A little update!

May:

I graduated from University of Idaho... can't believe it. I really did it in three years. I don't know if the graduation ceremony is "the thing" I'd been waiting on for those three years... it wasn't really that exciting. Walt Minick was the commencement speaker and it really felt like a campaign speech... I was hoping for Sarah Palin :).

I pulled my parents' trailer up to Moscow to stay in during finals week. The Ag Ed department took all the student teachers on a trip to Seattle. We visited ag programs along the way. It was a fun trip and I gained a lot from seeing programs in a different state. The singing piano bar in Seattle was probably the highlight!

My little sister also graduated in May from Kimberly High School. She was Valedictorian (4.0!!) and is headed to University of Montana Western in Dillon MT this fall. She's such a beautiful and amazing young woman and I know God has great plans for her. She's going to UMW on a rodeo scholarship and is majoring in Natural Horsemanship. My brother Jake and I took a load of stuff to my new house in Grangeville later in May. He's getting so big and is such a sweet boy. He played at the skate park in Grangeville while I finished my contract at the school. He saved up his own money and bought a new skateboard in Twin before we went. He's getting really good!!

June:

Road trip with Richard!

I flew to Tennessee to drive across the country with Richard- back home to IDAHO!! (FOR GOOD!) We camped all but the first night in TN when it was raining. Camping in the south isn't really all that fun for those of you who were wondering. Tennessee was pretty. Arkansas was kinda gross. There's nothing in Arkansas. We stayed in Hot Springs. WE thought that with a name like Hot Springs, there might actually be one... but no. It is the birth place of Bill Clinton, though.... Yeah, that's what we thought.... awesome.... :)

We stayed the third night in New Mexico. There's not really anything to see in Oklahoma or Texas (the panhandle). In our trusty atlas, there was a place called The Blue Hole in NM. We thought it sounded interesting so we went there. It was a giant artisan spring right in the middle of the little town on Route 66.

The next day we drove to Colorado and stayed the night at a property owned by Cheley Camps- where I worked last summer. It was awesome being able to introduce Richard to the owners and directors of the camp and seeing some of the staff members I worked with last summer. We ate dinner with Jaime- my partner last summer at Poppy's in Estes Park. I hope Richard and I can both go back one summer and work there!We finally got to Idaho!

Then, we spent a week in Pocatello at the Idaho Vocational Ag Teachers Association Summer Conference. I enjoyed the conference and learned A LOT! The Idaho High School Rodeo Association Finals were also in Pocatello that week, so Richard and I were able to watch Megan compete. She placed in Goat Tying and Pole Bending and will head to Farmington New Mexico in July to compete at the National Finals rodeo.

We also moved to Grangeville in June. We rented a little house in town and are liking it just fine! We actually have a lawn to mow! It's the first "house" we've had. All the rest of our rentals have been apartments or duplexes without yards. I'll take more pictures of our house after I go home and clean today!

July:

July started with Border Days in Grangeville. Border Days is a three day community celebration with parades and rodeos and events each day. The finale is the 4th of July parade, rodeo, and fireworks show. Richard and I went to the parade each day and the FFA had a float in the 4th of July parade. My dad also came up on the 4th and went to the parade and rodeo with us. We also did the famous egg toss on Main Street on the 4th. There were like 1,000 people there. We wanted to win, but you actually have to practice for this thing! We'll get 'em next year!


After that we've just been relaxing, camping, and enjoying life! We went camping one night up in the mountain south of Grangeville. We've been down to New Meadows to go swimming at Zim's Hot Springs. We also celebrated Richard's 23rd birthday! We went golfing and had lunch on my parents (Thanks!!!) And yesterday, we tried to find a hot springs on the Lochsa river but had no luck. It was beautiful scenery and good conversation, though.Overall, we're liking it in Grangeville and are enjoying actually living together. I thank God for all the blessings He's given me(especially the blessing named Richard!) and look forward for a great school year!!