The Fair!

This year we were wise enough to get to the fair right when it opened, which made for happier kids and happier mom and dad as well.

We saw and did all the usual things. (If I wasn't posting this 5 months after the fact I might remember more interesting anecdotes about our day at the fair.)

 Newborn calves are always fun to see.

 

 As are cows who have been tp-ed.

 

 They had some cool birds of prey. 

Notice Benjamin's new "school haircut." We went to the JC Penney Salon where they were giving free back-to-school haircuts to kids K-6. The lady didn't do a very good job, but Benjamin was pretty excited about it nonetheless.

Baby animals are always a hit with our kids. We usually make a couple of rounds through the baby animal area before everyone is satisfied.

 Rhett struggled with the "don't touch the chicks" rule.

 We loved learning about this mama pig and her brand new piglets. Did you know that pigs are born potty-trained? That would be awesome.

 As always, we tried to find the horses with our kids' names. This year the only one we could find was Rhett. It seems this is a tradition that is way more fun for the parents than the kids. I'm not sure why we keep doing it, to be honest. Especially since the horses are all facing the wrong way for pictures.

We let each boy pick one ride to go on. Benjamin chose this obstacle-course type thing that he could run through and then slide down at the end.

 

 

Rhett had his eye on the Ferris Wheel, so I got to go too.

Fun times! Till next year...

New park, Old friend

On our way home from Utah, as we were driving through northern Oregon on our way to the Segos' house, we happened to cross paths with my old friend Kerrie from BYU. I was taking Benjamin to the bathroom at a rest stop near La Grande and she happened to be there too. What are the chances? We talked for a little bit before we got back on our way, but of course we didn't take a picture!

She and her husband Pavel were driving up to Portland to visit her family for a while, and since they would be going up to Seattle at one point during their visit we were able to meet up at a park in Mt. Vernon to catch up.

Of course we didn't take a picture then, either.

But here are some pictures of the kids playing!

For a flashback to 2008 and a picture of us with Kerrie, click here!

Let's wrap up the reunion, shall we?

In the name of full disclosure, this is actually being posted December 10 28 30, 2012. I'm that good at blogging these days.

 Lucy wasn't feeling too well the day we visited Frederick and Lena's house. Here she is have a little snuggle time with Uncle Landon at the lodge.

With ingredient contributions from every family, Grandpa whipped up a mean Stone Soup for dinner. (Our reunion theme was Helaman 5:12.)

 The Grand Tetons were both a beautiful background during our stay at the ranch, and a fun destination.

 Here's the Duersch crew on the boat across the lake to get to our hiking spot in the Tetons.

 Breton, Benjamin, and Rhett. Love those boys.

 The 5 of us

 My handsome hiking boys.

 On our way home we love stopping for a visit at Paul's Grandma Sanders' house in Kaysville. Here Aunt Cyntia (who we also love and who lives conveniently next door plays Legos with Rhett and Benjamin while Lucy watches.)

And finally, here is the runner-up Christmas card photo for 2012. I love it! So classic.

(May 2013 be a better blogging year...)

Sunday

 10:09 am: Had a good rest at the Segos' house. Now packing up to drive home!

10:10 am: Cleaning up Lucy's hair-tie confetti

 10:36 am: Shoes on

10:45 am: Lunch packed

 

 10:56 am: Kids packed

 10:57 am: Ready to hit the road

11:12 am: Almost done reading Persuasion

 4:06 pm: While we were gone, behemoth zucchinis invaded our garden.

 4:37 pm: Lucy loves to drink out of CamelBak straws and does so at every opportunity

 4:37 pm: Rhett gives himself some decorations

5:16 pm: Take that, behemoth zucchinis!

The Frederick and Lena Duersch Home, Alta, Wyoming (the inside)

On day two of our family reunion we all traveled the (very short) distance from the ranch up to Alta, Wyoming, to see the home of Frederick and Lena Duersch, Paul's great-grandparents. There had been a large Frederick Duersch family reunion a couple of weeks before we all came up, but Paul's dad's cousin (sorry, names have slipped my mind already) and her husband, who own the house now, were nice enough to open it up to us. (A couple of months later the details of the house have become fuzzy. If any of the family read this, please correct our mistakes!)

 Lena's stove

 We were interested to find a Book of Mormon and other scriptures in German on the bookshelves.

Frederick's steamer trunk 

A sweet note from Paul's great-uncle Fred, who was serving a mission, to his brother Alma (who was the father of the cousin who showed us the house)

 A butter churn

It was a really fun experience to see the old home and hear many fun family stories. I only wish I could remember more details and the significance of the things we photographed!