Joaquin Phoenix & Reese Witherspoon Jackson

Yeah, I'm Going to Jackson, Look Out Jackson Town

We're in Jackson Hole! When I think of Jackson it always reminds me of the song "Jackson" by Johnny Cash. I only know that song because of the movie Walk the Line...which I love! Hence the title of my blog post is some of the lyrics of that song. That movie has such an amazing soundtrack! Anyway...so we got here yesterday in Jackson and just did a little walking around the town and went out to eat at our favorite mexican restaurant here The Merry Piglets. We came here last October when we were still living in Rexburg, for a little vacation. Back then I was 6 months prego. I don't have any way of uploading the pics we've taken here so far because our laptop died and I have to use the hotel computer but I'll post some of our previous trip to Jackson. We are spending a week maybe two here depending on Keith's work and whether they decide to transfer him again. Regardless, I might come home back to Boise on Friday. I am so excited about coming home to Boise. I've missed it so much and I've missed out on so much (cascade), but it's hard to be away from Keith for so long so that's why we come with him on his work trips. Summer is almost over though and I'm so bummed because there is so much I still want to do in Boise for the summer. I have a lot to do when I get back though, appointments for Carson, birthdays, preparing for our family Carnival, girls nights w/the sistas, hanging out w/the girlfriends, meeting carson's new best friend deklan (my best friend emily just had her baby), and more home decor shopping for our apartment oh and computer shopping too. I can't wait to float the river and go swimming with the fam. I can't wait to have a good home cooked meal seriously Keith and I miss cooking, we have to eat out every night since we are living out of a hotel. I'm ready for home.

Carson is getting so big here are a few updates!

rolling over like crazy!
almost sitting up on his own
has definitely found his screeching voice
I'm not sure how much he weighs cuz we were out of town for his last apt. so I will find out when we come back but I can definitely tell he's heavier
sticks out his tounge every now and then
still sucks on hands and sometimes feet
takes 3 glorious naps a day!
loves cuddling when tired
more and more hair!
loves sucking on our phone cover...it's seriously his favorite
The biggest SMILER I know

I will post the actual pics of our trip in another post.

The famous antler arch in Jackson Hole

Six months prego last october in the teton pass on our way to Jackson. We didn't take the pass this time instead we went through Palasades. We didn't think our car would make it through that scary pass.

Dinner at The Merry Piglets

In Grand Teton National Park right outside of Jackson

My beautiful baby boy

I love LUCY'S

The only thing I miss about Eastern Idaho (Idaho Falls)

Lucy's New York Style Pizza in Idaho Falls. Hands down the best pizza in Idaho. First day in Idaho Falls what do we do??...........well go to Lucy's of course and order our usual half cheese half buffalo chicken...pure yumminess I haven't tested better pizza. mmmmm I've missed this...bout the only thing I miss about eastern Idaho.

Life is a HIGHWAY

Life is a highway and a hotel room for us this week and next. We are in Twin Falls for Keith's work until Thursday, then we head to Idaho Falls for more work there and then maybe Jackson Hole. I think Jackson is still up in the air on whether they are sending him there or not. Keith's job requires a lot of traveling mostly to Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana but he will be going to Arizona next month and there are a few other states that they will send him to also but it's mostly those three states. It's nice that I get to tag along with him and we get a free hotel, gas and food paid for. Although I miss Boise a lot and was looking forward to the whole summer there with my family, it would be very difficult to be away from Keith during all these trips though. So we are making a vacation out of the trips and plan to see somethings like Shoshone Falls and other places that I've always wanted to stop at along the way. Course Idaho Falls is nothing new we've be there a bajillion times when we lived in Rexburg but it will be fun to see family and our old Rexy friends. So today we went to Shoshone Falls which wasn't too far from our hotel. It was a BLAZIN' HOT day so we went back to the hotel after (I wanted to see the lake nearby but Keith wanted to get back to the hotel and get some water he was dying). Shoshone Falls is GORGEOUS these pics don't even do it justice. It is higher than Niagra Falls, guess that's why they call it the Niagra of the West. We didn't get too many good pics cuz we didn't want to take the stroller down the stairs but the ones we did get were good. We even saw Keith's boss there. It was a fun little outing and now I'm sitting in the hotel soaking up the air conditioning, and complimentary cookies while little man is sleeping :) I'm such a pansy I don't think I could ever live in a really hot state that is hot like 90% of the year today was just too hot. Anyway enough of my blabber oh yeah we also saw the temple..gorgeous but Keith didn't want to stop for pics cuz he was so thirsty so we will have to go back tomorrow or later tonight.Welp time to go eat some Five Guys.

This part of the snake river canyon is where Evil Knivel tried to jump on his bike from one side to the other. (He didn't make it)

In Memory Of.....

