Party in Preston!

One of the rides at the fair. Slow but fun enough for the boys and Laine.
This "ride" caused the most fights between my boys. They both loved driving this thing around. Cannon was asking for one for his birthday and I told him that he was too big for them. He is a bit big for this one in size but not in spirit. Luckily the batteries had to be charged every so often so the boys had to leave it alone and get along again.
Ridge enjoyed his ride on the horse but didn't want Dallas to run with it. A nice slow walk was just right for him.
Cannon was apprehensive about riding, didn't really smile the whole time, but he conquered his fear and rode that horse. He won't be asking for riding lessons anytime soon.
Laine loved her pony ride, it was all so exciting to her. As we were walking back to the house (this is the dirt road that runs along the side of the house) she informed me that she now wants to be a ballerina and a cowgirl when she grows up. Can you do ballet in cowboy boots?


My maternal grandparents grew up and met in Preston, Idaho. One of my cousins, the talented, hospitable, life-of-the-party Heidi, now lives in Preston with her children and husband so she suggested that the family reunion be held in the city where it all began. So we made the drive up to Preston, not as long as I thought it would be to the bustling town of 3700, and had a great party with many of my cousins and their children plus aunts and uncle and my parents. I have the greatest cousins. I've always thought so but I haven't seen them for years, I think it has been almost 9 years since most of them and that was at my grandmother's funeral. Heidi made it a really fun party for everyone. (click on the Preston link to learn about the party they have in honor of Napoleon Dynamite! -- Yup, he's from Preston.)

Our first evening there we all went to the fair and ate corndogs and rode rides. The next day while many adults were having a tour of Preston, the family sites and the Napoleon ones as well, Dallas (Heidi's other half) borrowed a horse and a pony so the kids could have pony rides. Lark, Laura and I were laughing at how city folk we were since this was so exciting for us, such a picture moment. Dallas and Houston, the ones who walked the horses, were very patient about letting us take photos of the kids.
I'm sorry to say that I didn't even take pictures of my cousins. It was pretty crazy chasing kids around and snatching in bits of conversation in between. I wanted a picture of me and Heidi on the porch of her fabulous house that sits on a half acre lot in farm country. She has cows as her next door neighbors on one side. I'll have to get her blogging...

Another part of the trip that I didn't take pictures of was floating down the river, either the Bear or Cub river, in tubes. It was a great time. Laine sat on my lap in our tube and the boys had their own. Luckily there were enough adults without kids that were able to help me get everyone down the river, and life jackets for everyone. Laine wanted to go again and then on the way home asked if we could float the river at grandma's house too. There actually is a river to float around here but we won't have time to do it this trip.

Anyway, enough rambling without photos. Thanks for reading...