It's a Mystery!!

This last weekend I had a murder mystery dinner with my friends, Sam, Celeste, JennDogg (Jennifer Doggett), Alex, Andrew, Jack, and Brybee (Bryan Bybee).

Most of you know by now that I LOVE dressing up. I often look for opportunities to dress up. When I don't find any, I make my own. :)

My mom helped me A LOT in this dress-up venture. My sewing skills are, shall we say, lacking? Yes, that would work. So would non-existent... Thanks mom for all your help! I loved my dress. Wearing it all night made me want to make more in different colors and different styles. But I may have to brush up on those needle pulling thread abilities. (And I'd have to make up more circumstances to wear them in. Although, that would be the easier of the two tasks.)

Besides the fun of myself dressing up, it was exciting to open the door and see everyone else's costumes too!

Andrew as "Ham", an arising actor.

Jenn Dogg as "Anne" and Alex as "General Major"

Brybee as "Les" or "Lester". Or when addressed by "Ham", "Leslie". :D

My character was "Ashley Sonneste". Next we have "Terra Sunder". The proprietress of "Terra Sunder Wear". And lastly, world traveler "Lady Melissa" or "Missy".

And I don't have a picture of just Jack as "Con". But he looked pretty spiffy too. This next picture..well, it's just great. Jenn Dogg doing her "Dragon Face":

It's a pretty good impression in my opinion. Don't you agree?

The game was played and the murderer was discovered! It was none other than our own Terra Sunder!

I think my first murder mystery will be followed by many more. Any one want to play??

Our State Fair is a Great State Fair! (Sing it with me!)

A couple weekends ago I had babysitting duty while Heidi and Josh were in Italy and Mom was in Utah. The weekend happened to be the last Saturday the fair would be in Blackfoot. I wanted to go experience the fair and Allie was pretty excited about it too when I asked her if she wanted to go. I don't think she really understood what it was. Despite that, she was eager to go! She went right out to my car and buckled herself in and was ready to go within 5 minutes. Imagine her disappointment when I went over and told her we weren't going to leave for another three and a half hours. She told me that was okay, she would just "sit in the car and wait". Eventually I was able to persuade her out of the car.

Soon enough, the strollers were loaded and we were on our way to the fair! We even got to see Ty, Annj, Jake, Elizza, and Marriah :)

We watched Tyler and Jake ride the airplane.

Next we went to ride the little cars.

When we were all in Lovell visiting Grandpa and Grandma H, these two loved Spencer and Zach's little car similar to these. There were enough cars that they wouldn't have to fight over who got to ride one here. Despite that, Luke was more interested in drawing on the chalkboard.

We went to the petting zoo after that. Luke and Allie both loved the bunny!

Luke had a fascination with this goats tail. He would follow it around and play with it when he got the chance. (No worries J and H. We sanitized when we left, and I washed their hands when we found a bathroom. :) )

Sam had a fascination with it's belly! Look at it! I couldn't decide if it was prego, full with milk, or had some sort of disease. :)

By the way, Sam is the best! How many single women would willingly give their Saturday night pushing a stroller around a state fair by choice? Right. Sam's the greatest!

Next, check out this amazing quilt!! Annj showed it to me. Obviously, those are all little tiny squares. It said how many squares it took. I forgot. But it was A LOT! Another amazing this about this quilt? It was made by a ... GUY!!! Very impressive.

I spent the night with the kids and they came to church with me the next morning. For primary we took a field trip up to the Rexburg temple. :)

It was a great weekend with Allie and Luke. I sure miss them!

One (or a lot) Too Many Cookies

The other day as I knelt down I thought I felt and heard a rip on my derrière. A quick trip to check myself out in the mirror was all it took to confirm my fears.

Bummer. (No pun intended. :) HAHAHA)

I Got Paid Vaca, I'm leavin' this town!

July 24th marked the day Samantha left Rexburg officially starting her summer vacation from the Y of I.

It didn't take too long for us to come to the same conclusion; Seven weeks is much too long for two besties to be separated. 4 weeks later I headed off with some good tunes and my superman sippy (uh...I think I've been hanging out too much with the nephews and neices...) er...and my superman water bottle and was on my way to western Idaho!

Once I got there we didn't waste much time hitting up the local scene in Boise for some boys. We found some real hotties :)

"Well, howdy do, Handsome!" Smokin' hot. I know. Try not to be jealous.

I know I'm diggin' those shades. You?

"That's a good one George! Tell me another! Keep the jokes comin'!"

They didn't want to see us go, but we had plans. We left them and headed up into the mountains. We met up with one of Sam's old buddies, Cole. He saddled up a couple of his horses and took us on a trail ride up a mountain side near his home. It was SO much fun. It has been YEARS since I've gotten the opportunity to ride a horse. I'm not much of an animal person, but this trip was one of my favorite highlights of my trip. (Even more than those guys we found. Hard to believe, yet true).

