Adventures of the Magnificent 7: September 2013

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

go East then West

Adam-Ondi-Ahman

This is my family and my brother's family. Gary and Julie have 3 boys.

Their oldest is serving a mission for our Church in Colombia for the next two years.

Ryan and Joel are still at home.

Carthage Jail

Colorado is pretty close to the center of the country. So we thought we should take advantage of that and go see some Church History sites before moving back to Washington.

Winter Quarters Temple

We had a great time! Our trip was two fold...experience the history sites and find the best BBQ in the area!

We went from Colorado through Nebraska and Iowa to Illinois then Kansas and back to Colorado. Then from there we went through Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and then Washington.

Missouri River

If you are wondering...it was 50 hours in the car...together...with movies...cousins...snacks...pillows and blankets.

I can safely say that my kids don't blink an eye when we say we will be in the car for a couple of hours. Go figure!

Granger Street in Nauvoo, Illinois

Nauvoo Temple

Sean loves hats!

Baptisms for family members in the Nauvoo Temple

First BBQ to try on the list. Brisket was very tasty!

Kameron, Ryan, Joel, Sadie and Sean

Oklahoma Joe's is the best BBQ!!

I love this painting of it! The building is shared between Oklahoma Joe's and a small gas station.

Most evenings, the line is out the door.

That's nothing...on the weekend...the line is out the door and around the block!

It was amazing!

Our last two nights were in Kansas City. Home of Oklahoma Joe's and the Great Wolf Lodge. Between the water park and a Six Flags amusement park, I think we tired them out!

I really enjoyed everything we saw, did and experienced together.

Isn't that what it is all about?!

Doing things together as family!

Years ago my two oldest brothers took over our family farm. Those of us not farming, still consider it a family farm. So when my kids and all of the nieces and nephews are old enough, they go the farm in June and work together to harvest the first cutting of hay. This has been going on for several years now, and even though some kids may grumble about the long hours on a tractor, or the heat of they day, they have some great memories they can talk about with their cousins. Here are some highlights...

Woods' barn

Kittitas Valley facing Northwest

Baling as long as they can

With Timothy hay, it has to be very DRY to bale. So when the windy hot weather has dried it, they go out and bale it up as long as the dry hay will let them. Once the dew sets in, it is time to stop. This year they stayed out as long as 10:00pm.
The boys had many long days on tractors....like 8-10 hours.

The Rope Swing

Fourth of July annual kickball game--so many boys!

{Cousins making friendships}

Aunt Jessica, Sarah and Sean

Cousin Joel eating his pie...and loving it!

Kaleb on a tractor with the baler.

A local 4-H group in the Kittitas valley made these Barn Quilts as a fundraiser for their group. The quilts are beautiful additions to the old and new, stately barns around the valley.

Ryan, Kameron and Kaleb [friend of Kameron's visiting from Colorado]

Taking Bull Grease off of skin with Aunt Susan's grainy-Mega-Soap

Climbing Grandpa's Trees

Nicole and Stan's little girls, Mikelle and Hailey...Trevor peeking in behind Sadie

Manual labor at it's best. Taking off the roof of an old milking barn.

There are just some things that can only be learned by good ol' work.

The kind of work that comes from a farm.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Summer time snapshots

I realized that I have not posted anything in quite some time. It has been a very crazy summer and I ALMOST feel like we are settled in the house. But not quite. I had a goal to paint the interior. You know, a fresh start, lighten and brighten, make a new look, etc. I am nearly ready to start.

Enjoy the pictures!

Pirates and treasure! This Sand Castle was outside a great furniture store in Sumner: The Old Cannery. We found some very inspiring book shelves in there and since my brothers are taking down an old barn, our lofty dreams are to salvage some wood and create something like it.

We brought the trampoline out of the forest and look at that...it's getting used! Sadie is trying out my ipod shuffle--so she is dancing to music. Joel is wheeling one of his air soft pistols--unloaded of course, and Sean is doing Sean stuff.

Sean and Guster and I on a walk. Too cute!

Kameron turned 17 this summer and we had a bunch of friends over. It is not surprising that it turned in to a water fight. His good friend Tanner is on the roof with him. It reminded me of all the water fights we had with the boys and their friends when they were little. ... :Sigh:...

Kaleb's longboard got highjacked one night. It was strung up for while and on the large Zucchini is says: :We killed your board."

It just makes sense for a little boy to be playing in the water and making mud, don't ya think?

We had such a wonderful summer of SUN! So we took advantage of every day we could to be outside doing something. Sean is laying on his tummy and just chillin' there, kicking his legs. He must of been there for a good 20 minutes.

Sadie loves the zoo! You can feed these cute little guys. It was a little starting at first when they fly to you, but it is so fun to have them close.

Kaleb finishing his first leg of RAGNAR...