RUPP

Alaskan Vacation

2011-07-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

HI ALL! I know it has been a long time, but I thought that since I have a little time on my hands I would try to Blog a bit.

So, in June Brian's mom and dad, and sisters, Regina and Brenda came up and over (in Brenda's case) to Afognak for a visit. We had so much fun. They were our first official guest to the island. We only had two days with them here, but here are few pics from our Stay-cation.

This is the "Crew" Landing in Danger Bay. It was everyone's first float plane ride.

Notice they are all wearing hip-waders or rubber boots...The plane can only make so far into shore.

This is Regina looking like a pro.

Granny Jolene making the big step.

Grandpa Kent had to take the big leap...he didn't wear his boots.

Granny Jolene was exhausted from her late night flight, but Sawyer couldn't resist the opportunity to snuggle with her. He loves he sooooo much.

On the second day of their visit we hiked into Portage Falls. The Salmon are just beginning to swim back to the fresh water, so we saw all sorts of Salmon jumping up the falls. Unfortunately, I wasn't a quick enough shot to capture and actual jump. Oh well.

After that we all packed up, hopped another float plane, headed to town, and then flew to Anchorage to visit Brenda's stomping ground. Sawyer had an Opthomologist appointment the first day we were there, so we really didn't do too much that day. But the next day we all boarded a passenger train and headed towards to coastal town of Seward. I hadn't been on a train since the Heber Creeper in the 4th grade. This was so much better. The trip there was 3 hours, and the entire length of the trip was narrated, so we learned a lot about the beautiful state we are calling home.

We had to be at the Train Depot at 6 o'clock in the blessed a.m., but it was totally worth it just to see how excited Sawyer was about the train. (Luckily about a half hour into the journey he crashed)

Chuga-chuga-choo-choo!

The tracks pretty much followed the coast line the entire way. I think this is called the Turn Around, because back in the day a large ship tried to float in, but hit bottom. Now a days you can see all kinds of animal life there like Beluga Whales. We never got to see one though.

On the other side of the tracks were cliffs that are the home for Dawl Sheep. These little guys are climbers! I wish I could have taken a better picture of how steep the cliffs were and how hight up these sheep were.

This Winnie, stuck with the train for about the first hour of the trip. The driver kept waving at us, so we lovingly named him Bob. :)

it worked!

2011-01-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to me!!! I finally got a picture to post on our blog. 4 months of living in AK and now I have finally done it!

From Idaho to Alaska- Home is Where the Heart IS!

2010-09-19T22:27:00.000-07:00

Well, it has definitely been a long time since I last posted. I know, I know...But life catches up with you eventually, and then you finally get some time to blog. Well, these days I have quite a bit of time on my hands, so I am promising to be a better BLOGGER (if the Internet connection will allow).
So, if you are interested in following me back in time I would love to catch you all up on what the Rupps have been up to.
Let's start with last spring...
Brian spent all winter "temping" while searching for a permanent position, which he finally found in March. He ended up taking a job with Hinnricks Trading Company in Pullman. (They specialize in agricultural trading, particularly Garbanzo Beans, or better know as Chick Peas.) So we packed up our belonging and moved to Moscow, ID. (Brian didn't want to loose his Idaho residency.) We spent most of the Spring and all of the Summer there in Moscow, and we really thought it was the perfect place for us. Brian was enjoying his job, I was networking with other moms, and we both loved our new ward.....But Heavenly Father always has other plans than the ones we intend for ourselves.
That other plan would be called ALASKA. That is right. After only living in Moscow for approximately four months, Brian was offered a job in Alaska. For those wondering how we got this random job offer here's a little info...Remember how I said at the beging of my post that Brian had spent a good chunk of the Winter searching for permanent employment? Well, six months after contacting a timber company in Alaska, a position opened, so they gave him a call to see if he was still interested. The job was more directely related to Brian's degree, and the pay was definitely more than what he was making in Pullman. There was a catch however. The job was located on a remote Alaskan island called Afognak. And when I say remote, I mean no stores, our groceries and supplies would be flown in, and the island is only accessable by boat or plane. So after a lot of deliberation and even more praying, we made the HUGE decision to pack up Sawyer, and very few of our belongings, and make the move.
So HERE WE ARE. Danger Bay, Afognak Island, Alaska.
Brian arrived here on Afognak about a month ago, August 20th. He was immediatly submerged in his new job, and he has started out with a bang. We decided that Grizz, our dog, needed to come with us on this adventure, so since day one Brian and Grizz have been scoping the forest of Afognak, side by side. Sawyer and I arrived here ten days after Brian. So this marks the end of week three for me, or the beginning of week four if you like to look at that way. I have been busy settling in our little trailor. That is right I said trailor....let me explain our living situation.
There are approximately a hundred people here in Danger Bay. All of them either work for Evergreen Timber, Trans Pac Fiber, or Concord, or they are the spouses or children of said company employees. Our "Camp", the Evergreen Timber Camp, has about twelve families living here, and two full bunk houses of single men. All of the families live in 1970-1980's-ish model trailor houses. So we are our own little Trailor park. I must say, a trailor is not my ideal place to live, but it will do for now....someday, we will have our own dream home.
There are enough kids in camp to warrent public school funding. In fact, when Brian first accepted the job, he told the company that I was a teacher. They told him that if needed, they might put me to work in the one room school house. Fortunately, the school district had already found a more experienced teaching team to take care of the kids. I am definitely breathing a sigh of relief. I don't think I was ready to play Laura Ingles, Little House on The Prarie, one room school marme.
Okay...Now for the area. Afognak is located just north of Kodiak Island, inside the Alaskan Gulf. So, we are on the ocean, but NOT "On" the ocean, if you know what I mean. The island is beautiful beyond description. I am hoping to upload some pictures, but the internet here isn't quite up to snuff. Some of the indiginous creatures to the area are the Sitka Black-tailed Deer, Roosevelt Elk, Foxes, Seals, Puffins, an array of fish (salmon, halibut, etc.) and of course Kodiak Bears. Brian has been fishing only once, but caught four Silver Salmon in a matter of 20 minutes or so. We've seen plenty of bear....NOT IN CAMP! Most of the bear stear clear of humans, most are a few miles away from camp. But man, are they cool to watch. It is completely different from the Bear Cages at WSU.
About a quarter of a mile from camp there is a black sand beach. It is so neat, but because of the bear we have to take precautions when we go down there.
The weather has been really beautiful since I have been here. Mostly in the sixties, and sunny. I know that it will change soon, so we have been living it up. As for the sun light, right now the sun in coming up around 7:30 a.m. and going down around 8:00 p.m. The "locals" say that in the winter the sun usually comes up around 9:00a.m. and down by about 5:00ish. Not too terrible. You have to remember that we are in Souther Alaska, and our weather in more like what you would experience on the pennisula of Washington State.
As for life here on the island, I have a lot of time on my hands. I am planning on "remodeling", or as Brian calls it "bringing it up to Camille standards", our little home. We have a little play ground just across from our house, and there are two other little guys that are close to Sawyer's age here for him to play with. Our groceries are flown in 3 times a week. I email my list to Safeway in Kodiak, and they fill the order and send it out on the next plane. Which is a Float Plane by the way. I have to say, speaking or the float plane, that it was so cool to fly in on. A bit freaky for some, but still really cool.
We obviously don't have an LDS church building here in Afognak, but there is a ward on Kodiak. We are hoping that once we get everthing settled we will be able to fly over once a month for church. As for now, we put on our Sunday attire, and listen to confernce sessions online. During the week we do a nursery lesson for Sawyer, and are wanting to add the Relief Society and Preisthood lesson into our weekly routine. OH, FYI, we have made contact and met with the Bishop of our ward. No worries, they know we are here.
Well, I guess this was more information that most of you may have wanted, but I felt obligated to fill you all in. Keep checking on us for more updates and hopefully pictures.
Lots of Love!
Camille, Brian, and Sawyer

Playing Catch-up

2010-01-19T23:08:00.000-08:00

I have been terrible, but I am trying to make up for it now. So here are some of the things we have been up to in the last few months.

