then we went to a family get together. We don't always have time to see the extended family much, so it was fun to see everyone. The boys and my cousin Amy got a big football game going. It was quite funny to watch. It was all a great and very memorable trip.

My baby is 5!!!!!

Kiersten turned 5 on September 20. I can't believe that my baby is "5". She was our surprise child. She is so funny, talented, smart, loving, flexible, and friendly. Sports, school, friends all come very easy for her. On the other hand, she is the one giving me all my gray hairs. She is by far my most difficult child. BUT, of course, we love her none the less. We had a good weekend with the family. On saturday, we went to Classic Skating with our family, cousins, grandma and grandpa. The kids love to rollerblade, and are actually getting really good. She loves it and had a great time with her cousins. We then had a great BBQ with Kiersten's favorite food. Her favorites were BBQ ribs, potatoes, watermelon, plain Lays potato chips, carrots with ranch, and a chocolate Hannah Montana cake with mint chocolate chip ice cream. She loves Hannah Montana. She knows all the songs from the Hannah Montana movie. It's fun to have girls love music. We gave her a Barbie scooter to match her pink Barbie bike she got for her birthday. She is all about pink. She is such a girl and we love her!

Cheerleading.....

Some of the high schools here have a cheer clinic done by their cheerleaders. They teach the girls some cheers and a dance. My girls wanted to do it with their friends really bad. So we let them. They had so much fun with the cheerleaders and their friends, Gracie and Marissa. They then perform at the high school's football game. It is a fun opportunity to see a glimpse into cheerleading. Witnee isn't in to sports (ie soccer, etc.). She is all about gymnastics, cheerleading, and dancing. Kiersten loves gymnastics, cheerleading, and dancing also, but she enjoys sports too. They did really good and had a great time! It was fun to watch them.

Starvation Lake.....

For Labor Day we went to Starvation Reservoir and went camping and boating. It was really fun. The weather was very nice, even though it was suppose to rain (what do weathermen know!). I always forget how relaxing it is to camp. The kids play, play, play. It's one of the only times kids can get "really" dirty because that's what you do when you are camping. When we got there, the boys, Corbin and Trevyn, took off up this very large hill looking for lizards. They went so far that we actually had to go find them. They were little specks. They were having a blast and found 8 lizards. Boys will be boys! We relaxed, ate smores (of course), and went boating. This reservoir has great beaches, much to our surprise. It was a great lake and had lots of variety: boating, cliff jumping, sandy beaches, great camping with running water, and exploring for the kids. It was a great way to close out the summer. (Even though I was sick w/a cold when we went and got home in time to have a cold still and the stomach flu. What the heck?)

Kiersten in Kindergarten.......

My baby, Kiersten, went to Kindergarten yesterday. She looks so old and grown up now. She doesn't turn 5 until Sept. 20, SO her preschool, Center Stage, has a state credited Kindergarten. She will go there this year, and then test in to 1st grade next year. It's weird to think my kids are growing up so fast. I go to work, while she goes to school, and then she gets picked up when I'm off. It is really different to not be home with toddlers anymore, and to go to work all day while my kids are at school. She is so cute and loves school. She was really bored without siblings around all day. As you can tell, she loves the camera.

1st Day of School.....

Today was the kids first day of school. Trevyn is in 3rd grade, and Witnee is in First. The house is so quiet. Kiersten is in Kindergarten at a private place because she doesn't make the public school cut off. Her bday is Sept. 20. Next year, she will go straight to 1st grade. Anyways, needless to say, she is bored out of her mind so far. I hope her school starts soon. The kids were able to ride their bikes to school. We only live maybe 2 blocks away and there is a crossing guard. We thought they would be nervous, but NO! Trevyn has 1 neighbor boy in his class. As soon as they saw each other, they were off. Same with Witnee. She "forgot" to even say bye to us. She saw her friends and was off. Crazy how time flies. I remember when they all had their first day of preschool. We are officially out of the baby phase and into the sports, activities, and more sports phase. Erik will be going to school full-time as well. He starts next week. Sometime life takes you places you never thought would happen. All for the good (I guess!). Anyways, here are some pictures of the kids.
Trevyn first day of 3rd Grade

Witnee first day of 1st grade

Both of my cute kids

Everyone on their bikes to head to school (I know they should have their helmets)

McCall trip....

