Memorial Day Weekend

 We drove up to Idaho for Memorial Day Weekend.  I wanted to be there so the kids could spend time with their cousins and to celebrate dad's 75th birthday.  The valley was unbelievably green!  It has rained so much that the valley was covered with a deep yet bright green that just didn't stop.  The kids and I kept commenting on how beautiful it was.

Tetherball, horse-back riding, and good food awaited us at the house!  Cousin fun was the backbone of the weekend.  The kids play together so cute too.  We just missed the rest of our cousins. 

On Sunday, after church, we celebrated Dad's 75th birthday.  We were just glad he made it to 75.  The day before, he had been thrown from a horse during turn out and was in a lot of pain.  

The grandkids and I rushed home from church so we could decorate Grandpa's bedroom door with hearts with messages from each of us.  We gathered around him and each shared something about him that we love about him.  He was genuinely touched.  Then he shared with us how when he was changing his clothes after church, he had said to mom how wonderful it was to be surrounded by family and that it brought him the greatest joy.  Yes, it gets chaotic, but it is a blessing.

 Wow- 75 years old looks great!  Happy Birthday to the greatest dad we could have asked for!

 At the cemetery, Madison caught a bird in her jacket.  We were squealing like crazy as she caught it!

 Brantly, teaching the kids about the our heritage and the people who mean so much to us!

 Taylor got to drive the suburban in the church parking lot!  So did Jessica.  It was a highlight of their trip to Idaho!

 Memorial Day started with horse-back riding with cousin Jessica in the corral next to mom and dad's home.  

 The view from my parent's house.  Spectacular!

 

 Idaho....or Switzerland?

 Cutie Pie Jaxson on the horse!

 Jessica, showing her talents on the horse!

 We went to the town site to participate in the different events. The kids loved the sewing machines.  We sewed for about 20 minutes.  So fun!

 Next, we went on a wagon ride around the town site.  Austin and Kaden were joined at the hip.  We loved seeing the pioneer homes, especially this one where Grandpa Hatch was born (along with all of his siblings).

 My sweet nieces on their way to the car.  Look at how spectacular the valley is!  Breath-taking!

 We went down to the Dutch home, or so it was named years ago, to explore.  The kids went into a dugout where fruits and vegetables were stored in the early 1900s. 

 Levi's face....oh how sweet!

 The families of the Dutch home came prepared to celebrate by teaching the kids how to make butter.  They gave them glass jars and told them to shake-shake-shake!  Taylor and Madison were so cute singing, "You put your right hand in, you put your right hand out, you put your right hand in, and you SHAKE it all about!"

 Homemade butter and jam on homemade bread.....scrumptious!