Backyard Fair

The kids and I put together another Backyard Fair on the Tuesday they have out following Labor Day.  It was fun to work on together.  The favorite part was preparing the prizes and pricing them.  The turnout was slim, but everyone that came seemed to enjoy it.  

Ruby manned the fishing pond.

The older kids really got in to the "100s game" that Dalanie had learned at the Wilkins reunion.  It simple, but competitive.  You try to write the numbers from 1-100.  You begin once you have rolled a 6 on the die.  There is only one pen so as soon as someone else rolls a 6, they take the pen from you and continue writing.

Plinko was a favorite to rack up points.

Every dunk-ee got 5 tickets.  Several kids thought it was an easy way to earn them.

Bless Wendy Jolley for coming and painting faces.  (Her girls had committed to at the Maker's Market, but then got a better offer.) She sure made a lot of kids happy!

Dalanie took care of the prize table.  We had lots of prizes for the number of people, so everyone except Cooper walked away happy.

And since we have it, the water slide was put to use.  We tried it on grain sacks so the kids could stay dry, but it just isn't the same.

I did tell Brent that night, that it was my last time hosting the fair.  So maybe I need to put it in writing.  I just ran around the whole time manning games while rest of the moms sat on the grass and visited.  

Flaming Gorge Reunion

Lots was going on with the farm- spraying and irrigating, so Brent wasn't able to come.  The kids and I loaded up and headed over to Manila a day early.  We got there just in time for Tuff's preschool graduation.  The kids had fun playing together and we liked seeing what the boys do.  They sure are active kids.  There was roping and playing in the sandbox and digging out back.  Tameka treated us to their special pancakes- the ones she raises boys with.  They are plate size.

Mom and Dad rolled into town Friday morning with Millie and Truman.  We had lunch and moved over to Rocky Ridge for the remainder of our time there.  The kids and I pitched a tent, Hartwell's had the yurt, and Smith's, Mom and Dad, and Stephen's all had their campers.  The accommodations their were perfect.

Ruby and Hudson wasted no time and set to work tying flies with Grandpa.  Hudson didn't have quite the finesse, most of his ended up looking like a hairball.  His large hands don't do dainty well.  

Next Ruby drug Grandpa over to the pond to take her fishing.  Thanks to teamwork, they landed this beauty.  Hudson worked past dinnertime on his fly fishing skills.

Apache Warrior made his appearance and the kids were smitten.  So much so that no horse sense was followed- they were walking under and behind him.

Ty drove the kids around and around.  There was a lesson in patience and taking turns.

Finally Ty decided to unhitch him.  Dalanie took him for a ride, bareback.  She rode down to the pavilion when he decided to buck when she turned around to come back.  She started falling and jumped off (good thing he's close to the ground.)  Obviously the kids didn't get enough of the cart rides because they spent the rest of the time giving each other rides.

Rocky Ridge Outpost is an adorable facility that Ty's parents have built.  The washrooms were most popular for our crew.

None could pass up the chance to take a picture of the Dam Kids in front of the dam.

We took a Sunday drive to Red Canyon.  The outlook was spectacular and nerve racking.  Some in our group enjoy living on the edge and making the rest of us upset.

A group shot was easier said than done.  My remote had a hard time reaching that far.

Tameka put together a Who Dunnit Jeopardy to learn more about my parents growing up years.

The kids played and played.  It didn't take much to keep them entertained.

Their expansive imaginations quickly turned a baseball and bat into a game on miniature golf into the tipi.

There were parachute cord bracelets made and both Critter and Delsie loved the little fridge in the yurt that was their size.

Lake day at Swim Beach was a highlight.  Elsie rode Nemo around the whole day.

Ty had to talk the kids into letting him throw them up into the lake.  It took more persuasion than necessary and then it was the best part of the day.  They also set up a slip and slide into the lake.  It took quite a bit of skill to get down on your tube but Tuff owned it.

Oh these pirates on the paddle board.

These girls schemed and shared points to buy all of the doll clothes that Grandma Parish had made for the auction.

Dalanie was great help holding baby Betsy.

Some of us went on an expedition to explore the petroglyphs.  It was a steep climb over rocks and around cactus.

My help was Delsie's downfall.  I called her towards me and she slid and sat right in a cactus.  Oh the tears.  Mom helped me strip her down and remove the spines from her little tush.  Poor girl.

It was a great reunion!!

Joy School Graduation

Graduation left me a little nostalgic, my baby finishing up Joy School.  Each child and I have participated in Joy School.  It has been a wonderful program to learn and discover.  I love the values that it teaches.  Numbers and letters will come soon enough, but I hope they each remember the joys we learned about.  The Joy of the Body, the Earth, Families, Individuality, Creativity, and Spontaneity.  These simple truths bring joy- something our Heavenly Father wants us to have but that the world has misconstrued.  Fun has replaced joy and people say that happiness is fleeting.  True joy comes from following our Heavenly Father, living an honest and upright life, by working hard, contributing to your family and community, and serving others.

Delsie got to decorate her graduation camp.

 Classmates included: McCarty Thompson, Kate Scoresby, Kayci Telford, Dylan Chesnut, Tell Peterson, Ellie Downs, and Oakley Jolley.

Watermelon Patch Kids

Just like the killdeer return in the spring and the robins come back to build their nests, the nicer weather gets these kids dreaming of juicy watermelon.  They've learned the law of the harvest and understand you can't eat what you don't plant.  Over the years, they have taken on more ownership.  

 They were their to compost the holes and transplant the seedlings.  And when the seedling froze or died, they went back and direct-sowed seeds.  I quickly found that it was better for me not to be out with them.  Otherwise I would find myself doing all the work while they argued and fought.  If I were around, they had to work things out and put their noses to the grindstone.

Once our patch was planted, we decided to expand over to the Madsen place that Dylan wasn't doing anything with.  They weren't super excited to think they still had more to plant, but it went it a lot faster than our's at home.

End of the Year

And so it is, another school year in the books.  I got to go on the third grade field trip up to BYU-I to the planetarium and to tour the campus.

We also stopped at Hells Half Acre.  It was my first time there.

G.W., Aileen, Clara, Porter

Kindergarten with Ms. Crofts in the afternoon.  I loved afternoon because she played with Delsie while I got things done and then she could ride the bus home with the other kids.

 Ruby enjoyed kindergarten with all of her church friends who also happened to be in our carpool

The fifth graders participated in DARE, so they get to play at DARE day and the EISF.

I volunteered and was in charge of the water relay game.  The kids loved any chance to get wet because it was such a hot day.

Hudson got to have Mrs. Tanner for her last year.  He memorized the preamble to the the constitution and all verses of the Star Spangled Banner.  She also had several poems that they memorized.

Dalanie enjoyed Mrs. Johnson where she worked hard on her writing skills and math. 

Last Day photo-op.

Madelyn, Erica, Camilla, Emma, Andrea

George Thompson's Grandpa brought his horses and wagon down to give the kids rides.