Here's the horse guru himself, Cole

Here I am with my horse, Delta.

Sam and I on our horses. I was a little more out of practice at the art of getting up on a horse than I'd like to admit. But I made it! It wasn't so bad.

After so many years, I was surprised at how relaxed I was on the ride riding a big strong animal. Yet, about halfway up the mountain, I called up to Sam and asked her if she was experiencing any pain in her knees. She replied in the negatory. Cole commented that since I wasn't used to riding a horse it was normal to have discomfiture in these horse riding muscles...in addition my horse had some extra chub around his (her?) middle that my legs were awkwardly straddling .

During our ride, Delta was a little sluggish with keeping up with Big Mama (in her case, big referred to height, not width) and Kuhn. Here's my view for most of the ride.

When we tagged along too far behind, I would click my tongue and Delta would take off on a trot.

I'm pretty sure I figured out a cause to Delta's extra pudge. About half way through her workout (as we neared the top of the hill), She kept slowing down so she could grab a bite to eat off the side of the trail. She'd chomp that down and want some more. She could have grazed all day if I let her. Not that I blame Delta for wanting something to eat. I'm pretty much the same way ... :) I also felt bad because it was me (who's not so slender myself) on her back.

Our bowlegged selves after the ride. ( For reasons previously discussed, I was more bowlegged. Obviously. ;))

We also went antiquing with Sam's Mom. There's just something about looking at old stuff that draws me in. We went to an antique shop where many vendors were set up in the same store. This sign was cool. I liked the thought behind it. All these old things had mattered to someone, somewhere.

We found all sorts of treasures! Wooden shoes,

an old scuba diving mask,

And more hats!!!

Only in Rexburg

Right across the street a well-known and loved pizza place advertised, "Families eat forever at Craigo's". Regrettably, the sign had already been changed by the time I made it over to take a picture ):

I love Rexburg :)

Sale-ing and Sailing

Saturday morning in Washington we kicked of the day with garage saleing with Grandma. I thought Laura was good. This was because I had never seen her Grandma going at it! She is the Queen of finding and getting a good bargain! I am pleased I was able to learn from the master.

Among my finds was a crock pot I got for $5, a pitcher set with 8 mugs for $2.50, 12 glasses for $1, an IKEA table lazy susan for $0.40, and Mr. Wonderful himself for $0.25. (He came a lot cheaper than I had anticipated. ;) )

Later that day we got to go out sailing with Laura's cousin, Elisa, and her husband, Jeremy. What a hoot!


A tugboat and Seattle


Laura directing the boat

(It appears that Laura, unlike me, didn't get sick when she looked up at the sails.)

"The wind is coming from that direction." ;D

Popping up through the hatch!

My (chaco tanned) feet hanging over.

(I've tried so diligently to get those feet of mine tanned with those lines all summer. And that's all I've got. Pathetic.)

Nick and Jeremy

A Day in the City

Last Friday I took a trip into the city of Seattle with Laura and Nick. Not being from a big city myself, I am always amused by going into the city.

We passed a store selling "Utilikilts". HAHA! Really? It's exactly what it sounds like. A skirt for your tools.

Huh.

Even with camo, they aren't selling it to me that these kilts are for men. That's what TOOL BELTS are for! Not to mention, tool belts are more manly.

I thought the sight was hysterical myself. Laura and Nick thought nothing of it. Me on the other hand, NEEDED a picture.

I wish I would have snapped a picture of the dummy inside. He was posed doing a round-house kick in his nifty utilikilt! I wonder how many times the lady-worker watches people pose next to the utilikilt-wearing hunk every day?

We visited the "Underground Tour". It was a fun tour. I love history! I never knew Seattle had such a crazy one!

Underground during the tour:

How bad you gotta go? ;)

That's a crapper in the background. Invented by Thomas Crapper. An invention which led to much mayhem in Seattle in the 1800's.

mmmMMMMMmmmm...Cow Chip Cookies!.... Hopefully the name refers to the size and not the origin....But with that grass in the picture, I'm not quite sure.

After the tour we ate lunch at the Crab Pot. But what I really wanted to do...was...well... um...it's kind of embarrassing. Ever since I saw this on my Aunt Bonnie's blog, I had a desire to walk up Post Alley and throw some of my own ABC gum on that wall. Not too much to ask, right? Imagine my surprise and excitment when we rounded the corner... and there it was!! THE GUM WALL!!

Here's Laura and Me, prepping our gum to add our bestowal upon the wall.

Getting ready to stick it on... (I look more scared of the wall rather than grossed out. But, I guess that expression could be valid too :) )

It's on! (It was more disgusting being right next to that wall in real life than I had thought it would be.)

MINE!! :D

We then mosied on down and around another alley when we found ourselves at Pike Place Market

More pictures of people. I decided that I need to work on my discrete picture taking skills