We went to McCall, Idaho, with Erik's family. The drive was awful. I couldn't believe how long it took, but it was worth it when we got there. I love McCall. I had never been there, but it is beautiful and there is lots to do. It has white sandy beaches everywhere. The kind of sand that you just run your toes through. We would just beach the boat and play. You can hike, bike, boat, swim, whitewater raft, play tennis, etc. We stayed at the Trendwest Resort, which is fabulous as always. We saw people that we hadn't seen for many years. The weather was good for the first 4 days and rainy for the last 3. That was okay. We boated, swam, biked, played tennis (which the kids loved), went for bike rides, played games, walked through town, and had the most amazing ice cream cones. When we were walking through town, there was this tiny little alley that said Ice Cream Alley with an arrow pointing to the back of the alley. We went back to investigate and it was for real. The single scoop ice cream cone was HUGE! They had flavors of every kind you could imagine. Needless to say, they were amazing. I, of course, had huckleberry ice cream. My favorite. Anyways, the trip was really fun. It was fun getting together and seeing everyone. The kids of skiied, tubed, and Trevyn wakeboarded. He is getting good. I would go back there for sure. I didn't take a lot of pictures but here's a few. Now, I have to get ready for school to start. Crazy how fast this summer went!

Hiking Stewart Falls.....

Well, our kids have been wanting to go hiking for ever, so we finally did it. We went with my brother and his family. It is 1.5 miles in to the water falls. The kids played in the water when we got there. It was really nice. The hike was nice in the fact that the kids ALL walked in and out without whining or wanting to be held. There are lots of trees, shrubs, etc. so that you don't bake in the sun either. It is a beautiful hike. Us invalids (Erik and I) did okay too. On the way back, my foot was saying ENOUGH! Erik hasn't been able to move since, but it was all well worth it! I really want to go do it again:)

July 24th......

For the holiday weekend, we went to an Owlz game on Friday night and went hiking on Saturday. It is always fun to go to the Owlz game. We just sit on the grass so the kids can run a little. The weather was nice--not to hot due to the cloud cover. I thought for sure we were going to be down poured on, but lucky for us that was not the case. The pictures with the kids with the glasses on is because Grandma bought
3-D glasses to use to watch the fireworks. I had never used 3-D glasses for fireworks before, but I must say that it does intensify everything ten fold. It is quite crazy. After a while, my poor eyes were getting overstimulated, same with Erik, but it was crazy and fun. The firework show is awesome there. They go all out! It is really long too, which the kids love. It was a really fun night!

1st boating day....

I know it is pathetic that we just had our 1ST day boating in our boat and it is July 20. Oh well! It was really fun. It always amazes me how long it takes to get the boat "ready" for the season. We finally got it all together and got to the lake. We always go to Deercreek up Provo canyon. We all had a blast. The water was great. We had a good ole family swim because the lake was pretty rough with all the boats. All the kids love it, but Kiersten told Erik that she wanted to hold his hand while they swam. My kids LOVE their daddy. Trevyn said the other day that his dad was better than having a best friend. He definitely ranks higher than me. I always tease them that I am just the "MAID". Anyways, we tubed, skied, and Trevyn even wake boarded. I was so proud of him. Boating is something that we as a family all love and it is so relaxing. The day we bought our boat was a good day. We have built so many memories as a family.

Garden....

Our garden has done so good. It's been fun. This was our first year and so it has been by trial and error. Our strawberries were very good. We have tons of peas in the fridge. I'm ready to can beans this week. The corn is coming along, as well as pumpkins, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, and cantalope. We have had 3 zuccini so far and 2 yellow squash. It is SO GOOD. It is so much better than the store. The kids love it, so it has been a fun activity to do as a family.

Montana Summer Vacation....

Montana here we come!!! Me and the kids headed off for our trip to Montana and it was fun, long, and tiring. We look forward to going to Montana every summer, and this was no different, but we did miss dad. Erik couldn't come this year since we are no longer self-employed. What a bummer:( We were gone about 11 days. The kids did really good. Now that I only drive up to Montana about once a year, I think the travel time gets longer and longer every year. When I traveled it a lot I didn't think it was too long, but now it is. Maybe I'm just getting old, but WOW! Anyways, here's a break down of our travels.