Halloween

For Halloween I couldn't resist this costume. If you couldn't tell, He was a Porcupine. It was a bit more than I planned to spend on a costume he wore for a total fo 45 minutes, but it was so stinking cute and the hit of the party. I promised Brian that each Rupp child will wear the costume to make up for over-spending. He didn't care...He loved it!

A view from the rear...watch out...those spikes will get ya!

I was in charge of the ward Halloween Party, so our friend Tiffany took Sawyer Trick-or-Treating.

Sawyer and His favorite person...Grandma Jolene!

The little Lamb is our friend Marley...Isn't she so cute! They really liked each other's costumes. It was so funny.

Thanksgiving....coming soon to a post near you!

Yes, We are still alive!

2009-12-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

Wow! It has been a really long time since I last posted anything here. I blame it mostly on the fact that I now have a SIX MONTH old, and a husband who is now at home...I will explain. Since the beginning of the summer until now, we have been GO, GO, GO. Now that Christmas is upon us, I thought I would stop for a moment and ponder all of the great things that have been happening in our lives.

So, when I left you last, Sawyer had just turned three months old. That was August. Over Labor Day weekend we moved out of Brian's parents home (Who we are so grateful to)to the nearby town of Kooskia (Pronounced Koo-ski). We totally scored when my sister-in-law's, Michelle, in-laws needed someone to stay at their newly remodelled home while the went on their mission to the Canary Islands. The house is so nice, and we love the fact that it is just US.

Brian continued to work for Northwest Management, a company based in Moscow, ID, through the rest of the summer and fall. The job was good in that he got a lot of great experience cruising timber, but he was gone during the week. So this is why I now say my husband is at home. He would get up at 4:30ish on Monday morning, drive about 2 hours to Moscow, get his weekly assignment, and then drive to where ever he was needed for that week. He spent a lot of time in Montana and Northern Idaho. Most of his days were spent either hiking through the woods measuring trees and working on prescribed fires, or driving. He would usually make it home in the later evening on Fridays. Saturdays were usually a blurr, and then Sunday was usually a race to get packed after church, and make it to bed by 11:00.
As of the week before Thanksgiving he has been Laid Off. Which was totally expected. So for now he is working at his uncles tire store "Busting Tire", and is happily home every night. I have to admit that having him home has been a bit of an adjustment. For most of the fall I had resorted back to college instincts of eating cereal for dinner, running the dishwasher once a week, and staying up late watching my girly movies. Now, I run a full load of dishes almost daily. Dinner takes a little more planning and preparation. And he is a bit on the messy side. BUT I love having him home. SO does Sawyer. It is so nice to know that I don't have to go to bed in an empty house, wake up in an empty house, eat meals alone, and pretty much be alone 24/7. WE just love being together again.
As for me, I have taken on a part time receptionist job at the local cedar mill. Our friends own it, so I can come and go pretty much as I please, and even take Sawyer to work with me. He is a really good baby, so it makes it easy to do that. WE are so grateful to our friends for allowing me to work for them. I have also taken on another side job of Clerking for another friend's auction company. It is really fun, especially since I was raised browsing in antique shops, second hand stores, and flea markets. I have a lot of fun, and I try my darnedest not to spend the money I am earning.
Now, on to Sawyer. What can I say...He is the light of our lives. I know I am so cheesy, but I think everyday either Brian or I comment on how much we love our CUTE little boy. He started rolling over in September...the way we found this out was when we left him on a bed and then came back to find him on the floor. This little incident led to a visit to the ER...just to make sure he was okay. (We might be a little overprotective). He loves to play with his toys and watch Baby Einstein or Elmo, while I take a few moments to shower and get ready for the day. He loves to smile and giggle and kick and flap his arms. And just recently he started eating baby food. He is really moving up in the world. He loves his Grandma Jolene. He gets so excited when she comes to visit. And he loves other kids. He could watch other kids play for hours.
Anyways, That is just a summary of what we have been up to. I promise to post later about all of the fun things we have been doing and have done.
As for now Adios!

Sawyer is 3 MONTHS Old! My, how time flies!

2009-08-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

I know I am a terrible blogger. I say it every time I make a post. But I knew that I had to post something today because my little Sawyer Boy is turning 3 months old. CRAZY! I know most of you, my pals, already have older kids, so 3 months is no biggie, but I can't believe how fast they grow up.

I took Sawyer out in the yard today for a little photo shoot. I know they're not the greatest, but it is the best I could do with my little pink camera.
Sawyer has grown so much in the past few weeks.

- He thinks the sound of his own voice is Hillarious and would rather talk than eat.

- He loved meeting new people, and tends to carry on long drawn out conversations with them. (Now where did he get that from)

- He now weighs 15+ pounds (I know! But he is solid, not too chubby. Just long)And loves to Kick, Kick, Kick when he is naked.

- He can hold his head up really well, and likes to do what I call "Standies".

- He has discovered that his toes can be inserted into his mouth.

- He has learned that stiffening his body into a ridgid ironing board makes it more difficult for Mom and Dad to put him in his car seat. But he also his pretty happy once he is in the car seat because he get to talk to his to best friends, Larry the Lion and Berty the Butterfly.

- Sawyer loves it when his daddy comes home from his 10 day rotations at work. He absolutely loves to fall asleep on Brian's chest. Isn't that cute.

- Sawyer loves it when Grizz gives him kisses on his toes, and hands, and sometimes face.

- And to make-up for the fact that he is not a very good napper, he sleeps pretty darn good at night, and always greets Mom with a smile when she comes to get him out of bed.

- He now rides face forward in the stroller, which makes working-out with Mom a lot more fun. Plus his buddy Monty the Monkey is there too. (Aunt Brenda named all of his toys)

- I am usually the photographer, so today I had to take a few pics of me and the boy. Plus he was wearing my favorite shirt (Thanks Leslie), so we had to do some mommy and me photos.

This is Grizz's attempt at being part of the photo shoot. He did a pretty good job, wouldn't ya say?

Over the past few months we have been busy running Hither and Thither.
We went to the Rupp Family Reunion in June at Dworsak Reseviour (where he took a bath in metal pot), had our first family picture taken, and then ended the weekend by having Sawyer blessed by his daddy, grandpas, uncles, and close friends.

Then Sawyer and I drove 14 hours to visit Grandma Lynn and Papa Tom in Utah for three weeks in July. While there he played with cousins, went to his first rodeo, and got to take his first plane ride home.

We spent most of July hanging out at Grandma Jolene's and are now making plans to move to Kooskia in September. For those of you that are not familiar the area we live, Kooskia is 7 miles South East of Kamiah...basically, somewhere in the mountains near the Clearwater River.
Well, Sawyer is getting hungry, so I better sign off. Hope you enjoyed this random, yet informative post.

Sawyer Kent Rupp 6 Weeks Old

2009-07-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of Sawyer's latest pictures. I had a coupon so a ran over to Target' and had some quick pics done. (Sorry to all of my friends who are photographers, I had to get something done in a hurry before he grew)
Sawyer really is a very smiley baby, but with the car ride and the lack of being able to eat enough, he came out looking pretty somber. What a kid.

