More Dreaming at the Ranch

Of course you have to see the pictures of the Ranch before it was the Ranch. Dad and Mom, C, D, and K, have all worked really hard over the years to make it what it is today.

Even the trees, during the eight years that C and I have been married, have really grown and become all the more established at the Ranch. It really is quite beautiful.

And before we end our wonderful, weekend escape to heaven...a snap of S's next summer accident...this time claiming her front tooth. The Saturday after S had her cast taken off, S smacked her mouth on concrete steps at G-Gma H's house during the family reunion. We're grateful it didn't get knocked out or look any worse...we made a visit to the dentist the next month.

What are We Waiting For?

After our family reunion in Syracuse, we drove to Manila to catch Megan's wedding reception. It was a stretch, but well worth the effort as C and I had a great time visiting with family he grew up with on the Ranch. This would be perhaps the last of wedding receptions for this family...Megan is the youngest and the last to get married. We stayed late then made our way back to Evanston to stay the night...two more hours to get to Logan was just too much driving for one day.

It felt great to crash at the Ranch for a great night's rest. We left windows open through the warm summer evening. I love the sound of sprinklers through the night...reminds me of home when I was a kid. C and I and the kids were tuckered out, but we managed to make it to church, almost on time, early the next morning. Dad and Mom were gone for the weekend (maybe to Idaho for Ben's farewell)...it was a busy summer for all...we couldn't coordinate our weekends very well this year.

After church we enjoyed relaxing around the ranch. It was all very tranquil, very calming, very heavenly, very spiritual...I don't know if I can actually put words to the experience. It was quiet and we were there together as a family. Apparently, C and I were feeling the same with the stillness, fresh air, and summer magic. C commented to me, "What are we waiting for?!" You see, to give a little background, we've been in this searching mode as to what our next move should be for our family. Suddenly, we're finished with projects at our grand, little, starter home. We have loved where we are...the neighbors, ward, our home, and we still love where we are. BUT, there is a yearning for space for our family and to us, THIS type of set up feels like home, the kids would most definitely agree. What about the timing? We always keep our eyes open and browse the housing/land market throughout the year. We go back to previous plans we've made when we purchased some land in Cache Valley a few years ago.

A short weekend stop like this just seemed to calm the questions in our minds, solidifying that we'd very much love to provide this for our family. As for the timing, we're still wondering, but patiently waiting, being happy and content with what we've been allotted and where we are for the season.

Shade, Water Fun, & Visiting

It was great to have trees to comfortably sit under with the kiddos.

And for some easy entertainment for the kids...water always seems to be the solution. The kids had a blast with water fun in the afternoon while the adults visited and worked on a service project...sanding/staining wood blocks.

S at the kiddie pool with cousins.

The perfect set up for a family reunion.

Reunion Breakfast Time

Such a pleasant summer weekend to be together outside. We love to spend time with cousins...it is so fun to watch all the kids play together.

B at the head of the table (love this booster chair...we pack it everywhere we go now. When there's a one year old + and meals involved, mom likes to put it all on the tray and eat a meal for herself).

Reunion Time

What a thrill for the little kids...all part of the family fun in Syracuse this year.

What a load of grandkids all under the age of 10.

It was a beautiful, calm, evening to camp out in tents. The kids slept great. C left the rain fly off to see the stars through the night. I won't bother posting any close-ups of myself. I was pegged with a frisbee right in the mouth not 5 minutes after we pulled up to the reunion spot. Didn't even see it coming...I was a little emotional...not one of my stellar moments.
H & D spoiled us with some dutch oven veggies and scrumptous chicken. C set up the projector for a family photo/video night. Oh, so much fun with homemade icecream (Heath & Orange) out of this world deliciousness! We munched on popcorn too, all outside in the dark. The grandkids loved the show and dessert! Breakfast was a hit with lots of sugary stuff. We were able to catch up on Elder H's news from his life at the MTC.

More breakfast munchies.

A Project

With some July time off, C spent some extra time in his "office" with projects of his own.

Celebrating Pioneer Day

We celebrated Pioneer Day with an awesome pancake breakfast with the community. Pioneer accessories thanks to Cousin Camp!

Afterwards, we joined the crowd for the parade.

We made a family bike ride to a nearby park for the evening. J did a great job making the trek on his bike.

I felt pretty good myself with the ride while C pulled the trailer with the kids...still going faster than I; although, I tailed behind to stick with J.

Cousin Camp 2011

Gpa and Grma H organized their first cousin camp and my what a camp it was! The kids waited for months for cousin camp to arrive. Our cousins from CA even made the trip to Utah to join in the fun. B and I stayed with my Aunt in Heber. It was a nice break for me and fun to be at home for a few days...I didn't want to drive to and from Logan to drop kids off and pick them up again; plus, I wanted to be close in case S needed me.

The kids made a variety of crafts and learned a bunch about their ancestors...it was pretty action packed for three days.

The closing ceremonies with a talent show and parents, aunts, uncles, and Great-Grandma H. as the audience. J recited the 13 Articles of Faith he had been diligently memorizing since the beginning of the year. L and S were supposed to join, but it was J that chose to put on a stellar performance. (I almost missed it taking S to the bathroom for a lengthy restroom break).

I much enjoyed hearing about "Cousin Camp" from the kids for pretty much the rest of the summer. And whenever we talked about attending another family reunion or going camping, S happily referred to the event as another "Cousin Camp!" I spent sometime reading through a few of the lives of my ancestors from a book Dad and Caryl had compiled. I was very touched and grateful my kids had the opportunity to learn about their heritage from an amazing Gpa and Grma H. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for teaching our kids!