1st stop: Anaconda, MT
Erik's aunt and uncle have some property with horses and such in Anaconda, MT. I thought it would be a good place to stop and get wiggles out and it was. They ended up having their grandkids there, so there were kids to play with, horses to ride, four wheelers to ride. Lots of fun. Who would of thought that such a small town would have an incredibly fun slide to go on. Some retired men built this big slide that you ride down on blankets, and you go fast. The kids got skin burns from where their skin touched the side while blazing down it. That was a good place to go to get wiggles out before we headed on to Missoula, MT. Thanks Hogge family!

2nd stop: Missoula, MT
Here we went to Grandma and Granpa Zentner. My grandpa has been really sick, so we went and spent some time their seeing him and grandma. We hadn't been their in like a year and really wanted to see him before anything happens to him. It was great to see them and get a picture with them. Grandpa really liked the diversion that the kids brought and went to sit outside and watch them be maniacs on the bikes. Grandma really appreciated having some company since my grandpa sleeps ALOT now that he is really sick. We were also able to go to my cousin's daughters birthday party, go swimming, and see a lot of my cousins. We don't get to see that side of my family much, so it was fun. Another good stop!

3rd stop: Superior, MT
This is where my sister lives. We stop here every year and spend time with my only sister. Our kids are the same age, so it is fun. This town is very small and I always have a few crazy stories just because life in these small towns is a lot different than city life in Utah. They have a branch there instead of a ward. I always have to laugh at myself because some people there really struggle with cleanliness and anyone that knows me knows that I really like things clean. My sister laughs at me as I go to church and try to be friendly when dirty little kids are trying to be near me. The people are great and that is what really matters however. We went to the park and had lunch. I was able to see a friend of mine from Ronan, MT, in Superior. Here mother has now moved to Superior. It was so good to see her and talk with her. It is really a small world and I have been so fortunate to reconnect with her. We also went swimming at the public pool that is SO cold to my kids. There is nothing "HEATED" about it. My sisters kids can swim and swim. My kids last 15 minutes and are shivering. This year we slept in the tent one night at my sisters. My sister has had bears, etc. in her yard, and I was quite leary about sleeping outside where bears have been. I didn't want my sister out there with all the kids, so I bucked up and went out. It was really fun. The kids had snacks, we played games, and as we went to sleep we did where one person starts the story and everyone adds on to it. It was quite comical with 5 kids under 8. I hadn't slept on the ground (with no air mattress or anything) in a LONG, LONG time. When I woke up the next morning, I honestly could hardly move. It is just another sign that I am getting old. I just had to laugh and take a little Motrin (my drug of choice). Kiersten also mastered riding her bike with no training wheels here because it is gravel roads. I couldn't believe she never wrecked. As always, we had a blast.

4th stop: Lake Blaine in Kalispell, MT
We have come here every year for the last 4 or 5 years. It is kind of a private lake and we have a blast. There is no cell phone reception, no computers, not much for TV. It is so peaceful. I would live there if I could. My kids love it too. We don't wear watches, have a schedule, or anything. The kids fish, go in the paddle boat, swim, tube, ski, sit around the fire and eat smores, and just be kids. Oh, and we get swimmers itch. If you've never experienced this, you just need to come with us. It itches like crazy. We have gotten it for the last few years. Crazy! I can't really explain the peace I feel here. I swear I'm a different person. Life is so stress free here. I love seeing all my family, grandma, cousins, etc. I usually only see them here. I have been coming to this lake since I was a baby and am glad to share my fond memories with my children as we come here year after year. Thank you Lies Family!

5th stop: Polson, MT , Pablo, MT, and Missoula, MT
Then we headed home. We stopped in Polson, MT, and saw our dear Uncle Urban and Aunt Donna. We all love them dearly. We hadn't seen them either for like a year. It was really good to see and spend some time with them. This is where Kiersten decided to start getting car sick. As we pulled in, she threw up all over. She said she was feeling car sick, but I didn't know if I should believe her because she uses this as an excuse all the time. Apparently I should have listened. We had to do a little laundry and clean up there. Thank you Aunt Donna. The kids loved seeing the deer walk the through the yard as we were sitting in the kitchen, out on the patio, etc. It was really neat.