The mug shot

BiRtHdAy BoY!

2009-06-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

So, I can't believe it...My little baby boy is one month old. I don't mean to get all sentimental, but where did that month go? Sawyer is growing like a weed and has started smiling a bit. Here are a few pics I thought I should share. Enjoy!

Sawyer is Here!

2009-06-07T18:16:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know it has been an eternity since I last posted...and to top it off a lot of major big stuff has happened over the past 3 months. The biggest of these events would have to be the arrival of Sawyer Kent Rupp. Our little man made his way into the world five days late, on May 19th. He was a whopping 9lbs 8oz, and 21 inches long. He was definitely fully "cooked".
When Sawyer was first was born all I could think of was how much he looked like Brian. If you want to see a tough guy melt you need to see Brian with this little guy. I just love to watch them together, and Brian can't wait until he is big enough to "work" with him. He is one proud Papa.

About a week before Sawyer was born I went to the Doctor and basically begged him to induce me. But he and my dear "sweet" hubby thought that it would be best if we just let him come on his own. Those two had no idea how uncomfortable I was, but anyways...the first thing the Doctor says after they weighed Sawyer was, "boy, I am glad we induced you today and didn't let him come on his own." Can you imagine how huge he would have been?

Anyways, labor and delivery went great. I was induced at about 10:00 a.m. and by 10:12 p.m. we had our little man. The delivery was really quite fun... no lie. I was feeling pretty good because of my epidural... so between pushes we were all laughing and cracking jokes (Me, Brian, the Doc, and the nurse).

So after our little ones arrival, we made the big move to Kamiah, Idaho, to move in with Brian's parents for the summer. So far we are all doing well. I am adjusting to motherhood, and I seriously think I have the sweetest little baby in the world.

So now that things have started to settle down hopefully I can get back on the blogging wagon. We have a ton of other things to share with all of you, like Brian's graduation and logger sports, and many other fun things we have been doing, so stay tuned for more posts.

Hillbillies, Babyshowers, and the Best Weekend on Record

2009-03-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to get these pictures posted. I have been a bit busy. But anyhow....A few weekends ago I had the best weekend on record.
It all started on Thurday night...I came home from a long day of work. I cleaned my house, took a shower, and prepared my self for a fun filled weekend of activities. My sister-in-law, Nichole, was supposed to be arriving in Pullman the next day for my baby shower that was taking place on Saturday. I was exhausted, so I popped in an episode of M*A*S*H to unwind. (For those of you who don't know, we don't have cable, and Brian has turned me into a MASH fan)
Well, me being my exhausted pregnant self, I fell asleep on the couch. The next thing I knew I could hear our dog Griz barking, and then I heard some voices and the coo of a baby. Was I dreaming? What time was it? Is that Amy (my neighbor)? And then I sat up to see what all of the commotion was about. There in my living room, in Pullman,Washington, was my sister, mom, and baby nephew. IN MY LIVING ROOM! SURPRISE! They flew up from Utah, just to come to may baby shower. How awesome is that?!!
We stayed up and talked for a while, until the excitement wore off and then we all went to bed. The next morning, Mom,Traci, and Colter, all drove to Spokane to pick up Nichole, while I went to work for a few hours. The rest of the day was spent showing them the sights of Pullman. Basically visiting the newly rennovated CUB and Cougar Football Stadium (Grandpa Wendell would be proud). Then we headed to Moscow for a stake talent show....
Introducing, "Hillbilly Rock". My dear, sweet hubby has been learning to play the guitar for about a year and a half, and finally was talked into a performance. Our buddies Todd and Josh, are a little more experienced in the area of public performances, but asked Brian if he would be part of their "group" for the stake talent show. They practiced a couple of tunes for about a month and turned themselves into what is now known as "Hillbilly Rock". And boy did they rock. It was a great performance by all three, especially Brian. It is a good thing his charms make up for his guitar playing abilitie. You can check out the live performance in the post below.

The next day was the baby shower. And boy was it cute! Jerica and Amy out did themselves. They themed the party around a tea party. We had awesome food and a great atmosphere. Amy made table runners and Jerica, who drove over that morning from the Tri-Cities, brought roses in little tea tins. They seriously planned the shower to a "tea". I am so lucky to have such sweet friends.

We got some awesome stuff, including some of Brian's old baby things. His mom was so sweet to bring his old blankets, overalls, and even his blessing outfit. Which, by the way, his mom said they had to SQUEEZE him into. My dad gave us a baby wipes warmer 'cause he always feels bad for babies when you have to wipe their little bums with cold wipes. He is so funny. My cute Grandma Bessie made us one of her famous "great-grand baby blankets". But I have to say the best gift of all was seeing all of my dear friends, and especially having my mom and sisters there. It was so fun!

Here are a few more pics of all the great people that came to the party.

Jen and Tara- You guys are so great! They came down from Spokane just for me.

Look out Martha Stewart- Amy and Jerica- The best hostesses EVER!

The Grandma's- Granny Jolene and Grandma Lynn

Nichole, My Mama, Me, Traci, and Colter Boy. I love you Guys!

Isn't he so cute! I only hope our little guy is as cute and as sweet as Colter.

I just want to thank everybody again for the great weekend. It was AMAZING!

Hillbilly Rock

2009-03-06T21:58:00.000-08:00

Brian and a couple of his buddies debuted their new "band", Hillbilly Rock, at the last stake talent show. Bri is the one in the middle. This was just the beginning of a really fun weekend...so stay tuned for more updates.

My Latest Vision

2009-02-09T19:45:00.000-08:00

One of my most favorite things is decorating my home. I think I should have gone to school to be an interior designer, not a PE teacher...anyways. My latest vision is of my baby's bedding. I love Black and White/Cream. So naturally I decided to do his bedding in Black and Cream. Another bonus of this is that we will be sharing a room with our little guy when we move in with Brian's parent's this summer, so his stuff will match a lot of what I already have. But back to the vision. I found this Houndstooth fabric a few weeks ago at JoAnne's Fabric, but our local store didn't have enough of it. So my sweet friend Tara found it for me in Spokane (75 miles North of where we live). The small Damask I had another friend, Shannon, pick up for me in Clarkston (30 miles South of where we live). So when these two fabrics come together the Houndstooth will be the bumper pad, and the Damask will be the bed skirt. I am so excited....I will most definitely post the finished project.

Big Mama's House

2009-02-08T22:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay,everyone has been asking me for updated pics of my ever-growing belly. Well, much to my shigrin...here they are. Personally I am not a big fan of photos of myself, so excuse me for not taking these pictures completely serious.
Needless to say, Baby Rupp is growin' like a weed. I have my next appointment on the 20th, so we'll see if I am the right size...Wish me luck. I am just a little nervous about having a HUGE baby because my dear, sweet, husband Brian was 11 pounds 4 ounces. Yikes! The Doctors are guessing our little man be close to 9 pounds, I am hoping he will be between 7 to 8 lbs. Keep your fingers crossed.

Good Times

2009-01-30T12:55:00.001-08:00

Last weekend was B*U*S*Y. To start off...I drove to Spokane to go to my best bud Tara's baby shower. It was really fun. It is hilarious to see both of us pregos together, but for some reason I didn't get a picture of that.
This is Tara and her friend Courtney (left)showing off their prizes/presents.

Our other good friend Jen was the hostess with the mostess at the party. She did a great job organizing a very nice baby shower.

Here is the really adorable quilt (if I do say so) that I made for Baby Girl Sofie. It was so fun to make and now I can't wait to make something similar for Baby Rupp.