Trenton Jared Lewis

Five years ago today this sweet boy returned home to his father in heaven. T.J. (Trenton Jared) was only three years old when we lost him five years ago due to a drowning accident. I still remember that fateful Saturday, like it was yesterday. I had just moved to Rexburg and had only been there a little over a week starting my first semester of college after high school. My roommates and I had gone out to see the movie "Stick It," when I got back my other roommate told me my sister Nikki had called and it was important that I called her back. When I did I remember how in shock I was that our family just lost T.J. I didn't think something like this would ever happen to us. I remember calling my friend Ashlee and telling her. She came over and we took a walk and talked about things. She was so sweet to drive me all the way to Boise the next morning early so I could be with my family. T.J. was the sweetest little boy I've ever known and I'm not just saying that because he is my nephew he really is the SWEETEST boy you would ever meet. His quiet sweet voice and contagious SMILE is what I remember most about him. He loved his dad, cars, and his siblings. He was such a kind boy to everyone he met. I sure miss him and think about him often. He would be eight now, I like to imagine what he would look like and what his favorite things would be. It sure hurts to lose a family member especially when they are just a little child, but I know that my family and I will see him again and he will be reunited with his family. We sure miss you T.J.

I found this in my e-mail today and thought I'd share...it was the life sketch that was given at T.J.'s funeral by my sister Nikki. She is so good with words, way better than I am and she describes T.J. and his life perfectly.

