Some lost Summer Pictures

I forgot about all the pictures I had on my phone and missed a few fun things we did this summer. Brooklynn took a Karate class and LOVED it!!

 

 

Lauren attended a Volleyball camp at the high school and absolutely LOVED it. She can't wait for volleyball season. She also had band camp during the month of June and is looking forward to playing the flute this year.

Um, I totally forgot that McKenna had a birthday way back in May. Oops! She turned 10 and we celebrated up in Malad with lots of family over Memorial day. She requested a "Hobbit" cake. She also got a real bow and arrow set that she had been wanting for a while...so she could be like Legolas from Lord of the Rings.

Tyler has been busy with football all summer long. I was at girls camp when they had their scrimmage but Chris said he did awesome! This video is of an interception he had. He is in blue and is the outside linebacker towards the top of the video.

Oh, and he finally got a haircut while I was gone!

BEFORE:

 AFTER:

Brooklynn and McKenna also took swimming lessons. They loved it and were sad that we only took one session.

Brooklynn (in the green skirt) above and pink goggles on her forehead below. She absolutely loved her teacher. She even wrote him a cute note telling him he was the best swim teacher ever!

McKenna is on the side just to the left of the lifeguard stand (in pink) getting ready to dive from a kneeling position. She really should have been at least another level higher because she was quite a bit more advanced than the rest of her class. My mistake. I just never know how much they will forget from year to year. McKenna is my little fish. Next year we'll do swim team for sure.

There has definitely been lots of other fun things going on but this covered some of the bigger things I forgot.

Memorial Day in Malad

Every year we have a Gleed Family reunion of sorts at the ranch in Malad. We usually start the day off with Sourdough Pancakes, followed by a nice program at the cemetery. Going to the cemetery is a great way to start off the holiday and remember just why we celebrate this special day. I am very grateful for those who have given their lives in service of their country. Then we head up to the ranch for a BBQ. We usually work on some sort of project which was planting trees this year around the grove. Then there is always 4-wheeling, shooting, hikes, games and lots of good food and company.

Darl at Jenna's grave

 

 Beautiful flowers

Intense game of marbles with cousin Vili

 

 

 

 A view from above

 The grove and BBQ

 Lauren and Mason

 Kids literally crawling all over the hills

 This hammock has seen better days. I think it's time for a replacement.

 Cute kids

It's Fine to be Nine!

McKenna celebrated her 9th birthday at her favorite place on earth, Grandpa's house in Malad. We were visiting for Memorial Day so we celebrated with Grandpa, Jason and lots of cousins. McKenna has been campaigning for an American Girl doll for quite a while and there is a fine line (for me) between being old enough and responsible enough to have a doll that is so ridiculously expensive...and...being too old for dolls. We felt like this year was the perfect year. We told her it would be her only gift, no party, nothing extra. She was fine with that and really wanted this doll. To make things really special (and honestly, this is what sold me) the doll of the year was named, McKenna. How could we not say yes. She was really excited to get her doll and has been a happy camper ever since. THANK YOU to everyone who sent her cards, money and gifts to make her day so special!

We are so glad that McKenna is a part of our family and we love her sooooo much. Happy Birthday McKenna Banenna Girl!

 A few little gifts from the other kids

 Money and cards from Grandma & Grandpa in Washington and Grandma Great in Oregon

 McKenna with her doll McKenna

 McKenna specially requested the All-American Chocolate cake at Costco. Nice choice! Thanks grandpa for making that happen.

Memorial Day=Malad

Memorial Day ALWAYS means we go to Malad. We go there every year and get together with a lot of family that we don't always see at any other time of the year. We start off at the cemetery where there is a short patriotic program complete with a 21-gun salute. There is always a race to see who can find a shell. This year the victors were McKenna and Cabe. It is a wonderful opportunity to remember those brave men and women who have fought and died to win and preserve our freedoms. We are forever grateful to them and their families. The cemetery is so beautiful this time of year with all the flowers and the weather was perfect. We all just visit and get reacquainted before the program starts.

This year little Darl...who isn't so little anymore, a teenager now...played his ukulele softly which made for nice background music. Something that Jenna would have LOVED. I know everyone looks all grumpy in this picture, but really, nobody was.

This doesn't really have to do with Memorial Day but it's a cool picture that my niece Pene took. There is this farm that has boots put on all the fence posts. I think there is an old saying that if there was a boot on the fencepost it meant someone was home...I guess so you didn't have to ride all the way up the road to find out. (Don't quote me on this) Anyway there is this place that has boots on all the posts lining the property. There are hundreds of boots. I think anyone can just add a boot.

Back to Malad. So after the cemetery we all gather up at the ranch for a huge BBQ. This year though, Darl (Dad) and Jason decided on cooking in an Imu. Or Umu or in some cases... an EMU, not in...wink, wink! It is quite the process and involved lots of work. Before we got there on Sunday night, Latu, Darl and Jason dug the pit. Then when we got there they started the "process". First they had to start a huge fire and let it burn down, then you put in large rocks...at this point I took the little girls and went back to town since it was pretty late. So I don't know exactly what goes in next. The rest of them stayed up there until about 12:30am or so to finish up. Jason had to go back a few times during the night to check on it. After the program at the cemetery on Monday morning, we headed back up to the ranch to dig up dinner. These pictures are the "unveiling".

Shoveling off the dirt and removing the tarp.

Then it is covered in gunnysacks.

Then it is covered in Banana Leaves.

Then the food is set on top of more banana leaves I think and then the rocks and coals from the fire. We cooked two huge pork roasts, a sirloin roast and a turkey. Normally, a whole pig would go in here, which we have done in the past, but whole pigs are rather spendy so we opted for more affordable fare.

Yummy!

The grove where we all gather, a beautiful little oasis. (Below, the view from above)

The kids absolutely L.O.V.E. the ranch. They are free to run as wild as they want, ride the 4-wheelers, shoot, play in creek, hike, look for animals and just have a wonderful time with little constraint. They all did a little of everything this visit.

Tyler found a snake...much to the pleasure of the other little boys and to the DISpleasure of his older girl cousins! (Thanks Pene for the pictures)

Cousins McKenna and Mosese

Sisters...McKenna and Lauren

(Thanks Pene for the pictures!)

More Cousins

Brooklynn loves the 4-wheelers. She's the only one of the girls now that squeals "Faster! Faster!

And no trip to the ranch would be complete without a ride on the golf cart. It never had less than half a dozen kids on at one time and usually had more. Brooklynn literally rode this for several hours straight! She took a short break to ride the 4-wheeler and a quick bite to eat but the rest of the time she was on the golf cart.

We all had a great time and enjoyed seeing everyone again.