Rachel Comes to Visit

The update of my blog is due to Rachel coming for her annual visit. She has a tendency to take lots of great pics of my kids (as opposed to their own mother.) So, thanks to her, the following is for your viewing enjoyment.

Cameron's birthday was the 22nd. We got him Air Force paraphernalia. For those who are not currently aware....Cam has his entire life already planned out. He plans to attend the AF Academy, become an astronaut, and become the first man to walk on Mars.


We all decided to take Rachel skiing because that is her favorite thing to do. :-) Check out her new coat she bought in Utah. The kids were thrilled to share the first ski of the season with "Eeooch".

The Schadeggs came along as well. Here is Aub and Rylan.

Cam also got a new snowboard for Christmas/birthday. He picked it up quick and loves it.
Holly took another lesson this year. We were all proud of her progress.

...as was Rachel.

Caleb helping his little sister with her skis...too cute!

Holly in her lesson...she's a natural! Gotta be if you're a Pirtle, I guess (unless you happen to be the mom.)

We had a great time. We are always grateful for Rachel taking time out with her own family to come and see us. We luf her!

Falling into Winter....

We have been busy!!!! Hence the lack of "blogging" on my part in recent months.

The first item of business is Cameron's triathlon he did in Sept. He was very excited about completing it and wanted to make sure I put a picture on my blog. He did it with Rylan and they had a great time. They swam 3 laps, biked 2 miles and ran 1 mile. We were very proud of Cam in wanting to take on this endeavor.



Transition.





And he finishes...




Cameron and Rylan.

Cam also ran a 5K with me in October...we both survived. He also ran 6 miles with Jill as she finished off her olympic triathlon. He is the Energizer Bunny!

This last week we took a family trip to Moab which turned into the young adults all coming along. We were so glad they did...we had a great time. I never get tired of going down there. Last year when we went, we explored Arches (and the local vehicle repair shop) so this year we decided to see Canyonlands. We are blessed to live in a place with such diverse beauty. One wouldn't even recognize southern Utah and northern Utah as being in the same state. So here are the highlights:


Tony and I at "The Windows"



Lisa, Dusty, and Holly at Arches. Dusty served as our guide while we were there. He has already captured the heart of my youngest daughter and is quickly becoming the hero of my oldest son (he is an Eagle Scout, you know.)



The boys at Canyonlands. The views were amazing. You really do feel like you are watching a movie or looking at a painting....it doesn't look real.



All of us at Mesa arch.

As for the rest of our life:

Ski season is coming upon us as we try to get our gear together for that. Holly Grace has a season pass this year so she will be moving up the ranks (and leaving her mother in the dust with the rest of the kids, I suppose.)

The boys are wrestling and the middle school coach has asked Cameron to be on his team. They are really learning to love this sport...we see lots of improvement from last year.

Both the boys are in basketball, as well. Something their wrestling coach doesn't look too kindly upon.

Aub is taking on another paper route. You just can't keep a good girl down!

We will spend Thanksgiving visiting Grandpa & Dad in Colo. Springs.

Happy holidays if I don't get on here again before then.

Celtic Festival

Last Saturday we went to a Celtic Festival here in town. It was very educational and we all learned a great deal about this unique culture with it's music, dance, and athletics. Frankly, the whole thing made me wish I was Scottish.

While we were there, Cameron (which means "crooked nose" in Scottish, by the way) wanted to buy himself and Caleb a new sword with his own money (not that there is any shortage of them already in our home.) As I drove the boys home, they were talking of nothing but the conquests they would have and how each sword was better than the other in different respects. They paused their discussion only for a moment as we were coming up the hill to our house. When I stopped the car, Caleb declared, "Whoa...I almost forgot how cool my sword was!" It really was a close call...I had to chuckle. Boys will be boys, I guess.

Sailing and Jamming with Grandpa

Right after Lee and the girls left, we got a visit from my dad. He came to camp and sail with us at Bear Lake. We've been to Bear Lake lots of times to swim but have never been able to get out on it in a boat. Dad was impressed with the beauty of the lake (as most people are) and plans to come back whenever possible. Here are pictures and comments of the events during the week.




The first thing on the agenda was, of course, getting in a jam session with Aubrey. The two of them can play together for hours. Aubrey cherishes these times she gets to spend sharing their love for music.



This time Dad attempted to include everyone in the jam session instead of just Aub. He bought Cam, Caleb, and Holly drumsticks which they have not stopped "playing" with since we got home (thanks, Dad!) After much frustration about lost rhythms, he tried another tactic....

He decided we needed to have a Hawaiian celebration with authentic masks...the boys doing the acoustics. The boys (this is Caleb) thought it was great! I'm not sure if this improved their rhythm, however.



