What a wild summer it has been! William might not have been happy about practicing singing and dancing every week, but he made a lot of new friends. Legit was just that... legit. Now, this might have been me living out my high school show choir glory days... but where is the harm in that!? The kids had so much fun and I'm so glad William did it. Here are some pictures from his performance.
pretty legit!
This is Uncle Larry.
He is a legend in his own right. From Alabama to Oregon this man has effected a lot of lives with his cowboy good looks and genteel composure. He loves Louis L'amour and peas and cornbread. He took me on a horse ride up a canyon once and we took a nap under a grove of trees next to a little stream and ate Vienna sausages together. He pulled me back from a very dark place a long time ago and never judged me or left my side. He is funny and stubborn and kind all at the same time. He and his equally amazing wife Gale drove all the way out from Utah to go to my wedding and I still think about what a sacrifice that was for them. He once told me if he could just "ride fence" for a living it would be his perfect role in life. I then asked, "what the heck does it mean to ride fence?" He explained it's when you ride a long a stretch of fence and fix any holes along the way. It makes sense because he likes to be productive and get things done and he has always taught me to keep movin' forward. I love you Uncle Larry and Aunt Gale. Your family has had a bigger effect on me than you realize! =)
We had a good ole' time out a Larry's Goshen ranch and Gale cooked up some southern food that I won't forget. We had pulled pork, fruit salad, baked beans and the best fudge brownies I've ever tasted! The woman is a comfort food queen. The kids had a blast playing with the kittens in the barn and Wendy and Larry even had a horse race. The man that baptized my mother even came for the reunion and it was so good to see my mom laughing and talking with her family. Her southern drawl started to kick in about 24 hours before we even got there. Seeing Audra, Wayne, Laurie, Tanya, and Angela was like it always is... comfortable and fun. Their children were beautiful and happy as could be exploring Uncle Larry's little piece of heaven in Goshen, Ut.
Larry and Gale
My mom and her brother Tommy.
The horse race. It was closer than it looks in this picture!
Reeves Family Reunion
My Grandma Kay is the only living grandparent that I still have on this earth. She is getting up there in the age department and one of the big reasons we wanted to make the trek to Utah this summer was so all the grandchildren and great grandchildren could see her. She was in all her glory when we arrived with our rowdy group of 25. We gave her hugs and more love than she probably bargained for. The kids were in awe of her glow and sweet way. We laughed and took some pictures. She watched the kids throw crackers at the ducks in the little pond by the nursing home where she lives. She seemed happy and content and even pulled out some classic one liners for us. She has never lost her whit. I think she might only be getting more beautiful as she gets older. William brought her flowers and whispered in her ear, "You have to watch out for June!" Which is actually sound advice. He asks me about her from time to time and I can tell he felt a connection to her on our short visit. We love you grandma and we're so glad we got to be with you, even for a short while.
My 50mm started acting up again so I missed some very crucial shots. I've since sent it in to be fixed. I can't help but love this shot of William giving Grandma a flower... even though it is blurry you get an idea of what the moment was like. June brought her 2 sticks after this thinking that it would compare to William's flower. I didn't have the heart to tell her that old ladies don't really want dirty sticks.
She is rad.
until next time we come to see you Grandma!
It has been a long time for a lot of us to be returning to our Alma Mater. We wanted the kids to get an idea of what BYU was like and get them excited about wanting to go there! The campus has changed a lot but some things never change. Like the fact that I got an oriental chicken salad wrap at the same place that I ate at every day in the cougar eat. Pretty weird. The new Library was amazing and the kids were most intrigued by the moving bookshelves. Each building or walkway held memories for me. Some good, some painful and some just a blur. Like the first day when I couldn't find my Book of Mormon class so I just walked back to the dorms, called my sister and cried! Or the time I slipped on the icy steps and totally embarrassed myself in front of a morning crowd of students. Or the TESTING CENTER! It was weird to bring back some of those memories and visit under such new circumstances. It makes me want my kids to follow in those same footsteps and have the privilege to go to BYU. We better start studying now!!!!
We somehow fit all the kids in the elevator with my parents. It was a total accident! But not really at all!
Thank you BYU! You gave us all a lot of very inexpensive but quality schooling! Hopefully there will be more where that came from!
Of course while we were in Utah Julia got approached by a legit Modeling scout and they pursued her the entire time we were there. I knew it was only a matter of time. She is only 13 and wears a size 9 shoe! While we were out in Goshen for an awesome family reunion with my mom's side (details to come) we pulled over and took some rad pics of this model to be. I think she is starting to tire of me as an aunt. She just wants to listen to music and hang with her brothers. I can't say I blame her...
the funny thing is that this is what her real personality is like...
Little punk! She tries to sneak this stuff in and thinks I'm not watching or something! I'm always watching!!
