Typical Idaho Summer Day

Today is a typical summer day. 

The kids have done their "school work," their chores, practiced the piano, and read.  They just finished up making their lunch and headed out to the backyard to eat it and enjoy the summer breeze that Idaho is known for.

We have quite the garden this year. Excuse the grass. This is from seed, so it will look much better next year. Hahaha. (at least that is what I am telling myself)

Nathan has planted tomatoes 3x because they all froze after each planting, so this is our last shot at garden tomatoes this year.

The tires on top of the berm hold our Giant Pumpkins and Watermelons.

We feel very fortunate to have this view (above and below)

The wheat fields and their sprinklers make for a beautiful sound and view.

Our neighbors also have a lovely garden. Nathan and Blaine are often found out "weeding and chatting" it is a nice life.  One day, I will write about Blaine and how I grew up with his sister, and how I am a member of the church because of her. :)

We have tried to grow strawberries 3 different times. It wasn't until we moved next to master gardeners (Bockholts) that it finally worked. My kids have been babysitting these berries ever since those white blooms popped up.
Finally! Red and Juicy Berries for the Witte Family. Of course they want to add rows upon rows next year. (We can never do anything on a small scale *sigh*)

Scarlett, age 9 adores strawberries.

And Mason, who is now 6. With a giant BUMP on his head from falling off a bench into a table.

Oh, and he is wearing sweatpants and rolls them this high to play in the pool. Crazy boy.

Life is slower, but we like it. 

6th Grade Program

Lucas has had a pretty good 6th grade year. He will tell you it was full of math HW and he would be right, but, overall, he had a good teacher and a good year.

He stuck with his friends, and played football, got his tonsils out, missed the tryouts for the track meet, grew 2 inches, was on flag team again this year, and most of all COMPLETED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL! 

 Lydia, Amarah, Camarie, and Tayla is at a different school.

Our school had a Broadway Musical Review and Lucas and his friends were in Newsies. Lucas enjoyed it. I could hear him because his voice is starting "the change" but, I doubt anyone else could.

I'm glad he had a good year.

Malibu Beach

It was really hard to pick up and leave suddenly for Grandpas's Funeral. We loved him so much, and were not expecting it at all.  One thing Grandpa loved was living in California. So, Nathan and I decided to take advantage of the beach and have a few happy times on this trip. I am so glad that we did. It was nice to not think about anything and spend a few hours at the beach. Nothing beats the sounds of the waves, and that humid, salty, sea air.

Grandpa Horn's Funeral

One of the hardest moments of my childhood is when my Grandpa Jerry Horn died. I was in the 8th grade.

he was 63, I believe. He was an amazing man and loved me and my sister so very much.

He would always take Stephanie and I to Toys R Us when he came to town. 

He always had chocolates and caramels around his house Nibs especially, and would always pause is conversation with a grown up to talk to us. We were his only grandchildren, with the exception of toddler Joanna who never got to know him like we did. 

He visited us in California frequently, and even though I know he wasn't pleased that his teenage son (19) was having a kid, (me) he never ever seemed to be upset about it.

He took great photographs, and loved food. LOVED FOOD.

We always went out when he came to visit.

When he died, we were all so very sad. My father included. It was very hard to swallow how sad my Dad actually was. He cried so hard at the funeral, and gave a beautiful speech. It was so hard to see that when I was only 13. The next couple of days after that, my grandpa's brother Arthur died. He was 18 years older than my Grandpa. a few days after that, my Great Grandpa Andre died. It was as if, Jerry dying made everyone else give up.  My dad stayed in New York for all of those funerals. It was so hard (at the time)

**

My kids Grandpa Philip Horn was similar to Grandpa Jerry.

He died young, 57.  He loved living and really didn't love working. He liked the people, but he wasn't a guy who loved "going ot work or his job."  He was obsessed with stupid chain restaurants. He would make fun of their commercials, he would always crack jokes at restaurants about their service. 

Whenever he came to town, or we went to see him, he would take the kids for ice cream.

He loved them. He loved being a Grandpa. He too, was not happy about being a Grandpa when he was 43 years old.

But you would have never known it.

This is when Lucas was a few weeks old when Dad and Joyce got back from Italy.

I remember thinking how huge he was compared to Lucas.

He called all of the time. Loved hearing about the kids.

I found it super fitting that on the way to the funeral we saw one of his "stupid chains"

 This funeral was the first funeral that my kids will remember. It was really hard to be strong.

 Grandma Horn was very sad. Mason tried his best to cheer people up, but he was crying a lot too.

Gary and Cindy sent flowers. 

After the funeral, we went to dinner and the kids managed to put a smile on Gigi's face.

I'm sad he is gone, but I am glad he lived.

I am glad he passed so much down to me, and that my kids will remember him.

Here is my favorite video of him and Lucas. (Lucas was 4 months old)