Weber Boot Camp

 

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I put together a Boot Camp activity for the kids at the family reunion. I was the drill sergeant and did a good amount of yelling. I also made them do push ups for talking out of order. I wore my cowboy hat. I actually wear it every chance I get.
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These were the stations they rotated through. I made dog tags for each person and they earned beads for each station and for good sportsmanship.
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Timothy was in the group with the older cousins.
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Marksmanship was really a beanbag toss.
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Daniel and Michael were in charge of the station about following orders. They played “Soldier Says” and “Red Light Green Light” with the kids.
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This was a minefield activity where the ground was littered with water balloons and a buddy had to guide the person who was blindfolded through the field with verbal cues.
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One station was a memory game where the kids had to remember objects on a tray. Some kids were really good at this and some kids could hardly do it at all. Interesting.
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At the end, each warrior was given a headband.
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Paige led one of the younger groups. All of the cousins love Paige.
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Ready for Red Light Green Light
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I like these pictures that Richard took of the beanbag toss.
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Mark was especially excited to earn beads during the activity.
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Daniel spends his time at the Weber playing with the younger cousins. He catches them in the river when they are tubing. He lets them bury him in pillows and jump on him. Love it.

Favorite things: Day 5

Some of my favorite works of FICTION include:

  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
  • Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell
  • The Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie
  • Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
  • Mitford Series by Jan Karon
  • Christy by Catherine Marshall
  • Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  • The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy
  • The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
  • Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

I just know that when I hit “publish” I will think of more. All well.

Favorite things: Day 4

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These are things I enjoy about our cabin in Weber Canyon where we are having a reunion this week.

  • poppies
  • the river and tubing
  • tall pines
  • horses
  • walks in the woods
  • patriotic parades
  • reading on the porch bed
  • cousin play
  • the swing
  • the spring
  • fiddlin’ for the Virginia Reel
  • traditions: the candy game, money game, fancy napkins
  • small mugs of hot chocolate
  • silly songs playing in the background

Favorite things: Day 2

Today I am thinking of movies that I like.

Some “kid” movies:

  • Cars
  • Mary Poppins
  • Pollyanna
  • Tangled

Some “chick flicks”:

  • You’ve Got Mail
  • Pride and Prejudice (BBC)
  • Sense and Sensibility (Ang Lee director)
  • Persuasion (BBC)
  • Dear Frankie
  • Cranford (Masterpiece)
  • North and South (BBC)
  • The Young Victoria
  • Roman Holiday
  • Wives and Daughters
  • Sabrina (Harrison Ford)

Some Musicals:

  • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
  • Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert
  • The Sound of Music
  • My Fair Lady

Eclectic favorites:

  • The Artist
  • Bride and Prejudice (Bollywood version of Pride and Prejudice)
  • Nacho Libre

Are there any surprises here? Have you seen them all?

 

 

 

 

Favorite things: Day 1

Summer is my fallow season for writing. Since I’m not doing well connecting sentences, the next few days I have decided to share lists of my favorite things, beginning with books. About 10 years ago I discovered that I enjoy reading history. Here are 5 of my favorite works of history/biography. Do you have some favorites not listed here?

  • Truman by David McCullough (It’s so thorough. It was great.)
  • John Adams by David McCullough (I have read this a couple of times I liked it so much. I like all of the letters to and from Abigail. It was a good study about Jefferson, too.)
  • Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K Massie (Fascinating! I have an affinity for Russian history and this was my favorite so far.)
  • The Forgotten Man by Amity Schlaes (Conservative author; scathing review of the failed policies and philosophies of Roosevelt and his cabinet during the Depression)
  • A Day in Old Rome by William Stearns Davis (This made me want to visit Rome. Perhaps any book on Rome would have done it, though.)

A glimpse of Youth Conference

I took hundreds of photos at Youth Conference but very few have Paige in them and I didn’t take any selfies. I am hoping to collect more photos from other people so we can prove that the Ross Women were also there! Daniel had a great time. Each time I saw him, he was hanging out with someone different. I like to see that.

