Hadley, age 2, mowing the lawn for Grandpa
Growing up in Kentucky, every boy I knew drove a tractor. However, I never thought I would see my Utah husband driving one... does backing a boat into the water count? I think so.
Daddy and the boys on the wave runner
Brendan engaged in some hardcore fishing with Uncle Paul. Just a stick. Real men don't need plastic poles and bait.
More water fun!
Here, Hadley was having a skiing lesson from Uncle Paul. Stay tuned... you will soon see pictures that will shock you.
Few clothes, all smiles
Uncle Paul invited Brendan (age 3) out for a canoe ride. We were watching from the yard as Paul paddled the boat and Brendan enjoyed the ride. All of the sudden we looked up and realized that a) they were really far away, and b) Brendan was paddling. Rarely does a 27 year old man asked for a 3 year old boy's help, so we got a bit worried. We could tell the current had them a bit, but we could also tell they were in control. I expected Brendan to come back petrified. Instead, he jumped out of the boat and reported, "I helped save the day!" Love it.
Wow. Seeing the grandchildren lined up from oldest to youngest makes you realize how amazing it must be to be a grandparent. These little ones are so precious and so incredibly fun. Every year Grandpa John and Grandma DARling line them up and they all shout out their birth number (what # of grandchild they are). Then, we engage in family games, complete with great prizes from the grandparents.
Daddy and Brendan in the relay race
Hadley taking the lead
Brendan, the smallest competitor in this game, was nonetheless a serious threat
Difficult fun
Daddy invented an impromptu baseball game that was a huge hit!
Fishing for prizes from Grandma DARling
So.... this is how we got Hadley to sleep each day for his nap. He would not settle down inside the house with all of his cousins running around and having fun. However, if we took him out on a boat ride, he would fall asleep within five minutes. No joke. Therefore, every day we went out on the boat to get Hadley asleep. Ridiculous? Yes. But desperate times call for desperate measures. A 2 year old without a nap was not an option.
Talent Show
This is a real treat... but the winner is clear.
Adorable girl cousins dancing up the stage
Mindy and Dave (or should I say Donny and Marie?)
Okay, now it is time to introduce the toddler heart throb and lead singer, Brendan Richards!
Joined by the world's greatest drummer and backup vocalist (also declared a heart throb), Hadley Richards!
Completing the trio, Daddy -- the best tennis-racket-guitar-playing band member out there (also a heart throb, but he only responds to one fan). He also had quite the vocals. The trio sang, "Crimson and Clover", a song they practiced for at least 6 months before the trip. The boys LOVED it... all three of them (as you can see, Dan was quite enjoying himself).
This may be the start of something big!
Bella Kate made her debut with a little help from Mom and Dad
Grandchildren grand finale
Does anyone else find this strange?
Fireworks!
Our Wild West adventure was made complete when a moose walked right up to the cabin!
Okay, back to the water. Following Hadley's skiing lesson from Uncle Paul, we encouraged him to try skiing. Yes, I was scared, but Dan assured me that he would be just fine. Hadley was not yet convinced, so cousin Savannah, age 7, volunteered to show Hadley how it was done.
Then he did it!!!!! The first time he fell down because Dan hit a water buoy... but he got on again (very surprising because he was in the water clinging to skis for dear life when he fell off). For Round Two Uncle Andrew drove and Daddy stayed where he could see Hadley the whole time. It went smoothly and he did GREAT!! Put it down in the books -- Hadley skied for the first time just a few weeks after his second birthday!
Family Photo
Dan and his sister Mindy
14 weeks pregnant... looking 40 weeks pregnant, with my handsome husband
Best friends
Post-Bear Lake. Does he look tired and mischievous or what?
Grandma DARling measured the boys. My had they grown!
Brendan had tackled several inches since our last visit!
It was a fantastic trip! Thanks, Richards family!
