City Slickers

When I was 3 years old my family moved out to the country. We had chickens, and a rooster. It was Paul and My's job to collect the eggs everyday. It didn't take us long to learn that the Rooster was big, and mean, and scary, and could bite us. We developed a strategy before too long, and it worked pretty well. one of us would distract the rooster, and get it to chase us while the other ran in the coop and snached up all the eggs.

Our summer days were spend fishing in the gentle creek by the house, building secret forts in the sage brush, exploring our mountain, picking flowers, riding the horses, weeding the garden, and LOVING life. We moved back into town when I was 5, but I have always remembered those 2 years as the best of my childhood. Deep down in my heart I have always known the truth...that I am a country girl.

My Family had our reunion at a ranch in Lava, Idaho this year. They had a few cows to brand, so being the country girl I am I ran right over with the kids. How exciting! I just knew the kids would think that was the coolest thing ever, and decide they are really country in their harts just like me. We all lined up to watch them brand the first one, and I watched Carters face....as he nearly began to cry!

He hated it!

He couldn't believe they would be so mean, and hurt that poor little cow. hahaha, so my plan didn't work out so much. After the kids slowly drifted away, my siblings and I jumped right in the middle of all the action. Matt held the calves down, Janelle and I gave them their vaccinations, and Joanne and Judy painted the oil on after the ranchers branded them. We were real life cowboys....for about 20 minutes, and we were all ready to get back to our city life ways. It wasn't until the reunion that I learned all my brothers and sisters have always felt just like me, and believed they were really and truly county kids at heart. However, we have been shown the truth, and have come to the realization that we are really nothing but a bunch a city slickers. The funny part is that we are all surprised by this discovery, even thought we only lived in the country 2 of our 29+ years, haha.

My camera died after the first couple hours of our weekend, so I missed out on LOTS of great pictures, but here is was I got.













The first night we had our branding experience, dinner, and then broke up into groups and made up skits. I had a bunch of props and costumes, and the skits were hilarious.


The next day people went swimming at the Olympic size pool and platforms, did crafts, slept, at really good food, played games, watched movies on the projector, and stuff like that. Judy made reunion shirts that turned out so cute. the boys were blue and girls were pink, all with a brown logo with our name and stuff on them. The theme this year was code of the west, so we talked about that a bit.

The last day we just had breakfast, and packed up. We all went to Moms grave together. It was the first time we have done that since the headstone was placed, so that was touching. I feel like Mom was smiling down on us, laughing at our cheesy skits, and loving the way we take care of each other. What a weekend.