Grampa Jerry and Gramma Kaye's house...

My Grampa Jerry and Kaye live just on the other side of the Snake River from Nyssa in Parma, Idaho. These pictures were all taken from his backyard! They have an amazing view!

On this island there is so much wildlife! We saw like 15 deer...if you look closely you can see them!

Is this not seriously gorgeous?! This is a view from the deck of the Sugar Factory in Nyssa... Joey and Mark using the "take a looks" on the deck

Pretty Sunset!

Clayton was having tons of fun playing in the dirt and the rocks...and scaring me to death thinking he was going to roll down the mountain into the river!My Grampa Jerry (my Mom's Dad) I wish this didn't turn out so blurry!! This is a classic Mark-ie face!

Me, Mo and Mark

Goofing around... Wow...we are HOT!!So Kaye is this seriously awesome talented lady...she's a musician and an ARTIST! She has this whole room with all her art and these were some of our favorites...

This by far was our favorite! So cool!
And this one is all painted out of tiny colored squares! And I just thought this one was so pretty!
We had a really fun night just hanging out at their house and looking at old and new pictures! Joey went on the Tiger Cruise last year with my Grampa so they get along really well...being that they have a lot in common! And it was so good to see Kaye again! I hope that we'll be able to make more trips up to see them!

A white trash carnival...and hanging out at Gramma's house

While we were in Oregon we tried to find something fun to do...Nyssa isn't exactly a huge city so we headed out of town to a carnival about 20 minutes away. Well let's just say we have never seen so many white trash people in our lives!! We had a death grip on both of the kids the entire time...afraid that because they were so cute...someone might want to try and trade them for their own! But the kids had fun...and that is all that matters...right?!

Okay, so Clayton doesn't look very happy here...he was pissed that he had to ride in the back!
My Mom and Mike moved a few months back to Gramma Lucille's home...I have so many memories of this tiny little house! It was fun to come back to it...some things still being the same!Grampa Read always had fun little trinkets in this flower bed...there used to be a rock painted like a watermelon, petrified wood, and the old cowboy boot caught in a trap is still there!Auntie Am and ClaytonMo and Pete playing Duck, Duck, Goose with the kids!I love this one! Posing for the camera!
Baby RachelRiding bikes at Gramma Julie's house

Gramma's funeral...

I know these are a little strange, but we wanted to get some photo's from the grave site at my great gramma's funeral. It was a family reunion of some sorts, being that it had literally been like 15 years since my brother, sister, and I had seen some of our extended family (cousins, uncle, aunts). And Joey got to finally meet some of my crazy family! Uncle Doug, and Gramma's younger brothers and sisters. My G-Uncle Melvin is the 2nd in from the right...he lives in Deweyville, Utah and was always a favorite!!My Mom with the kids/grandkids...

Amber, Rachel, Mark, Joey, Clayton, Aspen, Mom, Mo and Pete

Me with my brother and sister

Me, Melissa, G-Jerry, Katie, and Cody (cousins)...can you tell we are a close family?!

The Cousin picture!!

Cody and Katie are my mom's brother Jim's kids...missing Kathi and Casey

It really was nice to see everyone again! It makes me sad that it takes something like a funeral to bring people/family back together. I honestly hope that my kids grow up really knowing there Aunts/Uncles/Grandparents and are able to be best friends with there cousins! I know it's hard when you live far away...but I really admire Joey's family for being so close to each other!

Anyways, another post down...it seems like so many more to go!

Pics from our 1st trip to Oregon...

I think this was one of our first road trips with both the kids...lets just say they made things interesting. I personally didn't care for the "Stop touching me Clayton...", "Put your foot on your own side!", "You're a baby...No you're a baby..." the ENTIRE 6 hours!! Thank goodness they slept a little on the way!

Here we go...

I think this is against the law?!?She's so goofy...but we love her!Our little glamour girl!Cute little boy...even with his messy face! He's getting soooo big!

Great Gramma Lucille

My sweet great- gramma passed away on Mother's Day. Here is a copy of her obituary...
Lucille Coburn Gyllenskog
March 5, 1917-May 10, 2009

Lucille Gyllenskog passed away on Sunday, May 10, 2009, at Nyssa Gardens at the age of 92 years. Her two sons were present at the time of her passing. Lucille was born March 5, 1917, in Wellsville, Utah, to parents Fred Leatham Coburn and Celia Hill Coburn. She was the oldest daughter of nine children. At the age of 17, Lucille married James Read Gyllenskog on Jan. 21, 1935, in Preston, Idaho. Read passed away on Nov. 29, 1991, at home in Nyssa, Ore. Lucille is survived by her two sons, Jerry Read Gyllensog, of Parma, Idaho, and Douglas Coburn Gyllenskog, of Salem, Ore.; two brothers, Seth Coburn, of Mendon, Utah, and Melvin Coburn, of Deweyville, Utah; two sisters, Colleen Sorensen, of Rigby, Idaho, and Marie Blauer, of Logan, Utah. She has six grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren. Lucille was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served for many years in the Nyssa 1st Ward Relief Society presidency. She honored her family with many quilts and afghans that they treasure. She was a great cook who often liked to share with friends and family. Her family would like to express their heartfelt appreciation to the staff at Nyssa Gardens for the loving care given to Grandma Lucille during the past three years, and Diana McGhee, XL Hospice, for her assistance during the last days. Viewing will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 16, 2009, at the Nyssa LDS Stake House, 1309 Park Ave., Nyssa, Ore. Services will be at 10 a.m. Interment will follow at Hilltop Memorial Cemetery, Nyssa.We were able to go up to Nyssa, OR for her funeral. It was definitely sad, but also sort of a blessing. She was away from Great Grampa Read for about 19 years and I'm sure it was a sweet reunion for them both! It was really nice to see some of my extended family that I hadn't seen in years (like 15!!) And it was nice for Joey to finally meet some of my crazy family!! We had a great time and I was so happy that my brother and sister were able to make the trip with us!

