Scenes of summertime ...

Behind my Grandma's house in Afton, Wyoming - One of my favorite places on the planet. This particular dirt road holds many dear memories for me ...

Somewhere in Idaho - on the drive to Wyoming... we stopped here for a picnic.

Haystack Rock - Cannon Beach, Oregon ...

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Haystack Rock ...

On the Drive to Oregon - Mount Hood - Majestic! Inspiring! Mysterious ...

Seaside, Oregon - love the fog rolling in over the Pacific Ocean.

A heart in the sand ... :)

Right now I find myself thinking --- "WOW! What a wonderful world."

2,500 miles (oh what a journey) -

The summer is coming to a close and I feel the need to do a little summer reflecting (right here on the blog!) It’s been one of the best summers we’ve had as a family. We learned a lot together and conquered many fears in order to chase down some dreams! Below are a few of the things we did and learned as we enjoyed the ‘summer miles’!

Road Trips:
We learned that 2,500 miles in the car during one month is a lot! We saw a great deal, met many wonderful people and learned new information about dinosaurs, Lewis & Clark, and the power of the wind and rain by the ocean. We experienced the beauty of nature, the importance of family and we gained a greater appreciation for home and our nice, comfy beds! As part of the travel journeys we took along a map of the United States and hunted for license plates for all 50 states. Each time we found one – we placed a sticker on the state. It was a great activity and we bumped into almost all the states and their license plates!

Wiggling like a fish:
Tory (my husband) recorded his first CD for kids this summer. The release date is September 1st. As a family, we spent time helping at his shows, wiggling like a fish and meeting the people. One very memorable event occurred at the Children’s Hospital in Boise, Idaho. I don’t think any of us will forget how special it was to be in the children’s playroom with the nurses, parents and children and sing songs about fishes that wiggle, chasing the grumpies away and how much we love ice cream. We gained a greater appreciation for our health and for good Doctors and nurses that care. Our prayers that night included thanks for so many things and a sincere plea for sick children to be miraculously healed …

Stepping into the unknown:
Have you ever let fear keep you from doing something you wanted to try/do? I think all of us have. As a family this was part of our summer – conquering the fears! Whether it was learning to swim, preparing for a TV interview, playing in front of a big crowd, sharing a talent with complete strangers or just asking for help – all of us in one way or another took it on! And we’re glad we did.

Cheers to summer and all the wonderful things we saw, learned and did.

Slaid Cleaves

Grew up in Maine. Lives in Texas. Writes songs. Makes records.
Travels around. Tries to be good.

{Music Discovery} - We picked up a copy of his CD called: "Unsung" at a used record shop in Boise, Idaho and I became an instant fan! Bring on the folk music ... :)

Check it out -
http://www.slaid.com/

Slaid Cleaves MySpace -
http://www.myspace.com/slaidcleaves
(Listen to "Flowered Dresses") ... Great song!

{107 degrees}
Cooling off by the pool in Boise, Idaho
(Lauren & Wendy)

We just returned from a very fun and busy trip to Boise, Idaho. It was HOT...

Thank heavens for swimming pools, air conditioners and frosty drinks.

My husband had 4 shows - he sings for kids so we were busy singing and meeting people!
We also attended The Steele Family Reunion and had fun with aunts, uncles and cousins.

Special thank you to all of the following for helping make our adventures in Boise extra special:

Nampa Public Library, Caldwell Public Library, St. Luke's Children's Hospital,
Boise Public Library, and Loree Jolley for taking care of our yard & pets at home!

Feel free to check out the Wiggle Like a Fish blog:
http://wigglemoments.blogspot.com/

{Happy Summertime!}