Random Thoughts and Pictures

So, I've been a bad blogger. When it's been so long since I've updated, I get overwhelmed and don't do it at all I guess. We've all been doing well and having a good summer. Baby and I seem to be getting along just fine. Our household is anxiously awaiting the next month. Here are a few highlights and pictures of everyone's activities (they're not exactly in chronological order.)
This was a while back, but I made mention at the beginning of the summer of John going on a Grandma and Grandpa trip w/ Grandparents Bishop. They started w/ the oldest grandchildren and take a couple each year to do something fun w/ them. John and Paige, Brent and Jen's daughter from Utah, went to Yellowstone. Mark's sister Janice, and her kids, also went w/ them. They got these great hats in the park. Grandpa's hat flew off down a canyon somewhere. They decided to not try and go after it. They saw the play Oklahoma while they were there, which John especially loved. He had a great time w/ everyone. They stayed overnight in Idaho Falls and went to the temple's Visitor's Center.



John attended Scout camp for the first time and was gone for 6 nights. He loved it and got 3 complete merit badges I think, and parts of others, and a whole lot of mosquito bites. Mark was able to join him for the last few days of it, which was nice. It was at Island Park, in Yellowstone I believe, so it was far away from home. So he's been to Yellowstone twice this summer, lucky kid. My favorite part of having him gone was getting a letter from him in the mail from scout camp. You always hear about getting letters from your kids away at camp. I also like the basket he made me as part of his basketry merit badge. He lost his scout shirt while swimming in the lake, so the rest of Camp he had to wear Mark's. John is in the red shorts w/ the gigantic, over-sized shirt on. Hilarious.


John went w/ the Youth of our ward to Martin's Cove Wyoming on a Handcart Pioneer Trek. It was a once in a lifetime experience for him that I know he'll always remember. They walked a total of 26 miles pushing the handcarts. They reenacted some of the events that took place in the Willie and Martin Handcart Companies. What a spiritual experience! He walked for an ancestor from the Gunnerson and Bishop sides. The ward is providing a DVD of the experience, which I'm glad of, because I don't have any pictures of our little pioneer.


Mark and some of his brothers and their kids went backpacking to Loon Lake. Cooper got to go along. It was his special thing this summer, and he had a great time. He carried a pack that was 30-35 pounds(Cooper only weighs 68 pounds) and carried it without help until the end. What a strong kid! Look at those little legs underneath the huge pack! They caught frogs and saw the ruins of a fighter jet that had crashed and had many other fun experiences.

Seth has been up to no good this summer. He has been busy figuring things out, such as this. He's a little sweetie.

Ella lost her first tooth this summer. It always makes them look so much older. The tooth fairy left her a bracelet.


We've enjoyed a family reunion on the Bishop side. It's always great to be w/ family and the kids love being w/ their cousins. We've had fun welcoming home Brian and Kamber from England (Mark's brother and his family) and then bid farewell to Steve and Amanda and their family as they moved (another of Mark's brothers and his family.) We didn't get many pictures of the reunion. Here's one of some of the group at a park in Melba where we met for lunch before going swimming at Givens Hot Springs. They had the neatest old swing there. To close the reunion we had a family talent show. Amanda was the MC.




We had the opportunity to go to the Twin Falls Temple Open House. There was a special spirit in the temple and we all enjoyed it quite a bit. Ella loved the brides room the most and Cooper liked all of the rooms except the Women's dressing room which we briefly walked through. Funny! We made a little trip out of it and stayed the night in a hotel. The kids and Mark swam and we ordered a movie to our room and relaxed. We went to see Shoshone Falls, which was gorgeous! Notice the rainbow at the bottom of the picture?