It's been a whirlwind

We had a great 4th of July. Becky called and said that her and Mike wanted to come up but they weren't going to be able to so I suggested just meeting them in Fillmore and going on the piute trail for the day. So that's what we did. Tom and Gwen and Tammy and Darin all came with us and it turned out to be a really nice trip. We missed Natalie and Nate though, They had reserved the cabin that his work owns and they were up there. It sounds like they had a terrific time too. We were able to see fillmore's fireworks from the campground so That was neat too. And the kids all had a great big water fight. They were all soaked and laughing . And Nayelli and Zack got to see Bubba. :)

I need to let you all know that I did survive camp and so did Calvin. He worked harder last week at camp than he does at work I think, but he is such a sweetheart for going with me to help out. The girls all just love him to pieces and I think that makes him feel pretty good. Things went way good and I am ready to get started on next year now. They had a challange course with 7 activities that all the girls were supposed to do. After the girls were all done doing them they encouraged the leaders to give some of them a try. So of course I had to try some. I Climbed a 30foot swinging log to a cable that I had to cross holding on to a rope and then I repelled down the other side. I thought that was the scariest thing I had ever done until the girls in a group I was going with (I didn't even really know these girls) decided I should do a trust fall. Well, the trust fall involved 8 girls holding their arms out towards each other and I had to climb to a 4 ft. tall pedistal log. I had to hang my heals over the logs and twist my arms up in front of me and then I had to say "I trust you with my life" and the girls all said "We're here for you sister Jackson" and then I had to promise to keep my arms twisted up in front of me and fall straight as a board. Then the missionary told me to say "Falling" and all the girls yelled out "Fall on" and he told me to fall backwards. It took me a minute but I finally did it screaming all the way. They caught me and I thanked them all for loving me enough to not let me fall. It was pretty scarey , but It had a great meaning and I am very glad I did it.

We got home from girls camp on Friday and then went to Ibapah to play all night on Saturday. We lasted from about 8:15 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. It was a long night and I actually fell asleep while I was playing and Calvin said I was playing all the wrong notes. It was funny I didn't think it was possible to fall asleep while standing and playing. Every one really appreciated us coming though so it was all worth it. We slept for about 3 hours and then calvin drove us home. We did stop in Wendover for breakfast though.

I'm glad to be home now and getting things all back in order. My lawn didn't fare to good with no water for a week and the grasshoppers never let up while we were gone so I don't have any flowers or bushes left in my entire yard. I really just wanted to cry. I hope they won't completely die now. (blasted grasshoppers).

10 Days left

Well the count down to girls camp is on. I have 10 days until we leave. I think everything is actually almost ready. The stake young womens presidency and the lady over the 5th year girls are going to come to the school on Monday and we will make 250 Cinnamon rolls and tye dye our t-shirts . Calvin wasn't going to go with me this year like in the past, he has always found the time to go and help out and I was really going to miss him this year because he hadn't taken the vacation time, but we didn't have enough priesthood signed up to go so being the sweetheart that he is, he talked them in to letting him have the week off so he can come with us. That will only give us 3 Priesthood leaders. Actually I kinda feel sorry for them because thats alot of girls to have to be around for a whole week. Last year all the priesthood got together and established thier own town. It was called Manville and Calvin was the Mayor. Bro. Wall and Bro. Fivas were afraid they wouldn't have manville this year without Calvin so they have told me how greatful they are to have him coming back this year. ( I think they secretly have a lot of fun up there sitting around and drinking thier IBC Rootbeer ) Any way I will be glad to have him there.

WE HAVE GRASSHOPPERS!!!! Yuck, the whole ground moves when we walk out our door. The neighbor accross the street was on the news the other day because he couldn't even walk out his front door. It was totally covered with grasshoppers. We keep sprayiing and nothing seem to kill the little buggers. In the afternoons the west side of our house and shop are just covered with them too. The other day Tammy was over and we walked out back to the storage container, I walked in front to break a trail for her, but I kept hearing her squeal. Then all of a sudden she came running past me and her knees were about hitting her nose because she was lifting up her feet so high. She was freaking out and I got a real good laugh out of it. The grasshoppers are annoying but that day they were entertaining too. Ha Ha. I still laugh just thinking about the sight of Tammy and running past me. On the down side of it all I have lost almost all of my garden because they just devour everthing in their path and the flowers are on their way out too I'm afraid because I only have me and they are millions and they are winning the battle.

