The Perry's

Family drive

2010-05-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

We went through Island park to get to Baker's hole. It's located in Montana about three miles from the west entrance to West Yellowstone Park. It is a beautiful campground. Our family is planning on going there this summer.

This picture is going through Island Park which just got new snow through out the night before.

A visit with the Cranks

2009-07-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

This past weekend my brother and his family came up from Arizona to visit. We were able to sit and talk and eat. The kids had a great time playing in the water. What child does not like water!! I Had a good time getting to know him and his family. We also go to see my uncle Boyd and his wife Kathy from New Mexico. Cathy made a great dinner for every one to enjoy. I love summer family get togethers.

Wade Lake

2009-07-26T14:17:00.001-07:00

We couldn't pass up a beautiful Saturday so we packed up a picnic and went to Wade lake. It is just a short drive from home. We got there then went to a spot and sat around ate and watched the kids play in the lake.

A Cousin's Influence?

2009-07-10T10:03:00.000-07:00

Friday morning while I was getting ready, little did I know that Maysa had been down stairs watching Riley get ready for the day. While watching her, Maysa was busy checking out all of Riley's new jewelery she had gotten from West Yellowstone the previous day. Maysa saw the earrings & ring set that she was planning on wearing. Maysa said to Riley, "your earrings make you look more like a girl than I do". Maysa then said to her Aunt Brandi "I'm going to get my ears pierced done today! I have a prediction that my mom and dad will say no though." What Maysa didn't realize is that Shad & I had been toying with the idea of letting her get her ears pierced but were waiting for the right time. When the events of the day started to unfold, this turned out to be just the perfect time.

Our Early Drive...

2009-07-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

On Thursday we woke up at 5:30am to get ready to go on a drive with Papa. We headed over to Mesa Falls first. Got eaten alive there by mosquitoes. I just love nature. We were able to see a couple deer and some antelope along the way. After Mesa Falls went drove over to the twin lakes. The lakes are beautiful, and no power boats are allowed there. So if you want peace and quiet this is the place. The kids wanted to test out the water, so we got out and walked around for a little while. We then drove over to West Yellowstone for a bite to eat. Walking around the town, Papa found some grab bags and each of the kids got to pick one. They had to wait until we got back in the truck to open them. Way to much anticipation for them. Then we headed for home but remembered to stop by and fill up on some very cold fresh mountain spring water.

Ross Water Park Pocatello

2009-07-07T10:16:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday Shad decided to take off work to join us at the water park in poctaello. The kids loved the lazy river the most. Which was alright with me cuz I like it to. We stayed there for only three hours. I needed to get back and get ready for work. Brandi, Shad and I still got burnt real bad, so Wednesday Brandi and I layed around. The kids had a great time there and probally could of stayed alot longer.

Ayvree's Blessing Day & Ice Cream Social

2009-07-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

Sunday the Peterson's were blessing their baby. Following the blessing they had a huge gathering at their house with lots of yummy food. It was really cute seeing Riley hold the baby. Then from the Peterson's we went over to my dad's neighborhood for an ice cream social. Their ward puts on this event every year. People just come and eat all they want and visit. I think Maysa had three bowls of bubble gum ice cream. Nobody was brave enough to try the black licorice though. Then we just walked around the park for awhile and watched the kids roll down the hill.

At The Park With The Cousin's

2009-07-05T17:31:00.000-07:00

My sister Brandi and her kids came up to visit us for the week. The first day they were here we went to Tautphaus Park and the Zoo. My kids went on the Octopus ride. Then they all went miniature golfing. Afterwards we met up with Papa at the Zoo.

South Dakota Cont.

