Mackay

Our adventure for August was a trip to Mackay, Idaho with my Dad and sister.  We had never been to Mackey before, but discovered it was one of those fun places that somehow just seems like home.  We loved the razor ATV and exploring Mackay's abandoned mines.  You can ride right up to some amazing(ly dangerous) old ruins - and I've never seen Dahlia (or her Dad) quite so excited about history. 

I loved the reservoir and would have spent all day staring at the water with my toes in the sand.

The kids loved that there's "no rules" in Mackay about little things like drivers licenses and such.  We all took turns driving the razor and my aunt's 1970s Jeep.  Biz and I got a refresher lesson on driving a stick shift from my Dad in the church parking lot - which was tons of fun!  We even got crazy and let Mickey drive us to the grocery store.  Dahlia thought the grocery store was the "weirdest store she had ever seen."  Translation:  It was small.  Although I think the lady who asked us if we wanted to try some of her freeze-dried ice cream bars also added to that assessment.  I think she worked there.  I think.  Wild times.

Dinner was steak from Don's and peach crisp with ice cream on the porch.  Can't beat that.

The skeleton house.  I'm not sure what else to say about that.  Only in Idaho.

Probably my favorite picture from the weekend.  Real smiles!  They loved that their Dad and Grandpa let them take the razor for short spins all by themselves.  It's probably a good thing they didn't think to ask about that until later in the day on Saturday - otherwise, the rest of us might not have had very many turns.

 Dahlia keeps asking when we can go back.  Until next time, Mackay!  

Family Pictures

The main event at The Ranch is family pictures.  Which are available in every grouping you can possibly imagine.  So if you don't see your favorite - just ask!  It's probably available.  But here is a quick sample.  The other tradition is the morning AFTER family pictures when Megan pretends her memory card accidentally got erased and we have to do the whole dang photo shoot over again the next night.  Someone always falls for it and has a meltdown- so that joke never gets old.  Good times.

The Ranch

We spent the long 24th of July weekend with the Torgerson family at The Ranch.  The kids were so excited that their Pennsylvania cousins were coming to town.  And that they would probably get new matching jammies.  They were not disappointed.

We loved the pool.  (Well, everyone else did.  I got stung by a bee in the pool.  Not my favorite.)

But all of us loved the family time.

Some of us did makeup.  (And some of us barely combed our hair or changed our clothes because we were at the cabin...)

The porch swings are everyone's favorite at The Ranch.  And the porch itself is the perfect setting for endless games of cornhole.  

Oh, and Jason spent an awful lot of time talking about concerts he wants to have at The Ranch.  I never could quite figure out how he was going to convince big-name artists to come give private concerts at a family cabin in a small canyon east of Nephi, Utah.  But he's got a vision - and definitely the dance moves to go along with his dream.

Mickey especially loved having his photographer aunts close by for several days.  This kid loves pictures.  Of himself.

Welcome Eli Vaughn!

 

I woke up on Sunday, July 5th, to an unexpected text that baby Eli had arrived.  Not that Tay and Heather were headed to the hospital or that Eli was on his way.  He was here!!!  Heather is known for speedy deliveries - but this one really took the cake.  Eli waited a whole 15 minutes to be born after Heather had been checked into the hospital.  She woke up at 5 am feeling contractions - and Eli was born at 6:48 am.  6 lbs 12 oz of absolute cuteness.  And rather perfect timing.

Think his siblings were excited to meet him?  They were.

Carly even put on her hedgehog costume to greet him, so you know it was a big day.

Taylor really wanted to name the baby Elton.  He didn't win - but I can't say that he lost either.  "I remember when rock was young..."

Meeting baby Eli, social distancing-style.  Which I can't say is my favorite way to meet a newborn nephew (honestly, I am hoping to actually meet him sometime before he graduates from college) but we do what we have to do in a pandemic.  Even Aunt Traci.  Although she does not like it.  One bit.

She does love a newborn baby boy in overalls though.  Welcome to the world, Eli Vaughn!