we're home!!

We made it home from Louisiana - I lasted 8 weeks.With no yard, no close parks, no fastfood playlands, no indoor play areas, not all of their toys, and no family or friends..we didn't last very long. Plus, it was so hot the boys couldn't stand to be outside.It was fun to see a part of the country that I have never seen before. We went to New Orleans, the Gulf of Mexico, took a swamp tour, and ate a lot of food.And we brought back ragin' cajun and LSU gear, alligator heads, and voodoo dolls.

What have we done since we returned?:

First thing, we went up to McCall so Scott could see his fam for a day or so before he flew back to Louisiana

My boys thing that four-wheelers are the greatest things ever invented

Payette Lake - The coldest lake ever, especially compared to swimming in the luke warm Gullf of Mexico

Two of Spencer's Pannell cousins: Hannah and Gavin

All three of us wearing our Olympics shirts - for our opening ceremonies party

Parker sitting by part of our obstacle course. We had the kids do some olympic games before the opening ceremonies

Spencer and my cousin Tasha's son Zeke

Same kid - after we took the clippers to him

Boating at Lucky Peak with Grandpa Mortensen

Spencer and Alex going for a ride with my cousins Miranda and Sam

July 29 2012: Spencer learned to ride a 2-wheeler

Avery Island - Jungle Gardens

We returned to Avery Island (Home of the Tabasco Factory)to check out the Jungle Gardens. Tabasco brand products were founded by Edmund McIlhenny on Avery Island in the late eighteen hundreds. Today Tabasco is still manufactured there, and the company is still family-owned. McIlhenny's son, later turned 170 acres of the island into today's "jungle gardens" - full of exotic plants, alligators,a 900 year old Buddha (gift to McIlhenny), and a bird observatory. Thousands of migrating snowy egrates return to Avery Island every year. We had the chance earlier this summer to check out the factory - but due to the weather we weren't able to walk through the gardens. We were very excited to return, and the gardens are definitly worth the extra trip. Get ready for picture overload:

The boys are standing in front of some bamboo - this was one of the smaller plants. The island is full of huge bamboo plants

The boys on top of the bird observatory tower

Can you see the alligator behind us? Just to the right, you'll see the reflection of the sky..Then right where the reflection of the trees come in is the alligator.

another alligator

4th of July

When I went to louisiana, I was expecting our 3rd baby - due mid-January. However, on July 3rd, I miscarried at 12 weeks. To say the least, this year's 4th of July festivites were not the greatest. On top of that, I was already struggling to make sure the boys had fun on the 4th, being 36 hours away from any family.

Scott was suppose to work on the 4th - but due to the circumstances that took place the day before, he was able to stay home. I managed to get up long enough to go eat breakfast with the boys at IHOP. I laid down all day while Scott played with the boys.

Since Scott's workers had to work all day on the 4th, the company did a big BBQ for lunch. Scott took the boys back to the job site for the BBQ.

Here are a few pictures of the job site. It's a big Chevron refinery that is being dismantled and moved. Scott's company removes the asbestos from the pipes and towers and dismantles them. This picture isn't scott - I just put it on to give in idea of what Scott does all day. Scott is one of the supervisors so he's also running around doing logistic stuff, but a lot of the day he's in a harness, higher than I like to think about.

My Mom sent the boys a 4th of July party in a box. I can't get over the faces that Parker makes for pictures:)

While I laid around at home, Scott took the boys to a ward members home for food and fireworks. The boys don't love loud sounds, and it takes them awhile every year to warm up to fireworks. So they watched for a while from inside the truck

I couldn't decide which picture I liked the best

Sunday before the 4th

misc. pictures

Can you tell how hot they were??

Go karts at a place called Gatti Town

fishing

Spencer loves fishing in the pond that's in the apartment complex fish #1 fish #2 fish #3 fish #4 more fishing misc pictures: the boys and a lion at the zoo the boys playing in dad's truck Spencer's new aquarium, with 2 swimming frogs. And yes, you are looking at the extent of our furniture...we have that, a tv, a few beach chairs, and 2 air mattresses.