Layton Fun 7/4-7/8

My brother Sam and his family came to visit from Utah in Saturday July 4- Wednesday July 8th. We had the best time together and I wished they could stay forever!!

 

You saw the pictures of our July 4th festivities--that was a hot day! Sam was complaining because he came up to Montana to cool off, not to hang out in blazing 99-degree heat. Well, he got his wish on Sunday the 5th because a rain storm and cold front blew in and we actually needed sweaters (it was like 58 degrees)! It was a perfect day to go to church, then stay inside and read and snuggle and visit and nap and eat quesadillas and indoor s'mores with your cousins!

 

Niles, Heidi, Addie, Kristen, Sam, James, Owen, and Gavin making s'mores at the dinner table.
(I was on the phone with my sister Jill--also a huge treat :))

 

On Monday the 6th we took our cousins to visit Museum of the Rockies.
Here we are at the chocolate exhibit again. Owen was just as disappointed as we were the first time that the exhibit didn't include ACTUAL, EDIBLE CHOCOLATE. It's a huge bummer, even though the exhibit is cool.

Owen and the other little boys had fun dressing up in The Yellowstone Discovery Room. Here he is being a park ranger, heading out to check for fishing licenses and nuisance bears ;)

While I was looking up where to go to lunch on my phone, Ammon stood up on a chair in the kids' play cabin and fell over and knocked his noggin on the stone fireplace. It was gnarly, but we survived.

Monday Night for Family Night, we ate grilled teriyaki chicken and Asian slaw for dinner, then we went to family swim for an hour. Kristen and I sat on the side and watched Sam and Rich play with the kids.
Addie, Heidi, James, Owen, Rich and Sam are in this shot, I think.

?, Heidi, Owen, Addie, Sam and Rich

After swimming, we went to Pickle Barrel and got some delicious Wilcoxson's ice cream. Addie gave the FHE lesson, a story from the friend about choosing how you will act and react in a situation, no matter what others choose to do. Uncle Sam fell in love with Graham Slam ice cream. I think it's the best thing ever, too, although that Salted Carmel Fudge stuff is running a close second.

On Tuesday July 7th we hiked Pine Creek. The kids did such a great job. Kristen and I were a little worn out, but we cheered on Niles and Gavin and they did the whole two miles! Sam was awesome and carried Ammon most of the way in the back pack since my hip (the one I fell on) can barely carry me on the sharp inclines. We also took Layton's dog Seamus and he seemed to enjoy it. Everyone was so relieved to get to the falls, we all waded for a while and cooled off and it was beautiful.

Gogurts are go-juice! Gavin, Owen, James, Niles, Ammon, and Addie all enjoyed some refreshment after wading in the creek. We got re-energized for our trip back down to the car.

Cute Layton family
(I love how Seamus looks like he's snuggling Sam's leg in this photo)

Closer

James pretending to have an Indiana Jones adventure along the creek bank.

We were all so exhausted after the hike, we came home to rest for an hour or two, then the parents went on a double date while Addie, Heidi, and Eden Jones babysat the kids. We had such a nice visit over dinner and the food at Rib & Chop House was great. For dessert, we bought more Wilcoxsons Ice Cream at the grocery store and came home and had cones with the kids. It was the perfect ending to a really nice visit. It was really fun staying up late with Sammy after we got everyone else to sleep. He even watched the first two episodes of "Poldark" with us on PBS--THAT makes him the best brother ever.

 

On Wednesday 7/8, the Laytons headed home early in the morning--they went to Yellowstone on their way, so they didn't get home to after midnight, but it was a beautiful day. We had a lazy day at home, doing laundry, reading, playing in the sprinklers and on the trampoline, and missing our cousins.

 

Independence Day Celebrations

PARADE July 2nd

This year was the first year in over a decade that we didn't have any Melin cousins with us for the Roundup Parade on July 2nd. Rich was leading a scout fundraiser, so it was just me and the kids. Then the Jones/ Browns sat by us and Aunt Laura and Jared made a surprise visit from Helena and we weren't  lonely anymore! :)

Niles

James and some Jones/Brown kids watching a tractor in the parade.

Rex, Elanor, James, and some Brown cousins watching the parade, with me and Mama Jones in the background.

Clara and Addie muggin'

My sisterfriend Robyn

Niles, Heidi, and James

It was super hot outside, we drank 4 liters of water!

and no breeze...where was that Livingston wind when we needed it?!

Ammon had fun watching, mostly from his stroller

He ate lots of crushed ice and apple sticks to keep cool

We had fun with Auntie Roo!

RANCH BBQ JULY 4th

My brother Matthew and his kids came to visit from Helena Friday night and Saturday night (7/3-4). We had such a fun time together, it's always nice when cousins come!

