The Case of the Missing Month

Okay . . . am I the only one who feels like we skipped straight from June to August this summer? ;) Where did July go? I am amazed by how quickly that month disappeared. I would actually like another 30 days before August. All in favor?

I know there were at least 2 family reunions, a couple of camping trips, girls' camp, and wedding preparations for our youngest son going on last month . . . but still---August is really here already? Je suis sure!!! or better yet: Zut Alors!!! (French for "What the crap?!!!" or words to that effect.)

I'm sitting here this morning, looking at my growing list of things I need to accomplish before the end of summer . . . and I'm not sure it's all going to happen. I didn't even get a garden planted this year, which says something, since I always plant a garden.

To make myself feel better, perhaps I'll share a few pictures that may help me discover why the past 4 weeks sped by so fast:


We began the month of July with the annual Crane Clan Reunion. This year we camped at Heise Hot Springs near Kelly Canyon.

A good time was had by all. Here's a shot of Kennon, two of his siblings, and his mommy.

And here's a picture of Kennon's Aunt Marie, and his mother, Verdene. The two sisters don't get together very often, so it was good for them to spend some time together.

On the 4th, we all headed down to see the fireworks display at Idaho Falls. Here's a shot of Kennon's cousins from Oregon: Spencer, Nicki, and Steve.

Kennon and I traveled to the Elkhorn Campground near Palisades after that reunion and camped for a day or two. While Kennon fished, I made new friends.

We then camped for a couple of days at the scenic Cottonwood Lake Campground near Smoot, Wyoming.

Here we met up with some of the members of my family tree who were also there camping that weekend. Pictured are my Uncle Ben, Aunt Judy, and their daughter: Carrie. We had a great time visiting and hanging out.

We also did a little bit of fishing last month. Here Kennon is posing with the fish he caught.

And here I am posing with the fish I caught. ;) What can I say, I am my grandfather's granddaughter. =D [Kennon caught two of the perch and one of the trout pictured. But I caught the rest!!! Brag, brag, and brag some more.]

We also enjoyed Girls' Camp with our stake last month. Here's a shot of our faithful 3 who attended the entire camp this year, plus my 1st counselor, Tricia, and myself.

And here's a shot of just about everyone else who was part of the Bennington experience at girls' camp this year. (A couple of our girls traveled back and forth this year. Also shown is my 2nd counselor, Lanette, and our camp director: Kim.)

This is a shot I'm pretty proud of---possibly the best picture I've taken all summer: a horned owl that happened to glance down at me as I took his\her picture. This is a wild owl that inhabits some cottonwood trees near Menan, Idaho.

We also played at the famed Bear Lake last month. Our son: Derek, daughter-in-law: Kristen, and their tiny daughter, Aari, came up for a fun weekend.

Aari had a good time playing in the sand and water.

She also savored corn on the cob during our lovely grill fest held later that night.

The coolest day of the month\year\decade!!!

So . . . I guess when you look back through the pictures of what took place this past month, it does rather put everything into perspective. July was a blur because we packed so much into those precious weeks. I suspect August will follow suit. ;)

Enjoy what's left of the summer. I know I plan to do just that before the sun sets on the month of August. =D

Crane Clan Gathering

This past weekend we camped in Lava, Idaho, at the annual Bob Crane Reunion. A good time was had by all. In lieu of a regular post I will post a few pictures to show you what we did.

Kennon and I went fishing Thursday night at Chesterfield Reservoir where I caught a 3 lb trout.

On Friday, the rest of our clan arrived and we ate a delicious Dutch oven dinner--smoked pork and Dutch Oven potatoes.

Volleyball was a fun pastime for several members of the family.

Others enjoyed riding the 4-wheelers around. Here my son, Derek, is taking his little daughter, Aari for her first ride. She didn't know what to think at first, but by the end of the ride, she was clapping and giggling.

Kennon preferred riding his nephew's motorcycle.

The traditional game of Phase 10 was also endured.

Saturday was extremely warm in Lava. So we went to play in the water.
Aari loved splashing in the refreshing river, and she found all kinds of neat rocks.
Several members of our clan floated the river to cool down. Others went to splash in the pool.
We camped at a neat place known as Smith's Trout Haven RV Park. Our camping spot happened to be next to the playground equipment, something the smaller children loved, including my granddaughter.
I think everyone had a good time this year. Lots of good food, fun visits, and laughter. And to me, that's what a reunion should be.