July 05 Greenleaf Post

Dear Family and Friends,

First off - I have quite a list of people that I send this to - if any of you ever get sick of the letter feel free to ask me to be removed from the list. I won't be offended at all. I don't want to be spamming any of you.

Our family just made it back from our week-long annual camping trip with Lareen's side of the family. This was a "water-shed" year. We didn't camp at the same little campground that her family has camped at for over 35 years (every year). Instead we camped at their property they purchased 6 miles away in the same little valley on the banks of the Middle Fork of the Weiser River. They have 5 acres there and have owned it for a few years - but we haven't been ready to brave bringing the whole crew there for a week. We had too much work to do to get it ready. We have a small cabin/shed that we use in the winter and for hunting season but until last year there was no water source and very few places cleared for tents. This year we worked hard and cleared a lot of areas for tents, built a horse corral, built a nice shower house (hot showers!), improved our water slide and started the process for a shelter/food prep area.

We were able to bring our horses this year thanks to the corral, built by the Caldwell 4th Ward that used the property for our father and son camp out. We supplied the materials and they supplied the labor. It was great! I took Jarom, one of his cousins and a boy whose father was out of town on work. We had a great time. The kids of all ages enjoyed the waterslide immensely.

I can't believe that we are on our last month before school starts again. The kids and Lareen are starting to go over their school supply lists and reviewing their needs. They go back on the 8th of August. Even Emma is going to school this year - YIKES! It will be nice for Lareen to have that half day with her calling in the Church. I was just thinking that I was Emma's age when my mother was the Relief Society President. I remember that my Mother was always running all over the place doing things for others. I was many times the last one to be picked up from my Kindergarten - Emma will be able to relate.

Everyone is healthy, happy and relatively busy.

We love you all,