Back to the Country

This year we spent two weeks in Teasdale.  The first week for me was spent cleaning out my mom's house.  We literally went through every bedroom closet!!!   I have  to admit that cleaning and organizing is a talent of mine.  I told my mom I'd much rather go through and clean out a closet than cook dinner any day. She thinks I'm crazy!!!

Meanwhile the kids kept themselves pretty entertained with the kitties, playing outside and every once in a while I'd take a ride with  the girls while they practiced driving the 4 wheeler up and down the road.  It also helped when Paula took the girls to a story time at the county library.  Looks like my girls were stars of the show.

 

We also met up with one of my favorite cousins Mary Jane who was in town with her family from Houston. I haven't seen her in years but she's as friendly and funny as ever.  We went with her down to Capitol Reef National Park and enjoyed the visitor center, a picnic and watched the kids climb all over a hill.   Here's a picture of all of our kids together. 

The hardest part about working along side my mom was having her pulled away with so many phone calls.  Man my mom is involved in so many things.  As we were organizing her projects that she told me she'd finish someday, I told her it was pointless to keep them because she's too busy and involved to finish any of these things.   One afternoon my mom took my dad, who was cutting hay, his lunch.   The girls went with my mom while I continued to clean out and were lucky enough to cut a couple rows with him.

 Friday the 4th came and we spend the day with most of my family at Sarah and Luke's house.  My kids loaded up their candy stash at the Richfield parade and then we went back for a BBQ and some slip and slide fun.  We ended the day having the kids paint matching flag shirts that they all wore to the parade the next day.

 

 

Saturday was the traditional Torrey festivities.  First the parade, then games for the kids,  watching the 4th of July program that my mom is always a part of and then the annual BBQ. 

 The best part of the weekend for me was having Bart around.   The kids love spending time with their dad.  Especially when he would take them on 4 wheeler rides!   

 With Bart gone back to work, the next week became a fun filled cousin week.  Ally and I both had our kids along with Bentley and Dayson.   Each morning we all set off for swimming lessons.  This year Allyson, William, Aaron and I took the mommy and me swimming class while the girls were in their classes.  Aaron thought the best part was playing with the water at the top of the slide.  He needed to be coerced from the water and then would slide the rest of the way down. 

 

 

 Both of the girls became expert high and low dive jumpers (High for Emi low for Jane).  Most of all they had a lot of fun and enjoyed their special prize Grandma Becky gave them when the completed the week.

When we weren't swimming.  The kids were enjoying each others company at their Grandma's house.  I read a saying that said "Grandma's house, it's where cousins become friends".  This was true most of the time unless a little toddler greed got in the way.

  

Emily enjoyed teaching Bentley how to use her rainbow loom

In the evenings when all the kids got restless we would load everyone up in the Can Am and cross the field to pet the horses.

One night Baxter drove by after he finished moving some sprinklers and stopped and gave all the kids what Ally referred to as "City Slickers horse rides around the corral"  The kids loved it especially Aaron who begged to get on with anyone who would let him. 

It may take my mom a full year to recover but we are already looking forward to more cousin time in Teasdale