my photo workshop and Cooper fam reunion

While I was in Idaho Falls I taught a photography workshop. I had it in the very cool, Colonial Theater downtown IF. I had 6 attendees. Lindsey was one of my participants. I'm so glad she was there. She made me less nervous. :) The workshop went great! Read more about it on my photo blog.

My attendees.

Right after the workshop we headed to Riverside, ID to the Cooper Family Reunion. I just love my family. It was so nice to see them. They have an auction every year of yummy food, cool homemade craft so other misc. items. Bill (my uncle is always the auctioneer. I don't think anyone else wants the job. :) )

Ashley and Rylee painting their rocks.

My Mom and her brothers and sisters. From left to right: Kevin, Debbine, Kathy, Gloria (Mom), Linda, Bill.

still catching up...fireworks at Grandma and Grandpa's house!

Thanks to Jonathon and Dustin we got to have our own fireworks show in my parents backyard on July 5th. The kids were all watching from a blanket. I love the fact that we are able to sit on the grass. In Texas the grass is way too pokey and you would be attacked my fire ants if you decided to sit on the grass. Ahhhh!

Jonathon let the kids light a firework. 

I love the look on their faces as they run away.

drawing with sparklers.

Maddie made an "M".

The fireworks toward the end of our evening were wild and crazy, to say the least. We were all sitting way too close for some fireworks that surprised us by shooting out instead of up! The kids scattered like flied toward the house. After that we all watched from a nice and safe distance.

Here's the kids finding safety in the arms of Lindsey.

I love to get snow cones while we are in Idaho Falls in the summer. I usually get red raspberry but just lately they started adding cream and boy oh boy, it's tasty!

My red raspberry and cream!

My Girls.

I'm pretty sure I'm the luckiest person in the world to have the friends that I do. And what's even better is that we've all been friends since Jr. High! My life is better because of these girls. We've always wanted what's best for each other and I honestly can't remember us ever fighting. They've all become such beautiful woman with wonderful families.

For the last couple of years we've been able to get together for a few days for a reunion. We talk, laugh and eat...heaven, huh? :) We didn't get a chance to go anywhere this year so we met up for breakfast at the infamous Smitty's in Idaho Falls. Our husbands joined us but because they couldn't find a table that was big enough for all of us the husbands sat together at a table of their own while we sat together at a table behind them.

The beautiful Kenia Ann. We were room, roommates all four years of college. I love this girl more than words can say.

The gorgeous, Amy. She has one of the strongest wills and best attitudes I've ever met. This girl make me laugh out loud, even if it's just in an email.

This picture makes me laugh...us girls knew we needed to get home to relieve our babysitters or to just get going but the guys couldn't stop talking! We were waiting to get a picture before we left so we finally had to ask the guys to move it along so we could get going!

from left to right: Amy (Munk) Askerlund, Amy (Francis) Anderson, Kenia Ann (Hinckley) Reed, Shyla (McAffee) Aaron, and me. 

And they call it Puppy Love...

This has been a long time coming...we finally got a dog! His name is Charlie. He's a cocker spaniel/terrier mix. We got him on Friday from the Humane Society in San Antonio. He's only 8 weeks old. He has 3 siblings that were so cute too but we just couldn't resist Charlie. He was the most laid back of the bunch with the most adorable little face. He loves to cuddle when he's ready to play, watch out! He's a ball of energy.

Maddie and Lyndon LOVE having a dog. If Maddie could have her way she would hold Charlie and carry him around all day long. But he's still so little that for now she's only allowed to sit down and hold him.

We knew we were going to pick him up a few days earlier so Maddie spent some time making welcome signs and signs so that Charlie would know where things were. Just like this one:

It say's "Welcome Puppy" and the sign below it says "bed" with an arrow pointing down.

We're excited to have Charlie in our family for many years to come.

My Dad's birthday & The 4th of July!!

After spending 5 days in Colorado we headed to Idaho on July 1st for my Dad's birthday. He turned 61! I can't believe it. He doesn't look or act 61 so I guess that means he's not really that old yet. :) For his birthday he had our entire family home (except for Kelly). We had a weeny roast (as my Mom calls it) in the backyard. We roasted hot dogs for dinner and let the kids roast as many marshmallows as they wanted. They were in heaven.

see...he's doesn't act his age. :)

We didn't have birthday candles so we plopped one big candle (covered in tin foil to protect the cake) right in the middle of the cake and called it good. His cake was german chocolate, his all time favorite. His favorite way to eat it is in a bowl covered in milk. 

On to the 4th of July...Our day started bright and early at 5:30 am to run the annual Firecracker 5k. This was my 2nd year of running it, Jonathon's first. I love the running route because it is right through the streets of where I grew up. So for me it's like a sweet little run through memory lane.

Before the race in front of my parents house.

Heather and I also in front of my folks house. Good ol' 486 12th street. 

The whole crew of us who ran the race. from left to right...Britton, Jonathon, Lindsey, Ashley, My Dad, and Heather.

After the race we immediately ran home (okay, we DROVE home) to get ready for the parade. My parents live in a great spot where we just have to walk to the parade route. When I was growing up my Dad would get up early on the morning of the 4th to go put some chairs out on the parade route to save our spot. But as Idaho Falls has grown people have starting saving their parade spot DAYS ahead. This year I happened to be driving past "our" parade spot on the Friday before the 4th and found that people were ALREADY putting up their chairs and saving their spots. I didn't want to lose our favorite spot so I ran home got some wooden steaks, some string and a hammer and went back to secure our spot.

Lyndon wasn't a fan of the loud firetrucks. 

These guys are in the parade EVERY year.

After the parade we went back to my parents house for the annual BBQ. It was delicious. My Dad grilled hamburgers and hot dogs and made his famous baked beans. YUM. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of it.

After the BBQ we all relax, take naps and chat. Then at around 6pm we head downtown to secure our spot for the spectacular Melaleuka Freedom Celebration Fireworks. Lindsey and Dustin brought a cooler full of drinks and snacks and Jonathon and I brought Fiesta ole' (the BEST crisp bean burritos EVER) for the crew. We all ate and chatted waiting for it to get dark so the fireworks would begin.

Dustin was entertaining the younger crowd.

My Mom brought glow-in-the-dark necklaces and bracelets for all the grandkids.

This is our view, waiting for the fireworks.

What an end to a perfect day. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it until I die...Idaho Falls is THE BEST place in the the whole world to spend the 4th of July.