After the baby showere I jetted back to P-town for a shin-dig at our casa. Our good friends Jerica and Chad came down to visit from the Tri-Cities, so we partied it up with all of our old PU2 cronies.
Shaila and Jerica

Brian and I loved hanging out with Jerica and Chad's little boy Carter. He is so stinkin' cute. He loves to give hugs and kisses, and is just a fun little guy.

Malcom and Georgey showing all of us "old foggies" how to rock out on Rock Band.

Check out their moves.

The POWER STANCE- "For those about to rock, we salute you"

Jerica said that Carter hates wearing hats, but he was really diggin' on my Mickey ears.

Quinn showing off his Karate Kid moves. He is number 2 of 3 boys...so I think he uses this move and many others quite a bit.

Malcom, Georgey, Quinn, and Madi spent a lot of the party wrestling, so I think this is the aftermath. Notice Georgey checking to see if everyone is okay.

Lil and Carter were showing off their dance moves. These two love music

Mandi and George just hangin' out

Amy, Matt, Chad, Tracy, and Ben.

The real "Rockers" (or so they thought)of the party. In the words of ACDC "We roll tonight to the guitar bite".

BABY RUPP

2009-01-02T16:23:00.000-08:00

It's a BOY!!!
Brian really wanted a boy, but I was so nervous that it would be a girl and he would be sad. He told me a couple days before our ultrasound that he really wanted a boy, and if it was a girl he might be a little bit sad, but that he would get over it. In my mind's eye I could totally see him gushing over this little curley-headed girl. But I think all along, I've felt like it was a boy. So the Rupp name will be carried on to one more generation, and w couldn't be more excited!

Ahhh...The Holidays

2009-01-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

Well, I know it has been an eternity since I last posted anything. I am so sorry, but we have been pretty busy this past holiday season.
It all started with Thanksgiving in Kamiah, Id. We had so much fun with Brian's parents, brother and sister in-law, cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. I was finally over the Nauseous stage of pregnancy so I dug in full force at Thanksgiving Dinner. YUMMY. In fact, for most of the month of December all I craved and ate were Turkey sandwiches with cranberry sauce. I guess Baby Rupp loves turkey.

We started off December at a running pace. Between work parties, church parties, school parties, and parties with friends, Brian managed to pull off one of his best semesters yet. He spent many evening in the Library, but all of his hard work paid off. I am so proud of him. Now just one semester left and he is officially a college graduate. Yeah!
For my Christmas bonus at work my boss decided to take his whole staff shopping in Spokane. We were all given, let's say, a fair amount of cash, and only 2 1/2 hours to spend it all. I made out like a bandit, bring home some really hot boots, two pairs of tennis shoes, a cute purse, lotion, shirts, and jackets. It was so much fun, but kind of stressful. I felt like I was on that old game show "Shop 'Til You Drop", where they would run all over the mall. Needless to say...I had little to ask for as far as Christmas presents went.

One of my cute co-worker, Kelly found out that I liked to sew, so she commissioned me to make Christmas Stockings for her family. It took me a few weeks to finish them all, but that is partly because of my own laziness. I also gave my favorite neighbor, Amy, a crash course lesson in stocking making. We had a lot of fun.
My favorite stocking was the fish stocking....I felt so crafty when I designed it. Plus Kelly loved it!
After finals and work were done for the month, Brian and I headed over to Long Beach, WASHINGTON, to spend Christmas on the beach with my family.
It took us about 8 hours to get over there. Partly because the weather here in the Northwest was crazy. Anyways, when we finally reached the coast, it was still snowing. (For those of you not familiar with the Northwest, normally it doesn't snow on the coast. And if it does it doesn't stick. This was kind of a weird winter.) We got the experience of driving through some of the coastal logging country. (BRIAN was in heaven). The picture above is of a stretch of trees that were blown down in the winter of '07 by hurricane forced winds. It was really eerie, but the cool thing was that Weyerhauser has already replanted a majority of the forest into regrowth. Yeah Forestry!

Well, we finally reached THE BEACH, where we met up with my parents, and my brother Justin and his family. We only spent about 20 minutes on the beach because it was so flippin' freezing. The condo we were staying at had an outdoor pool that was heated to 75-80 degrees. SO Brian and the kids went swimming every day. We basically drove around the little penninsula, ate a lot of food, and hung out.
The picture above is of Brian and my nephew Caleb. He is a red-headed fire ball, who loves Lego's, Star Wars and Brian. They had so much fun. On Christmas Eve he did a little singing for us. The best was his rendition of "The 12 Days of Christmas", which included 10 Lords a "leaking", 5 Golden "Teeth", and a "Parch in a Jibber-Pear Tree". What a kid!
It was so windy on the beach that day....Hence the reason why my mom looked like she was wearing a Berka. Doesn't my mom make a cute little "Muslim" woman. She is so funny. She just bee-bopped all over the beach with that silly little smirk on her face.
The whole fam...except Dad, he didn't feel up to traipsing out in the cold.
Brian and I...Freezing our Hinnies off.

On Christmas Eve we had a white elephant gift exchange. It was pretty funny.This picture was part of Brian's gift. Lucky for my dad, he was the fortunate recipient of the gift. (Brian has asked that I not explain the gift, so that he can use the idea again for another gift exchange. What a goober)

This is Justin posing in the LOVELY Christmas Sweater that I gave. Isn't it Awesome! I got it at the Good Will.

Well, from there I stopped taking pictures, but we had a really good Christmas. It was nice to be with my family...they are so funny.
We got up early the next morning and headed back for Pullman. Luckily we beat the snow, but my parents weren't so lucky. They almost got stuck in Pendleton, Oregon. But eventually made it home to a busted pipe and a flooded living room. Yuck!
We had a really great holiday. We loved seeing all of our family and friends, and most of all just being together. We are super excited for the Holidays next year, just because we will have our little baby with us. It is so exciting.
We hope all you were as fortunate as we were, and wish you a very Happy New Year!
Love ya!

You & Me & BABY makes 3

2008-11-13T15:51:00.000-08:00

You read that correctly. We're PREGNANT! I know it is hard for some of you to believe, but after about a year of trying, we're having a baby.
Baby Rupp is Due May 14th, just in time for Brian to Graduate. What great planners we are.
We are super excited and anxiously await the arrival of our little, or BIG bundle of joy.

From Moscow to Denver and Back in 72 Hours

2008-11-09T16:20:00.001-08:00

Last weekend we drove 19 hours from Idaho to Denver, Colorado for a logger sports chopping show at Colorado State University. We left with 5 other members of the University of Idaho Logger Sports team from Moscow Thursday evening. Drove all night through Montana. Arrived in Wyoming just in-time to enjoy all of its flatness in the day light. And finally hit Fort Collins (just north of Denver)in the early afternoon.

We dropped off Brian's Teammates at the hotel and we headed 40 miles south to Thornton for a visit with my brother Shane's family. Unfortunately, Shane wasn't there that weekend because he was working in Texas. But we got to hang out with his wife, Nichole, and three funny kids.

Me and the kiddos. I had so much fun. Since they live so far away I couldn't pass up the chance to drive all the way to Colorado to see them. They are so funny. We colored, watched movies, and even played hide and go seek. It was so worth the trip.

This is Miss Bailee showing off part of her Halloween costume. The whole family dressed up as the Wizard of Oz characters. She was obviously the Cowardly Lion. My sister-in-law couldn't find a Lion costume she liked, so she improvised by sewing a curly mane onto a teddy bear costume. It was so flippin' cute. Even Brian loved it.

Bailee in all her glory. Shane and Nichole call her their Psycho Child...not because she is bad...she is just a little loud and crazy. She is a HOOT!

