Sunday, July 27 -- More About the Rexburg International Dance Festival

So we have church from 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. I need to preface this by saying that the people over dancing for the Dance Festival commented that if you didn't have responsibilities at church that day, it would be nice to stay at home with your guests. I had to teach the lesson in young women. Plus we figured our church is early enough we could still go to church and come home and go do something fun. We went to all of church (well most of us did). I came home during Sunday School to work on some food preparations. Also, Logan had really been favoring his left arm and starting Saturday seemed like he was in real pain. Bryon took him to Community Care after Sacrament Meeting. They x-rayed it and couldn't find anything. They kept asking what he had done to it and we seriously had no idea. Logan a few days later told us he fell on the trampoline and hurt it. He still favored it for a few days but a week later it is back to normal. We invited the bus drivers to go to church with us or told them they were welcome to stay home and sleep in and relax. They told us they needed to go and clean out their bus. So they left about the same time we left for church and they got home shortly after we did.

After church I came home and made taco salad for lunch. There wasn't enough room in our van for all of our family plus the bus drivers and so we took Logan and Natalie to my friend Linda's for her to watch them while we went. I packed some snacks and away we went. We went to Lower and Upper Mesa Falls. It was beautiful. I think the bus drivers had a great time. They spoke very little English and we speak very little Spanish and so communication was very interesting. Every time we got somewhere they would say very beautiful. Then they would get out their cell phones and try to snap pictures of everything. By upper Mesa Falls, they have renovated a log cabin into a hotel and it has some hands on things. Bryon had to go in to get some change and told us how cool it was and so we spent some time in there looking around. There was a moose head mounted on one wall and a bear head mounted on another. Filipe and Iscidro loved that. Then in a back room they had all kinds of animal skins from animals found in the aread. We had a great time touching all the furs and trying to guess what they were. Upper Mesa Falls is breath-taking. While we were there we ran into another family that was hosting dancers from Mexico. They were making a huge loop and were going to feed ducks and fish by Macks Inn and then going on to West Yellowstone. Sam really wanted to go feed the fish and ducks. We had planned on cooking in the Dutch oven when we got home for dinner and so we didn't feel like we could really do that. So we started down the mountain. I then told Bryon while we were so close to Macks Inn we really should do that and I would think of something different to throw together for dinner. So away we went to find this place by Macks Inn to feed fish and ducks. It was beautiful there. Because it was so hot, we didn't see any of the "big fish" but saw plenty of birds. We had a great time feeding the birds. A seagul even pooped on Sam, which totally grossed him out! We got home about 7:30 p.m. I did something I swore I would never do with them there and that was make a Mexican dish for dinner. However, it was about the fastest thing I could think of. I made vegetarian enchiladas and homemade Spanish rice. I really think it was one of their favorite meals they ate while they were here. We had a great time today!

Our Guests

So last Saturday (July 26) was the day we had waited for. The day we were supposed to pick up our dancers. We worked hard all week outside in the yard and also in the house getting house work done. There were also so many projects I was hoping to get done but just didn't get around to it. So we were supposed to pick them up at 2:00 at the Junior High School.

We knew ahead of time that we would be getting boys. The housing director told me alot of people requested girls and where we weren't specific, she assigned us boys. No problem! I am used to boys plus this whole experience is for Sam right?!? Who better to bond with him than boys.

Sam and Conner wanted to go with me to the junior high to meet our dancers. The day was HOT! It seemed like we waited forever in the sweltering sun for the bus to arrive.

I need to preface a little here. Mexico was the only team coming to the festival that didn't fly here, they chartered their own bus. All the teams had been to Burley the week before and were coming over from Burley. Salt Lake Express (a local bus company) went and picked them up and Mexico drove their bus up.

Mexico was one of the last teams to pull up. Then it seemed like forever as they hauled costumes into the junior high school for the week's performances. Finally it was time to find out who our long awaited guests were. I must admit there were a few younger Mexican boys that I would look at and wonder if they would be our house guests. I didn't have to wait long. My name was called second and then I was told that Filipe and Iscidro were to be our house guests for the week. Here's the kicker: we weren't housing dancers but instead the two bus drivers. I admit my first thought was "this is just my luck"!

