My Family's Visit

I am so darn tired tonight...I blame it all on marching band. But the things I learn and the fun I receive from the band make it all worth while for me, even through the pain. =)

Anywho....

Everyone in my family wanted me to write about my trip to Yellowstone that took place about a month ago...but I never really got into the writing, heh. It was a great trip though; Oliver wasn't able to go due to work, so it was just me and my parents, and of course everyone in my uncle's family as well ('cept for my cousin Stephen and his wife, Jessica =( ). I mainly hung out with my cousin Marian, and we had fun goofing off. On one of the days, me and all my cousins went rafting down a raging river, nearly flooded because of all the moisture up there (I'm telling you, even Wyoming was green!). We saw six bears and four moose on our trip, and four of those bears were grizzlies. Even further, two of those grizzlies were cubs! Overall it was a fun trip, and I'm looking forward to seeing my uncle's family again, probably next summer.

Speaking of family, my Mom's brothers' family was here last weekend (different family, haha). They came for my Mom's birthday, which is a month from now. There're four kids in my other uncle's family, and their ages are 7, 11, 13, and 16. So a lovely mixture of rambunctious kids, haha. The three older kids are all boys, leaving one girl who's constantly teased by her older brothers. But don't worry, she shows them who's boss! ;) Calvin, the eldest, is a gifted musician, who already has his own CD made! Noah is the logical and quiet one of the family, who enjoys reading more than talking (good boy =) ). Jonah is the sensitive one, I believe, and he's always keen to give hugs. ^_^ And Rebekah's the loud and bold girl, tough enough to force her brother's to stop picking on her! She enjoys being carried around (lucky for her, I enjoy carrying her). =)
They arrived at our house Friday evening around 11:00 P.M., and stayed until Tuesday afternoon. On Saturday we took 'em up to Mt. Evans, which was my second time up there and their first. Their family lives by the eastern coast, so they had some problems with the altitude, but besides that I think we all enjoyed the trip up the mountain. =) Here's some photos.

From left to right, front: Aunt Pattie, Oliver, Mom, Dad, Calvin (16)
From left to right, back: Uncle Danny, Noah (13), Jonah (11), Rebekah (7), Me.

There was a lake at the base of a nearby mountain. =)

In the back: Rebekah, Uncle Danny, Oliver; Front: Dad, Jonah, Noah =)

Dad with his feet in the chilly mountain water!

Jonah, posing for me ^_^

Oliver was not amused :P He stayed on that rock the whole time while us kids played in the water.

:D

Noah, toughening himself up xD

Jonah and I :D

Dad, looking at home in...*gasp* water! :O (He can't swim)

Jonah said this photo could almost be professional if that guy wasn't in the picture. I said the man added character. Who's right?? xD

All of us kids/teens, observing "Oliver's Clouds" (he enjoyed watching them while waiting for us). =)

She may be "a pickle" (according to Noah and Jonah), but she's a cute, pink pickle :P

Bighorn ssshhheeeppp! :D

Cute baby mountain goat, posing for me ^_^

Jonah hidden away in a blanket (it was 'cold'), watching goats.

Three babies! <3

The three boys, Jonah, Calvin, and Noah (left to right). At the top of the mountain!

...and that's all the photos I'll torture you with here! But only of Saturday, hehe :) For supper that night, we ate at Casa Bonita, a 'Mexican' restaurant and a favorite of my cousin's. In fact, me and Noah's birthday party was shared at Casa Bonita when we turned 8 and 6. Jonah and Rebekah especially enjoyed dragging me along with them into Bart's cave, a little walk-through cave for kids (and me) :) .
The next day was Sunday, and so all we did that day was head off to church (I had nursery duty! :D), and then hang out at home. We had a barbecue, and the adults talked for three hours afterward while us kids played on the computer, watched TV, read, and played with one another.

On Monday, my parents and Oliver were at work, so my uncle's family took me with them to my uncle's hometown, in Colorado Springs. He showed us where he grew up, including his elementary, middle, and high schools and were his first job was. We also stopped by his old friends' house from elementary, and we stayed and chatted with her and her husband for maybe an hour and a half.
While in Colorado Springs, Uncle Danny also took us to Garden of the Gods, where we enjoyed climbing around. =) My uncle used to work as a teen at this candy store called Pasty's (as did my Mom), so we went there as well and said hello to his old boss before getting a tour of the factory itself. As we left to head home, we stopped at my family's old friends' home, at Monument. Here's some photos of the day, which was pretty awesome!

Calvin, Noah, Jonah, Rebekah, Me, at the entrance of the Garden of the Gods!

"The Kissing Camels" XD

Garden of the Gods in all their glory!

Back: Jonah, Rebekah, Me; Front: Noah, Calvin

Calvin be strong! xD

Noah under the rock! :D

Jonah climbing through a hole! :D

We also stopped by my grandparent's gravesite before leaving Colorado Springs.

<3 <3

It was rainy, and my camera was in black/white mode. I saw this, and I thought of how Christianity's not important anymore in America. =( Calvin told me to write an essay about it xD Maybe I shall, if I get too bored, haha.

Rebekah, being...a pickle :P Love you Rebekah! :D

On Tuesday morning, the family woke up, got dressed/took showers, ate breakfast, and than left me alone at home at about 11:30 that morning...it was a very lonely afternoon, because each time I heard a scream outside, I thought, "It's Rebekah outside playing with Jonah." And so then I'd get up and look out the window, and...not see 'em, for they were long gone. =( Our house is so darn quiet without them, it took me all day to adjust to our home's usual stillness.

And so, I had a lot of fun with them while they were here!! I miss them like crazy, though. Hope this entry made up for the lost Yelloswtone one :P Those photos are on Facebook, at least, so not all is lost. Thanks for reading! :D

~Kathy