UP AT THE RANCH

I left CC in Utah and Nate and I brought MJ home alone. (We were meeting up for my family's family reunion the following weekend.)

She was a very lonely only child and was far more demanding than she usually is.

She loves her CC and she kept saying how much she missed her.

I don't know how we are going to survive when CC is in school all day.

I thought about how demanding CC was right before MJ was born. Then she finally had someone to play with and distract her.

I think MJ needs a friend.

Aren't these babies the cutest thing? They are the newest addition to our family. My sister Michelle's fifth child and my brother Phillip's first. Oh, I love them.

I was eating them up at our family reunion.

I wanted to steal them both and take them home with me.

The ranch.

It is owned by my sister's husband's family.

We go up once a year to play. (I haven't been in four years.)

There is horseback riding, four-wheeling, and a pond with a zip-line and a rope swing.

There is natural wild life and a farm animals and the beautiful desert foliage.

There is movie night under the stars and a game night in front of a large stone fire place.

And most importantly it is a fisherman's dream. There is a river and several ponds.

The whole ranch sits against the back side of Bryce Canyon National Park.

The girls had so much fun. 

It was CC's birthday at the same time.

I decided to do a little party for all of the kids.

We had a tea party.

I made all the girls pinafores and necklaces.

I bought a china set at the thrift store along with a tea pot.

We collected wild flowers for the center of the table. (Sadly, they were wilting by the time the party started.)

I made Tyler a cape with a bow tie and a mustache so he could feel apart. He was so cute.

CC was a great host and talked to everyone in an English accent. It was beyond adorable.

Told cost of the party 10.00$. However, it was a lot of work.

China Set = $5.00

Tea Pots = $4.00

Sheet to make all the Pinafores = .99

All the children loved it.

CC's birthday wish.

Ride a horse.

Check.

Favorite Parts of the weekend.

Holding baby Lydia and baby Claire.

Watching a bug crawl across Tamara's eye as she asked, "Is there something in my eye?" Yuck!

Riding the four-wheeler all the way up into Bryce Canyon.

Playing cards with my family in front of a roaring fire.

Seeing Sierra's face as she was riding the horse and watching her afterwards talking to him and petting him.

Watching Jennifer and MJ (her name sake) riding four-wheelers together.

Watching Benji catch fish. (He would snage them by there eye ball and then release them. There are a lot of one-eyed-willy's in that pond now.)

Climbing up on the platform to use the rope swing and looking down at the drop into the cold water and being scared to death. (Yes, I did jump but it took a minute to get up the courage.)