Two sisters...and their posterity!

My cousin Diane and I, through this great media of emails and facebook, came up with this little get together for these two ladies...they are both getting older and we needed everyone (as many as possible)to be together as a family...my pictures don't show it all, but My cousin Karen and her husband were there, Diane's family...kids and grandkids, Steven, my cousin, and his family made it... my brothers and their kids and grandkids were there as well as my family...we were missing some of the grandkids and their kids as well as my cousin Linda and her family...they are living in Arizona and were unable to be here....it was a great event.....everybody was in the park playing and having a great time...

















Eva Jane and Dolores....two sisters!

Birthday party for both...Eva Jane turns 86 on Aug 19th and Dolores turns 82 on Aug 22nd.....Eva Jane is my aunt and Dolores my mom...two great ladies honored with as many family member as could come....




















Balloon art for all the grandkids by Trevor .... that is always fun!
....we honor these two great women and love them! Happy Birthday!!!

WEST YELLOWSTONE!!!!!

Once again, we went on our (turning out to be) annual trip to West Yellowstone! And, once again we had the time of our lives!! Our only drawback was Kati couldn't get the time off from work....we missed her a ton!!! But next year we are planning to schedule things better so we don't leave anyone out.....well that's the plan anyway!

We left Monday morning on our Ford Focus trip! Ha ha ha...we took our Ford Focus and Grandma Bahr's Focus

...4 people in each car (girl car and boy car hahaha) and it was actually perfect! Well.....until the last day, I will get to that later....

We had a great drive...one time we hit a bit of road construction in Idaho...but actually not too bad!

We, of course, stayed at the KOA outside West Yellowstone...our favorite place....we always get a Camping Kabin...sleeps 4 (and has a heater)
while the boys (Trevor, Rob and Max) slept in a tent next to us. It was a bit disconcerting this year since as soon as we checked in we were told..."THERE HAD BEEN A BEAR SITING IN THE CAMPGROUND" ummm....yeah, very aware this is bear country, but there has never been a siting before when we were there...YIKES!! She was sited monday and tuesday...probably more, (they were a little secretive about wednesday).....it was a Grissly and her cub and they apparently come into camp around 5am...JUST WHEN I NEED TO GO POTTY!!! We were somewhat close to the bathrooms, but ya never want to meet up with a mama bear while having a full bladder!!!!! Nice thing is everynight, all night, they had "Bear Patrol" out driving around the camp...hahaha...RARRRRR! Anyway, we never saw this cute little pair....THANK HEAVENS!

Grandma Bahr stayed at the Madison motel....(she wasn't much for KOA
camping especially with our little mascot....hey, she's 82!!! I think she would attack them with her cane!!!LOL)
Of course, got grandma settled then off to dinner at the 3Bears Restaurant...not my favorite dinner place, but it was ok...then it was the Playmill!!! Seven Brides for Seven Brothers!!! FABULOUS!!! What can I say!!....Then it was home to the kabin and tent and slumber land! (and no bear)Tuesday we went into Yellowstone....saw Old Faithful and shopped around....sadly we didn't see many animals this year! Boooo...I really love the animals...it's just funny, whenever there is an animal close to the road EVERYBODY stops, jumps out of cars to take pictures etc....crazy tourists hahaha!




We spent sometime in Yellowstone, then Kristi, Grandma, Max and I bought some groceries and spent the evening watching Max shows in grandma's room while the rest went to the Playmill to see The Foreigner....which, in fact, was another Fantastic Production!!!! Then again, home and off to slumber land with no Grissly in site, haha thank Heavens! Wednesday off into the Park again.. of course in the other direction...saw some fantastic falls, some animals and lots of ROAD CONSTRUCTION!!! Blaaaaa! It's everywhere even in Yellowstone!!! Then back to the KOA to rent some 6 seated bike thing....we drove this around all over and had a blast! Of course we looked a bit crazy, but so what.....we had a great time!





Grandma spent this time in her room with some needed rest time...thank heavens for her motel room. Then it was off to the Gusher Pizza place...This is a place we always hit during our stay...but, this time, not so good.....let's just say the customer service was BAD BAD BAD!!! Did I mention it was BAD!!! No more comment, just dissappointed in our Gusher experience this time around....Boooooo!!! Then walked the streets of West Yellowstone in and out of shops! I love to do the tourist shopping thing...makes the trip complete LOL!