Averie is so sweet. When she wants your attention she always says "excuse me, excuse me."

And last, but definitely not least, Cassidy. He is definitely his dad's son. His mannerisms, the way he rolls his eyes and the way he is with his little sisters. He cracks me up. Such a cute kid.

When we got to their house the girls were napping, so Brian, Cass, and I were just hanging out. Then the girlies came down one at a time. Averie talked our ears off, but Bailee was the funniest. My brother Shane has been in Texas for a while and all of his kids miss him a ton. So when Bai came down the stairs and she saw Brian lying on the couch, she started shouting "daddy, daddy, daddy". She jumped on him, and then the reality that Brian was not her daddy hit her and she immediately ran to her mom. None of the kids have been around Brian all that much, so throughout the night he was either known as "hey, hey", or Uncle Tyson(one of my other brothers). But Bailee held onto to calling him Daddy all night. It was so cute.

The next morning Brian left early for his competition, and Nichole, the kids, and I went over later in the morning. The event was held at the CSU equine center. (VERY NICE-AND INDOORS)
The competition was set in heats, so you had to qualify to continue through the competition. Brian competed in the Hard Chop, Speed Chop, Jack and Jill Speed Chop, and various "throwing events". This is a picture of him after he finished chopping his block to win the Overall Hard Chop Competition.

One of the Competition Brackets. Notice who the winner is....When some of the other competitors first saw Brian they thought he was from Russia...Brian VonRuppski

Championship Speed Chop. Brian is like an Ox. He is so strong. This is a timed event, but he doesn't chop as fast as most guys. Instead he just hits hard. On some of his chops he got through the back side of the log in four hits. Holy COW!

Unfortunately, Brian never got to finish his final event-the Jack and Jill Speed Chop. When he stepped onto the log he slid his hand up the neck of his axe, and gashed his finger. This is a short clip of the first aid in action.

Like all good injuries, this one ended up in the Emergency room.

Lucky for Brian VonRuppski,he only had to have the cut glued shut. NO STITCHES. And the doctor cleared him to compete again at the next competition in two weeks. Phew!

This is a great Pic of Brians teammates...They were so sweet to let me tag along with them. COnGraTUlaTiOns U of I Logger Sports Team. You are a great bunch of kids!

HaPpY HalLoWeeN!

2008-10-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween Everyone! I just love Halloween. It makes me feel like a kid again.
I work in a pretty fun Orthodontic office, and we will use any excuse to get dressed up. Halloween is definitely a good excuse, but instead of one day of playing dress up, we played dress up ALL week long. Lets just say that by the end of the week we were pretty tired of our costumes.
We went with a "GREASE" theme. Dr. P was Danny Zuko (Check out his 'do) The Ortho Technicians were Pink Ladies. And we front office workers were Rydell Cheerleaders.
This first picture is of the view of the sun rise from our office. On Thursdays we open the office at 7:00 a.m. But isn't that a cool pic. A little bit eerie.

This is me and my favorite desk-mate Terriane. We have a blast together. Dr. P interviewed us on the same day at the same time...needless to say we hated each other at first, but now we are best buds.

Dr. P in his Danny Wig being Primped by the Pink Ladies. Seriously it was so scary...He worked on patients with that thing on his head all week. I think secretly he was channeling his inner bad boy. It's kind of cool to work for Dr. P because he is LDS, and in the Stake Presidency. It's nice to have someone in the office who understands my values. He is a really great guy.

Terrianne again....Showing how "much" she was loving being a cheerleader. Originally our outfits were way worse than the ones you see in the pictures. The original top for the uniform made us look like red and white nuns, seriously. Plus the shirts were short, so we would have had to worn the skirts around our ribs. I took the liberty of tracking down some cheap polos at Waly-World, and then I sewed the R on them. They turned out pretty good...wouldn't ya say.

This is my other favorite co-worker Tawni. She is so sweet, especially for letting me take her picture. She hates pictures, but she is so photogenic.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween. Happy Hauntings!

Good Friends and Not so Good Cougs

2008-10-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Every Football Season Brian and I like to invite all of our old cronies back to Pullman for a little reunion. This year we chose the weekend that the Cougs were playing USC. Little did we know this summer when we bought the tickets that the Cougs were going to have a "regrouping" season, so we opted to get good seats.

Well, as most of you know USC is in the Top 10 this year, and the Cougs are not ranked at all. So the stadium was pretty empty on the student side. We bought seats on the front row of the Alumni side, but we had a hard time seeing. SO about five minutes into the game we packed up our stuff and moved to the section where we all felt more at home...The student section.
Needless to say, the game was terrible. I think the final score was WSU 0, USC 69. No lie. But the company was awesome, so we had a lot of fun

Andy and Brian- "Enjoying the Game"

At this point we had had enough and left the cold game for home. Oh Well! Go COUGS!

A Week with the Folks

2008-09-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

The first week in September my mom and dad made the big trek to Pullman for a little time away. We had so much fun while they were here. We went to a Rodeo, the Palouse Empire Fair, an Antique Show near Ceour D'Alene, and we even canned some peaches. We all relaxed a bit, and we had a lot of laughs. It was so nice to have them in our home. We keep trying to convince them to leave Nephi and move closer to Washington, but who knows if that will happen. No matter what we are so grateful for them and love them loads.

TOM PETTY & The Heartbreakers

2008-09-21T20:30:00.000-07:00

So, it has been almost a month since I posted a new blog. And I have to apologize because I did try to blog, but every time I uploaded something, something would happen to our Clearwire. But, Oh well, I am here now. These pictures are a touch dated, but I had to share them with you because the whole experience was so awesome. For Brian's Birthday, which is May 9th, I decided to splurge and buy him two tickets to the Tom Petty concert. I started looking on-line weeks before, but couldn't find anything that I felt I could afford. So my coworker, who is an avid e-bay user, helped me look up some tickets there. We found an awesome deal for two floor seats. So I bit the big one and bought the tickets.
Brian's favorite Tom Petty song is called "Running Down a Dream". So for his birthday gift I bought him a pair of Nike running shoes, and taped the tickets on the inside of the box lid, with a little Poem about "Running". It was so funny because he was so excited about the shoes that he totally over looked the tickets taped inside the lid.

The Concert wasn't until August so we had to wait almost 3 months to go, but it was worth it. The day of the concert we left Pullman with plenty of time to make it for the opening act. Two and a half hours later we entered George, Washington, which is the location of the Gorge (that is the concert arena)...Anyways, we were just going to make it, when we got stuck in traffic. Now the Gorge is on the banks of the Columbia River, which is also covered with corn fields. Apparently there was an accident, so the concert traffic was re-routed through the corn fields. We honestly moved 5 miles in and hour, and completely missed Steve Winword. So when we finally reached the Gorge it was about a million degrees, but we ran so that we would miss Tom Petty. I had been to the Gorge a few time before, but this was Brian's very first concert ever, so he was a little surprised to see how awesome the venue was. We made it to our seat, where we were greeted by many drunk, high, sticky people. The couple who sat next to us had flown all the way from Pennsylvania, just for the concert. CRAZY! Obviously Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are supporters of pot, considering one of there songs is called "Last Dance with Mary Jane". But my heavens, when the lights went out in the crowd and the lights went on the stage- the lighters started flickering in the crowd. IT was so funny. By the middle of the concert, my stomach was growing, so I leaned over to Brian and told him I was SO HUNGRY. He just laughed at me- Maybe I had a non-contact case of the munchies. Anyway, Brian loved the concert. We had so much fun, and The Heartbreakers put on a great show. We hope you enjoy our stories and pictures as much as we enjoyed the concert.