At noon, Rich and Ammon took a nap, before the festivities even began!

We got out to the ranch around 1ish and set up sprinklers for the little kids.

Ammy loved it!

He was so fun to watch!

James and Cousin Emily playing in the water.

Heidi, Cousin Jake, and Jeanette Jones floated in the river from the beach to the pavilion over and over again.

Jeanette, Heidi, and Jake

FLASHBACK to 2004:
 Jake, Heidi, and Addie chillin' at the ranch after Chico.

My brother Sam and his family arrived around 3pm from camping in Pocatello with Dad Layton.
Kristen, Sam, and Matthew chatting under the pavilion while the food grilled.

It was another super hot day, so the grown ups enjoyed the shade while the kids played in the water and the treehouse.
(Robyn Jones, Rich, and Lope Jones)

Cousin Sam swinging under the treehouse

Cousin Gavin swinging under the tree house

Pretty girls relaxing on a pretty day
Clara, Eden, and Beatrice Jones with Addie near the tree house

Rex Jones having a ranch adventure

Old School selfies with my man.

Heidi carrying Jeanette to her shoes after another ride down the river.

We went home and took naps and ate leftovers and got the kids in their jammies, then we went over to the high school football field to watch the last night of roundup fireworks. A few other ward families were there and it was such a beautiful night! Next time we will go earlier and let the kids play glow in the dark Frisbee and glow sticks...but it was so fun to have Sam's and Matt's families with us. Loved every minute with them, and we love our country so much.

The End of June

Summer is flying by--FLYING, I tell you! And this is a wonderful new thing because I really kind of dread summer every year. This is the first year I wasn't dreading it, I didn't over schedule my kids, and we've thrown schedules to the wind periodically. It's working out nicely. So here is what June looks like in the rear view mirror...

 

Lots of Bike Rides

Addie, Heidi, and their friends joined Rich on several of the Boy Scout bike trips because they were working on biking merit badges in June.

Riding to Clyde Park

Rich took James to see Jurrasic World after Cub Scout Day Camp on 6/13--we was pretty excited!

Fan Boy!

This was Rich's very most favorite birthday card.
It's from Niles, and if you read from right to left you can decipher Happy Birthday Dad, with a few "Niles"-es mixed in.

 

 

Lots of hikes and backpacking

Rich took the boys on a Fahter-Son backpacking trip up Pine Creek on June 19-20.
Then this big storm rolled in.

Melin Boys at the trail head.

Niles on the trail

James and Niles making their way up the mountain

It was raining so hard, the trail turned into a creek.

So they went back down the mountain and pitched their tents at the ranch.

Their freeze dried back pack meals were so yummy!

Good morning, right on the Yellowstone River!

Finally, they really had it rough for breakfast...
they went up the hill to Grandma's house and had blueberry pnacakes!
 

Temple Trips to Billings with Post-Temple Shennanigans



Addie, Jeanette, and Clara at Candy Town

Clara and Addie trying on hats at Scheels

Sunglasses at Scheels
with Jeanette, Clara, and Addie

Jeanette, Clara, and Addie at the Scheel's "Harbor

 

Father's Day!

We had a nice dinner for daddy and Grandpa at our house on Father's Day...

...but you wouldn't know it form these pictures of my crazy kids at the dinner table!
This picture of James and Niles makes me laugh every time I see it.

The girls were laughing, too!

TRYING OUT THE NEW SPLASH PARK

Niles splashing

Niles and Ammon splashing

Cub Scout Fishing Trips

James posing with the trout he caught in the lagoon.

Ammy is so glad when Daddy comes home!
 

MUSEUM of the ROCKIES

Niles loves the firefighter costume

James loves the wildlife toys and the camping area

Heidi loves Ammy

and Ammy loves Heidi

Theres a History of Chocolate (Cacao) exhibit at the museum right now.

Hot chocolate was a fancy drink for European Royalty

Chocolate bars were "fighting food", giving soldiers energy in the world wars

In a very cruel move, the exhibit fills the air with the scent of chocolate and puts these giant chocolates at the end of the exhibit, but there is no chocolate to eat anywhere, dang it.

BARBECUES & unwise food choices



This si a picture of me while grilling some kebabs.
(I almost always get the "Legend" Coke can, and it's funny
because that's what my friend Ric used to call me)

 

SELFIES

Addie with her pretty hairdo. She and her "Sisters" (the Jones Girls) spend a lot of time trying out new hairdos, outfits, and make up styles. And then take selfies. Which is what you do in middle school while you're finding your niche, right?
SO stinkin' cute.

STAR GAZING

We've seen some pretty awesome stuff, like Venus and Jupiter almost touching on 6/30.