4th of July weekend

We went to the ranch for the 4th of July weekend and Matt's family reunion. We wanted to go through Zion's canyon without paying so we got up at 5am and left at 6am. We are only a half an hour away so we made it before 7am. It was really pretty to go through it that early in the morning before the sun was really shining. Anyway, we got there at 7:30 and my kids headed right to the pond to play. They spent most of the day there. Despite sunblock and t-shirts they got quite burned. I told them tons of times to come in out of the sun, but kids will be kids.

That evening, after dark, the kids got to roast marshmallows for s'mores and play with sparklers. Aaron, Matt's youngest brother, brough a large box of firework and the kids had a ball. I did get a picture of Aaron and his girlfriend this time from a distance and zoomed it in.


That night before I put them to bed Beau was hungry so I fed him some cottage cheese and Candy talked me into letting him have a hot dog that she had just warmed up. BIG MISTAKE!!! That kid tossed and turned and fussed until almost 4am. Just then it started to sprinkle outside. So I got out of the tent and gathered up all the stuff in the back of the trailer including clothes, my diaper supply, and Matt's guns. Finally, after that I was able to get some sleep. I am so glad, though, that we weren't inside the cabin. Everyone would have been scowling at me the next morning.




























After breakfast the kids did races. Safia won hers. Jaren was the youngest of his group, but he still did well even though he didn't win. Angelique and Jileigh ended up being the only ones in their respective age groups so they didn't race, but they weren't that heart-broken. Talon and Kelsey tied their race. Then they had funny races of going backward, going in circles, and crab crawling. Talon and Jileigh did really good in those. Then, to my displeasure, they gave all the kids a piece of candy. They tried to give one to Beau, but I stopped them. I said to Jason, "I didn't throw a fit about the others getting candy, but I won't stand for you giving it to my baby!" He just laughed at me. Then the kids got to make some crafts. They did foam door hangers and pictures frames. It was a nice, cool, cloud-covered day where the day before was just hot and sunny. It was a nice change. It kept my kids' burns from getting worse.

Then we had lunch. It was assorted breads, meats, and salads. Everything was wonderful. I tried hard not to over-eat. I had a nice time visiting with all of Matt's cousins and their spouses. The first cousins in his family are all so close and welcome all in-laws with open arms.

Matt took Talon for a ride on the 4-wheeler. They went riding and crossed the stream a couple of times and got covered in mud. It was definately picture worthy.

Later we had a program / talent show like we do at every reunion. It really is great because it gives the kids an opportunity to perform in front of an audience. They also gave all the kids an award for participating in the races that morning.
Then we made a spaghetti dinner. I made a full pan of sauteed zucchini and yellow squash with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon on top. It was a hit! Matt and the kids packed up while I cooked. During that time, Jileigh came to me and asked me if I had an extra set of keys. Appearently, Matt let Beau play in the car while they were packing. Someone shut the door and Beau locked himself in alone with the keys in the car and had turned on the headlights. I had learned from my last experience and had the extra set. After dinner we left. It was sad to leave but I was ready to go home to my own bed.














I took a couple of pictures of the outside of the cabin from the front and back and then another picture of the kitchen. It is a bit messy from lunch, but you get the general idea of what it looks like.

By the way, I spent over an hour and a half on the post trying to get it to look acceptable. The formatting on the program could use some improvement.