Our Utah days are coming to an end and while I'm ready to get home and back to a normal schedule, I'm also dreading leaving family behind. Our kids have had so much fun with their cousins and I have loved being surrounded by my parents and siblings. I'm so grateful to be part of a loving and supportive family.
On Tuesday, my dad took David and I to our storage shed. Many of our belongings have been in storage for about eight years. Our boxes were beginning to break down and we wanted to have a better idea of what was even there anymore. I had forgotten that we had sold several items (couch, coffee tables, desk, etc.) to help pay for Jalen's adoption.
This is what it looked like when we emptied the shed. Ugh!
We took a full pickup load to Deseret Industries (the Mormon version of Goodwill) and another full pickup load to a local landfill. This is what the shed looked like when we were done.
We could downsize the shed, but the smaller size is only $5 cheaper, so it's not worth the move - plus there wasn't another shed available. It's nice to have a better idea of what we have. We have a
LOT of books and Christmas decorations. I can't wait until we have a permanent home and can get everything out of storage.
On Thursday, we went to my nephew Jonny's baptism. Jonny wanted to be baptized on his very birthday and in the swimming hole by his grandparent's house (my sister-in-law's parents). It was such a special day and such a special place. I'm glad we were able to be there for it.
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| Jalen, Nixon, Baylie and Ava |
Friday morning we headed to Colorado for the annual Bayles Family Reunion. This reunion is held at my Grandparents' ranch. They are both gone now, but their descendants continue to get together each July. There were over 100 of us this year.
On the way down, I was thinking how barren the scenery was around Price, Utah, when Jalen exclaimed, "I have to say, this is beautiful country!" We all laughed, but after looking at this picture, he has a point. There is a beauty even to this barren land.
We made a stop just north of Moab to walk across the Colorado River and meet up with some of my siblings.
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| With Grammy |
These cousins were VERY excited to see each other. Baylie thought she would never get to see Lauryn and Clara and couldn't wait to be with them.
I love the rock formations in Southern Utah. I miss this country. The red rocks of Southern Utah are part of my core.
It took longer than ever to get to the reunion, but we finally made it.
We camp out in my uncle's back yard. This year was the first time in a while that it was wet enough for us to have a campfire.
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| Clara roasting a marshmallow. |
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| Baylie eating a s'more. |
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| Jalen and his buddy/cousin Asher. |
One of the highlights of the reunion is crawdad fishing. The kids get so excited about fishing for the crawdads on Friday night and then on Saturday they eat them. Jalen loved fishing, but not catching them. He ran away whenever faced with a live crawdad.
On Saturday morning, my sister took pictures of her twins for their upcoming baptism.
I was amazed that their dresses stayed white.
These girls are so special and they are Baylie's best friends.
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| Parker gives Lauryn a lift. |
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| Clara gives a high kick. |
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| Grammy and Clara |
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| Asher and Jalen - boys love tractors. |
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| Uncle Mark with Camden and a cousin. |
We held a family service project to take down a porch.
Baylie and Asher felt left out of the photo shoot and wanted some pictures of their own. They will be baptized about six months after the twins.
The ranch is across the street from
Mesa Verde National Park. We went here several times as kids and we used to be able to crawl all over the place. Now it is much more controlled.
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| Shanelle, Kolton and Asher |
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| Asher, Camden, Baylie, Lauryn and Parker |
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| Camden and Lauryn |
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| Jalen |
For the first time, I climbed down the ladder into the kiva. I was always too heavy to brave it in the past. It was very dusty with all the kids moving around down there.
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| Clara, Jalen, Asher, Parker, Baylie, Camden, Lauryn, and Kolton |
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| Air vent where the smoke would escape during the religious ceremony. |
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| Grinding corn |
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| My brother Erik's family: Kolton, Erik, Camden, Shanelle, Asher (Parker is missing). |
I think next year we'll go early and sign up for some of the guided tours to the more remote ruins. I've always been afraid to do that because of the height, but I'm ready to try it.
Jalen thought he would die of thirst and exhaustion before we made it back. He was mad that I wouldn't carry him.
When we got back, Shanelle led the kids in a bunch of games. First was Mingle...
...then a hula hoop relay...
...but the biggest hit was the wet sponge dodgeball.
That night as part of dinner, my cousins Shawn's wife Justine was joined by her mother who made us all Navajo fry bread. Delicious!
She let some of the children make their own.
My dad and his siblings had a family meeting.
Jalen and Asher played corn hole. My dad made this set after returning from the mission he served with my mom in North Carolina.
Dancing the Hokie Pokie.
With boys, dancing seems to always evolve into wrestling.
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| Mike, Dennis and Kelby |
Finally it was time to eat the crawdads! (Gross.)
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| Shawn and Kelly (growing up, these names were always said together) |
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| David teaches Baylie how to peel a crawdad. |
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| Lauryn and Clara are big crawdad fans. They were disappointed their mom didn't let them tie hot dogs to their skirt in order to catch more of them. |
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| Camden |
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| Shanelle, Asher, Baylie, David and Kolton |
It was a great reunion and I'm so glad we could be there. My aunts and uncles are in their 70's and I always wonder each reunion if they'll still be around for the next one. I hope they have many years left in them. They have been such an important part of my life.