From there, we went and stopped at Grandpa Mike and Grandma Mary's for a few hours. My kids had never seen them. I was a little nervous about this, but it all worked out great. Grandma Mary's grandkids were there, so they got to meet them and play with them. It was a great relationship made. Now the kids can put a name with a face. Hopefully, we will be able to do that again when we return that area.

Last, we stopped back at my grandparents in Missoula, MT, to see grandpa one last time before we left for home. This was a long day by the time we made all of our stops. Who would have ever thought that Dramamine makes my kids hyper. It was a long trip back, but low and behold in Dillon, MT, where we stopped to eat I ran in to one of my old primary teachers. What a small world. My kids never did sleep the whole trip. I kept telling them it would go quicker if they would just sleep a little. But, no--they would not! All in all, this was a great trip. I wished Erik could be there, but maybe next year. We love and miss all of our family! Thank you for a great trip:)

Happy Father's Day.....

Better late than never right?? Life has been crazy but fun. For Father's Day we laid low this year because we needed to stay healthy so we could go see grandpa in Montana. I made Erik his favorite desserts--homemade german chocolate cake and homemade fresh strawberry pie. I made him his favorite breakfast ever from Callies Cafe. He calls it his heartattack. It is a pitchers mound that has hash brown, eggs, biscuits, sausage, cheese, and gravy all piled up high. It is really nummy actually, just a lot of cholesterol. Oh well, once a year won't matter. We also had a nice dinner after church (ribs) and laid around. It was really relaxing and nice. The kids love being with their dad. It was fun:)

Look who turned 7......

Witnee is now 7 years old. I can't believe it. On Memorial Day weekend, she flew to Butte, MT, with her grandma and spent the weekend riding horses and hanging out with grandma's brother and family. She had a blast. Aunt Marjorie and her have the same birthday, so they made cupcakes early to celebrate. Of all my kids, she is my cowgirl. She could live on a ranch and be just fine. Then, she came back and we had to get ready for her party. I always think that doing a party at home is cheaper, BUT I don't think it really is. When we finished getting the stuff for her party, I offered to take it all back and go to a swimming pool with friends. I figured that would have been cheaper in the end to take 10 kids to the pool, but she wanted nothing to do with that. She wanted her party at home with her friends. It was her party so I had to go along with it. It ended up being fun, but they are just so much darn work. The girls decorated flip flops, did a pinata, had cake and ice cream, had a water balloon fight, and ran through the sprinkle at the very end. At the end, I asked her what her favorite part was, and of course it was the water balloons. I should have just done a full water party the whole time. She said she had fun and it was a fun group of kids. I can't believe how fast they grow up. Next year she'll be getting baptized. AAAHHHH! She is our peacemaker, musician, artist, daredevil, and easy going child. She is such a joy in our family.

Memorial Day....

Well, Memorial day was really fun. On Saturday, Erik had to work, and then we went swimming at my brother's neighborhood pool that is a hot springs pool so it is nice and warm. We also BBQ'ed and ate lots of good food. We then attempted to fish and got skunked so went back and played games with my brother, his wife, my cousin, and her husband. I hadn't laughed that hard for a while. It was really fun. Then, Monday we took the kids to Lagoon for Erik's work party. It was so much fun. I hadn't been there forever and our kids hadn't gone at all. Needless to say, at the end of the day we didn't have time to do the water park or about 1/3 of the rides. We just ran out of time. The girls of course like the rides that spun and went shooting in the air (that made your stomach go crazy). Trevyn liked the drag racing ride (race) and the fast roller coaster. He didn't like the slower ones that make your stomach go crazy. I went on some rides that I remember being not so scary back when I was a teenager. I am DEATHLY scared of heights and I hate it. There were a few rides that I felt like I was going to have a heart attack on, but just closed my eyes and prayed for it to be over quick. I am such a whimp!!!! Erik likes the roller coasters and the drag racing. Most of the rides he wanted to go on were ones that the girls couldn't go on yet due to height. It was lots of fun and we were all tired by the end. I wish we would have had longer, because we didn't see everything, but oh well. We'll just have to go back.

tilt a whirl

This is where I thought I would have a heart attack.

The boys.

The dinosaur egg that the girls loved.

The boys (Trevyn didn't love.)

Witnee loved this (shoot up and then drop.)

Kiersten loving it, Trevyn not liking it too much.

Mom and Witnee.