Cherry Crisp!

Harvesting cherries in our backyard!

This year, we got an earlier start at picking cherries so they were very fresh and we didn't encounter near as many worms in them.

The boys had a ball picking cherries.

I was surprised by how much time they invested in picking....

After washing our crop, it was time to start pitting all those cherries....

Again, I found myself with two very willing helpers.

They were so dedicated to this whole process.

And Grayson helped prepare our cherry crisp for the oven as well.

It was a long process, but so worth it.

Delicious Cherry Crisp!

Starting "Solid Foods"

One of Greta's first times being spoon fed - rice cereal & sweet potatoes.

Grayson offered a helping hand.

She wasn't so sure about the taste at first....

But it grew on her.

And she was eager to keep trying it, and managed to get some of her food in her tummy, though much of it landed on her bib, face, hands, Bumbo....

It won't be long and she'll be eating all kinds of delicious foods!

So sweet!

Our New Shed Arrives

After bidding on a locally built shed at the Placerville auction on the 4th of July, Gary and I worried some about just how we would get it home, over an hour drive away from Placerville. A very generous and friendly resident offered to deliver it to Boise for free, simply because he was grateful that we'd contributed to the fund raising auction for the volunteer fire & rescue team.

Gary tried to round up some strong friends to help maneuver the heavy, well-built shed off of the flat bed and into its place in our backyard, but it happened to be a workday and some guys were out of town. Anyway, it ended up being just Gary and my brother Dave (my Dad was on their cruise in Alaska).

The gentleman who hauled the shed down the mountain to us helped some, but had a bad back so couldn't do much. The boys, Greta, and I were hopeful onlookers and an impressed cheering squad.

A dolly, straps, and the wench from Gary's Jeep all helped in getting the shed moved into the yard.

Grayson lost interest for awhile and decided to hit the sandbox.

Gordy enjoyed watching the creative use of simple machines to get the job done.

Ultimately, Dave & Gary used good sense, their muscles, and the Jeep (paired with an old mattress) to settle the heavy shed into its new location in our back yard.

They also had to level the ground and blocks on which the shed would be placed.

Almost there....

Some fence posts were also helpful in rolling the shed into place.

Dave is a great guy to call on when you need some work done! He is such a motivated, hard-working person, plus he has such a great attitude and positive outlook - so fun to be around!

And...done!

After all that work, Dave even mustered up the energy to play soccer with the boys.

Great work, Gary & Dave!

Fireworks

Heading down the Forest Service Road to see the fireworks in Placerville. This is our 6th year, enjoying this much-loved tradition for our family.

Ready to take in the show.

Baby Greta's 1st 4th of July. ☺

The Placerville fireworks never disappoint! For such a tiny little town, their show is spectacular!

The boys enjoy watching the show with Grammy & Papa!

Oooh, Wow!

It was another great fireworks display!

Another tradition -- cabin improvement projects. This year the guys extended the roof to cover the deck and put in a door to the upstairs of the little cabin.

Coming along nicely. We'll have this place all spiffied up fancy someday...! ☺

Zip Idaho!

Although it may not always appear so, I'm a big fan of adventure - and used to be a bit of a thrill seeker in my pre-mom days. It's been awhile since I've been able to pencil in some whitewater rafting, rock climbing, rappelling, or skydiving -- so imagine my exhilaration when I won a certificate for a zip line adventure for two at Zip Idaho in Horseshoe Bend! This adventure was an added bonus to buying our Chevy Tahoe last summer at Edmark Superstore. I entered a contest on their facebook page just for fun...and I WON! Anyway - Gary and I were excited to cash in our prize on the 4th of July this year - now that I'm no longer pregnant and my parents were visiting and more than willing to hang out with the kiddos while we zipped.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day and the site for our zipping was 360 degrees of beautiful scenery, just northeast of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho.

Awaiting our turn, one of the other members of our zip party set off on the first stretch of our tour.

While waiting our turn, we took in the lovely sights around us.

Gary & I decided to take turns with the camera so we could get shots of each other. Here's Gary following me on our first zip, coming toward me.

Pictures don't do justice for how lovely the day and our views all around....

A unique date for us - a full day together! (Thanks a million, Mom & Dad!)

And there's me below - this was our 3rd tree-to-tree zip.

Gary, talented photographer that he is, snapped this cool shot of the hammock where one of the company's owners hangs out most days while waiting to help with the tree-to-land zip and oversee operations, I guess. What a career. He and his brother started up this business about four years ago on their great-grandfather's property in the mountains. Sweet idea!

Snack time: Kool-Aid and Peanut Butter Crackers

This was our first super fast and long zip line, voted our very favorite by both Gary and me. It's called Wild Turkey and is 1700 feet long. According to the website, riders reach speeds upwards of 40 mph on this one! What Gary and I enjoyed about it was the speed felt accelerated as we were whisked over the tree tops and the wind whipped our faces. This was an excellent ride! The second video I posted below was taken of this line.

Gary right after he landed back on the ground following Wild Turkey.

Beautiful.

After a little hike down and up the valley, we arrived at the departure point of our last zip line - Double Trouble. Two lines run parallel to each other and we get to zip simultaneously, side by side. (Video clip below)

We were part of a fun group! Minus our two expert guides, here we all are.

Watching other members of our group gear up for the final zip....

Again, Gary captured a great shot of the beauty around us.

For best audio, pause the music box to the right so you can hear the sound better on these videos. The first clip Gary shot as we zipped together on the 1800 foot long line, Double Trouble, our final zip line of the day. The second video I shot of Gary as he enjoyed Wild Turkey, out of sequence. Gary couldn't help but spin around while shooting the first video, so be prepared for possible dizziness. ☺ And in the second video, I wasn't able to zoom in with my camera for a closer look at Gary as he zipped along at a distance, so mostly you just hear the vibration in the cable - but if nothing else, it gives you an idea of how long and fast the ride is. ☺ If you follow the subtle clearing down and up the valley, you can see the pine trees at the top of the opposite ridge where the zip line begins.

Both Gary and I had experienced zip-lining before, but this was super fun...and wonderful that we got to share the awesome tour together. Again, so many thanks to Mom & Dad (and Melissa, Joey, Leah, and Dave) for taking such great care of our kids while we had so much fun!

For more information, or if you're interested in an entertaining activity just north of Boise, check out this link to Zip Idaho!