Friday, July 26, 2013

FIRST DAY OF FIFTH GRADE

in my day,
july was considered summer...
not for noah.
not for jordan ridge.
not for "A" track.
noah's first day of school,

july 25th, 2013
began with
"french bread french toast"
a beautiful father's blessing
a few photos
da vinci hugs and kisses

and all of us in the truck to elk meadows

jordan ridge is in the process of transition
from swamp cooler
to air conditioning.
i guess if you are going to go to school 
during the summer months,
air conditioning is indeed a necessity.

this major update meant that noah
would start the FIRST three weeks of 
FIFTH GRADE
 in another school,
elk meadows.
so we jumped over alaska.
stepped on hawaii
until we found utah
 
mrs. stewart
is noah's FIFTH GRADE teacher
the FIFTH GRADE team
greeted
the FIFTH GRADE students
in adorable aprons
made of material illustrating the FIFty states.
it is hard to believe that another
FIRST DAY of school has come and gone.
i know i am not alone in that thought...
da vinci waits patiently
to hear how 
the FIRST DAY OF 
FIFTH GRADE went for noah.
guess who noah is sitting next to in class?

Thursday, July 25, 2013

SETTING THE STANDARDS HIGH

finally,
the groendyke home
 invested
in a 
basketball STANDARD
for noah.
this is one reason to love ksl classifieds.

good ol' hubby was waiting
for just the right time
to purchase 
the STANDARD out of pocketbook reach.

waiting...
for the perfect moment
costs one lots
of practice to be perfect.
a bit of womanly persuasion
and yes,
i helped put the STANDARD together.
Silhouette Structure at Park

so set the STANDARD high
and practice
until
the goal is obtained

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

GOING ON A BEAR HUNT [15]

it just so happens,
a friend of mine
is having a birthday.
she is a collector of BEARS.
BEAR magnets
BEAR toys
BEAR frames
ceramic BEARS
stuffed BEARS
little BEARS
big BEARS.
there are so many BEARS
in all their varieties,
that i have not yet had the time  to count.
perfect.
i am here in west yellowstone
where BEARS are plentiful.
i'll make it a
happy BEARthday
i'm going on a BEAR hunt...
frist stop
so many clever and creative
ideas 
but no BEARS
are out tonight...
someone bought them all last night.
next stop...
a bookstore
book peddler
full of new books
used books
pillows
decor
cafe
treats
but no BEARS
are out tonight...
someone bought them all last night.
where are those
BEAR essentials?



Sunday, July 21, 2013

GRAND PRISMATIC SPRINGS {13}

i have only seen post cards,
but today...
in person.
i was dressed to attend the playmill following
this display of color and beauty.




i packed shoes that would make the walk easier, 
unfortunately,
my boy didn't bring shoes
period !


that would not deter me.
i dealt with the gravel between my toes
the dust
permanently transforming 
the black shoes to taupe
(noah must have felt guilty...mom, i like that color better anyway)




and the view...
see for yourself



?????
















OLD FAITHFUL {12}

a few family members
decided a trip into the park
would complete the vacation experience.
there is so much history and tradition
that originated from my own 
grandma and grandpa hart.
 memorial day and labor day,
were set aside for the whole hart family
to enjoy 
yellowstone.
i remember staying in 
OLD FAITHFUL INN
and being mesmerized by all the logs,
the levels,
the stairs,
and wings to the hotel.
whether we stayed there or not,
a visit was always on the agenda.
grandpa hart gave us money to spend
on a souvenier or trinket.
i usually spent mine at hamilton's.
it may look different in appearance
and though the items for sale 
seem to be more commercialized,
(i recall tourquoise jewelry, tomahawks, feathers,  
cedar boxes, arrowheads and black bears)
the sentiments still hold dear to my heart.
while waiting for lunch to arrive,
i took advantage of the time to browse.
johnathan wanted to walk to 
OLD FAITHFUL
where the crew would watch
old faithful
spew it's steam and water.
on the way,
i saw this sign...
i laughed, like who appraoaches wildlife?
my nephew commented,
"i have seen bison here sometimes."
and 
voila!
 mr. bison right there.
 i grabbed my camera ... and did the unthinkable
APPROACHED WILDLIFE !!!
(i guess the sign is for people like me)
the feeling of nostalgia
was everpresent as
we approached this historic building.
i stood
still amazed, in awe and wonder
of earth
and the glorious creation...
i am reminded of another blog post
"just who is this old faithful ?"

from the red door
the grand clock
the radiator
the wood signs
the cozy fireplace
the one of a kind
huckleberry ice cream
the light fixtures
to the gift shop...
so much to take in
like clock work,
OLD FAITHFUL  never disappoints
he hasn't seen the last of me yet