I have losts more I could write but I'm afraid I would bore you so I'll stop for today and come back later next week or something. Have a great day everybody. Love ya, :)

Wow has it been a long time or what!! I have been very busy getting done with school. They decided that for the last month of school they wouldn't send us any more food orders so it was up to us to call around to the other schools to see if they might have what we needed to get us through. Talk about stressed out! I think I just about went insane trying to get enough food to feed 450 kids breakfast and lunch every day, but I wasn't alone, we were all in the same boat, I just hope they don't decide to do that at the end of every year. Needless to say I am sooooooo glad school is out. I have been set apart now as the stake camp director so that is taking every spare second I seem to have now. (So I'm still stressed out) Any way I know now that Heavenly Father is right there to help me through every inch of the way. I had to make 4 different schedules to give to the different groups that I broke the stake up into. It took 5 trys before I finally got them all right, but they are all done and hanging on Lanyards to match the colors I gave each group. I am glad to be done with that task. I really never realized everything that goes into preparing a stake camp before, so I have really been humbled and I am soooooo lucky because I get to do this for 2 years in a row instead of one. (Ha, Ha)
We went to Cedar City and helped Becky and Mike get moved to St. George last week end. Calvin got to take the big truck down and put some of their stuff in the very back of it. It really make it look like they had a ton of stuff to move and I think when we pulled in the parking lot to unload everything people were probably thinking they would never get everything in that little place. They didn't have a place to keep the 4-wheelers and their camping stuff so they put it all on thier bike trailor and parked it at grandpas house for a while. We are all greatfull to Grandpa and Dockie for letting them do that. They are living in a very nice condo, while they are still looking for a house. They couldn't keep their dog in the condo so we brought him home with us and he has been adjusting to living with two very boring old people. I am going to go with Calvin tomorrow in the truck to St. George and we are going to take Bubba with us so he can visit with Nayeli and Zack and get some of thier loves.
Natalie and Nate came down this Friday so Natalie could practice with the band and then she came and played with us for a wedding in Magna. It was sooooo nice to have her come and play with us again, we miss her alot when she can't be there. She is a great assett to the band. We will be going to Rupert to play for thier ward in about two weeks. We are all excited to go and do that because they all really enjoy dancing and listening to us. and They always roast a pig for it too. :)
Tom and Gwen and Tammy and Darin are all doing just great. I love having them close so I can bug them alot!!! We get to go to dinner with them and just hang out and we have been trying to go to the temple all together each month so that is the best. I love being at the temple with my family. I hope every one it enjoying their summer so far. It is a great time of the year!!!!
O.K. everyone is all caught up on what is going on at our house so I am going to close for now. I love you all tons!!!! :)

I love reading all of the blogs. I get through reading and then I don't have time to write on my own so it's been a while again. Calvins sister (Sherrie) has been in the St. marks hospital since the first part of April. She has been soooooooo sick, they put a shunt in her head to help drain some brain fluid and she had some complications, but we just got word that she is home today so we will get to go and see her and visit for a while. I am so relieved that she is doing well.

I also have been working on gettin ready for girls camp. I am the Asst. Stake camp director so my job this year was supposed to be easy and then next year I will be the Camp director and then it should be more work. Well the camp director moved. So needless to say my job this year just got a lot harder. I just finished painting a young woman Warrior that we are going to add armor to as the girls pass off thier certification. I'm glad that she is done so I can start with every thing else. I have a ton to learn because we are going to Heber Valley this year and we have never gone there before. They have soooooooo many different places that they want groups of 30 to 60 girls at a time and we have to make sure that the rest of the 250 girls are busy , Oh it is just wayyyyyyy confusing. I hope Heavenly Father is planning on camping at my house for the next few months because I am really going to need His help with this one. O.k. I'm done complaining now. I hope you are all having a super spring. I am loving all the flowers and green grass and trees. I can see why mothers favorite color was green. It is a very welcome sight.