Because the bus couldn't stay at the junior high school, I got in my van and pulled it around to where they could see me. They then followed me to the Chamber of Commerce to where we were going to park their van for the week. I was so thankful for this opportunity of being alone with the boys. I couldn't help but show how disappointed I was that we weren't housing dancers. I made a phone call to my friend, Brenda, who got a huge kick out of what I thought was my misfortune. I then called Bryon to let him know how unhappy I was. When we got home, Iscidro and Filipe went into what was to be their room for the week for a "siesta". It gave Bryon and I a chance to talk. Bryon told me something that would totally change my attitude for the week. He told me that yes we did sign up for dancers. We were doing this to give Sam a taste of his heritage. We can make this a totally negative experience and complain and let our sour attitudes rub off on our children or we could make the most of the situation. We could still do everything, well just about everything (For some reason, I don't think these two men would have enjoyed a morning shopping trip in Idaho Falls that I had planned to do with the dancers.), that we had planned to do with the dancers. We would probably still have a wonderful time and yes Sam could still experience his heritage because we were still housing people from Mexico. I am so grateful for Bryon and his perception. It totally made me rethink my attitude.

After their naps, I made Hawiian Haystacks for dinner. We then loaded up and went to the football stadium on the campus of BYU-Idaho for the opening ceremonies. Words cannot describe the feelings that I felt as we sat in the stands and all ten countries walked into the stadium and danced an opening number. It was awesome! We aren't sure where Filipe and Iscidro went. They didn't march in with their country. We figure they sat somewhere in the stands. Each country presented a gift to our state legislator and then danced a number. After the program, they launched fireworks. It was a great evening.

Here is a picture of our house guests for the week. Filipe is the one in grey and Iscidro is in the darker colored shirt.

International Folk Dance Festival

Beware! I have a lot to catch up on so be ready for multiple postings. We have had an AWESOME week. At the beginning of the summer we realized that we were going to be at home during the International Folk Dance Festival that comes to Rexburg every year. We then heard that Mexico would be attending this festival. We figured what a great opportunity for Sam it would be if we hosted some dancers from Mexico. So we signed up! We have been so excited for this week to come all summer. This week has been busy to say the least but we have loved every minute of it.

Bryon and the Bike

My husband LOVES biking. He has been a want-to-be enthusiast for years. This year, he talked me into getting him a Trek 2200 for his birthday. This picture isn't Bryon's actual bike but his is just like it. Now I don't know a whole bunch about bikes. My husband and I have really nice mountain bikes sitting in the garage. I don't understand why he needed a different bike when the one in the garage is in perfect condition. It is made for "mountain" biking is his answer. He really wanted a "street" bike. So I learned a little bit more about this bike he so badly wanted. They are super light weight. Also they are used by people that are big into racing. I decide that we will get him one this year. I admit part of my reasoning was a little guilt ridden. Bryon always lets me buy what I want and never once complains yet Bryon never wants for much or even asks for stuff. I am finding out fast that when he does it is BIG items! So going into this whole process, I was thinking if we spent no more than $400 that would be one great bike. I mean come on, you can buy a bike at your local Wal-Mart for $60 so $400 should be more than enough to get a great bike. We watched these bikes on Craigs List and E-Bay. Bryon poured over the internet every night for at least one hour trying to find the perfect bike. Well, the end of May, I bid on this bike on E-Bay and won. I was so excited. I printed off a paper saying I had won, put it in an envelope and had it sitting on Bryon's plate that night saying Happy Birthday and Happy Father's Day. No I didn't get the bike for $400 it was more like $500. Bryon waited anxiously every day for that bike to get here. It finally did. After showing it to a guy in the neighborhood that is into biking, he informed Bryon the shaft or something like that was bent. So Bryon tells me that a used part will be $50 and a new part would be $100. I am already mad. I spent $100 more than I wanted to on that stupid bike and now we have to throw more money into it. My charitable attitude that started me down this whole process is fast fading away. So a trip to the bike shop and $50 later. . . . You would think Bryon would be good to go. NO! Think again! The bike came with special pedals. The ones where you have to have the special biking shoes to put in the pedals. So Bryon did his homework and found a bike shop 30 minutes away that sells biking shoes starting at $60 but going clear up to like $600! I am beginning to wonder if these shoes are gold plated. So Bryon got some birthday money that he decided he wanted to spend on these shoes. I try to tell him that "Starting at $60" means that he probably won't come out with the $60 shoe. It means barebone minimum. It is like a new housing subdivision going in, the ads always say "houses starting at $130,000". However, do you know a single person in that subdivsion that got that $130,000 house?!? NO! Bryon is just sure that he can walk into the store and buy that $60 shoe. Yeah Right! So he called me yesterday after his big purchase: shoes -- $125. That is a long cry from the $60 shoe he went in for and it is also a huge gap from the $50 he had set aside to buy the shoes with. But in the back of my mind I am breathing a sigh of relief because he should be ready to ride: he has the biking shorts, the biking shirt, his helmet, the bike and now the shoes. I should know better than to think that way! He calls me last night. (He happened to go to this town to get his new shoes. Sam had been down hauling hay with his Grandpa Joe. Bryon was going to go get his shoes, go the office where we works part-time, work and then meet up with his parents and Sam for a Bar-B-Que and a Chuckars game.) When he got bought his shoes, he had the guy fix them so Bryon wouldn't have to because Bryon admits he knows nothing about this. The guy mentions to Bryon that he should go on a "test drive" to make sure the shoes are working with the pedals and so forth. Bryon didn't have time to do that, he had to be to work. He loaded his bike back into the car and went to work. After work, he had some time before he had to meet his parents so he went back to the bike shop to test ride his bike in their parking lot. Well, he ended up falling off his bike. The way Bryon explained it to me was he could get one foot out of the pedal but couldn't get the other foot out so he had no way to brace his fall. His legs, arms and hands were all pretty scraped up not to mention he CHIPPED HIS FRONT TOOTH HALF OFF! I tried to be sympathetic but in my mind all I see is more $$$$ we are having to put out for this STUPID BIKE! I said to him just before we hung up the phone, I hope all this money we are throwing into this bike is going to be worth it. Bryon's response is "I think it will be." Now I understand you just fell off your bike and are hurting desperately. However, we are now into that bike $1,000 your response should not be "I think it will". I want to hear, "HECK YEAH HONEY IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNNY!"


