A Week of Cousin Fun

It's been a long and busy week since we had our Beartooth adventure LAST Saturday! We came home so I could do Sharing Time and celebrate Father's Day with a Hawaiian dinner on Sunday, then Monday we (me & the kids) drove down to Lehi, Utah, to pick up my nieces, Ally and Belle. I was going to come home on Wednesday morning, but Tuesday night Cousin Brent's lovely lady friend, Autumn, offered to do some work on me to relieve some of the pain and inflammation I have been dealing with. So I postponed the trip home til Thursday and enjoyed some Autumntime! (she is fabulous--VIVA LA SWEETIE!) I also had fun just being with Jill and her kids at their cute new house (Drew was at Youth Conference).

The drive home with 5 kids was not bad and the kids have been pretty great. It's so nice to have built-in playdates for the girls everyday. I had a sublime moment yesterday when Heidi and Belle were playing "Cookin' Mama" on the Wii and giggling themselves silly, and Addie and Ally were having a swinging contest outside (also laughing like crazy) and James was happily playing cars upstairs by himself...happy kids, happy mama! (I know it goes both ways)

So last night we had our ward BBQ at the park, then I took the girls on the Downtown Art Walk while Rich set up our new Tent trailer (where we would have a campout in the driveway last night). Tell me these are not the cutest little cousins ever, complete with DOUBLE RAINBOW!

Heidi, Ally, Addie, and Belle on Main Street

eating frozen yogurt from Chadz Coffee Shop
Ally inside Chadz

Addie inside Chadz

Heidi inside Chadz

Belle inside Chadz

Crazy flowers (look closely) outside Pinky's Cafe

Arist at work at the Parks Reece Gallery (painting Chief Joseph).

Our new pop-up tent trailer, complete with a king bed, a queen bed, 2 twins, a potty, shower, sink, fridge, and furnace!

Today (Saturday) at the ranch where Daddy and Uncle Mike finished up the Pirate Ship treehouse!

(Belle, Ally, and Addie)

(Look how high the river is!!!! The kids were shouting "Land HO!")

Come play with us! Grandpa's vision is finally a reality and we're LOVIN' it!

(notice the garden that needs a good weeding back on the right...that's what we're doing for daily chores on Monday & Tuesday! We only did one row today)

***

That's all for now. We are having a super-fun time! We wish all our cousins on both sides could be here with us!

Driving Videos

Part 1

Top-O-The-World from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

Part 2

The actual Beartooth from MelinFamily on Vimeo.

A PLETHORA of FOTOS

So...it's been an eventful week with Richard's birthday and Father's Day and our Beartooth Campout. Here are some recent photos, beginning with stuff from Wednesday:

You know how I like to make little embroidered quote pillows, right? And you know how our family LOOOOVES the movie "Elf", right? So I made some Christmas pillows (well, actually I just embroidered the quotes on muslin, but they will soon be pillows) with our favorite Elf quotes on them! Have a gander...

I got adorable holiday fabric at the quilt store--it'll be so FUN!

Here is a gorgeous rainbow out our back door from Wednesday night.

On Thursday, Addie and Heidi decorated a birthday cake for Daddy.

Ta-Daaaah!

After the kids' dinner, Rich made a wish while they sang...

I think he wished we coudl go to Bozeman to see "Land of the Lost" and eat Taco Bell, because that's what we did while Jessica H. babysat for us like a true HERO.

***

On Friday afternoon, we headed southeast with Uncle Mike & Christina to camp at the KOA in Red Lodge, MT...

Addie & Christina

Addie, Christina, Heidi, and James around our campfire

Addie in the "porch" area of our tent

James & Heidi found the "doggie door" to our tent.

Mike taught James how to roast a marshmallow without setting it on fire.

...but he didn't learn how to EAT the marshmallows!

YUM!

Christina gave Addie a fireside crochet lesson

Daddy was silly!

Mommy was cold!

Uncle Mike was cheezy!

Rich cooked up a yummy breakfast the morning

Pancakes in a can are NOT the best...but breakfast was great!

Kids in their jammies by the creek

Girls in their jammies by the creek

Heidi, James, and Addie on the bridge behind our campsite. They were waiting for Daddy to pack up and for the KOA pool to open!

Super James!

Mike & Rich hard at work!

Daddy threw the kids around the pool from 10am-11am...

Here's James

...and Heidi...