2009-06-10T12:16:00.000-07:00

Friday morning we went over to see Crazy Horse and go to Jewel Cave. At Crazy Horse we found out that it was the annual volksmarch. It's where any one can go hike up onto the mountain. They only let that event happen the first week in June. In the gift shops there Maysa really enjoyed looking at all the jewelry displayed. It took her forever to pick the one she liked best. We then went to the Jewel cave. On the way there we did stop for some pizza. We didn't want to make the same mistake as yesterday and not eat all day. When we got there it had been raining some. We saw a sign and it said the tours had been canceled due to the weather. It was a bum deal but they still had a basic tour available so we took it. While waiting for the tour Maysa and Hunter signed up to get a badge and we went on a little hike. In the entry way there is a block and for the spelunking tour you have to be able to fit through it. Crazy.... So after the Cave we started heading back to the hotel. We stoped at a few rock shops and other souvenir stores. The kids really wanted to go swimming at the water park there in the hotel. It is a really cool indoor water park. Which is a good thing it was indoors because it started to really rain outside. The kids had a really fun time there and didn't want to leave.

South Dakota

2009-06-08T20:03:00.000-07:00

This was our family vacation spot this year. I have always wanted to see this area. We left early Thursday morning. It is a beautiful drive, but a long one as well. On the way to Rapid City we went to Devil's Tower. The mountain is different than all the other mountains that surround it. The rock is formed verticaly rather than sideways. We got to the Hotel and checked in. Then we went to Chuck-E-Cheese's for dinner. We woke up early the next morning to go gold panning and to see Mount Rushmore. On the way to the gold mine we would stop if we saw any interesting shops. We came across several of them, one was a cute Christmas store. We drove under lots of bridges and went through several tunnels to get there. The kids loved the mine and panning for gold. Both kids did find some gold and kept it in their vials. You were able to see George Washington's face at the mine cave. First my impression was it was smaller then expected. Then as we got closer the faces got bigger. After the mining experience we left for Mount Rushmore. It is a beautiful site to see. We then went to the Black Hills to explore some of the beauty there. It came time to start heading back to the hotel after realizing we never had lunch (just snack food) and it was getting late. We went to Perkins because it was the only restaurant opened at 10:30 at night. Yes we went that long with out a somewhat of a decent meal.

Maysa's 10th Birthday

2009-06-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

First off... sorry so late posting Maysa. Her birthday is actually on May 29th.

On Maysa's big day she had to wait till Shad got home from work to start it. He got home around 12:00 and she immediately started to open the gifts that had been sitting there all day!! We then went to see the movie UP. Which is the best animated movie I've seen so far this year! Afterwards we went out to dinner at Chuck-A-Rama with grandparents and the great grandparents.

A Game Of Tennis Anyone??

2009-05-24T19:36:00.001-07:00

Our family has decided to take up tennis this year. We thought it would be a great summer activity involving the four of us. Hunter did a good job for his first time out! Maysa is catching on really fast as well. We had a great time together, while getting some much needed excercise.

Birthday Time!!

2009-05-14T14:59:00.000-07:00

Our son Hunter turned 12 on May 5Th. On his birthday he choose to go to Olive Garden for dinner. Afterwards we went home to open up some gifts. Friday when some family arrived we went and saw the movie Wolverine(which is really good) and ate at Taco John's. Saturday morning the kids took in as much Xbox as possible. That evening we went to Shad's mom's house for a get together there and had dinner. Sunday we went to church to see Shad ordain Hunter. He did a wonderful job!!! Came back to the house for some lunch and birthday cake. It was a busy week but it was nice to see family and visit a little.

nice one Brandi...

My little vampire niece Riley.. love ya!

