Melin Reunion

My in-laws hosted a Melin Family Reunion out on the ranch this weekend. It was really nice--mom and dad Melin did most of the preparation by themselves and they were great hosts. I learned A LOT from reading the giant family tree (hung over the garden fence) and chattin' with the old folks!One side of the family history display with photos and documents from the lives of the Olef and Mathilda Melin Family.
(It was super-interesting)

James & Addie had fun coloring with Christina

Heidi had fun catching tadpoles at the beach (hence the wet skirt) and playing cowboys-n-pirates in the treehouse with all the other wild children.

Rich & Mike grilled burgers, dogs, and chicken...

...and there was quite the potluck sperad, much of it coming straight from the ranch garden!Lots of Melins eating dinner on the banks of the Yellowstone River.

There were tours out to the cemetery and the old Melin ranch...

Here is the family marker at Shorthill cemetery.

Touring the cemetery

Heidi at her Great-Grandpa's headstone

Tom (my Dad-in-law) celebrated his 62nd birthday last Tuesday. When we took him his birthday card & he told the kids, "I am 62 today! I'm an old man....(sigh) My dad only lived to be 26, so I am really old!" That made me sad. Dying young seems to have been a Melin Man tradition (ranch life was pretty wild).

Great Uncle Ole!

After dinner, Jim Melin and his daughters entertained us with some Cowboy Worship songs.

"The Other Jamie Melin" is there on the left with the guitar, with Laura, Jim, Rachel and Sarah.

Closer-up, Sarah and Eliza Melin (with Lelia behind Sarah).

They are a really great (and huge) family--their littlest brother is names James Thomas Melin.

This is Tori Wright and me chatting as I got ready to go home at about 8:30pm. I met Tori when I married Rich because her whole family lives in Tooele, Utah. She's super cool and she's a pilot! I was trying to convince her to come home and use my master bathroom because poor thing had been three days at the Pine Creek KOA! It was great to see her and her parents and 2 cute sons again.

Our official reunion group photo...delightful.

And for our parting shot, LITTLE EDEN. Look how much the garden has grown this month!

[Ally and Belle, this is the potato patch we weeded that one day--can you believe how big the plants are now?!] I am so excited for apples!

***

Anyway, I just couldn't be more proud or more grateful to be a Melin. My in-laws are two of the finest people I have ever met. If I've ever complained, it's because I can't keep up, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. Thanks for the fun reunion, and thanks for all the work you do at the ranch (and everywhere else) to insure the best possible future for your posterity!