The Junk Drawer - July 2023.

My ramblings.  Shouldn't they all start with a sunset picture or flowers?  Yes, of course.  I just love this cotton candy sky.

My friend gifted us this beautiful succulent along with some gift cards to our most favorite places.  You know who you are, and it did not go without notice the thoughtfulness that went into these items.  Thank you!

I decided it was time to get rid of the red carpet.  I am very happy with my decision, and so are the doggos!

Sidney got this fortune and was sure to tell us all about it, "Your uplifting spirit is just what your family need."  Oh boy!

Kendall and Sidney house sat for our neighbors for two weeks.  They have three fun doggos that the girls bonded with (only two pictured).

Who doesn't need a personalized mounting block?

Continuous improvement.  What a fantastic way to spend a Saturday night!

Deal of the century alert.  I managed to find this pair of $150 jeans at a second hand store for $16.  They happened to fit Sid like a glove.  She is thrilled to be a proud owner of a pair of Kimes Ranch jeans.

We dog sat Winnie Cooper for a couple of days.  She is a sweet girl.  She was forever grateful that Bella lost interest in her, and she could actually relax.

Shrinky Dinks.

Hannah turned 16 this year, and the girls (and my mom) decided to help her celebrate.  I was going to be out of town, but before I left I was sent on a mission to 'find Shrinky Dinks'.  This is what they decided to get Hannah for her birthday, as a throwback to their childhood.  I made a homemade cake and Kendall spent the evening decorating it.  My mom hosted them all at her house for dinner and cake.

After dinner, they decided to dive right into the Shrinky Dinks.

My dad even got in on the action.

They decided to make jewelry with the charms.  Birthdays like these are the best!

My Heart is Full (mostly).

 I thought about changing the title of this post to remove the word 'mostly', but I thought vulnerability would be best here.  My daughters are forging ahead and spreading their wings.  I am through the roof excited for them.  It does not mean that I am absent of a twinge of sadness.  I can see glimpses of the future.  It is amazing and heartbreaking all at the same time.  This post is full of pictures that they sent me, because they were off with their friends, enjoying life!

Sid and Jayde made a couple of their dreams come true.  They hauled their horses to Eagle Island for a ride and a swim in the river, followed by a ride through Dutch Bros.

Sid said that people were pulling over and taking their pictures.  One guy even leaned out his window and said, "You guys are awesome.  That is such an Idaho thing to do!"  Yes, this was definitely a check mark on the bucket list for Sidney.

Kendall doing face masks with Hannah and Sid.

The girls have even figured out how to air up the paddle boards and take them out on their own.  I even let Kendall drive the truck.  As much as this terrifies me, this is how they grow.  This is how they learn. 

Dutch Bros.

Kendall has spent two years at Goodwill, and they have been very good to her.  But, she decided it was time to branch out.  She interviewed with Dutch Bros and landed the job.  She decided that a new job needed a new haircut.  Gone are her long, hippy locks.

Say hello to her sassy do.

Dutch does three days of 'simulated' training at their corporate headquarter.  It is such a positive vibe.  One night of training, they went out to a store and handed out glow sticks.  I have learned that Dutch is not a coffee shop, it is a people shop that serves coffee:).  Yep, this is going to be the perfect next job for Kendall.

The last night of training at corporate, they each got a double shot in a cup.

At the bottom of the shot was their assigned store location.

Each of the trainees were asked to pose for a fun picture.  This was Kendall's idea of fun, which further supports that this is a match made in heaven.

Levi's First Playday.

We decided to take Levi to the riding club for his first Tuesday playday.  This is huge, as the arena is new, it is right next to a busy road, there are lots of new horses, it is outdoors and they use a loud speaker.  I was feeling pretty confident that he was ready for this, so off we went.  

I walked him in the arena before the events started.  Each person does three events with their horse.  I was just planning on walking Levi through the courses.  He started out great. 

As we rounded the barrels at the end of the first course, he decided to get a bit frisky.  I had it under control though.

Then when we got in front of the bleachers, he spooked and was off and running.  I did my best to 'hang on'.  At some point, I was horizontal with the ground, then I was on the ground.  Yep.  I am forever grateful for 6 inches of arena sand, so no, I did not get hurt.  The gates were quickly blocked and Levi settle back down.  If you ever want to see the video, let me know.  It is pretty  hilarious.  

After that, I had two events to go.  I was a bit nervous, but knew I could not end on that note.  Sid took Levi to the round pen and let him get his nerves out.  Then we went in for course #2.  I could hear my heart beating in my ears, but I did a lot of deep breathing and tried to keep my cool.  I could sense Levi was picking up on my nerves, as he seemed a bit nervous too, but we made it.

By the time course #3 came around, we had both settled down, and he was back to his calm self.  It was a reminder to me that he is still a baby, and I need to remember that.  He did great though.  He won my internal award for easiest horse to load and unload in the trailer.

Piercings for the Three Amigos.

One Sunday evening, Sid declared she wanted to get her ear cartlidge pierced.  though she acted like this was spontaneous, I knew that the girls had been talking about this for months.  So, down to IKON we went.  On the way, Hannah called her parent to get permission to get her ears pierced.  They agreed, and David came down to sign the waiver.  

I think Kendall chose the most painful piercing of the evening.  Yikes!

Snake River Stampede 2023.

We attended the Snake River Stampede.  It is always a lot of fun, and has become more so as we have gotten to know a lot of the people in the horse community.  Many of our friends are in the Stampeders or carry flags.  My parents went with us.  They are the best.  My mom just makes me smile.  She truly marches to the beat of her own drummer sometimes, and I love her for that.

Hannah joined us, and it was her first rodeo ever.  I think she really enjoyed it.

I enjoyed a cowgirl cocktail.  It was magnificent.

The Snake River Stampeders never disappoint.

Some think the bull riding is the best.  My personal favorite is the saddle bronc riding.  I must have been too busy watching, because I did not get too many pictures.

At the end of the rodeo, they let all of the bronc horses in the arena for a round of applause.  They are beautiful!

Sister Time.

I had a work meeting in Spokane and decided to take an extra day and spend some time with my sister.  This is actually me and my co-worker Mandy enjoying a walk through Riverfront Park before heading to dinner.

It was such a great visit with my sister and her family.  I got to meet Hallie's dog, Ember.  I did not really want to like Ember the Pug, but she stole my heart immediately.

My sister and I started with spa pedicures, followed by a delicious lunch at Bardenay.

After our lunch, we did a bit of shopping on Sherman Street and hit up the spa for a foot massage and a full body massage.  The day could not have been better.  Of course, I could not break tradition, we made the short trip to the pond in Twin Lake Village to feed the fish.  

It makes me laugh that they have a gumball machine that accepts quarters in exchange for fish food.  I always make sure I have plenty of quarters.  The fish are always excited to see me!