Once the winds picked up every day, we decided to take the boat out for a sail. It was a bit chilly so the kids put on some wetsuits. Cameron (as usual) had no regard for his appearance. He loved the hat and wanted to keep it to wear regularly....what a goof!



Here are the kids and my dad's dog "Bonnie" on the boat. The wind was a little heavy so he didn't bring out the genoa. They had a great time! I only got one turn to ride when Tony came out with us one night. It was a great ride...bringing back memories of my childhood (minus the tip overs and turtles.)



And last but not least, Grandpa (being an Eagle Scout himself) helped Cameron with his "Rain gutter Regatta" sailboat for Cub Scouts. Cam didn't win the race, but had a great time with Grandpa building his boat and decorating it.

Thanks, Dad, for the visit...we all had a GREAT time!



In August, Cameron completed his requirements so he could move up from "Bears"to "Webelos." This is only one step from the actual Boy Scouts and Cameron, again, is thrilled.

It's been a busy but fun summer. We are back into full swing with school, regular chores and responsibilities, but that is good too (sort of.)

Great Basin...again...

We enjoyed Great Basin so much the last time, we decided to go again. This time, we talked Heath and Kendra into going with us...they were promised great celestial views that did not end up coming to fruition. They both now consider themselves "campers" so...mission accomplished. We drug Lee and the girls with us as well...they had no choice, they were visiting and we said we were going. They didn't protest....


Here is our family by a bristlecone pine tree. They are the oldest living things known to man.



We did alot of hiking. Here are Lee and the girls on our hike up to the arch. These Comer girls are made of some tough stuff. It started raining right in the middle of the hike, but we all endured cheerfully (as you can see.)





Lee and the girls stayed for nearly 2 whole weeks while Stephen was gone on a mission trip to Haiti. We all had a great time...we miss them all dearly.

Wellsvilles...again?

Well, I decided to hike the Wellsvilles again this year...completely forgetting about the pain it caused last year. But this time I took Lee with me...we had a great time. This is a 8.5 mile hike along the steepest mountain range in North America. Very fun.



The wildflowers were gorgeous! These are some forget-me-nots we saw along the way.


Lots more Pirtle adventures to come.

Glacier 2009

I have included the year in this title because I hope to have many more posts of our family going to Glacier. So far, this is my favorite place on the earth. We spent a whole week camping and had little desire to get back home. I have TONS of pics but will only post my favorites in case anyone has an attention span similar to mine.

This is my perfect postcard picture I took on our last hike the day before we left. On the top right is the Glacier we hiked up to. Being a photographer is easy up there.




Tony and the boys at Avalanche Lake...a popular trail. Holly did the whole thing on her own.


This was on a 2 mile ranger led hike (the kids had to do several of them to earn their "Junior Ranger Badges"). The ranger was going a bit fast for Mom's pace, but we all made it and had a great time...the views were just non stop beauty. There is never a dull moment...there is always something more glorious right around the next bend or over the next mountain.

Mom and Emery met us there and they took Aub back with them for a tour of historical sites including Mt. Rushmore. Lee will bring her back. (Yes...a week and a half without my Aub has been a bit tough....she's just growing up.)



Here's all of us at St. Mary Falls.



Among wildlife highlights, we saw a moose, bear, lots of mountain goats, squirrels, ants....

I could not get my mind off of our awesome Creator the entire time we were there. Nothing that breathtaking could be done by accident. He has put it all there to show us how magnificent and powerful He is....and this place is just the tip of the iceberg (no pun intended.) He has placed it all just how He wanted it to make us seek Him. If He can do this...He is certainly able to handle my life and the problems therein. It encourages me to trust Him more.

"For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-His eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20

Summer is Here!

We went camping in Great Basin National Park over Memorial Day. We had a great time! It is not a very popular park so very few people go there. Due to it's high altitude, low humidity, and low light pollution, this is supposed to be one of the best places to star gaze. We were hoping to get some star gazing in and took our telescope to no avail. It was cloudy just about all of the nights we were there. However, we did lots of hiking and checking out the area...hoping to get back there soon. Here we all are with a view of Wheeler Peak in the background.


In June, John and Jill watched the kids and Tony and I got away for the first time in a few years. We went to Snow Basin. We continue to be amazed with the beauty we get to enjoy so readily here in Utah. Here we are together...(we couldn't find anyone on the trail to take our picture.)


Then it was John and Jill's turn to get away....which meant 10 kids for me for a few days. We kept a pretty busy schedule with sports and various activities but we all had a great time. We are blessed to be so close to their family. On Friday we all went on the Crimson Trail (about a 4 mile loop.) Holly & Joshua (3&4) whined just a tad but made the whole thing. Dusty Vaughn took this beautiful picture on the trail of Indian Paintbrush (my favorite flower) per my request. I had to post it on here. He is a great photographer! Thanks, Dusty!