The first camping trip of the year

Well, we finally got some decent weather and we dicided to go camping. We left on April 4th for Escalante. None of our kids were able to get the time off except for Tammy and Darin so the 4 of us headed out. On our first day we followed Becky and Mike to Beaver and then turned off and went to Escalante. We camped on the road to Hole in the Rock. On Sunday we decided we probably shouldn't be out riding the bikes so we went for a ride over to Calf Creek and hiked the 3 miles in to the waterfall. BEAUTIFUL!!! it was well worth the hike. on Monday we decided to ride the 4-wheelers to Hole in the Rock because the road was too washboardy to take Tammy's little explorer thing. Any way it was quite a long ride but it was a lot of fun. When we got to the last 2 1/2 miles we met some older women that were walking because they had a van that just couldn't get over the boulders to go to the end. They had to park about five or six miles away and they were just trying to walk in. We felt sorry for them so when we got to the Hole in the Rock. Calvin and Darin got off the bikes and Tammy and I went back for the ladies. They were from Seattle and they were sooooooo greatful for the ride in. And when we got there, there was one S.U.V. there that offered them a ride back to their van so they were set and it felt good to do something nice for someone. We at lunch and got some great pictures then headed back to camp. The round trip was about 120 miles. That's a long way on a 4-wheeler. The next day we found out that we weren't supposed to even have the bikes on that road at all so we were lucky that the sherrif that passed us didn't stop and give us a ticket. We went to capital Reef and Hiked to Hickman Bridge and we also went over to Bryce Canyon. We found out that Darin is an awesome cook. And he even survived a whole Week with the in-laws. (he's a way good sport too)

We played a lot of games and watched alot of Jeff Foxworthy when we weren't exploring. It was a really good week and we all hated to have to come home. I hope everyone else had a great Easter this year!!!!! I am really enjoying reading all the blogs.

Grandkids are the best!!! I love having everyone home. We had a very enjoyable weekend with all of our family this weekend. Mike and Becky were going camping and riding out to Knolls with Mikes family on Friday so Nate and Tom and Gwen just kindof went with them (which I'm not real sure was alright with mikes family), but it sounds like they all had a great time any way. Calvin and I played for a wedding in at Wheeler Farms so Natalie brought the kids to the Ashby's house and came over to fiddle for us. It was soooooo fun to have her there, we have been playing without a fiddle for most of our things now. Any way after the dance she went back to the Ashby's to spend the night and then came to our house on Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile back at the Jackson household Darin had finished changing the fuel pump on his car. ( I think it was his first real mechanic experience and he did a great job.) Calvin just kept encouraging him and he did all the work. After he finished it they decided he should learn how to change the oil so we all wnet to Walmart and Auto Zone and got the stuff and came back home and he ended up changing the oil and the air filter and the car is just like new again.

At about 5:30 everyone got back from camping and Tammy got off work so we sent Calvin and Darin after pizza and we went to the church to play some basketball. What a hoot!!! We are not great basketball players for the most part. Darin and Nate and Mike all play, but the rest of us? Oh well it was a blast any way. We played Dynomite and it was soooooooooooo fun.

On Sunday Natalie and Nate and Mike and Becky and their families all came to church with us and it was quite busy, but so fun to have them there so I could show off the grandkids. I have to say that the highlight of Nayeli's day was the little potty in the nursery. I think she went 2 or 3 times just because she could reach the potty and the sink to wash her hands. When we got home from church Dad and the boys made dutch oven chicken and potatoes for dinner.(YUM). Natalie and Nate went home last night and Becky and Mike are leaving today. It was a great weekend. I really love my family!!!!!

O.k. I'm back with the pay it forward challenge. Here is how it works:

1. Be one of the first three bloggers to comment on this post, which entitles you to recieve a handmade item from me. :)

2. Winners must post this challenge on their own blog, meaning that you will pay it forward, creating a handmade gift-anything! for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your 3 friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember it's the spirit and the thought that counts!

4. When you receive your gift, blog about it! If you are not one of the first three to comment on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay it Forward chain. and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! It's all about paying it forward.

Have fun!!!!! :)