More pictures from our trip later...

Mother's Day

I've been treated pretty well on Mother's Day even before I officially became a Mom! I remember my first Mother's Day pretty well! I was about 9 months pregnant and Joey was out of town. I wasn't expecting anything at all 1. because i wasn't technically a 'Mom' yet; and 2. because Joey was busy working in another state. But to my surprise I came home to the most beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting on my kitchen table...I still don't know if I ever figured out who snuck into the house while I was at work?? And I guess I need to also thank George (Joey's co-worker) for telling Joey that he needed to do something!! Anyways, Joey always has a way of making me feel special even if I don't always deserve it and this year was no exception...on Saturday Joey took me out to Inkley's to pick out a new 'toy' that I've been eyeing for some time now. He told me I needed to have an expensive hobby too so that he didn't always get into trouble every time he wanted to buy a new gun...or bow...or other hunting accessory! Say hello to my new Digital SLR...I think I need to name her...Well, I've been in love with photography for as long as I can remember! I've always been an avid scrapbooker, but over the years I've figured out it was the photos that I loved and not the rest of the junk (okay so i still love all the other junk too!). I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to decide to actually learn more about photography...but I guess you are never too old to learn something new! So I've got my new 'toy' and i can't wait to learn everything I can about it! And I'm mostly excited to have a new hobby that I Love!

My family is starting to get annoyed with my snappy fingers...so if any of you out there wants to give up your kids or your family for some free practice shots...just let me know!! Just don't expect crazy fabulous photos yet because I'm still learning and I'm also waiting to get a better Photo shop! But...they will be free!

I had a really nice Mother's Day this year... I was able to take the kids to church and felt so proud to be a Momma while I listened to my little girl sing in Sacrament. I was showered with cute primary/nursery gifts and a pretty flower! Although church is sometimes frustrating with the kids and the chaos, I'm happy when I'm able to go and feel of the Spirit. I'm so blessed to have such beautiful kids and such a loving husband! I'm thankful for the knowledge of the Gospel and the plan our Father has in store for me. I can't think of a more fulfilling job than being a Mom...I sometimes don't feel i deserve it and I know i take it for granted far too often! I'm also so grateful for my Mom, Mother-in-law and step-Mom! I love you all and learn so much from your examples! We spent the rest of the afternoon with Joey's family and then with my family. Here are some pics from our day!

Hope all you M0mma's had a fantastic day!

Posts to come...

I promise I have posts coming...tonight!

I received something new and exciting for Mother's Day and it's held me up a bit getting my pictures uploaded to my computer. And...I have a hard time posting something with out pictures!! So stay tuned...

Any guesses on what my present was??

P.S. I figured if I posted something saying that I was going to post something...that i'd actually DO it!!

Love to all!

Something fun to waste your time on...

Check out this site www.photofunia.com... I made these really cool pics from that site...and it is super easy and fun!!

I think my beautiful baby girl deserves to be in an art gallery...hmmm...if only i knew how to make my own version of this cool pop art!Joey making graffiti look good! How cool would that look on my brick wall in my backyard...anyone know someone who does good graffiti?'The Adventures of Super Clayton!' - Who wouldn't want to watch that show?

Maybe one day someone will 'Mona Lisa' me on a billboard! ha!

These pictures made me happy! Although I didn't take them...they are still pretty cool and they made my crappy day a little happier!

Enjoy!

Things that make me happy...

#1 Tulips that finally decided to bloom after 5 years of living at our house! Every spring we get these plants that come up in our front yard...looking similar to tulips...but it's just the leaves never any flowers. I usually just end up pulling them out because they start looking pretty ugly. Well, not this year...after five years and really no work done at all I finally have actual tulips!! Aren't they pretty...they totally make me happy!!

I'm sure my next door neighbors thought I was totally insane when they walked passed yelling, 'hi neighbor' with me crouched down with my rear in the air taking pics of my flower bed!! Awesome!

#2 Thrift store finds!! I got this super cute door mat at my favorite thrift store...brand new with tags...$4

#3 Mother of the Year Moments!! It seems like I've been having lots of these lately!! Like when my 4 year old comes in to my room, wakes me up and asks if she can eat a solid fudge easter egg for breakfast...and I say yes just so I can go back to sleep! That should qualify me for Mother of the Year...don't ya think?!

I saw something really cool on someone's blog...She takes one picture everyday of something that makes her happy! I thought it was a fun idea...so i'm gonna give it a go! I might not do it every day but I thought it might help me blog more often..we'll see!