Life in a Northern Town

This is a photo we stole from Mark & Elena's files--Jared, Liana, Sariah, and Samantha in their van just before arriving at Grandma's house from Texas on 6/29. So cute!

Cousins went to Sacajawea Park on Wednesday, 6/30. Here are Lexi and Heidi on the slide.

A summer fave--Norwegian Golf in Grandma's backyard
(Sariah, Liana, and Rosalie)

Cousins playing ring-around-the-roses during family photo time on 7/02.

James and Jared in the sandbox at the ranch on 7/1.

Check out the boathouse all done
(fire pit and ramada under construction)

Jared pillaging the pirate treasure chest in the treehouse

On Thursday afternoon, we all went to the slack rodeo.

[that's me with Ally, TJay, and Matthew behind me, Sariah,

Heidi, Belle, James, Addie, Liana, Summer]

Cutie Cousins!

We moved to the shade when it rained a little...

The gorgeous view from the rodeo grandstand.

Two Pretty Girls: Addie & Liana are good cousin pals!

Team Roping action (my first rodeo!)

The little kids were cheering, "Go, baby cow! Go baby cow!"

Belle, TJay, and Summer

***

After about an hour of rodeo, we went home for tacos---YUM!

Mike, Jess, Elena, and Mark enjoying the Casa Melin Mexicateria

All the kids ate their tacos outside

After dinner, we had a Girl Cousin Pajama Dance Party

Belle strikes a pose

Liana, Sariah, Summer & Addie busting a move

The girls just kept dancing--soundtrack:

Guns-n-Roses, Bangles, Spice Girls, Rhianna, Dan Zane

Our two tiniest nieces are so cute! Here is Samantha having something mushy and green for lunch...

...and here's Little Miss Fourth-of-July, Lexi Melin

***

Gathering for the Roundup Parade on Friday, July 2nd

(This after family photos in the morning and a lovely-albeit-rained-out picnic lunch catered by Matt's Meat Shop)

Cousins catching candy

Watching the parade, waiting for candy

Samantha making friends with a dog at the parade

Uncle Mike on the Big Brothers/Big Sisters float

***

After the parade, we headed out to the ranch for a big family BBQ and campout

Sand box fun with Jared, Summer, Addie, and Liana

The wind kicked up big time, so the BBQ moved into the boat house

Poor little Hannah was sick, so Angie snuggled her for a while

(we all took turns)

Addie & Liana

James, Jared, and Matthew--all the three-year-olds

Grandma planned all kids of fun activities, but all the kids wanted to do was dig in the dirt hill! They were filthy by bedtime--yikes!

Uncle Mike was giving fishing lessons after dinner and the kids were catching huge rainbow trout like crazy! Liana was the first to catch a fish...

Check it out!

(I love Rosalie's face there on the left)

James, Jared, Liana, Heidi, Rosalie, and Sariah snuggled up in our tent trailer and watched "Cinderella"...

While the big kids gathered around the fire for grown-up s'mores and talking (Mike & Rich)

Our tent trailer in the morning, 7/3

(I'd gone home at midnight with a raging back/headache)

Jess at the grill on Saturday morning

Cousin Uno Game in the boathouse

***

Rich called me at home on Saturday morning to say that the kids were cold and dirty, so the best solution seemed to be a trip to Chico Hot Springs (I agreed and went back to sleep cuz I was coughing up a lung). Good thinkin'!

Here's the whole gang at Chico!

After swimming, they all had pizza at the Poolside Grille right next to Dennis Quaid

(his ranch is nearby)

The valley on the way home from Chico

Grandma cooked the trout for dinner Saturday night

Jared and James wore matching shirts

The kids ate dinner outside again--YUM! (Some of them even liked the fish)

***

Sunday, we all went to church, then enjoyed a Turkey dinner, games, stories, naps, and Grandpa's slide show at Grandma's house. The Texas Melins ("Marlena") left early Monday morning and the party was over. The Florida Melins are staying on til next week for Danny's baptism (I have a niece and THREE nephews getting baptized within the next month!). We are currently passing around Hannah's virus--James and I are starting to feel better after 3 days of YUCK. It was wonderful to see our adorable cousins again. Grandma and Grandpa Melin planned a memorable week for us and we're so grateful for them!

First of all:

HAPPY 26th BIRTHDAY, AUNTIE AMY!

I haven't taken many pictures this week--I forgot to take my camera on our Bozeman swimming outing on Saturday--so I forgot about the few that I have taken. Let's have a gander...

I took some Eighth-Birthday/Pre-Baptism pictures of my niece, Isabelle, on Thursday in Uncle Mike Melin's garden. Check out those rockin' poppies!

Aw, so sweet.
(I had to dress Belle in a dress that was slightly small and a sweater that was slightly large for her, but she looks great in the pix, huh?). There are tons more cute ones, but I will let her mom show you those when you get your baptism invitations :)

James fell asleep waiting for me to tuck the girls in and come lay by him. That face smooshes my heart!

Last week on the way home from the park, we passed a house where they had put these old desks along their boulevard and planted flowers inside of them. I thought my mom would get a kick out of it cuz that's something she would do!

(mom wouldn't paint them purple, though)

Lately, everytime the kids visit Uncle Mike,
they pick a ton of flowers for me!

[Jill, they picked these for you ;) Belle really planned on giving you a beautiful bouquet, not realizing how they'd look--dead--by the time she went home! It's the thought that counts, so here's a picture of the flowers instead]

Thursday afternoon the kids were playing outside, and within about 20 mintues it went from sunny and breezy to wild hailstorm, then a little shower.