Huckleberry Huntin'

So we took off to Mt. Spokane (clever name if you ask me) to pick the magical huckleberry. This is a special berry for a few simple reasons, or maybe just one...this berry cannot be harvested (why? because they need the forest and certain elevation to thrive). Which means those who go out and pick these berries will charge a BUTT load for 'em ($50 for a gallon).
So we get to the area to pick them. We had gallon containers that we were determined to fill. After walking about...10 minutes we realized something very minor. We don't know what a huckleberry bush OR berry looks like, but did that stop us?? NO! Mac even ate a mystery berry or two before we ran into fellow pickers that gave us some to try and then showed us what the plant looked like-

We picked those little things for over an hour and got about 4 cups worth. We didn't even care by that time we were just glad we got some. Besides, Mac started to hallucinate from earlier berry experimenting.

Glacier National Park

So last weekend we went to Montana to see Glacier National Park with a few friends. We thought we were going to camp, but due to heavy weather we got a 12x12 (144 square ft. cabin with no toilet). Since I was expecting to sleep on the ground and poo behind trees I was excited to stay in the cabin and so was Noah.
We got into the park and it was amazing. The heavy rain and clouds covered a lot of beauty, but you could still tell it was amazing.

Noah enjoyed the whole drive and was amazed at everything around him. I can't believe he was so passionate about the park!



When we weren't driving through the rain the kids played at the little playground and got all sorts of dirty. Eliza, Noah and Ben loved playing on the swing and in the campfire remains. Noah and Benny ran around together constantly looking for mischief to get into and I MAY have taken
several photos of Ben's butt, but that's only because he didn't even notice it coming off. That kid is hilarious!

University of Utah Alum-

Mac has received a few phone calls about the U's alumni magazine that was recently published. I guess out of the five picture in there two were of the Machan's...or were they? Our friends scanned the magazine so I could show the world...I am not Lindsey, but DR. WEAVER-future surgeon. Mac is not Mac, but rather a guy named Brady and Noah is not Noah, but Brady's
daughter. Thank you and yes, we are accepting graduation gifts.

Sincerly,
Katrina Weaver, Brady Wilkinson and daughter

Cherry Trot

I am not a fast runner by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love it and after 8 years of doing it I've become a bit picky about my running conditions. First off, I like to run in the mornings before I eat and after I poo. Second, weather conditions have to be no cooler than about 45 degrees and no warmer than about 70 degrees (hey, I said I was picky!!). I like to run in the snow (if you haven't TRY IT!! It's the warmest and most mild time to run) and rain, but wind and heat...no. No. NEVER.
In Spokane there are festivals for every fruit that comes into season. They have music and make fresh ice cream, smoothies, pies etc... Well, we had a "Cherry Pit n' Spit Trot" that we did with some friends. It was only 4 miles so I really didn't care what time it started...in the morning...WRONG. A day before the race I find out it's at 7:00 PM. I whined until we got to the farms and looked at the temp...90 degrees. NOOOOOO! I'm pretty sure Mac was happy to run away from my insistent complaints. By the time I got to the start line I looked like had just completed a marathon. I was beet red and head to toe wet. Not to mention I was scowling at all the little kids doing the race...and some of the little toddlers doing the train ride...I may have even flipped my own son off in my moment of discomfort. Anyway, I finished and it took my about 6 hours to get my skin color back to normal. All in all it was fun. I wouldn't do it again, but I'm glad I did it...sort of...

What we've done this week-

I don't know about any other religions groups, but this one is awesome!! We have a GNO every month and a desert night, book club, play group once a week and craft night.
We've met some really great people and can't wait for the up and coming fun with them! We'll start doing a quilting group soon...I'm going to be so domestic...

Anyway, Grandmere (Mac's mom) has been so kind as to send Noah gifts. First gift to come was a pair of dolphin galoshes and he loves them! He wears them all the time even without socks (you know what smell can become of that!) and the latest are a pair of frog goggles. They came yesterday and he won't take those off either. I would try and fight him a little more on the matter, but I think I can use the handicap stalls now!! Thanks Grandmere and Noah!

The best vacation EVER!!!

Over the holiday weekend Mac, Noah and I took off to Sunriver, Oregon. We spent the trip with most of the Haroldsen clan.
It was the most fun we've had in a long time!!!! We went river rafting, mountian biking, ran a 5k and took Noah to the ER (again) all in two days. It was jam packed and crazy and we loved every minute of it.
Tanner tried to fight Optimus Prime, but Noah took a more loving approach and gave him a hug. I know Optimus will have Noah's back anytime.
We also went to the candy store that I remember as a kid and LOVED called Goody's. We had bubble tea (tea flavors with tapioca balls in it) and liked it...They also sell jawbreakers the size of your fist there. I think I had one for a year gave up, threw it away, but my sister Ashley could very well still be working on hers.
If you're still wondering what happened to Noah he jumped off a coffee table and split his mouth on the side of a dining room chair. We spent the second night of our vacation in the ER for four hours. I had to leave the room because a screaming child often times makes the parent pass out (which I almost did last time), but Mac did tell me that while they were stitching him up and he was screaming he suddenly stopped and said, "hug?". The staff instantly fell for him! Mac just took out his stitches (his skills are coming in handy!!). Noah's wound cut into the lip part of the skin so the doc had to be VERY careful and Noah very still.
Mac got second overall in the 5k (19:40). He lost to a 13 yr old kid (by 20 seconds) that was three inches taller than Mac and threw up at the end. Mac deems himself the winner because of that. I took second in my age divison and to let you know how small the race was I beat the 3rd place by 20 minutes. I almost felt good about myself...until I saw that. Mac went to collect his prise, but had him listed in the female 25-29 age divison in 4th place. Yeah, that kind of race, but there was a cool bear at the race place so I took a picture of Noah growling like a bear.
Anyway, it was really fun and would have been even better had the whole clan been there...guess we'll have to wait until next year!!!

Farts

Do you ever smell a fart so putrid that you KNOW it's not yours? That you're POSITIVE that your spouse is just hiding in the closet farting away making you life miserable? Like (for example) you smell that rotten egg fart in the bedroom and you decide that your husband needs to be reminded that you breathe air as well. You leave the room (after looking in every nook and cranny for the culprit) go down the hallway, out the back door, over to the next apartment complex where your husband is just "innocently" playing basketball (for the past hour) and he looks at me with that doe-eyed expression like I've "LOST IT".
Well, if you have done something like that I'll let you in on a little secret. It's probably you. So I guess this is a "public apology" to Mac. Sorry. Also, sorry for aboutttttt the next 5 hours. Love you!