Visiting the Merrill Family

In the last post, I think we ended at us going down to Logan to visit Gaupo's Grandma. Well once we were back in Swanlake we were there for awhile. Definitely, not as long as anyone would have like, but still we got a great visit and vacation there. Here are some pics from the Logan visit.

Grandpa, Kylee, James, and Aunt Sarah.

Josh, Gaupo, and McKay.

Melanie, Aaron, Granmda, Blaine

Aunt Jill, Grandma Hammond, James, and Tia.

Tia and Blaine eating snack in the 'kitchen.'

I love visiting Swanlake because there is so much that we love there. We love the family we visit and we love the place we visit. One of the kids and I's favorite  things to do is go on four-wheeler rides. I love going on rides with Gaupo, but I also like feeling like a cool aunt/mom when I take the kids out for a spin. One day they will get too old to be pleased with just going up to the pond and back, and I will either have to have Gaupo take over or learn more trails. Anyway, the kids (Kylee, Tia, Blaine, and sometimes James) would take many a trip on the four-wheeler up to the pond and back. One of my favorite runs was when Guapo had the girls and I just had Blaine and we went up to the pond and the fish were jumping and he asked if he could watch the fish. I was more than happy to accommodate that request because I sometimes like to just sit and enjoy too. Plus, the fish really were jumping and it was pretty fun to watch. However, I loved having just that small quiet moment with Blaine all to myself it was awesome. This year along with four-wheeling we got the chance to use a Rzer too. Aaron and Melanie recently got one and so that was fun because it was a little easier to haul all of the people that wanted rides. But, to be honest I love the feeling of four-wheelers. So, the Rzer was nice and I think Gaupo enjoyed it, but I am still a four-wheeler fan. Although, we might not want to tell Aaron that or he might not let me use it. (jk) Anyway, we did a lot of rides and the kids also loved playing on the Rzer and four-wheelers, so they took plenty of their own imagination rides. Although, I am not sure I want to be on those because they sure bail on and off the four-wheelers a lot, so they sound a little crazy. I love little kids imaginations.

Tia in the Rzer on Gaupo's lap. Scott and Aubrey on the four-wheeler.

Another thing we love doing up at Merrill Ranch is fishing. The Merrill's have a stocked pond and we went out on Wednesday morning about 7:30ish and it was great fishing. We caught 4 fish, but luckily the little 4-incher I caught jumped off the hook. Kylee caught her first fish and she was so proud. I was helping Tia and so I couldn't get a picture. I told Gaupo to, but for whatever reason he didn't get one either, so we can't document, but she did catch it all on her own. She did everything from casting and waiting to reeling it it. Although, she didn't haul it up the bank and take the hook out, but she watched all of that part. Once again, it was so nice to sit up there on the bank of that pond and fish in the midst of God's beautiful creations. It was so peaceful and it was just us up there. I loved having Tia sit with me for a few minutes and visit with her. I loved standing by Kylee and helping her have the patience to wait for the fish. I love watching Gaupo doing things with his girls and I like watching him fish too. It was just a great morning. The girls really enjoyed the fact that Grandpa came up near the end of the trip with the tractor, and they got to sit on it while he loaded the wood and then they pressed the horn button, and they got a little ride. They LOVED it!! Gaupo also took Kylee and Tia fishing again on Saturday morning. I would have gone, but I needed to get things ready to leave. This time they caught three, but only two made it all the way to shore. Grandma filleted them for us and we took them home. I cooked them up and they were really good. 

Kylee fishing. This one was on the fourth.

We also spent a lot of time with cows on this visit. Kylee learned that she really liked the calves sucking on her hands, and Tia loved watching the cows get milked and just watching the big cows. Often times I would take the four kids over too the cows and they would all watch the big cows for a bit and then Kylee would go to the calves while the rest of us went to the barn to watch milking. Sometimes we would then wander up to the manager where the kids loved to see the cows faces. They also enjoyed throwing hay at them and saying 'eat, eat.' Tia, Blaine and Kylee also enjoyed running near the manger area which of course spooked the cows and they thought it was pretty funny to watch them run. I don't know these kids and there cows they sure love them, so we spend lots of time out there.

Tia also loved these cats. She carried them like babies. The cats didn't much enjoy it, but she sure did.

The 4th of July in Swanlake is another thing we all, but especially Gaupo, look forward to. It starts with a scout breakfast and flag raising at the church house. We all go to that and get a great breakfast of pancakes, egg, sausage (which most times comes from Monte Henderson's pigs),dutch oven potatoes, and juice. It is so good. Plus, the kids have a great time playing on the swings and stuff that are right there after it is all done. Then we head back home. This year Grandma really wanted to go up to the pond, so we packed up everything to make burgers and dutch oven potatoes and took it up there. Then when we got up there we got out the paddle boats which was kind of an adventure at least for me because I HATE snakes and mice and there happened to be both living underneath the boats. Luckily for me everyone else was more that willing to take care of all of those critters while I stayed back and waited. We got the boats out on the pond. Melanie and I took the kiddo's out first and the Gaupo took out the other one and met us and then of course all the kids wanted in his boat. Melanie and I paddled around with James until he was getting ready to bail on us and then we went back in. While we were up on shore Jeff and Heidi got there and the food got ready. So, we had more dutch oven potatoes and then Hamburgers. Then it was pretty hot, so we just chatted in the shade we could find. We did let Kylee go fishing a bit and let Tia go in a boat again while we visited. Then we decided that we had had enough heat and went down to the house. The kids all got snacks and by this time it was like 2:30ish. My plan was to let Kylee and Tia just stay up because Jeff and Heidi weren't going to be there long. So, I was letting them play and they decided to climb up into a chair and watch TV for minute and well before the minute was over they had both passed out in the chair. I left them there and they woke up a little before Heidi and Jeff left, but not much. Oh well, that is how it goes sometimes. Once Heidi and Jeff left we just kind of did our normal thing of playing outside and watching cows. Then dinner and games and talking and bed. That is pretty much the Fourth in Swanlake and it is enjoyed by everyone. Plus its great to see family and enjoy just being together.

Us out on the pond.

Melanie, Me, and Blaine on the boats.

Tia, Kylee, Blaine, and Gaupo on the boat.

Aubrey, Gary, Grandpa, and Gaupo chatting on the porch of the 'cabin.'

Tia, and Kylee crashed after a fun, but early morning.

Finally the newest addition to the endless fun was Gary bought a Frisbee Golf cage. So, we played Frisbee golf up at the pond and at the house. We figured out a pretty good little course around the house and had fun playing that on a few of the evenings.We all had a good  time competing in that. Especially Aaron who was really glad to more of a physical challenge than mental. However, it worked out well because he could compete there and they was all chill and stuff for when we came in and played games. However, it was really fun to have something to play with Gary and to get out of the house and enjoy. I think it is definitely worth Gary's investment because I know of at least three times we played and a couple of those times we played more than one round, and everyone had fun and enjoyed it, so it was really great.

Now, before you think I am not going to blog about our Palisades adventure I am, but that is going to be a post all of its own coming up next.