A few random photos for your viewing pleasure!

Weekend visit with the Jaussis...we went to the Utah Lake Festival. Janet loves e kids. Even the ones with black eyes and bowl cuts!

Joshua just finished up his first soccer season. Here are some shots taken just after the final game. Joshua earned the "best attitude award" because he never made a single goal, but he cheared for each one like it was his own.

This is of the boys at "Big J's" in Preston. We were visiting my grandpa Shipley's grave with Ma (grandma Jaussi) for memorial day. I love the candid shot of Joshua laughing. Also not the subject of the laugh...french fry drinking straws....

Jeri almost died today...

We went up blacksmith fork canyon to escape the heat today. We went to friendship campground, wehre the river has nice shallow spots for the kids to play in, and lots of room for the dog to run. We had a very nice afternoon relaxing and playing in the water. It is beautiful in these mountains! When were getting ready to leave I heard a distinct "rattling" sound a few yards away.....

I looked over to where the sound was coming from, and saw Jeri pointing at something behind a large log. She seemed uncertain as to whether to go after the thing or to back off. My first thought was that the sound didn't seem like a rattlesnake, and was maybe a badger or something that snarls. To be safe, I called her to me and thankfully she came. Because when I rounded the stump (with a nice long stick in my hand - I was jumpy) there was a sight to behold.

Yes, it was a rattle snake, and a pretty big one at that. I called to Mike, and we all watched from a safe distance. It rattled at us a few more times, and then slithered away. We have been regretting not grabbing the camera, but I will admit I was a little freaked out and getting a picture or video was the last thing on my mind.

In the words of my Dad, "it was a grand adventure!" And we are glad that our dog was smart enough to back away. I did manage to get some nice pictures today, even if they are snake-free.

What is that sound?

Yesterday evening we were all sitting in the livingroom relaxing. Michael was watching the US open, and I was reading Dr. Suess to the boys. All of a sudden we heard the strangest sound. It was like a low quiet whirring sound. It would get louder and then softer, and it seemed to be coming from the kitchen. Mike and I looked at eachother questioningly, and then he looked towards the kitchen. "There are two hummingbirds in the kitchen" He said, and we all jumped up and ran to the kitchen. Just as we got there the hummingbirds zoomed back out the sliding door which had been left open.
We just hung a hummingbird feeder right next to the door on the deck, and I guess the little things thought it was an invitation to make themselves at home. So that is our exciting story for this Thursday. Have a good weekend everyone!

Which Mupptet are You?

I found this while brousing....it may be a little inacurate, but fun nonetheless!

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

Book Review -- One Thousand White Women

Mom Barlow lent us this book titled One Thousand white women written by Jim Fergus. It is a "What if" historical novel set in the 1870's. Several white women are comissioned by the government to go to the plains and be brides for the Cheyenne indians ina n effort to asimilate the indians into white culture. The book is writen as a journal of one of the women, and you see the culture and events through her eyes. This is a beautifully written story with much human truth to it. I know when I love a book, because I can't get it off my mind for a few days. I recomend it to anyone who can handle adult themes.

Joshua and Ma Jaussi

Joshua and Mom have very similar personality traits. One of those traits is their love for exploring new things, no matter how small. In this case the subject was a rock with tons of little fossils on it. I love how excited they both are in this video! I also posted this because I don't think I've ever seen video of my mother. Hopefully this will be a good snippet of family history.

Mom has been verry interested in rocks, fossils, and gemstones lately. She has even set up a little lab in her office. So when Joshua and I found these fossils up at the dam, we knew Ma would want to see them. It tickled Joshua to make Ma proud.

Theater Issues

i wonder if Mike should be writing this post... he probably won't aprove of me telling the world this. Our projector is broken. Mike was bothered by some dust spots in the lamp that were showing up on the screen, so he took it apart. He is usually really handy, and we were both confident that he wouldn't cause any damage. But....

We took it to a tech place to fix it and they wanted $600 so we decided to just upgrade. So, if you are in the mood for a nice hi-def big screen movie experience in the privacy of our home, give us a call! The Barlow Blue Box Theater should be up and running by wednesday next week. Next on our theater wish list.....an old fashioned movie theater popcorn maker.