Clara Leon Andrews

2008-08-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

We'd like to congratulation the Andrews family on the arrival of their newest family member, Clara Leon. Clara now makes number 17 on the Rupp family grandkid count.

The whole family
Congratulations Jared and Michelle. We are so happy for you.

Hog Heaven

2008-08-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

Well, over the summer I was in charge of one thing. The family PIG. That is right a pig. Our neighbors and us went in together on a pig. Since Josh and Amy were both in Utah over the summer, and Brian was away during the week days, I was in charge of Joe the Pig.
Josh built a wonderful pen for Joe in our big barn, and I took on the task of going to the Grange and buying Hog Grower to feed him. Last Monday I came home from the Grange and went down to the barn to feed Joe and this is what I saw.... Now what would you have thought if you saw that. Luckily Brian was supposed to be home that night, so I tried calling him, but got no answer. So in my shock I decided to call Amy in Utah. It took me a while to convince her that he was dead. See, I had only seen his rear end lying there, and Amy wanted me to go back into the barn to check if he was sleeping. There was no chance of me going back in there, plus he totally looked dead. Amy wanted me to poke him with a stick. Finally I explained to her that he looked the the pigs in the game Pass the Pigs. He was bloated and stiff as a board...Poor guy.
Well, Brian finally came home and confirmed that Joe had passed on. I felt like a failure. Here I was in charge of this pig, our winter meat, and he died just week before he was ready. Brian changed his clothes, and then drug Joe out of the barn. He then hooked him up to our little John Deere lawn mower, and dragged him out to one of the fields just south of our home.
We were hoping that the Coyotes would take care of Joe, but Griz, our dog, sure has been stinky lately. Oh well... We are just hoping that poor old Joe is happy in hog heaven. RIP JOE the PIG

My Deep Sea Fisherman

2008-08-07T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well, this blog has nothing to do with me, but I just really liked the pictures. My brother Tyson invited all of the boys in the Park family to go deep see fishing, just outside of San Diego. Unfortunately Brian was unable to go, but the boys were nice enough to send us the pics from their trip.
I really have a great family. We have our ups and downs. We fight and argue, but we really love each other. I know Tyson, Shane, and Dad all needed a vacation and this was a great way for them to spend a little time with each other. I am actually jealous that I didn't get to go. Oh Well.
Tyson
Papa Tom
Shane

Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Rodney Rupp

2008-08-04T20:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it was an eventful weekend for the Rupp and Routh Families. We had a fantastic time attending the wedding of Rodney (Brian's Brother) and Kami.
They got married at Higgins Point, a beautiful park that overlooks Lake Coeur d'Alene. We ate yummy food and cake, laughed a lot, and even danced a little. It was a really great weekend.
The Original Mr. & Mrs. Rupp

The new and improved Mr.& Mrs. Rupp

The Rupp Boys

Mama's Baby Boy

So, what does the future hold for the new Mr. and Mrs. Rupp? Well, for the next two weeks they will be apart, but then after that they are moving to Pullman. We couldn't be more excited. Brian has always wanted to live closer to Rod, and I am super excited to have Kami around. It has become aware to us that the Rupps, when in each others company, have a tendancy to ignore their significant others. So now Kami and I will have someone to hang out with while our hubbies do what ever they do.
Congratulations Rod and Kami- We love you!

Good bye, Farwell...

2008-08-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

The cool thing about living in a college town is that their are always new people to meet who are in the same age group. The cruddy thing about living in a college town is that all those cool, new, friends, you make will eventually move away. And in our case...after eight years of living in a college town, we have had a lot of friends move away.
Mike and Jen Barnes, are quite possibly some of the funniest people we know. They are from the OC (Orange County), and both love to experience life to the fullest. We have had so much fun experiencing the Palouse with them. When Jen first moved to Pullman she hated it. When they decided that it was time to leave, she begged Mike to stay. Sadly she didn't get her way, but while they were here we made a lot of good memories. We want to wish them the best of luck in Connecticut, and hope that they will some day come back to "God's Country". Thanks for all of the fun memories. We love you guys!!

Just Like Old Times

2008-07-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the chance to meet up with some of my old college cronies. We had such a good time. We all brought pics of the good old days and remeniced. It was so fun. I have some really great memories of those girls. To Tara, Jen, and Shannon- thanks for the memories. It was truely one of my favorite times of my life.

Let the Good Times Roll

2008-07-26T23:54:00.000-07:00

Alright, i'm jumpin on the bandwagon...Tara, gave me some inspiration. Here's a little way for all of us to remember the good old days.

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

So, have fun, and thanks again Tara for sharing your idea with me.

The Rupp Family Reunion

2008-07-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

So we recently returned from the ever-famous RUPP FAMILY REUNION. The Rupps compare this event to the Olympics...Well, it wasn't exactly the Olympics, but it was tons of fun. Brian's Grandparents have 8 children, over 65 grandchildren, and who knows how many great-grandchildren. Approximately 160 of us gathered at Lake Cascade to celebrate the Dale and Dorothy Rupp Family. We camped, ate really well, had a volleyball tournament, hung out, and the two most favorites-Shooting the breeze and water-skiing. I got to meet cousins I'd never met before...and was basically officially welcomed to the Rupp clan, after 3 years. Overall, it was a blast. We can't wait to do it all again in two years.
Well, enjoy the slide show. Most of them are of Brian. Basically, I was the photographer, and I hadn't showered for three days. So I was looking pretty hot, NOT. Enjoy!

Let Me Explain

2008-07-07T20:27:00.000-07:00

This adorable picture....I found it last weekend while we were at Brian's parents' house. Brian loves to tell all of our friends about the hogs he and his brother Rodney raised when they were kids. As the story goes the boys weren't allowed to play on sundays, so instead they would sneak out to the hog barn and ride on the pigs. What a wholesome Sabath Day activity.

Colter Lynn Memmott

2008-06-30T15:04:00.000-07:00

I just have to show off the cutest newborn in the world.
Introducing our newest nephew Colter.
What a cutie. He is my (Camille's) sister's baby. He is such a sweet little blessing for their family. Walker and Tucker are going to be the most amazing big brothers. Congratulations Memmott Family! We love you!
P.S. I couldn't get the cutests picture to upload so click on the "X" in the blank box.

Grandpas

2008-06-26T16:38:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been quite a while since I posted anything...We haven't been up to much, just working. Brian has been gone during the week for pretty much the whole summer, so on the weekends we've just been spending time with each other.

One neat thing we did recently was prepare talks for sacrament meeting. Our ward celebrated Father's Day a week late, because of High Council Sunday. Anyways, I was asked to speak on grandfathers, and Brian was asked to speak on fathers. It was really fun for both of us to prepare for these talks, just because we got to reminisce. So, I thought since we enjoyed remembering the good times and those awesome men who came before us, I would share some of my talk with all of you.

GRANDFATHERS
Writing this talk gave me the opportunity to reflect on the many great things I learned from my own grandfathers, who have both now passed on; Duane Marvin Park and Wendell Harvey Oliver:
Some of my fondest memories of my Grandpa Marvin were riding in the rear bucket of his John Deere lawn mower. Bouncing around the back of the International Bomb (An old van type vehicle); sitting in his old green boat while he pulled skiers around Mona Reservoir; playing with his tools while he worked on a project in his shop. And my favorite, Him pushing me in the front yard tire swing. I remember the day he died, and me sitting on my grandma’s lap telling her that I would come see her everyday, so she wouldn’t get lonely. .

