For D. Bailey...

and all my other liberal friends. This clock sits in the entry of my grandma's home. Yes, I'd say she bleeds RED...

Elder Berry And His Little Thugs

Best picture of Joshy's mission to date

Jess Berry Quote of The Day!

Sorrow comes in great waves...but it rolls over us, and though it may almost smother us it leaves us on the spot and we know that if it is strong, we are stronger, inasmuch as it passes and we remain. 

Henry James

MIA

Missing in Action, not to be confused with Mia (the newest and cutest addition to The Richards Family)...

The last few weeks have been crazy and while I have lots of pictures and updates to post the craziness of life has taken priority. Things like work, poor physical health, building a house, watering Mama Berry's flowers (and successfully not killing them), bike riding, California visitors!, Sunday naps, and some golfing, obviously. 

I will catch up on my posts...it might be after the family reunion, but I promise house updates, Idaho scenery at its best, evidence of my two awesome visitors from the Bay! 

Advice To Live By

(I am not a fan of needles and thankfully due to continuous botox injections and not meeting the minimum weight requirement I've never given blood...but I always encourage others to give). 

Saturday Mornings

On the Mormon Channel on YouTube, the LDS church has added all these classic 1980s and 1990s commercials on family...I loved them growing up and still love them! 

Afternoon Car Show in Victor

 I loved this color and the pink pinstripe. 

 Also loved the inside of this car.

 Uncle Johnny and Aunt Treena brought their 1970 Chevy Chevelle to the show and won for the Top 10 best in show. I look good in that car...

 And I've decided that this will be the next color on my next car.

 Full view of Uncle Johnny's car

And the inside of his car...pretty sweet! 

Friday Happenings

Friday was spent knocking out some house items: 

Picking out cabinets, mantle, banisters, flooring, granite 

Vanilla Antique cabinets, blue granite (I think I found the perfect remnant piece for my master bath too), awesome tile, carpet, and wood floors. Mama Berry and I accomplished a lot but have a ton left...

Oh and I finally picked out a new office chair...cannot wait to sit on it Monday. 

After errands we ran to Blackfoot to meet the newest Erickson and see the little M girls. 

Nothing says redneck like a fence made of old, junky cars. 

Meet the newest and cuddly Erickson, Jagger. I wanted to take him home with me. I really haven't been around a newborn baby in over six years so I enjoyed every second. 

Bike Ride Sunset

 Whether it is a morning or evening ride, there is always something beautiful to see! 

What Makes Me Have A GREAT Morning!

Not only are we in first place but the Red Soxs are 9.5 games back! Double Bonus!

House Progress Week 5

DR Concrete did a fabulous job on my basement floor. It is caramel acid stained concrete that looks like tiled marble. Thanks DR!! Framing starts Monday! 

Brigham City Temple Open House Invitation

If you're in or around Utah you should take the chance to attend this open house. A very unique opportunity to see an LDS temple.  

A Little Rodeo Outing

 Saturday night was the Big Tetonia Rodeo...I probably haven't been to a rodeo in eight plus years (but prior to this sabbatical I had attended more rodeos than I can count mind you). It was great. 

 And there was a double rainbow!!!

And totally not related here is our cute centerpiece at dinner on Thursday. Love this kid! 

How To Top Off Your Fourth of July Experience

Drive to Swan Valley, Idaho, and stop at the Rainey Creek Store for square ice cream in a delicious waffle cone. Also, you should fill up with fuel while you're there (a shameless plug to support our customers).  I love this ice cream! It has gotten better! Seriously...they just changed from 11 percent butter cream fat to 13 percent which equals creamer ice cream. Some of the Tetonia Elite Members took the drive over the hill and indulged in the sweetness. I've been craving one of these for years!!! 

 These two loved it! 

 I highly recommend the Moose Tracks, it is a personal favorite. Huckleberry is also delicious and a best seller. 

I'll be sending this to our "Uncle Frank" aka the owner of the store as Mattie needs to be the new advertisement for the huckleberry flavor. 

 Uncle Rich enjoyed his so much he fell into a square ice cream coma on the way home!

Fourth of July Parade!

 If I were going to encourage tourism in Teton Valley I'd say that July 4th would be the best time to come. 

Reasons why:

The weather is finally hot 

Hot air balloon races 

craft fairs (okay that is only a reason for HN)

BBQ with the Berrys 

and The July 4th Parade 

It is really hard to capture the uniqueness of this event in just pictures alone but I'll provide a limited selection. It has a mixture of patriotism and redneck living all rolled into one.

The classic Spud Drive-In Spud

 My three girls with their bags of candy from the parade (oh and Mattie did get pegged with a piece of candy right in the forehead...but she's still happy as ever)

 Hippie in a to-to leading along a Shetland pony (why I do not know, that's why it is so great!) 

 A Barney Fife replica holding onto this fancy truck because his scooter stalled mid-parade 

Yes, this is an outhouse as part of a float's decor

 Sweet Deer John tractor...put this one in here for BC, a lover of all tractors

Yes, that's a girl in a prom dress sitting on the hood of a beat up car...classy meets redneck. 

 So apparently Teton Valley is becoming more PC...you cannot read the sign but it says: 2012 Distinguished Young Woman of the Year. In my day they were just called the Queen and her attendants...lame. 

 While I still hold strong that since Bobby and Marilyn sold the Emporium the shakes aren't as good as our homemade huckleberry shakes I still encourage a stop here on your next visit to Victor.

 My favorite...The Tetonia Fire Truck No. 1! 

And this is what Mattie thought of the parade...

Also I had to snap this photo of Uncle Rico and his fan club! 

House Progress Week 4

The floor is poured and the floor will be colored in a few days!

Sammy P and MP Tie The Knot!

Friday evening I flew back to PA for the Pimentel/Pearson wedding. It was so wonderful to be there, to witness the sealing of two such great friends, to see their pure happiness, and to be with all my amazing PA friends for the weekend. In three short days I was able to see and catch up with so many. There were several I missed too! (TB and the Bransons especially...next time!). Thanks to the Hammers for hosting me, I've missed you guys a lot! Thanks to Mer and HC for throwing a picnic Sunday so I could see so many of you. (I failed to get any pictures of that day). Monday morning before I caught my plane back to Idaho I was also able to have breakfast with my favorite old HP team members, sure miss those four!

 First picture as Mr. and Mrs. P!

I love their faces on these two!

MP and Sammy P are a power couple and it has been my privilege to be their friend all these years. I admire them greatly and am so glad they found each other. Love you two!

 MP and her girls...BWG, RH, me, and RG

Also, after the wedding the Rawles and I had dinner at the Hummus Shop (delicious) and then they humored my need for some amazing Froyo! One of the things I miss most about California is the food...and the people, of course)

And I had to put this on here...HN does not own a single mug so I drank my morning peppermint tea in a Pyrex measuring cup...next trip I'm bringing HN a mug. :)