Family Pictures

This evening we all met by the Mormon Battalion visitors Center to take family pictures.We had a photographer booked, but that didn't stop me from taking pictures of my own.

 

There was this awesome grass hill where we were taking the pictures that was heaven sent for the kids. They ran, and ran and ran some more. One of our boys had a nice green grass stain on their knee for the pictures.

This picture started out as just a few of the cousins, then grew to 12 of the 13. I love looking at these pictures because they capture each of the cousins different personalities. Some of them were all game to take a zillions pictures, some weren't so thrilled, some were silly in them and some weren't sure what was going on. Each one unique and cute! There's not a single shot with everyone smiling and holding still. Oh well!

 

 

As I was looking closer at the pictures I found 2 sweet moments that I had missed.

 

Rebecca reached up and grabbed Tanner's pinkie in one picture.

I love the sweetness of this picture. Both of them seem to be loving some cousin closeness!

 

 

We tried as hard as we could to get a good picture with Great Grandma Jenson, but it wasn't to be.

 

While other cousins were getting their family pictures taken these 7 were running and climbing and hopping all over the place some more.

 

Camille asked me to take a series of pictures of her hopping. It was the funniest series of pictures because in each one she gets closer. Some she's on her feet and some she's just up on her arms and smiling and laughing the whole time.

This ledge was just begging for a picture with all cousins and Papa. Luke discovered the rocks behind him and was so cutely grabbing one after the other and dropping them.

 

I think even with all the pictures the kids needed to smile and hold still in, they still had a great time and made some great memories.

Smith Ranch

Today we headed up to Julian to Explore the Smith Ranch. For years we've heard about this place with it's mine and train and the wonderful family that owns it. Nani & Papa go to church with the Smith Family.

 

We started off by picking mulberries off their over flowing trees. The trees were covered with berries and so was the ground! The boys REALLY liked them and picked handfuls of them. Simeon picked so many his hand was overflowing with them. He ended up pretty covered in mulberry juice.

 

 

 

 

After picking berries and cleaning up from that we hopped on the train. Our conductor told us about the train and about the land, then we headed out. We didn't make it very far because the train jumped the track at the junction and we all had to get out while they got it back on track.

 

While they got it back on line, we heard more about the land and the train. The kids were so patient waiting and watching them get it back on track.

 

We took a train ride up the hill to the mine area. When they bought the land, the entire mine shaft was filled with dirt. They dug the dirt out about 60 feet back. The explored about 30 feet farther in and saw that there was red wood walls which meant that this was a high gold producing mine at one point. The air shaft that goes to the top of the hill was full of dirt and in a rain storm the dirt came back into the mine refilling 30 feet, so now it only goes back 30 feet.

We got to either walk into the mine or go in a mining car. In the mine you can see tree roots and see where the walls were chiseled, and it's always 60 degrees in there.

 

 

After everyone had a chance to go in the mine, we played in the play area. This family knows how to keep kids active. They had a rope to climb up a steep hill. There were slides built right into the hills. They had bridges to cross that were all different-skinny, moving, holding still. The kids LOVED this area and ran from slide to bridge, to rope to bridge to slide. They were all over the place and having a blast!

 

 

 

 

After lunch the kids got to explore another awesome area. This area had a working water pump, a trough to panning for gold, a cute little train, another rope bridge and a cannon. The big kids went on the rope bridge over and over. Rebecca did it with some help. All the kids panned for gold and were so cute with it. Some were finding gold left and right and others couldn't find any. There were many times when one of the kids would be getting sad because they couldn't find any, and a cousin would take one of their pieces and secretly put it right where the sad cousin was panning. It was so sweet to see the kids helping each other. After the kids found a piece of gold they got to take it to the Smith store, weigh it and exchange it for a piece of licorice. (One of our kids decided to take some gold rocks home with them!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Julian Apple Pies for dessert. YUM. The favorite was the caramel topped apple crumb pie. YUM and YUM again!

The kids got a lesson on how to run the train before we boarded the train for the ride back down the hill.

We had such a fun day at the Smith Ranch. It lived up to all the stories we had heard about it.

 

Wet & Wild in the Desert

Today we decided since it was so hot that we needed to get some water out for the kids to play in. Papa brought over his pool and Zach & Madison brought their pool from home. We set the pools up on the porch at the guest house and let the kids have at it.

Rebecca and Zach were the 1st out with Papa and the 1st to discover that the water was COLD! So instead of playing in the pools they decided to put the water on the dirt and make mud.

The cousins all had such a great time making mud castles, having mud fights, spraying each other with water, making mud pies and washing the mud off in the pools. They spent hours out there playing and having a great time.

Ammon wanted to get something out of the van so he ran over to it barefooted and stepped on a piece of cactus. We tried to get it out, but all we did was brake it off. Ammon the cactus magnet had
returned!

When it time came for lunch we had it catered on the golf cart from Nani & Papa's kitchen next door!
Eating didn't last long before the kids were back in the mud.

The big pool got all full of yucky muddy water, so Papa took the plug out to empty in. The water caused a flash flood at the boys castle. As everyone was watching the flood Zach quietly took the plug and put it back in the hole. Everyone was surprised when the water stopped until we heard a little laugh from Zach and saw what he had done!

The girls had the steps covered in mud cakes and the boys had made 2 neat castles built before they decided to have a battle and throw mud at each others castles to knock them down. Zach was a champion mud thrower!



Zach & Rebecca were covered in mud and needed a bath, so they took one together. Rebecca hasn't taken a bath with anyone in years, so this was great fun for her. They had a fun time getting washed together and then they got silly together sticking their tongues out. When they got out they left a big brown dirt ring in the tub!

Later in the afternoon the sky started to get dark and thick rain clouds rolled in. Before we knew it, we were in the middle of a HUGE thunder and lightening and pouring rain storm. Aunt Lisa ran in the rain with the girls. Rebecca liked it so much she ran 2 times. They were pretty wet after their run!

We had plans of going swimming down the street this afternoon, but the rain changed the plans for us. Instead the kids played ping pong, The Honey Bee tree game, watched movies and hung out until it was dinner time.

Down the road in Shelter Valley they had a flash flood come through. The mud was 3 feet high on each side of the road. We saw snow plows out pushing the mud over!