Grandpa Wendell on the other hand lived in Washington, so we didn’t see him as often, but knew he loved just as much. He always hugged me really tight and called me princess. (Even just last year); He taught me how to golf and even let me drive the cart; He’d take us on long drives and would tell us unbelievable stories from his life. He was the reason I chose to come to Washington State- To carry on the family tradition of being a Coug. And now I look forward to the temple work our family will be able to do for him.
I am so grateful to have had those two amazing men in my life.

Guess who is getting married?

2008-06-01T18:54:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Rodney and Kami. We are so excited...Brian's younger brother Rodney is getting married this August. They have such a cute story. He actually met Kami at our brother Levi's wedding. He was the best man for Levi, and she was the maid of honor for Lindsey (her sister). And now they're tying the knot. Earlier this spring Kami was able to be baptized by Rodney- which was really awesome. She is such a sweetheart and we are excited to welcome her into our family.
We wish them the best in their upcoming nuptials and in their new life as Mr. and Mrs Rupp. Congratulations!!!!

Logger Sports

2008-05-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

So those of you who know Brian and I, know that we are not your typical people. I like shopping, decorating, and sports. Brian on the other hand is into farming, logging, hunting, and anything burley and manly. Over the past school year he participated on the University of Idaho Logger Sports Team. What an adventure. I attended my first, and also Brian's first, meet about the first of April. It was a long cold day, but loads of fun. Brian has also had the opportunity to travel to a competition in Montana, where he improved greatly in all of his events. He hopes to keep it up long enought to go to all of the competitions next year, and make it to the Conclave- Western Collegiate competition. So I thought that I would share with all of you Brian's new past-time.

Horizontal Chop

2008-05-04T20:06:00.001-07:00

This is Brian's main event. A log is placed horizontally on a stand. The participant stands on the log and chops in between his feet. (It is a little scary, but they do wear protective gear.) It is not technically a timed event, but each participant has 5 minutes to chop the their log in half. It is a competition of technique, so the least amount of hits wins.

Verticle Chop

2008-05-04T19:57:00.001-07:00

This is Adrian Flygt from the Colorado State University Logger Sports Team. He is a newbee to the sport but just last week won the Western Collegiate Series in Logger Sports. The verical chop is obviously a log placed vertically on a stand. This event is more about technique just like the horizontal chop. Each participant has 5 minutes to chop a log in half-using the least amount of chops possible.

Obstacle Pole

2008-05-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

This is Brian's buddy Cheyanne Yancey doing the Obstacle Pole. The participants starts at the end of a leaning log with a chain saw in hand. When the whistle blows he runs around to the other end of the log, quickly walks up it, and then attempts to cut a "cookie" off the end. He then races back down the log and around to the starting position. Disqualifications may accure due to falling off the log, cutting the "cookie" incorrectly, or stepping over the white line.

Pole Climb

2008-05-04T19:36:00.001-07:00

The participants strap on some spurs and a harness, then climb to their marked destination. First one there wins.

Axe Throw

2008-05-04T19:30:00.001-07:00

The name pretty much explains the event. You throw and axe at a target, the closest person wins. This was Brian's very first time with the axe throw...He said he'll work on it for next year.

Caber Toss

2008-05-04T19:25:00.001-07:00

This event is pretty simple. You have a big log weighing 80-100 pounds and about 8 feet long. Then you pick it up and toss it, attempting to flip it end over end. The longest toss wins.

All Dressed Up with SOMEWHERE to Go

2008-03-30T23:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my office reserved a table at the Pullman Chamber of Commerce "Cabaret" live auction and dinner. We had a lot of fun dressing up, eating, people watching, and dancing. It was amazing to see how much money was thrown around that night. A dinner with the Cougar's Men's Basketball Coach Tony Bennett went for about $3500 dollars. While a dinner with the new university president, President Floyd, went for $7000. Ya, I know.

I just really liked this picture of Brian. He was so excited about the live band. All through the auction he was fidgety because he was so excited to see the band. He probably could have sat in that spot all night and watched the guitar player.
My dress was really great! It was a red evening gown I've had and never worn. I had my friend Merry remodel it into a cocktail dress. So she cut off the bottom so that the hem his just below my knees, and then used the excess to make sleeves. It was smokin'. At least that is what one old guy told me in not so many words. Unfortunately I never got a good picture of it. I also found some cute gold, strappy shoes to go with it for $6 bucks! So the whole outfit cost me $20.00, including earrings and a clutch. What a bargain shopper. I felt like a MOVIE STAR! Oh yeah, Brian was also very smokin' in his suit.

The Real Axe Men

2008-03-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

About a month ago Brian visited his brother Rodney on a logging site above Kamiah, ID
Have any of you seen the t.v. show "The Axe Men"? These guys are the real deal. That is Rodney operating what is called a Yarder. (FYI- Brian, who is now studying Forestry, used to work as a logger also.)
The Yarder pulls cut logs up the mountain side, where the logs are later cut to size, and loaded on a logging truck.

Lindsey 's Baptism

2008-03-23T16:36:00.000-07:00

We had an awesome Easter weekend. Not only did we celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, we also had the opportunity to participate in the baptism of our sister-in-law Lindsey. It was such a nice baptism, and Brian had the privilege of baptizing her.

A few weeks prior to that I was able to visit temple square with her. It was so special. She definitely has a spirit about her. We are so proud of Lindsey and the choices that she and Levi have made for their lives.

Levi, Lindsey, and the Elders that taught her.
Rodney (Our other brother) and his girlfriend Kami (Lindsey's sister).

Aren't they cute!

A Story About a Dog Named Griz

2008-03-09T18:10:00.000-07:00

Okay... So a few weeks ago we had a request from our niece and nephew in Utah to see more pictures of our dog Grizz. They absolutely love Grizz. So I thought that in this blog I would tell you all about the adventures of Grizzly Bear Rupp.

We once were told by a local farmer that dogs have a tendency to wander when the springtime hits. We had no idea that it would really happen....Twice. So Brian and I took a quick trip to Kamiah for Presidents Day Weekend. We asked out neighbor to go over to our house to check on Griz because we had left him unhooked and free to wonder the property. Well, the neighbor called back to say the Griz was no where to be found. We thought he was just prowling around our area, but he still wasn't home when arrived the next morning. That very morning as Brian was driving to school he got a call from the U of I Dairy Feed Mill where he works. His boss said that our dog was there, and had been there for a couple of days. The thing is is that the Feed Mill is in Moscow, ID, 8 miles away. And while Grizz had been to work with Brian several times before that, the only route he had been on was a 5 lane high way. So we are figuring that that is the way her traveled on his little journey.
Griz's next adventure took place only one week after his journey to the Feed Mill. We were very cautious with him after that adventure, but one morning after Brian had let him off of his chain he just disappeared. He was gone for 3 days and we thought he was dead. Everyday we would call for him, but got no response. Finally that weekend, Sunday, I was sitting in our living room and I heard a small ruckus outside on our porch. And low and behold it was the Grizzly Bear himself. He was starving and thirsty, but still his happy little self. We were so happy to have him home, but mad a the same time for putting us through that.
What a Guy! We really do love the little fella!

So we hope you enjoyed the stories for Griz's adventures. There will probably be more. Who know maybe instead of writing about our dog, someday we will write about our kids. But for now His stories will do.

I Luv the 80's

2008-03-01T22:33:00.000-08:00

Our friend Janel was having her 30th birthday, so her husband Aaron threw her an 80's themed party. We had so much fun playing 80's guitar hero and karaoke, and 80's Jeopardy. My team did really well at Jeopardy- I was a super star. I guess I owe it to my 80's teenager sibling who raised me up right. It was a great night.
Two RADICAL Dudes. Our friend Mike and Brian. Mike is from the OC, so he sported the Lakers outfit complete with gold and purple converse.
Material Girls. Me, Jen, Crystal, and Birthday Girl Janel!

