Becky's Birthday Party

Yesterday, we had a birthday party for Becky Kurtz. It is her birthday next Friday, but we decided to celebrate early, because Dan and Becky are going to Billings for Dan's Achilles tendon surgery. We had a steak "Linner" (Lunch and Dinner) with baked beans, salad, potato dish and I made a frozen brownie chocolate chip mint dessert (my favorite!).

Setting up the grill.

Dan and Becky's new deck.

Aunt Mauray and Tilly.

Firing up the grill.

Becky's Birthday dessert!

Painting the house with Dad and Bear Alert!

On Thursday, we finished painting the second coat of paint on the house with Dad. He bought a paint sprayer to use for the whole house.....it goes so much quicker with the paint sprayer!

The paint sprayer ready to go.

Painting the house.

Dad's homemade paint-shield (its a piece of metal with a stick glued at the end)!

Matilda loves to help, too!

Preston and Fiona played in the front yard while we painted.

On Friday, my Mom and Dad went to Bozeman while Aunt Mauray baby-sat us. When we were coming back home for lunch, we saw FRESH bear scat in our driveway. Aunt Mauray said that it was 10-15 minutes fresh! Last year, we had a black bear in our car on August 30th, so this bear came earlier.

Soccer Practice(s)

Last Monday, we started Soccer Practice in Gardiner. Bennett has practice on Monday's and Wednesday's and Preston and I have practice on Tuesday's and Thursday's. So we are in Gardiner 4 nights a week (not including 3 games in Livingston on Saturday's)! Our first game(s) are on August 27th in Livingston. My Dad is the Coach for my soccer team. It is really fun!

Bennett's team....doing stretches.

Preston's team is having a pow-wow with their coach.

 Preston LOVES soccer!

Beach Bash

On Sunday, my parents had a big beach bash with a bunch of our friends down at the river beach. I had just gotten back from a David Crowder Band concert with the youth group from our Church and arrived to find a beach full a friends and a fun barbeque!

Grace, Bennett and Mr. Wilmoth trying to catch a fish. Mr. Wilmoth ended up catching two cutthroats!

Mr. Wagner, Addison and Mrs. Wagner.

Me, Bennett, Libby, Emma B., and Grace.

Preston and Justin playing on the beach.

Mrs. Burke and Mrs. Wilmoth.

Katelyn and Laura swinging on the hammock.

Dad and Mr. Burke grilling steaks.

Mr. Wilmoth, Mr. Wagner Sr., Mr. Wagner and Uncle Paul eating dinner.

Bennett and Luke.

Mrs. Burke trying out the rope swing!

Cherry Pitting

On Wednesday, my friend Alison came over to hang out. We baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal cookies. They were really yummy!

On Thursday, we started to pit cherries that we ordered from Flathead Lake, MT. Last year, we learned how to make cherry pie filling with our friend, Grace Short. So this year we made it again. We also made fresh cherry pies....they were sooooo delicious!!

On Friday, we went to a customer appreciation day at Bridger Steel, the place where we got our roof (we also had to pick up some ridge caps). Famous Dave's set up the free lunch there. It was so good!

Eating Lunch.

(Bennett ate everyone's leftover pork sandwiches....he said he was still hungry afterwards!)

Preston LOVES Mountain Dew!

My free lunch. P.S. - My Dad joked that it wasn't really "free" since it included thousands of dollars worth of metal roofing!

Dad got a free Bridger Steel shirt and hat!!