When Bryon got home last night from the game, he did look pretty scraped up not to mention with his tooth chipped he looked like a Redneck Biker. His mouth was hurting so bad last night, he ended up going into the dentist last night. (I am trying really hard not to think about the extra fee for the after hours emergency!) He ended up having chipped three teeth off and not one. The dentist is a good friend of ours. He got Bryon mostly fixed up. Bryon has to go back in on Friday for some finishing work. He suggested Bryon take up swimming instead of biking.


Bryon, this whole episode was just to funny not to share. Honey, I really do love you!

Carousel 07-05-08

After swimming at the Splash Park, we went to the Carousel. I had some free tickets and so we let all of the kids ride the carousel once. I think that was a much bigger hit than the Splash Park. Sam's picture isn't posted because his was quite dark.

Splash Park 07-05-08

Saturday, we thought it would be fun to take the kids to the Splash Park. Elliott was really to small and didn't go in. Alice Ann was afraid of the water. Natalie was really the only one that stayed in the whole time and played. She was in heaven. I usually don't take her and Logan when we go to the Splash Park. Logan didn't like it last year and I figure that is a good time for Bryon to stay home and give them naps. Logan did like it better this year. He would go if someone else would go in with him. Sam spent most of his time playing football on the grass with Alice Ann. Conner divided his time between playing football with Sam and Alice Ann and going into the water.

Fourth of July on the Greenbelt

My mom, my sister Alyson, Alyson's kids Eliott and Alice Ann drove up and met us in Idaho Falls. My dad couldn't join us because he was out of town on a pioneer trek. Alyson's husband, Jared, had to stay behind and work.

We met them there about 2:00. We found a great place over by the stake center by the temple. There was a huge tree that we were able to sit under for shade. We usually leave someone there while the ladies go do some shopping. This year we left Bryon, Logan, and Natalie while we took everyone else. We really did quite a bit of shopping. We didn't get back to the Greenbelt until after 5:00. Yes, we did quite a bit of shopping but we also spent some time looking for my mom's lost glasses. When they first got to the greenbelt, she must have had her perscription sunglasses hanging from her shirt. Well she laid down on a blanket and when she got up they were smashed beyond all recognition! Then we went to the mall. We looked at some shirts in Sears. My mom even went into the dressing room and tried a shirt on. We then went to Old Navy. It was at Old Navy, my mom realized she lost her glasses. We went back to Sears and looked all over and couldn't find them. We looked at Old Navy to no avail. We were beginning to think it was a very expensive 4th of July for her. We shopped a little more in the mall. I talked to Sam about Grandma loosing her glasses and how we should say a prayer in our hearts that she can find them. We decided to go check one more time to try to find them. Sam walked right into Old Navy and found them within seconds.

When we got back to the Greenbelt, we ordered pizza for dinner and Bryon went and picked it up and brought it back for us. Once the road was closed on Memorial Drive, we moved out into the road. The kids occupied their time by throwing "pop-its" that their Grandma Roskelley bought for them.

The fireworks display was awesome! We had great seats. I think it truly was one of the best fireworks display we have seen.