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Rockin’ R Ranch lodge is in the background. We are at line dance lessons here.
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Line dancing
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A view of some of the horses
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The Lodge where we ate and where the girls slept. The boys were in the bunk house across the way.
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Daniel won 3rd place in the barrel races at the rodeo.
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The donkey relay was hilarious.
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Daniel’s donkey relay team
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Maple Leaf Rag on a twangy piano was just the thing to play in the Lodge.
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Human foosball

 

Hat shopping

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Tomorrow Paige, Daniel, and I go to a western ranch for youth conference. Of all the things I need to do to prepare, I am fixated on finding a proper cowboy hat.

I am tired of going places. Once we return from youth conference, we will have 6 whole days at home before we leave again. During those precious days, I plan to mulch my backyard flower bed (since summer is half over), read Coolidge by Amity Schlaes, and avoid going out as much as possible.

Mark goes to Cub Camp

1-SAM_0190 1-SAM_0194 1-SAM_0195It’s a rite of passage to go to Cub Camp. Age 8 seems younger and younger with each child, though. I got to attend one day of camp with Mark and it was a delight to watch him during the skits and songs and see what he chose to purchase from the shop. Many boys bought $5 Indiana Jones whips. Thankfully, Mark only had $3 with him, so it wasn’t a temptation. Mark’s favorite activity of the day was the obstacle course. I took video of him climbing, swinging on a rope, doing somersaults, jumping, and running through tires. I could watch that for a long time.

Family Vacation Photos

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We went to Fish Creek with Richard’s family. We didn’t get photos of everything, but if you make it through this post, you may think we got enough.
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I love to see Sparky enjoy the ride. The drive to Fish Creek is accessible only with all wheel drive and some spunk.
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Oh, yes. Before we left, Rob and Melinda and their kids spent the night at our house. Here we are deep in conversation in the backyard. Rob and Richard worked on doors and handles in our basement. Hallelujah.
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At the top of the road, Paige, Mark, and I stopped to take pictures.
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Mark went higher than any of us.
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We were surrounded by insects and interesting things to collect. Then suddenly, the insects were silent and not to be found…
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We watched the storm move in as Richard brought up another truckload of people to join us at the top of the mountain.
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The storm arrived just as everyone got there. Some people were caught in the storm, which lasted quite a while and included hail, wind, and great amounts of rain.
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We huddled together under the trees. The kids, one by one, escaped to the warm cab of the truck. We had around 20 people and only one truck for shelter.
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Grandpa, Daniel, and a few others made an expedition to the other truck which was lower on the mountain. The rest of us piled inside and outside our truck and began the drive down the mountain. There are ten people in the cab and five people on the running boards and in the bed.
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Paige and I are on the left. Rob and Melinda are on the right. Liz is in the truck bed. We were cold, but we were having fun. We figure that this fiasco will become a family legend.
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Once everyone dried off and had some food, many people took another evening hike. Paige and I stayed behind in the campground. Four or five carloads of Boy Scouts descended on our camp area and set up their tents just feet from us. I think the Scouts were thrilled that Paige was there. We were not so thrilled that they were there.
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The next day we hiked to the falls.
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Two of our model children
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There were so many wildflowers along the trails. I wish that I had brought our flower pressing kit or a big book. I didn’t want to use my Bible.
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Many people hiked up into a cave area to enjoy the falls close up.
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Mark was there, of course!
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I like to see my kids being helpful to each other. This little scene melted my heart.
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Daniel was in the water for a long time. I wonder if he can feel his frozen feet yet?
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Timothy hung out with cousins. He has been to the falls before and remembered how cold he was, so he opted to stay dry. The hike to the falls was downhill, but for the uphill climb out, Richard ferried people on the motorcycle. Sparky ran up and down the hill to keep up with him. When we got home, Sparky couldn’t get out of the van without assistance. Loyal pup!
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Here are the Ross men: Dale, Russ, Rob, and Richard.
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Dale at his birthplace.
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There was a lot of motorcycling during the trip. On the first day, Richard, Daniel, and Timothy went for a 3-hour ride to the campground. This is Mark in Pine Valley.
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Mark loves this motorcycle and keeps the helmet close by in the tent trailer when he goes to sleep.
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Here is Shari and her husband Dave.
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Here are Russ and Nancy, whose jobs at Dixie State University made it possible for the family to gather at the school cabin in Pine Valley for a few days after we camped.
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A Sego Lily. The End.

Photos by Paige, Mark, Angela, Russ, Melinda, Shari, and Richard.