Trenton Jared Lewis
> A life Sketch            by: Nikki Jones
>
> It was a little past midnight on a cold fifth of December 2002 that a little baby boy with big dark eyes and a head full of hair entered this world. Coming in at 9lbs. 5oz.  And with a length of 20 ½ in. he was incredibly  fasinated by his surroundings that he didn’t really have a desire to cry; just simply seemed content to look around .  As the proud parents, Trent and Trudy Lewis, tenderly held their first little son, they decided that the name he would be identified by would be Trenton Jared Lewis, after his dad Trent and Uncle Jared. Almost immediately he became known as T.J. to those who knew him.
>     Spending his few years in the various parts of the Boise valley, T.J. was a friendly, easygoing boy who was curious about life. He was a very cute boy with big brown eyes, dimpled cheeks, and such a sweet smile. He was blessed to have two older sisters Monique, Kira and one younger brother Trevor to experience life with. Trevor was always under the watchful eye of his older brother. T.J. was quite the character  and shared many funny moments with his brother.When he would have a messy diaper and Trevor and he would be playing he would say, “ Trevor, did you mess your diaper, when it was really himself that needed a change.. T.J. loved being with his siblings and had a special love for them. They would climb all over their parents when they were in bed and kick them out with their leg fights they got into. They loved to play tag and it was a thrill to see who got the last hit in.  He was most himself in the company of such loving, caring sisters and brother. That was evident as you watched him interact and play with them. His sisters were always there when he needed someone and I don’t doubt that little T.J. looked up to them the few short years he was here.
> T.J. was your typical boy in many ways. He was a tough kid who got right up after falling down. He didn’t really have to take time to cry. He just went about what he was doing. The outdoors was his domain. It could be cold outside and it wouldn’t seem to faze him. He just loved exploring and creating with what Mother Nature had to offer.  Swimming wherever there was water was a pure delight to T.J.  Whether it be at Eagle Island or just being squirted by a hose, he would find such joy in it. He loved playing on Cita and Grandpa Lewis’s hill and you could often find him digging in the dirt making roads for cars and with childlike delight discovering various insects and bugs. The trampoline was a big highlight for T.J. and it seemed he was always jumping around on it whether he had company or not. But the boyish trademark T.J. will probably always be known for and what everyone remembers him by was his love for cars. . He didn’t just like cars, it was his passion. One of the first words uttered from his mouth was “Car” Even when he first woke up, that word was on his mind as he spoke. Never have I seen a boy as young as he was so fascinated with anything with wheels. He had a collection of cars and would most of the time be willing to share them but there were a precious few that he guarded with his life. When his cousin Ayden came over, T.J. eagerly dumped out his collection of cars to share and they played for hours.  It didn’t matter what it was, T.J.  would be watching anything that had an engine.. When Uncle Marve would plow his fields with the tractor where T.J. lived, T.J. would watch every move that tractor dared to make. His eyes would follow it up and down until  Uncle Marve was all done. He was also known for sitting on Cita and Grandpa’s couch just watching every car that went by and every few moments would look over and say to who ever was near him “ See Car” Wherever he would go, its seemed he had some type of toy car with him. He would never lose interest in such a fascinating toy. A lot of the love for cars stemmed from watching his Dad work on various cars at their home. T.J. loved being with his Dad and this was their time they got to have one and one time together. Getting right down beside him under the car, TJ would hand his Dad the tools he needed and just sit contently and watch. One day his Aunt Thersea drove up in a brand new car. T.J. was outside with his dad and as she came up to him he asked her what kind of car it was. She said a chevy caviliar. T.J. then turned to his Dad and solemly said, “We don’t like Chevys do we Dad?” He knew what cars his dad prefered. He was known for taking Aunt Thersea’s stash of cars and putting them in his pocket when he visited.  He was very curious about the different parts and things Trent did to the cars, but most of all it was the fact that his dad was there right with him. T.J. adored his Dad and looked up to him and wanted to do what he did. T.J. insisted on having his hair always buzzed because he would look like his Dad. Trent would be waxing a car and would have a lot of the work done and would look back only to see TJ with a dirty rag mimicking what his Dad was doing.  He loved his Dad and would get so excited to see him. T.J. didn’t like to be woken up. If it was his Dad though, T.J. never seemed to mind. Trent worked with two guys, Victor and Alex, who were Russians. When they would be coming over Trent would tease TJ that the Russians were going to get him. Well one early morning about  2 a.m.  T.J. woke Trent up and said, “The Russians are here to get you,” then went back to bed. T.J. was quite the character. He was his Mom’s little man and she was so proud of him.  His love for his mom and Dad was evident as they shared countless memories and moments with him. I bet they can remember the sleepless nights when T.J. would crawl into bed with them because he preferred their bed to his. But I think it was also because they were there, and he knew he had their love and care as he tried to fall asleep.
> T.J loved all his family including grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins. He was blessed with a ton. Many special memories were spent with the various family members and T.J. knew he could trust them and could feel their love. Aunt Thersea and T.J. would tease each other about who loved the other more. Thersea says it would go on forever. T.J. would never give up. He had fun at Uncle Tom and Aunt Thersea’s house playing with their animals. Especial Pudge their cat who he liked to rub his face on and the family dog became the family horse as T.J. loved to take rides upon his back in the living room. He also enjoyed Uncle Marve and Aunt Joanne’s dog Cocoa because he could remember the name.. He shared a special bond with Cita as she spent time with him. One of there times together was going to the library and getting involved in story and music time that the library offered. He preferred to sit in Cita’s lap and watch. He truly felt her love. Another person that T.J. became attached to was his cousin Alexa who was just over 4 months older than him. He called her Lexa and she insisted that his name was PJ for the longest time. They became fast friends playing together at cita and grandpa’s house whether it be with the toys downstairs, outside on the trampoline, swimming in the pool, playing with T.J.’s toy cars and bikes, or on the hill. T.J. would give her little kisses and they were often seeing holding hands. They would get excited to see each other and have the best time just enjoying the simple things in life.
> T.J. didn’t need an elaborate life to be happy. He was a boy who loved peanut butter sandwiches and going to the ice cream truck. He loved the color red and would often request the cereal in the red bag when choosing breakfast. In many ways he was just like any other boy just loving life, in other ways he was different. If you ever were privileged to know T.J. you probably saw that he was a very special boy. I think if you could describe him in a couple of words it would be his innocence and purity. His heart was pure and  good. So full of the innocent childlike love. In some ways he seemed wiser than other kids. He never acted spoiled or had to have all the attention. He didn’t push or shove or laugh at others. He was content with others being first. He didn’t ask for much. His big brown eyes and dimpled smile would just melt your heart. He loved to give hugs and was sensitive to others feelings. I remember watching him when Trevor would be crying. He would just give him a hug. He didn’t have to say much, but you could tell he cared by the way he looked at you.  T.J. taught me a lot about what is truly important in life. It was his pure simpleness and childlike innocence that has left a lasting impression on me. When I think of him that is what I remember him by. One other thing that I will always remember him for is the sweetness of his voice. He had such a pure, innocent voice when he talked that just melted your heart. When I think of him I think of the scripture in Matthew ch. 5 vs. 8 that says  “Blessed  are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” That truly describes the character of  T.J. and I don’t doubt  for a second that he is up in heaven, probably with a toy car in one hand,  and is truly happy and at peace. He is smiling down on us all and is probably with us more than we think. The last time Trent  saw TJ was this past Fathers day and promised him he would take him camping. TJ went to heaven before Trent  had the chance to keep that promise to his little boy. We’d like to think that now TJ’s great grandpa Brown who loved the outdoors, got to take him instead.  I am honored to have been able to have known him and be his aunt the few short years I knew him. But I know this isn’t the end. He will be waiting to give his special hugs to each member of his family. He will be with us and wants us to be happy. We will see that precious little boy again.

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