P.S. Check out Mike and Jen Barnes's Blog to see video of our 80's Karaoke-->Look to the right.

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2008-02-02T22:31:00.001-08:00

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

2008-02-02T21:49:00.000-08:00

Holy Cow! What a winter! You know last winter Brian and I were in Seattle, and I remember watching the news and seeing business people abandoning the vehicles on the freeway. This winter on the Palouse is way worse than that. According to local "old timers" this is the worst winter we have had since the 1960's. Not only has it snowed a ton for this region, but the Palouse Winds are causing the snow to drift, making travel nearly impossible. Our dear friends Tara and Andy came for a one day visit last Wednesday, and ended up staying with us for two nights. Needless to say, Brian's and Andy's (Andy goes to WSU, but lives in Spokane) classes were cancelled for Thursday and Friday at both Uof I and WSU. That is a first since 1996, when there was a huge flood. Tara and I had a lot of fun just hanging out. I'm glad we were "Snowed In" with such good friends. Any-whoo, I know that the weather has been crazy all across the country, but I thought I would post some pictures of our place. Enjoy!
P.S. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow.....Six more weeks of WINTER!

Register to VOTE~Election 2008

2008-01-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone! My brother called me today to remind me to register to vote. I just wanted to encourage all of you to register too. Those of you who live in Washington, local party precinct Caucasus are meeting all across the state on February 9 at 1:00p.m. What is that, you're asking. Well as far as my knowledge goes the precinct caucus is where local leaders representing each candidate are elected to represent your voice at the county, and possibly state and national level. Let your voice be heard! Rock the Vote! Votesmart! or whatever, but don't forget to register. I went to Rock the Vote, because that is the one I could remember. It only took me 10 minutes to register both Brian and I. It was simple. So there is my soap box-do what you will with it.

~Camille

Holiday Fun!!

2008-01-07T19:34:00.001-08:00

After our Hawaiian vacation we traveled to the Seattle area for a little Christmas fun with my oldest brother's family. The baby is my newest niece Lainey. We had a lot of fun with the Park/Ahlstroms. A family friend made us gigantic footy pajamas, which were hilarious. I got a new digital camera (which is awesome so now I can blog more) and Brian got a guitar. He is currently trying to master it. We spent New Year's Eve at our own home in Pullman. Brian's sister and many cousins came over for a sledding party. We ate tons of food and played games through the night. It was a really great way to bring in the New Year.

ALOHA from Hawaii!!

2008-01-02T22:37:00.001-08:00

Aloha! So we are sure many of you were shocked to hear about our impromptu trip so here is our explaination. Brian's cousin Shane announced his engagement clear back last Spring. The entire summer and fall we debated on whether we were going to venture to Hawaii for the wedding. Well, we finally decide to bite the bullet and booked our ticket 4 days before the wedding. It was the most spontaneous and fun thing we have ever done. We mostly hung out at the beach, but it was amazing. We loved it and plan on going back as soon as we can. So Mahalo (thanks) for visiting our blog and we hope that you enjoy the slide shows. FYI- Most of the photos were taken by Brenda Rupp, Brian's younger sister.

The "Funnest" Wedding Ever

2008-01-02T16:30:00.001-08:00

Shane and Lina were married on December 15, 2007 in the Hawaii Laie Temple. Lina's family hosted the most amazing reception we have ever been to. Lina is Samoan and Shane is of Maori decent, so their reception was a fantastic Polynesian party. We ate roasted pig, taro root, chop sewie, and more. We danced and sang, and were entertained by the wedding party, as well as performers from the Polynesian Cultural Center. It was so amazing. Definitely an affair to remember.

The Scenic Views of Oahu

2008-01-01T22:08:00.001-08:00

These are some of the beautiful bits of scenery throughout the island of Oahu. Photos by Brenda Rupp

Thanksgiving in Kamiah, Idaho

2007-11-25T22:04:00.000-08:00

This is a new family tradition...The cutting of the fire wood. Our drafty old farm house was sucking us dry as far as cash goes, so we put in a wood burning stove. It was fun trapsing around in the snow, but unfortunately the wood we found was not "GOOD" firewood. Oh, well. We spent Thanksgiving at Brian's parents home in Kamiah along with his brother Rod, younger sister Brenda (she took the pictures), and older sister Regina and her family. We had a lot of fun. Thanksgiving dinner was held at the church and consisted of about 100 Rupp aunts, uncles,and cousins. No lie. We played games and stuffed ourselves silly.
We finally had the chance to meet the newest member of the Rupp Family, baby niece Vanessa Louise Hansen. She is adorable-we had a lot of fun watching her daddy make her giggle.

The Oliver Family

2007-10-26T09:25:00.000-07:00

Camille's Grandfather recently passed away, which was a very sad loss, but gave us the opportunity to reunite with her mother's side of the family in Toppenish, Washington. All of the Oliver grandchildren were finally in the same place at the same time. We really had a wonderful time reminiscing with aunts, uncles, and cousins. We especially enjoyed talking about our great memories of Grandpa Wendell and Grandma Lee.The Originals: The children of Wendell and Lee Oliver: Left- Tammie, Kent, and Lynn (Camille's mom)
Left front: Tammie Howard, Bonnie Oliver, and Lynn Park. Left Back: Mike Howard, Kent Oliver, and Tom Park
The Whole Family: Left front: Tucker Memmott, Walker Memmott, Cassidy Park, Nichole Park, Bailey Park, River Howard, Forrest Howard, Maddie Park, Caleb Park, and Bonnie Oliver. Second Row Left: Lynn Park, Traci Park Memmott, Shane Park, Averie Park, Mike Howard, Tammie Howard, Hannanh Park, Wendi Oliver, Kyle Oliver, and Kent Oliver. Third Row Left: Tom Park, Chris Memmott, Tyson Park, Brian Rupp, Camille Park Rupp, and Justin Park. Missing from photo Jana Park and Elaine Park.
Lynn Lee Oliver Park: Husband-Thomas Park; Children- Traci (40) (Chris), Justin (37) (Jana), Tyson (32), Shane (30) (Nichole), and Camille (26) (Brian).
Kent Wendell Oliver: Wife- Bonnie Hamm Oliver; Children- Wendi (18) and Kyle (16)
Tammie Ann Oliver-Howard: Husband- Michael Howard; Children- Forrest (8), River (6)

The Oliver Grandchildren: Shane, Camille, Traci, Tyson, Justin (Children of Lynn) Wendi and Kyle (Children of Kent)
Forrest and River (Children of Tammie)

The Next Generation: The Oliver Great-grandchildren
Front Left: Averie Park (3), Cassidy Park (4) (Shane); Tucker Memmott (8) (Traci); Caleb Park (5) (Justin).

Second Row Left: Bailey Park (1) (Shane); Walker Memmott (11)(Traci); Hannah Park (12), Maddie Park(9) (Justin). Missing: Elaine Park ( 1 week)(Justin)

Harvest Time on the Palouse

2007-09-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we just finished our busiest time of the year, HARVEST. We thought that it would be fun to put together a photo album for our distant family and friends, of how the whole process works. Enjoy!

This is where it all begins....In the middle of the Palouse

This is a picture of a Combine (harvesting machinery) in the distance. To the right is the wheat that has already been cut, to the left is the crop that is waiting to be harvested.

Welcome

2007-08-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

Welcome Friends and Family! We thought that this would be a fun way to let all of you in on what we are up to. We hope you enjoy!! Thanks for your visit.

Love,

Brian and Camille