Our Trip To Florida Day 7

2009-05-12T12:48:00.001-07:00

It's Saturday our last day here. We leave tomorrow after breakfast. I was already getting sad but I had a lot of things to do today because it was also Shad's birthday. Shad had a business meeting to go to which gave me a couple hours to get things lined up. I had the concierge go get some balloon's and a pecan pie. I had order room service so it would arrive when Shad was done with the meeting. Then I contacted the lady in charge of the entertainment for that evening. I was wanting her to have the CEO announce Shad's birthday. When Shad came back to the room after the meeting the balloon's and pie was there. He got all excited to see that. After admiring the balloon's and pie the room service just arrived. The man brought it in and sang happy birthday in Italian for him. After lunch we went down to the Hollywood boardwalk and did some shopping and took in the ocean for the last day. We got to see a little Baywatch action it was cool to watch but not cool what had happened. Went back to the resort to get ready for the night's evening entertainment and dinner. I still did not know if their was going to be any announcement for Shad yet. Once we got to the banquet room everyone was just mingling. Larry one of the big boys Shad works with came over to say hi. I had Shad go get me a Pepsi and Larry told me that it had been approved and to sit in the front right if possible. They started to serve the salad and then the CEO stood up to talk. In the middle of the conversation he asked for Shad Perry to stand up. They put the spot light on him and then announced his birthday and made everyone stand up to sing to him. It was the best!!! The night's entertainment was an old rock band from the late 60's early 70's called Three Dog Night. We listened while we ate our dessert then left.

Our Trip To Florida Day 6

2009-05-07T14:41:00.000-07:00

Thursday night was the beginning of Shad's work event. They put on a welcome dinner for all of the honored Qwest employees and their guests. All of the food was delicious (especially the desserts)! After the dinner we just went back to our room to get a good night sleep. Friday we woke up early to have enough time to get our gifts and catch some breakfast from the buffet before taking off for our day of deep sea fishing. I had been on a boat before and so had Shad, so we weren't prepared for what was in store. We had our hopes set on catching some mahi-mahi or if I had my wishes come true, a sailfish. Shad got a bit woozy on the way out to our fishing spot. So I thought he was getting sea sick. Once we reached our destination, it was cool and interesting seeing them set the bait. In the meantime, while we were waiting to hopefully catch our first bite, the boats fumes started to get to me, along with the swaying of the boat. One thing led to another, and soon I was puking over the side of the boat, or as the captain called it, chumming the water. I didn't feel so bad, because two other guys from Colorado were doing the same thing. In the meantime, Shad had just gotten a nice bite of something LARGE. He didn't know what a fight he had in store for him. 30-45 minutes later, with sore hands and arms and the three of us still "chumming" away, everyone caught a first glimpse of what Shad had been reeling in. The captain yelled out, "It looks like we have a huge game fish here...you've caught yourself a hammerhead shark. That's got to be at least 7 ft long and around 250 lbs. After the excitement of the day, we went and relaxed poolside to gear up for a night of awards at Shad's awards banquet.

Our Trip To Florida Day 5

2009-05-06T14:51:00.001-07:00

Thursday we took a drive down to Key Biscayne. It is the first and only island you can get to by vehicle. All of the other Keys you need a boat to get there. Shad has never seen a real lighthouse before so I wanted to make sure we went there. It is so beautiful there. Once we got out of the car we saw a huge green iguana sitting in a tree. We tried to take a picture but it was too fast. When we started to walk around there were a lot of picnic spots! It felt a bit like picking out a camping spot except there is sand instead of dirt, and palm trees instead of pine trees. The ocean is your view and there are lizards and birds instead of squirrels for the animals. When we got to the lighthouse we were able to walk up to the top. It was a great view but it was very tiring. When climbing down we got pretty dizzy. The lady there said the lighthouse was 95 feet tall. Later we walked to the beach to relax and went over to the lighthouse cafe for some lunch.

Our Trip To Florida Day 4

2009-05-05T11:23:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we decided to go snorkeling. Shad and I never have done this before so a little nervous but mostly excited. Shad was thinking we were going to get in the ocean and all of a sudden sharks would surround us.(One shark was around but you had to dive 15ft. to see it. They sleep during the day). On the way out to the Ocean they take you by what's called millionaire's row and you see some big celebs/ceo's homes and their yachts. They were pretty big and of course beautiful.( I liked tiger woods mom's home) We were only about 3 miles out from shore I'm guessing then they stop the boat and instruct you then out you go. I had Shad go first only to test the water.(I don't do cold water very well) The water was 76 degree's so when you first get in a little cold then it's great. It was kinda hard to get used to breathing threw your mouth rather your nose but I got the hang of it pretty fast. Shad and I loved it!! We saw a ton of fish, a lot of coral and swallowed enough sea water.

