What a Great Weekend...

This picture is to show you what's in store at Fox River Ranch....I have purchased a couple of miniature ponies from Dad. Earl is not happy about me doing this, as he thinks I am getting into something that is a job for him! Imagine that!!! I told him, "What's new? You didn't want me to get the smoker, and you have done a wonderful job with it!" I don't know why he thinks I can't have something I want -- he always gets what he wants even when I don't want it, so.....I know he will be the first one out there trying to pet the little things and get them to like him so they will come running as soon as he steps to their pasture! Cache has worked with this little one for a while and can now ride her, as you can see. I remember the days when Allen took on the challenge of the miniatures, as well. What fun!
This was actually the other weekend, when Chelsea was here and the girls all went up to Dad's and picked apples. Wow -- we have had some wonderful apple pies and apple crisp! The kids had fun up picking the apples, and when I say, "kids," I'm talking Billie Jo, Olivia and Chelsea, as well as Luke, Noah and Jack!







Allen and Patrice came home this weekend for a short visit and we had a big cookout Sunday after Stake Conference. Mia and Noah were actually having a friendly dinner together.







The three "older" kids have their own dinner spot. The sun was a little bright for them while I insisted they smile and have their picture taken!
By the way, Luke sang with the men's choir for Stake Conference on Saturday night. He sang a solo at the beginning and concluded the song, as well. It was "I'm Trying To Be Like Jesus." He did a wonderful job. Ellie sang in the Primary Children's Choir for the Sunday session of Stake Conference. She had to sit on the stand for the whole 2-hour session and she did a great job -- both of singing and being such a mature little lady.




I think Noah is the only grandchild who missed out bonding with Grandma as a baby, therefore, I am definitely putting my time in with Eli and Evan, so they will let me hug them and perhaps even kiss them. Noah is fiercely opposed to me having anything to do with him. If you're not Grandpa offering a ride on the tractor or to go irrigating, you are not welcome in to Noah's world. It was a beautiful fall day and the warmth of the love with all our children made it even better. Thanks for being here -- you kids!

Earl's been tagged:

Well, this is NOT Earl writing the quirky things about himself...it is Billie Sue, but that is the first quirky thing --

1. PROCRASTINATION!!! Earl spoke at his Dad's funeral and talked about what a procrastinator his Dad was, but honestly, it would be very, very difficult for anyone to be as big of procrastinator as Earl is. He has got to be the world's worst. When you come to know him as well as Rob and I do, you realize what a manipulator he is to be able to tell you to go do some little thing which will then lead to him doing what needs done. This tactic is to trick your mind that he actually has plans to do something you want him to do as soon as your part is finished. BEWARE!!! It is a procrastination trick to put you off and just make you think he is going to do it soon.
2. PEPSI!!! It is actually the only nutrition that Earl takes on in the summer.
3. The older Earl gets, the more he acts like his Mom/Dad. His Dad used to put a pillow on the floor in front of the furnace vent and cover up with a lap quilt. Earl gets in the recliner, puts his hoodie over his head and covers up with a lap quilt.
4. Earl always wads up a napkin or a paper towel when he eats or after he has washed his hands. It never finds it's way to the garbage. You can always find a used napkin/paper towel lying around by the recliner or on the island.
5. Earl has a different personna in the summer than the winter. In the summer, he sits forward in his old beater truck--sort of round-shouldered, bent over his steering wheel looking for water with all his windows rolled down so he can see better. In the winter, he wears a USU beanie and his wool peacoat, peering out of a little , teeny hole he has scraped that is just big enough to see the road in front of him.
6. Earl LOVES butter. Now, when I say butter, I mean butter! He puts so much butter on his toast that when he lifts the toast to eat it, there is butter on the plate beneath where the toast had been!
Quirky but loveable and I'll keep him!

It's Labor Day Weekend and Francis Frontier Days! With Tim being on the Francis Town Board, Billie Jo and Tim were totally immersed in the celebration and had been for weeks. It really turned out nice -- excepting the weather deciding to be winter on Sunday night through Monday morning. Luke and Noah both rode a sheep -- and Cache rode a bull, which all proved to be fun.
Dad was in the color guard for the parade. Of course, that was nice and he and Morgan and Josh Gerlach looked very patriotic and inspiring! Uncle John was the grand marshall and that was cool to see him honored in that manner.

The horse pull is always very interesting and that was Saturday afternoon. It was so very hot, but not so hot we stayed away. Sheldon Thompson has three teams--a light weight, a middle weight, and a heavy weight. He took 2nd in the light weights but 1st in each of the other two. His heavy weight team (shown here) doesn't even look like it is work when they're pulling 8,500 pounds! They took first at a competition in Denver, as well.




Here's Dad and me watching the horse pull intently! I tried to keep the umbrella covering us so we didn't get heat stroke, but it was still pretty warm. We drank lots of water, but we also ate a huge package of the Fudge Fairy's delicious caramelie candy stuff (I don't know the actual name for it, but it is gooooood!). We were cheering hard for Sheldon's team, but you can't cheer out loud or the horses get mixed up.





This picture is actually from our Bear Lake Family Fun experience, but it is a favorite of mine. I did have to set it up (minus the fog and stunt man) and had to guarantee plenty of candy as a reward for the affection, but I still love it anyway. I love those grandkids of mine and think they are the smartest, cutest, most adorable children in the world. Even Jack was getting in to this. Eli and Mia were both asleep, but there will be other times. Just think of all the fun we're all going to have by next summer when we go to Bear Lake and Evan and baby Rasheta are with us!
Back to work for another week and no more vacations until Fall Break, which is October 15th - 19th! Phoenix - here we come!