Mud Volleyball

Today was an insanely dirty day, and boy was it fun!  My sister, Celeste, and I attended a multi-stake mud volleyball activity that was too good to pass up.  Celeste of course was muddied within the first five minutes of playing.  She tried to grab my arm and pull me in so I tackled her!  We rolled around for a bit and then I topped her off with a big ball of mud in her hair.  Ha ha!  The only thing that would have made the day better would have been to have Eric there so I could do the same to him.  It wasn't the same going without him.  Fortunately we will be closing the gap between us soon since September 1, Labor Day, I will be moving to - yes! - Idaho Falls!  Lucky day, we'll only be about a block away.  

Whitewater Rafting

There's nothing like the fun of floating through turbulent water on an inflatable plastic boat with nothing but a few sticks to steer past treacherous boulders, dips, and eddies.  No seriously, it really was a blast.  Eric and I, along with six other people, spent most of Saturday rafting down the south fork of the Snake River, enjoying the scenery, paddling a lot, pushing people in the river (including each other), and then getting out to do it all over again.  The weather was beautiful and the water was COLD, but by the second run it felt pretty good.  We all joked around a lot and had a great time.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could do that every weekend?

The Surprise Box

Eric has been working for some time now on a super secret project for me.  I never quite got it out of him, but I did find out that it had something to do with painting, and on one funny occasion he slipped and told me it was a box.  I have been waiting in suspense for weeks to find out what it was but he never finished it.  Finally, after all the planning and who knows how many hours of painting, he finished and presented me with his surprise.  It was BEAUTIFUL!  On the top was painted a beautiful sunset scene on the beach with the phrase, "Paradise is holding you close, and knowing it's Forever."  How romantic!  Inside the box was filled with sand and memorable keepsakes from our Oregon coast trip, along with a very realistic looking painting of the moon.  I was so thrilled!  And he did such a good job.  I am so grateful to have such a sweet man in my life.

Super Incredaleuca Eric!

Every once in a while Eric will have a crazy dress up day at work, and Eric, being the enthusiastic character he is, always participates.  This day was "Super Hero" dress-up day.  Can you guess who Eric was?  Actually, we're not even sure.  He had a black sure, an Incredibles' t-shirt, and a stylish green Melaleuca vest.  Whatever he was, he sure looked good!  He can come rescue me anytime he wants.

Eric's Latest Pet

Just last week Eric made a new friend.  They had a chance encounter in his living room, and though his first instinct was to kill it, Eric soon decided it was too interesting to terminate.  So he saved it...in a jar...with nothing but cardboard on top to hold it in.  Is he nuts or what?  And of course knowing how fond I am of spiders, he saved it to show me this past weekend.  I was beyond words.  Fortunat... - I mean - Unfortunately, the poor little thing died of heat stroke in Eric's car before I could see it.  Still, Eric and my dad both had a riot making me and my sisters jump with it's dead carcass.  Gross!!!  

Lagoon

In the middle of June Eric and I took a day excursion to Lagoon.  It was a lot of fun, a lot of sun, and wore us out.  At one point Eric was taking me through the front fountain because it was a shorter walk and the water was down.  Both of us were eyeing the holes in the ground warily because at any moment water could shoot out of them.  We walked quickly and just as we were exiting the opposite side thinking, "We made it!" water blasted up right to my eyes, I whipped my head around sending my sunglasses flying, and ended up thoroughly soaked down the front.  Several people had to jump out of the way because the force of the water sent drops splashing off me.  That stinker, Eric!  He couldn't stop laughing.  Anyway, it was a fun day enjoying the events and enjoying each other's company.  I loved this picture of Eric on the swings.