Our Trip To Florida Day 3

2009-05-03T18:21:00.000-07:00

We went on an air boat ride in the everglades. We saw three alligators, some birds, and a raccoon. The boat ride was a lot of fun and seeing the animals in their natural habitat was pretty cool. Following the boat ride, we went to see an alligator show. A guy stood by the alligator, grabbed the alligator by the tail, and put his head in the alligator's mouth. It was pretty cool! After the everglades we went over to the Saw Grass Mills, the largest outlet mall in America. We were there for most of the afternoon/evening and still didn't see every store, but did spend a lot of money!!

Our Trip To Florida Day 2

2009-04-30T11:50:00.000-07:00

For those of you that are having a hard time reading this it says:
On Monday we went down to Miami to Jungle Island it's kinda like a zoo but with lots of Macaw's which I love so I was in heaven. Then we headed over to Miami's hot beaches.

Our Trip To Florida Day 1

2009-04-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

I love Florida so much that when Shad earned a trip to go there we decided to go up early. We arrived Sunday the 19th around 6:00 p.m. Rented a convertible mustang which Shad loved then headed over to the resort to check in. We went out to eat at a local favorite called Billy's Stone Crab they had excellent food and a wonderful view a bit pricey though around thirty dollars a plate. After dinner we went back to the resort to soak in the hot tubs for awhile.

Weekend of Fun !!!

2009-04-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the Garcia's came to stay with us. We had a fun time and really enjoyed them being here. The pictures are not in any order but we did many things.
We went to visit the grand parents and great grand parents. Had awesome dinners and desserts thanks to Brandi. The kids played lots of games (yes mostly xbox 360) but others as well. Had a Easter Egg Hunt (we played around on that one and put carrots in some of the eggs.) I still have yet to beat Angel on 500 rummy shad came close though. I had Brandi color my hair and with the left over she was able to put some in Maysa's. Maysa went to school the next day very excited and did receive lots of compliments. Oh and Zuri and Cha Cha actually did pretty well this time. Thanks Garcia's for coming love you all.

Family History

2009-02-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

This was Hunter's school project. As they get older, I'm finding out that the big projects become our projects as well. This project was a lot of fun and I think Hunter had a fun time too. He needed to find a relative who came to America from Ellis Island. If it were not for my grandma and her devotion to family history we probably wouldn't have gotten very far. I found it very fun to learn about him(William Spillman) and to find out that he came from England and ended up passing away here in the same city that we live in.

Valentine's

2009-02-24T19:08:00.000-08:00

As some of you may know, I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day but Shad is. Unfortunately for him he got sick and we didn't go anywhere. Shad did manage to bring home my favorite flowers on Friday after work. They were so beautiful and fragrant. You could smell them throughout the living room. Thank you Shad!

Looking back...

2009-01-02T11:42:00.000-08:00

This last year went by so fast. Our family went on alot of drives(West Yellowstone,palisades) fishing & camping(We hit Sunrise & Ice Creek this year) etc. All that summer fun stuff!! We did alot of yard work, you only see half of the front yard and we will still be working on the yard more this year. We were able to take the kids to Vegas in March (I had to get away from the crappy weather we have here it was cold until June this last year)Then Shad and I went to San Diego in april. Hunter has just seem to grow so much this year he is getting so tall and still doing great in school. Maysa is growing up but more in attitude then height. She really enjoys cooking for everyone and she is still doing great in school. I just can't wait for school to be out, I love having my kids home so I'm counting down the days already.

One Christmas Tradition

2008-12-07T17:06:00.000-08:00

Every December our family has been to Joel Sanda's house to look at his train displays. In his displays he hides five monkeys and the kids love to try to beat each other to find them. He also changes the room theme each year. Can you try to guess what this years theme is? We had a great time there. This time wasn't as busy so we were able to spend more time looking. After the trains we went out to eat at Olive Garden. Then we went to watch the houses with the lighted music displays.