Brady Family Reunion

A couple weeks ago we went to the Brady Family Reunion at the cabin. It was a lot of fun, the weather was nice, the food was great and the company was wonderful.

Norma and Archie just sat around and chatted most of the time. Grandma spent plenty of time holding great grand babies and trying to hit Ben with a water balloon.

Alex loved the rocks and dirt and grass and bugs. She tried to climb everything and wanted to explore everywhere. Alex and Heidi took turns wearing a bear bell, so I would always know where one of them was. It worked well until Alex discovered how to detach it from her back belt loop. After that she had to have a chaperone everywhere she went. This was a bit exhausting for both Tyler and I. With two walking kids we each took a kid and spent the entire time following our child around. We didn't see much of each other or really anyone else but we made it home without any injuries or lost child scares!

Alex loves playing with little girls, there don't seem to be many her age around here so she mostly plays with little boys. Therefore spending time with her little girl cousins was a treat.

I wish I could say this wasn't how Heidi looked the entire time.

I wish I could say this is how I did look the entire time. Minus the scrawny, pale, freakishly long arms. Tyler caught on film one of the 3 times I got to sit still the entire trip. I think I was in this chair about 2 minutes before I had to chase after a kid. I love camping, but I was pretty excited to get home and lock them in the house so I could sit down and relax.

Ashes stood guard over our little camp ground throughout the night. Believe it or not thats the tent I won at my High school graduation party. It's had lots of love and can probably fit one more kid before we have to actual purchase a decent tent.

The morning everyone was packing up I followed these two around butterfly hunting. They caught a moth that was promptly squished, but they took turns carrying the "sleeping" bug around for a good 45 minutes before it was put to rest in the grass.

I'll let you guess where we were rushing off to. I couldn't help but take a picture.

We got home and spent the next week being hot and being busy. I made dinner for a sister in the ward and her only request was a chocolate cake. I'm convinced this was probably the most delicious cake I've ever made, but I can't be sure since I didn't get a taste.

At the risk of being judged by the contents of my fridge, I have to post this picture. I just love how it looked in the fridge.

Montana-Wyoming Vacation AKA- a visit to Heaven on Earth

I love Wyoming.

I thought this over and over as I drove with Susan my mother in law, and 2 kids through the beautiful state a few weeks ago. Both my parents were born and raised in Wyoming and I suppose it was spending much of my youth in that great state's secret places, that filled me with such love.

I get a quiet satisfaction when I hear people belittle Wyoming. There is this warm fuzzy feeling like I'm in a secret club of adventurers, one of the few who know the real beauty and grander, the best fishing spots, the hole in the wall ice-cream shops with the best shakes, the right names to drop at the right places, and all the best short cuts. If you see Wyoming as a barren desert with a few green spots around the North Western Edge, then you obviously arn't in this club.

I could go on, but suffice it to say, I love Wyoming.

Against all odds Susan, the girls and I made it to Worland on our first day of driving. The next day and a half were spent talking and laughing with my grandparents, running around in the yard and melting in the Wyoming heat while at the farm.

Alex filled Grandma's mailbox with flowers and kept a few for her hair.

Susan took stunning pictures of Grandpa's beautiful roses.

This is the most photogenic picture taken of me the entire trip.

Alex rode a horse!

Reminds me of a similar picture from a few years back.

Alex adores her Great Grandpa, who spoiled her rotten.

Susen went above and beyond her call of duty, first by volunteering to drive with me to Montana to help with the kids, and then paying for her own plane ticket home! I wouldn't have made it to Worland without her. I didn't realize how much she did until she left and I spent the next week running around out of breath trying to keep the kids under control.

I'm so glad my kids are getting to know my Grandfather. If someone wrote his life story, I'm sure he it would become a bedtime favorite, up there with Peter Pan and Cinderella. Definitely one of my biggest Heros.

It was so fun watching my kids do the same things that I grew up doing. Going to the farm, playing on the dirt piles, riding horses and of course- grabbing a soda from the fridge (it's lemonaid).

Despite the blistering heat, we had a great visit.

Alex got to spend time with 2 different grandmas, 2 great grandmas and a great grandpa. When we got home we headed off to a Brady reunion where she spent time with another set of grandparents and a set of great grandparents. Her other great grandma lives down the road and we visit all the time. I feel so blessed that my children are able to grow up with and be loved by such a remarkable generation.

The girls with their Great Grandma Asay.

Grandpa taught the girls how to 4-wheel. Heidi especially loved it and kept trying to steer it herself.

When Grandpa tells you to do something, you just do it. Alex has already caught on to the way things are, here she is licking a cow salt lick, because Grandpa told her to.

Heidi really liked the farm,

and watching Grandpa do the chores.

Great Grandpa teaching Heidi how to check horseshoes.

Heidi getting her first horse ride.

It was sad to leave Wyoming but we had to press forward. On the way out we stopped by a airplane graveyard, I mean, museum in Greybull.

Unfortunately we only got to see about 5 planes before Alex had to use the bathroom and we had to drive back to town to find a toilet.

Susan was such a great sport. It was probably harder to put up with my whims and wishes than it was with the kids.

Tuesday we said goodbye to Grandma Brady and Hello to Great Grandma Sanderson and then Wednesday Stephen arrived, back from a 2 year LDS mission to Brazil!

It was great seeing him, as well as the rest of the family.

Alex and Heidi had their run of the farm in Montana and helped out with the chores everyday. Alex did a great job of keeping Heidi out of trouble, and the chicken coop.

We visited the Billings temple for a picture.

It had to be 95 degrees on the cement, everyone was dying of heat by the time I got them posed and in location. There is just something extra fun and special about Grandmas. I loved spending the week watching the girls interact with my mom and her mom.

Alex was super excited when Michael arrived in town and wouldn't leave him alone.

Heidi loved being able to run free in the yard without me yelling at her to stay away from the road.

We taught Alex how to take car of the pigs.

Played dress up.

Tried to saddle the old mean horse.

and had a water balloon fight in which Heidi ended up the most soaked.

It was sad to leave Billings, but Tyler was missing us and we missed him. So we grabbed Stephen and headed back to Worland, spent the night and enjoyed some great conversation with a few cousins in town, and then took off for Provo.

My Dad's best friend growing up became a Taxidermist. We stop by his shop every now and then to see what project he is working on and to sit on the buffalo.

Last time I sat here, Alex was in my belly.

It was like a exotic petting zoo for the kids.

Heidi was rather thrilled that all the animals held still so she could touch them.

Finally we made a break for home. To space out the journey we stopped at South Pass City for a stretch. I have driven by the turn off a hundred times but never stopped until now. I was pleasantly surprised and the kids were thrilled to be out of the car.

For a few dollars you could walk around the restored ghost mining town, go inside and see the exhibits. When deciding whether to do it, I asked Stephen what his excitement level was, from 1-10. He responded "Oh, probably a 4 or 5." I replied "I'll be back, I'm going to go get my wallet." In hindsight I see how he was probably less than thrilled at the prospect, but I'm used to forcing my family participate in activities when their level of excitement is a -35, so a positive 4 was practically a 100 in my book.

Heidi and Alex both loved running down the boardwalk with the wind in their hair.

Alex got a giant lollypop stick and was in heaven.

Not to mention we got to check Wyomings first Masonic Lodge off our list of Worlds 7 Wonders seen.

Overall I highly recommend the stop if you are in the area.

It was a great vacation. Best of all was being with my family again.

What a handsome group of guys!

Guess it's already too late to turn her into a ballerina.

We have been off in adventure land for a few weeks and there is much to post about. While I get everything organized and settled I will just have to leave you with this.