After...we again ended our day with a Playmill experience of epic porportion!! Beauty and the Beast! FABULOUS, FANTASTIC, OUT OF THIS WORLD, STUNNING performance! I just love the Playmill (and of course their signature homemade Heidi Fudge! Fudge every night yummmmmm)! Grandma back to the Madison, us back to the KOA....another night to tempt the fate of the Grissly! Ewwwwww! Had a wonderful nights sleep...no Grissly siting at our kabin...yeah! But, even with our most perfect, fun, wonderful West Yellowstone experience....we ended with our Schroeder curse! Anytime we go on vacation....something happens to put a little damper on such a fun time. We thought we had overpowered this curse..maybe found a way to have a vacation without it...but, alas, no....it happened, the Schroeder curse!!!....we woke up to a FLAT TIRE!!!
(our tires were in pretty bad shape, but we thought we were ok for a while..hehehe..guess our first mistake was "thinking" hehehe)Well...the guys put on that little dinky tiny tire thing that comes with cars now days....ya know, the ones that look like your car has a peg leg driving down the street....and of course, you can't drive very fast due to the special needs of this little tire...so people get mad and start passing and you think they are being stupid because they almost cause accidents.etc etc....UGH!! Hahaha...and....since there really isn't any place to buy tires until Idaho Falls....that is where we went...to Walmart at Idaho Falls...hahaha...(couldn't find a Discount Tire)...oh well, anyway....new tires and it was off for home...dropped Kristi off in Logan, Trevor, Staci and Max in Ogden and Grandma in Taylorsville....we are now HOME!!!! Tired of course, but a good tired....I love WEST YELLOWSTONE and spending time with my family!!!

sniff sniff......hoo...humm....

Ya know...that's just how I am feeling right now...contemplating so many things...lots of things going on in the Schroeder home...somewhat overwhelming to say the least. Just finished girls camp and really felt like it was a success...we have such wonderful young women in our ward...
Looking forward to Kristi's move home next week...though saddened by the fact that she is so sad about the move, and I totally understand why...being on her own has been so good for her, but I feel like she is doing this the Lord's way...which sometimes is a challenge but strength to do so....I really know this is something she needs and should do...it will all work out for her good. Then Kati is getting ready for school to start soon...that will be really good for her, but a bit on the overwhelming side as well since she is going to school and working full time...glad she's young! Whew! She'll do good though....she has so much energy and needs to keep on the go. Then Staci, Trevor and Max...lots of things going on in their little family...one being Max going to Kindergarten. They are kind of getting a late start on registration since they just moved, and they also hear horrible things about the school district they are living in...so they have decided to put Max in Weber School district...waiting on whether they are accepted though...if not, they have alternatives. Then getting Rob ready for his mission! Wow! So much to do....he leaves 6 wks from yesterday!!! It's going so fast....I will be somewhere and start thinking about him and of course start to cry....these are not tears of sadness...it's hard to explain...he's been my buddy for 19yrs.... now he gets to grow up without me...and that he will do! I won't have the influence on him as I always have...talks, errands, experiences etc.....my contact will be through prayers for him.....so they are not tears of sadness...mostly I already miss him...but I know this is where he is supposed to be, doing what he is supposed to be doing....he will make a great missionary and I am very proud of him...but yes, did I say I will miss him terribly! They grow up way too fast!!!

Now it's August......

Wow! Last few weeks have really been busy with preparations for girls camp buying food, crafts, packing and going....it was really great though...only we had a ton of extra food...how does that happen??? I just think nobody really wants to eat much while camping, at least this year...of course, if we cut down on the food...we would probably run out and everyone would be hungry...UGH....happy medium! Anyway, I will add pictures soon...it really was a great girls camp and our girls were fantastic! Not a bit of drama...two wards and everybody got along...go figure that one LOL

August has hit!!! I was checking the calendar...oh my gosh is this going to be a busy month

**Rob and I have to pick up pants at Mr Mac's....and...I think we need to take back the ones he already has...they need to be tailored just a bit more...a bit big and riding a bike I am sure he will loose weight...better get them right now

**Temple recommend interview Tuesday night

**I have two 6 hour meetings Wed and Thurs this week, and Kristi coming home for a friends wedding...as well as bringing some of her boxes...I need to clean out her room again in preparation for her return home

**Going to take Grandma Bahr on Friday to get some valances for her windows

**Monday the 9th leaving for West Yellowstone until the 12th...very excited!!! As well as Rob's birthday on the 9th







**Saturday morning moving Kristi from Logan....
then off to Springville for a combined sister (my mom and aunt) Birthday Party (what a nice thing since my aunt is getting really bad right now)







**Rob takes out his endowments on the 21st in preparation for his mission



**Ben's birthday on the 20th



**School/Work starts on the 23rd..............and it goes on and on....this is going to be a busy month..I just hope we all survive!!! Hahah




Let the Month begin...........................