...and Addie!

Mikey came, too!

[Mommy just watched and embroidered and got a sunburn on her right side!]

***

After swimming, we dried off, got dressed, and headed up the Beartooth Highway!

Look at that glacial lake! GORGEOUS!

Christina and James at the first lookout

Mike, James, Addie, Christina, Heidi, and Jamie

at the first Beartooth lookout.

Addie & Heidi freaking me out at the lookout.

Check out the snow on the side of the road!

Here we are writing "MELINS" in the snow wall

(and we can thank Rich for all these awesome bum-shots of me--UGH!)

Heidi on the glacier

James on the glacier

Christina, Mike, and James at the glacier

***

While we were driving from Red Lodge, the Grays (my SIL & family) and Gram & Gramp Melin were driving over from Yellowstone Park! We met them right at Crazy Creek.

Jame s and Grandpa on the Crazy Creek trail

Rosalie & Heidi

Addie & Crazy Creek (that is white WATER behind her, not snow)

Me and the Beartooth from Crazy Creek pull out.

***

And that is ALL for this week. Tomorrow morning the kids and I are driving down to Lehi, Utah to pick up my nieces, Ally and Belle for some long-promised cousin fun! I can't wait!

So it's time for me to re-pack the van I unpacked last night and head south. I better hit the hay. Best of weeks to all-y'all!

Who Blogs

I’ve read/heard a few people go off on bloggers lately (and many times before), saying that it takes a special kind of narcissist to be arrogant enough to think the world cares about one’s thoughts or doings. I realize that there are a million reasons why people blog, and as many different types of bloggers, but I wanted to speak for myself (and probably most of the bloggers I read--regarding teh "Famiyl Blog" or "mommy-blog").

My blogging life began with weekly emails (back in the 90’s before blogger) when I moved away from loved ones and needed an efficient way to keep in touch. As I collected more to share (I moved to a new and interesting place, had three children who do noteworthy things each day, etc.), it seems technology advanced to suit my needs. I love that I have a central location to post stories and photos from my life, and link to all my dear ones who are doing the same thing.

I happen to know that my grandparents check their family’s blogs at least once every single day. I think of that often when I set aside computer time for myself. I really do try to find something to post for them (and time to post it) every day. Sometimes I have a lot to say—my own opinions, things weighing on my mind; other times I have great stories or photos of the kids. Sometimes I have nothing to say but I am still alive. The point is, I know that my loved ones are looking for word from me because I am looking for word from them. I am genuinely interested in their everyday lives. In fact, I am genuinely interested in most everyone’s everyday lives. People, in general, are totally fascinating to me. I love reading how similar others are to me. I love reading about lives that are totally different from mine, too—lifestyles and adventures I will never know. It’s like blogging was made for me—it saves e a lot of trips to the library for biographies!

So then I was thinking about the kinds of people who say the kinds of things about bloggers that lump us together as arrogant and self-centered nut jobs (which is not entirely untrue, I’m just saying it’s a pretty broad generalization, which I will answer with a pretty broad generalization). I think I know this “type” of person. I think there is a certain degree of projection involved in one’s attitude about blogging. People who love blogs and blogging are “people-persons,” and especially “family-people,” and they expect to find others with the same attitude online. People who hate blogs and blogging tend to be uninterested in the lives of others, and just don’t connect with the private or mundane side of life. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. You know, different strokes for different folks and all. You get what you give. you know.

I just write to share my daily life with people whom I wish were a part of it. Since we can’t be neighbors and all up in each others’ bidness (and maybe that’s for the best), we can do it virtually via the blog. I am not asking or assuming that what I write will be of interest to anyone but my loved ones with whom I have shared my address, and who have taken the time to log on and read up. And even then I’m not making any promises! And I, for one, DEVOUR all the news, thoughts, and photos posted by y loved ones. To my critics (if there are any critics of “the family blog”), I mostly feel like saying "If you don’t like it, don’t read it." It’s pretty simple.

LET THE WILD RUMPUS BEGIN!

I say that because (a) we are about to take the kids camping near Red Lodge then drive over the Beartooth Highway to Yellowstone tomrrow (it's free to get in the park tomorrow)--home in time for dinner and Sunday prep! and (b) I saw this trailer last at the movies with hubs and it made me cry with delight (just like the Narnia trailer did a few years ago). There are few childhood memories I love more than reading this book!!!!!