Trip to CJ Strike Dam...with the dogs!

May 25, 2008--

We went to visit Kim and Lori on Sunday afternoon at the CJ Strike Dam. They were camping there with some friends for the long weekend. We had a great time visiting, playing games and eating (of course!).

We brought the dogs with us which is kind of a rarity because of the added responsibility (and sometimes hassle) but they did pretty well considering how many other dogs were around. I thought I'd post pictures of them since they rarely get featured on our blog even though they are a big part of our life. Holly is our female and Stanley is our male (pictured with Jeremy).~

Camp Ida-Haven

May 16-18, 2008--

What a treat it was to get away from the "real world" and spend some time at Camp Ida-Haven this weekend with family. Good people plus beautiful scenery equals a great time.~

Horse Races

May 10, 2008--

We had a great time this weekend at the horse races. While there, with the help of some friends, we celebrated Stacey's upcoming birthday. The weather was fair but a bit breezy. Here are a few snapshots.

The birthday tiara was courtesy of Daniel & Anna (yes, it was equipped with high-class flashing lights).~

Dog Days of Summer...well, almost!

May 5, 2008--


We've been having some amazing weather and the temperatures are climbing! It's almost summer! Our dogs don't mind the heat as long as there's water nearby. When we can't take them swimming in a canal, river, pond or lake, our dog Stanley will take whatever he can get. Holly (our other dog) isn't always so keen on getting wet unless there's a retrieval purpose (i.e. to retrieve a ball or waterfowl if she's hunting with Jeremy). But one of Stanley's favorite things to do is to take a break from playing fetch to cool off in the sprinkler! His enthusiasm is contagious...watch this video and see for yourself!~

Kentucky Derby Party!

May 3, 2008--

Lonny and Amy hosted a fabulous Kentucky Derby Party!~

NHRA Ignitor Opener

April 26, 2008--

We went to Firebird to watch the Andersons run in the NHRA Ignitor Opener. The weather was beautiful. Although Saturday was mostly only time runs, Diana qualified for a bonus "shootout" race that day and came in second in their class--Super Gas. Way to go Diana! (Diana's car is the orange/gold corvette on the left and Don's car is the multi-color Corvette on the right.)

Pictured below, Diana and Jeremy are hanging out on Don & Di's newest pit transportation the "hot buggy." Jake, their German Shepherd seen sitting in the back seat of the buggy, enjoys traveling to the races with them, even though it means having to be tied up in the pits most of the time or staying in the tour bus (that's what I like to call their motor home--it's enormous, cool and very "celebrity" like!). Jake has a bad habit of running off when he's at Firebird...there are just so many field rodents to chase after!~

Surprise Guests!

April 20, 2008--

We were happy to host some surprise guests on Sunday when we learned that Lu & baby Jake (age 1) would be stranded at the airport for several hours due to Steve's delayed flight (they were flying in from different locations and Steve had the keys to the car). It was such a treat to spend some uninterrupted time with them since we don't get to see them very often due to our relocation last year. Jake was as comfortable as ever, despite the time that had passed since we last saw him. As you can see, Jake and "Uncle" Jeremy were quite the pair.~

Boise Burn Season Opener (Arena Football)

April 19, 2008--

We attended the Boise Burn Season Opener (Arena Football) with friends Gary, Melissa, Anna & Daniel. The Burn played the Tri-Cities Fever and even though it was a blowout (the Burn dominated the entire game), we had a great time! It's crazy how the playing field ends where the spectator seating begins. We had a fantastic view from the upper level but hope to sit below at a future game where we are even closer to the action!~

Andy's 30th Birthday

April 6, 2008--

Andy turned 30! We were happy to be able to celebrate this special occasion with Andy, the rest of the family and several of Andy's friends. As you can see above, Andy isn't very happy about having his picture taken--even if it IS his party--but fun was had by all. It's hard to believe Jeremy's little brother is 30 already! You know what that means of course...that we're getting older, too! Oh, well. With age comes wisdom, right? Happy birthday, Andy!~

Happy 30th Birthday, Chris!

April 5, 2008--

Chris turned 30 last week and he may have thought he was lucky that his birthday quietly slipped by without any celebration and he was safe for another year but Kristen had other plans in mind. A surprise birthday party! Happy Birthday, Chris!

Housewarming Party

March 29, 2008--











Thank you to all who attended our housewarming party, you certainly "warmed" our house AND our hearts! We were pleasantly surprised and honored that around 40 guests came by, some for a few moments and some for a few hours. Over half of our guests came from out of town, can you believe it? Here are just a couple of the photos that were taken--Stacey with Grandpa Ihler (aka "Big Joe") & Jeremy with cousin Jake. There are way too many to post but thank you again to all who were able to make it (and thank you to those who expressed their well wishes but couldn't attend).~

Happy Easter!

March 23, 2008--

Here are some snapshots of Easter!

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Steelheads Hockey Game

March 22, 2008--

A good time was had at the hockey game on Saturday night (thank you, Sarah!). We attended with Daniel and our resident hockey pro Anna (see posting Sunday Hockey below). It was great to be able to consult with them about calls made (or not made) during the game. We have a whole new perspective of the game now. The Steelheads kept the Stockton Thunder scoreless, winning the game 3-0! ~

Spring Break (Wood River)!

March 19 & 20, 2008--






Tristan, Ethan, Madison, Krista and Cheryl visited Boise during (Wood River) Spring Break and we had the pleasure of spending some time with them. Here are some of the pictures from Chuck E. Cheese's and Zoo Boise. Enjoy! ~

Sunday Hockey

March 16, 2008--

We watched my co-worker (Anna Shiny-Penny) play hockey on Sunday and had a great time. It reminded me of the days that we watched the Sun Valley Suns play...and it was just as cold! (Note to self: Dress warmer next time!). It was a great game and Anna made one of the four goals her team scored. As you can see, she's tiny but quite talented (which was no surprise considering that she grew up in Western Massachusetts and was practically born on skates, having skated/played hockey since the age of three)! It's no wonder an all men's team/league invited her to play on their team. This game was the second round of single-elimination playoffs and hopefully they'll do just as well in the next round! Go Idaho TAB! If any of you would like to join us at their next game we'd be happy to have you join us! Thanks to Terry (who was in town to catch an airplane the next day) and Sandy (who was in town for a doc appt the next day) for joining us on Sunday (March 16) for the game!

It's BBQ Grill Time!

March 15, 2008--

We took the cover off of the grill on Saturday after Jeremy got home from work (and errands) and barbecued for the first time since...uh, I couldn't tell you when, probably not since last fall! It was fabulous and we can't wait for spring and more grilling. Although it was still chilly, it was nice enough to be outside and enjoy some fresh air while doing so. (I know, I know, there are those of you who are grilling die-hards and grill year-round but we have become more fair-weather grillers these days.) After cooking our dinner we ate it while watching the (amazing!) BSU game on ESPN2. Way to go Broncos! They made it to the NCAA Tournament! What a great way to spend a Saturday evening!

Busy Weekend, Good Company

March 7, 8 & 9, 2008--

Wow! Where did the weekend go? It was busy and went fast but we were in good company wherever we went. Here are some photos of some of the friends and family we saw this weekend while we were out of town. (Some bittersweet news to report: The CSI Women's Basketball team won the regional championship but the CSI Men's basketball team lost. It was heartbreaking to watch. They worked hard all season long. Although it may not be any consolation while the loss is still so fresh, we wish them the best in next year's endeavors.)












































Several of our friends and family either failed to cooperate with the camera or I failed to have my camera out and ready to "shoot" so we missed some of you but you may not be so lucky next time!