High Adventure

Ryan spent this past week with the Teachers and Priests in our ward canoeing down the Green River.

They had wind, rain and KILLER mosquitos, but they all survived and made it back safely.
Seems like our family hasn't slowed down all summer, and it won't for a while! I just love it when everyone is home safe and sound all together :)

I know, adventures are important, but I just miss family time when we're all apart.

Fathers Day from afar

Happy Father's Day Ryan!
Hopefully he is reading our father's day cards we sent so he knows how much we love and appreciate all he does. 
  It's been nice to be able to talk to him each night.  It makes it seem like he's not soooo far away.   He finally got a buffalo tonight too!  He was getting a bit discouraged and afraid he wouldn't get anything, but he did!
What a great Father's Day gift!
Pictures will come after he gets home :)

PS - Check out my craft blog for what I've been up to this past few weeks :)

Missing You

It's been a couple years since Ryan has been to Africa, so I knew it wouldn't be too long before he headed off to the Dark Continent.
We wanted to be sure he remembered us and knew how much we would miss him, so Miranda and I made a card for him to open every day while he is away.
He is also going to be gone for Father's day so he gets 3 cards that day..one from each of us.

Hopefully, he will enjoy reading them and not make him too homesick for us. We will miss him while he is away.

Hungry Hungry Hippo

I used to love playing that game as a kid...you know the one where you controlled your hungry hippo and whoever ate the most marbles won!
Well, I just visited another kind of hippo...the kind that my husband hunts in Africa...it gets mounted, shipped and delivered two years later at our house....we discover it's waaaaay too big to put anywhere in our little casita....so it takes another little trip to St. George where it lives happily ever after in it's little home in Sportsmans Warehouse eating grass all day long :)

Oh yeah... that's just where he should be...doesn't he look so happy. I just had to stop and see it, since I hadn't seen it out of the crate yet.
Happy Happy Hippo!

Never say Never

When Ryan started out on his hunting adventure in 2003 I told him that the trophy mounts were to stay in their designated place in the casita.
And for a while that worked.
But then wall space was limited, so a bunch of the mounts went to a local Sportsmans Warehouse.  That worked out quite nicely for a while...until they closed :(
So, since then we've had a little menagerie in our upstairs loft

Exhibit A -

 Exhibit B (this is now in the loft with the other animals instead of on the chair in my bedroom)

The kids have done pretty well not to complain when they get poked in the head by a Gemsbok when they are playing X-box or when they can't sleep in the loft because there isn't enough space. But seriously....these animals need a home.

So, when we got our new shutters a while back, I cleaned off the pot shelf right above the entry door... I was ready for something different up there anyway, but I just haven't found the right decor yet.

So, seriously in jest, I suggested he put his leopard up there.  Little did I know that Ryan would jump on it (I don't think he heard the jesting tone in my voice)

That night when I came home from errands, he had a ladder leaning against the wall and had tried to put it there himself, but no luck. 

And so, not only did I give permission for the leopard to be there, but I had to assist with the placement as well.

It was really quite a sight to see us trying to get the log then the leopard in place. 

Thankfully the kids didn't try to take any photo's of the process.

But now, we have a leopard perched above our front door ready to greet any guests we may have...

I of course had to add a little touch of Ginger with the greenery and pots.

And here's a shot just to give you the BIG picture...

So... I will admit that the colors go nicely with the decor :)  

Ryan has his sights on the wall on the right,  but I think for now the hippo will be staying in St. George at Sportsmans Warehouse

Happy Birthday Ryan

For Ryan's birthday this year, we celebrated by attending Miranda's play :)
Nancie and Raynold came to town and Nancie made her famous Contrata cake for Ryan. (so yummy)
After the play, all the gang went to BJ's for dinner

Then at home we had Nancie's yummy cake and Ice cream....

Complete with candle and singing "happy Birthday"

I'm not sure if I should post this or not....(Parents, mind you children)

But, Grandma Sanders gave Ryan a classic birthday card this year.  She always give humorous cards for birthday's and this one she picked up last year and couldn't wait to give it to him for his birthday...

YIKES!  Seriously.... I really do look like that too :D
Happy Birthday Ryan!

Holiday Hunt

Ryan was so excited to draw a coveted Big Horn Sheep tag this year.  I mean, who wouldn't want to be out in the cold, rain and snow during Christmas?
 I spent 3 days shopping, cooking, and packing thier food for the first half of the trip.
 Finally,  they started out with lively spirits on Friday 17th

The weather was chilly, and a forecast of rain all week!  But it didn't dampen thier hunting frame of mind.  It was a beautiful area with only one slight difference from other areas they hunted...

It was in the Nevada Test site!

Camp was set up and they were ready to hunt!
  After 3 days of solid rain, cold and fog...they were ready for a break.  They came home Monday 20th and didn't go back until Weds night still hopeful of a good sheep.

Friday 24th rolled around and still no sheep.  One more break from the hunt for Christmas, then it was back to camp Sunday night!
  Monday, around noon,  I got a call from Byron, a buddy who was up helping him, letting me know he got one!
   I was so excited (as I sure he was too)

He is pretty happy with his trophy and is planning on a full body mount (wonder where that will go?)