We left last Wednesday to fly up to Salt Lake City... with a layover in Phoenix... a long day of travel! But we all enjoyed the evening spent in Salt Lake at my Aunt Darla's house. Oliver especially loved having other kids to play with - and older kids at that. He had spent the time traveling continually asking when we were going to be at "Joshies House" (my cousin - Darla's son). Josh and his siblings were so sweet to my kids and they just loved every minute they spent there... I think it helped too that we were no longer in an airport!
The next morning, we got up and had a yummy breakfast at Darla's before heading out on the 3 hour drive to the Beck Ranch in Northern Utah. The trip was amazing as the kids slept for the first 2 hours until we stopped for lunch. Then they happily sat in their seats as we all sang along to songs from Matt's iPod for the last hour. What a fun family time together - I love it when we are all in good spirits and can just have fun together. I also really enjoyed feeling like a real family. Not that I don't normally, I just feel it even more so whenever I'm around people that I grew up with and am used to being a kid around. But this trip, I was no longer a kid, but a wife and mommy and that really made me feel old - but not in a bad way. In a happy-to-be-in-this-stage-of-life-with-a-family-of-my-own way :)
We arrived at the Ranch and headed up to the "Picnic Grounds" which is a campground area on my family's land. The local familes had pulled their camper trailers up there for us out-of-towners to stay in so we enjoyed some time just exploring the area and relaxing.
Father and son
Oliver striking a pose - and without any prompting from me. I'm just glad I had the camera there to capture his cuteness.Thursday night we had a big meal at the picnic grounds and enjoyed getting to see family we hadn't seen in a while. That night was not the best night's sleep I've ever gotten as I decided to sleep with Gabriella to keep her on a bed... but turns out, she is a bed hog. We made different sleeping arrangements the next night... with her on a bed we made for her on the floor. Mucho better! It was actually pretty cool at night - in the low 50s and upper 40s - but beautiful during the day with 70 degree temperatures. Much better than what it's like in Dallas right now.
Oliver on one of the cool mornings
Friday we had another yummy meal with family and Matt enjoyed hiking through the wilderness with some of the men in my family while I stayed back and chatted with people while the kids napped. We snuck away that afternoon to my cousin Cory's house to get showered and bathe our kids after the two very dirty days we had spent camping. I felt WAY better after that. I don't like feeling dirty! That evening the Beck Family joined the Briggs Family who was also having a reunion that weekend for a huge cookout/potluck and barn dance. The Briggs family is close to us because my great-aunt married into it. So Oliver and Gabby once again got to enjoy the outdoors, being held by aunts and uncles and cousins (and of course Meme and Peepee - my parents). Matt and I actually got to revert back to our country-western dancing days in college as there was music and dancing after dinner. So we tore it up on the dance floor and showed off some of our moves, which I am proud to say were pretty good! I was way impressed with my partner and all of the moves he remembered!
Saturday was another full day - Matt went rafting with about half of the group and I hung back with the kids and visited with my mom, Aunt Natty and Uncle Matt, and others who were around. We went into the little town of Manila, Utah for lunch and ice cream and then visited with my Aunt Carol until everyone got back from rafting. Then it was dinner and off to the local church building in McKinnon, Wyoming for the big Saturday night finale - a Little Girls Beauty Pageant and Family Talent Show. Gabriella competed as the youngest member of the Beauty Pageant and was the cutest one out there - in my humble opinion. But miraculously - everyone who participated tied in the judges scoring! It truly was a miracle with everyone taking home a crown, ribbon and bag of goodies :)
Mommy showing off Gabriella during the "evening wear" portion of the beauty pageant
Oliver on one of the cool morningsFriday we had another yummy meal with family and Matt enjoyed hiking through the wilderness with some of the men in my family while I stayed back and chatted with people while the kids napped. We snuck away that afternoon to my cousin Cory's house to get showered and bathe our kids after the two very dirty days we had spent camping. I felt WAY better after that. I don't like feeling dirty! That evening the Beck Family joined the Briggs Family who was also having a reunion that weekend for a huge cookout/potluck and barn dance. The Briggs family is close to us because my great-aunt married into it. So Oliver and Gabby once again got to enjoy the outdoors, being held by aunts and uncles and cousins (and of course Meme and Peepee - my parents). Matt and I actually got to revert back to our country-western dancing days in college as there was music and dancing after dinner. So we tore it up on the dance floor and showed off some of our moves, which I am proud to say were pretty good! I was way impressed with my partner and all of the moves he remembered!
Saturday was another full day - Matt went rafting with about half of the group and I hung back with the kids and visited with my mom, Aunt Natty and Uncle Matt, and others who were around. We went into the little town of Manila, Utah for lunch and ice cream and then visited with my Aunt Carol until everyone got back from rafting. Then it was dinner and off to the local church building in McKinnon, Wyoming for the big Saturday night finale - a Little Girls Beauty Pageant and Family Talent Show. Gabriella competed as the youngest member of the Beauty Pageant and was the cutest one out there - in my humble opinion. But miraculously - everyone who participated tied in the judges scoring! It truly was a miracle with everyone taking home a crown, ribbon and bag of goodies :)
Mommy showing off Gabriella during the "evening wear" portion of the beauty pageantIt was a fun trip, but also a tiring one and we were definitely glad to be home after our 12 hour travel day on Sunday! But we made a lot of fun memories - and that is what it is all about!
Click here to see a video of Gabriella in the Beauty Pageant
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