Then all the Pirtle and Schadegg kids sat through Aubrey's recital patiently. She did great. I know the video is dark...we have limited technology.


On Saturday Tony and I loaded nine of them up in the car and went to the Air Force Base to watch the Thunderbirds. Although he and Cameron were blown away, the rest of us were mostly hot and tired. Here is Tony, Holly, & John...also Cameron and Simeon.



As you can see, Cam is in heaven watching the Thunderbirds. Holly and Caleb are also fascinated, taking a nap on the nice, hot, cozy, concrete.



This next picture is totally unrelated. Here is Caleb taking a nap with our cat, Apollo (MY birthday present.) The cat CANNOT stand me but adores Caleb who harasses him endlessly. Anybody want a free cat?


It is only the beginning of June but summer is in full swing...My Shannon comes to visit tomorrow, Aub is currently in Orchestra camp, the boys will be going to wrestling camp, Cam just went to his first Scout camp, and Aub made one of the competitive soccer teams in town and is thrilled! More to come with all of that.

That's our family for now. Lots more coming this summer....Glacier, visitors, more camping. Pretty exciting stuff!
God is so GOOD!

Another Long Journey

We have been back for almost a month but I am just now feeling caught up enough (did I just say I was caught up?) to update my blog.

The kids and I took off the end of March on another long journey to see family. We went to AR and TX to see both sets of grandparents...and my Rachel. We all had a great time. I am horrible at taking pictures so most of them are on the way back.

First we went to see my Rachel. We climbed up Sugarloaf Mountain (or hill...depending where you live) in Searcy and had a great time hanging out. Love her so much!

We spent Easter Sunday with Tony's parents and they all got new outfits from Grandmother....they never look this good when their Mom is in charge.

We spent lots of time at mom's fishing and being outside enjoying the nice, Arkansas Spring weather....it snowed at home the whole time we were there which made it all the more enjoyable. We went to a Ladies Day at mom's congregation...I left very encouraged.

On the way home we decided to stop at a little space museum in Hutchinson, KS to satisfy my astronaut to be. If you are ever there...YOU MUST STOP!!! It was amazing. Here are a few of the highlights (in my opinion, anyway.)

Here are the boys deliberating the future of space travel in what is called the "white room." It is the room that almost every Apollo astronaut entered just before getting in the spacecraft for liftoff. Cameron was thrilled to be standing in the same place Neil Armstrong actually stood at one point.

Here Aub and Cam are admiring a moon rock gathered by the actual Apollo 11 crew.

This was the highlight for Cameron....the actual command module (the thing that falls in the ocean for those not as up on your Apollo technology as I am) for the Apollo 13 mission.

Here is the hotel pool where we stayed in Hutchinson....it even has an indoor waterpark! Cameron was very serious about appearing to be on the moon.

The kids are with my mom...who helped me drive there and back. What a trooper...THANKS MOM!

We got home in time for soccer season and Dad and I are glad to be done with it. Now onto summer camps, gardening, camping, and visitors.

My garden is planted a bit early this year...praying mother nature doesn't have one more frost in store for the year.

Tony is getting the camper tuned up for lots of trips planned this summer....including a star gazing trip to Great Basin National Park in Nevada over Memorial Day. But Glacier is going to be the absolute highlight we are all looking forward to.

Philippians 2:14-15

"Do everything without complaining or arguing so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..."

"We Are Family"

Thank-you to my tech support, Josh, for spending that "few minutes" figuring out how to put music on my blog...it makes it a bit more cheery, I think!

Lots is happening in Pirtle world right now....busy, busy, busy.

1. We are preparing for another long, long, journey to see family during just about the entire month of April. The kids are THRILLED to get to see everyone again.

2. Cameron is proud of his pinewood derby car he and (mostly) his Dad made for Scouts. It is orange, of course. It was fun to see Tony get so into this. At the Derby, you could tell which ones the kids made and which ones the Dads made....it was quite funny. Cam's was somewhere in the middle and they both did work on it.

His is the orange one in the middle.

Here he is observing...the lonely homeschooled kid :-)

He is very proud...not even acting a bit silly...these races are a VERY serious event...for those of you who aren't familiar with Scouting.

Holly was taking the event very seriously as well...here she is, as cars race and fates are determined, cleaning out her toe jam just for the occasion.

3. Science, as always, is fun. Here is the homemade bottle rocket Cam made....with no help from any adults (if you could see it closer you could tell.) We launched it in the March snow....OK, we're kind of over the snow now!

4. And last but not least...we are very proud of Aub. She wanted to race this year in the annual ski race at our ski area. Last year she won 3rd place and this year she won 2nd place. Next year she says she will get 1st. She was very proud. Here she is up on top getting ready for her turn. By the way, this is where we LIVE...we are NOT on vacation...isn't it gorgeous?