Otte Family Reunion

It was nearly a 7 hour one-way trek, but every mile was worth it to spend a few days up at my Grandma and Grandpa Otte's house for a family reunion. I have so many wonderful memories from their house while I was growing up, and it is almost nostalgic for me to go back there. It is so fun to see my children playing and running around at Grandma's house. The Otte crew consists of Grandma and Grandpa, their two sons (one being my dad) and then all the grand- and great-grand kids.

We all met on a Friday night and set up camp. Most of us stayed out in tents in Grandma's backyard, and it turned out pretty good.

Here are the girls playing in the tent with cousin Claire:

Ty found this little net on the ground and was in heaven toting it all over the grass:



Grandma and Grandpa live on the outskirts of town, and behind their house is a huge field of sugar beets. The Otte's love a good round of target shooting! I am proud to say I hit my fair share of clay pigeons. Ya, me and the old 12-gauge are good buddies. Here are Uncle Matt and Grandpa, with Christian and Blake checking out the action:


The lineup of spectators. A wild, rousing crowd. Jacob, Aunt Steph, Kenna, and Cousin Olivia:


And here is Mr. Sharpshooter himself- Jacob. He's actually a pretty good shot, I must say. I think he gets it from me.

My Grandparents have a wall of pictures of all their grandkids as they were growing up. I LOVE this, especially as it hasn't changed one bit from what I remember as a little girl. Even the wallpaper hasn't changed! Oh so many good memories:


In the living room, there are two of these lamps that hang from the ceiling. When they are turned on, little beads of oil flow down the diagonal metal pieces. I would stare at these as a little girl and loved to watch the oil drip down.

We had such a fun time catching up on everyone's lives, and of course sitting and laughing well into the night. Even Grandma Donna stayed up late with a few of us chatting. I could sit and visit with my Grandparents for hours. They truly are two of my heroes, and I love to hear their stories and perspective on life. They are such down-to-earth, good people and have taught me so many lessons over the years.

The next day was spent playing and laughing. It is SO fun to watch all the kids play together! Here they are loving the pool and slip-n-slide. Grandma Shelly even cracked out the snow cone machine!









Here the girls are with cousin Ethan writing on the chalkboard at Grandma's house. This is the very chalkboard I would sit in front of and write on for hours when I was little. It was so fun to see my girls do the same thing. Allie wanted to make sure I got a picture of her name she wrote, too.



And of course we had to get a picture of all the great-grandkids. We weren't missing any of them, it was so fun! (Except for Ty who is MIA- a nap was imminent and couldn't be put off any longer).

Everyone else stayed one more night until Sunday, but since we live so blinkin' far away (and much to my teary dismay), we decided it would be best to go to Logan on Saturday night, then finish the trek on Sunday. And, many thanks to my over-achiever as a husband, we also had to venture an extra hour and a half over to Blackfoot, Idaho to pick up some cattle before our said trip to Logan. To be perfectly honest, adding live animals into the mix had me less than pleased. I'm quite sure a grumpy wife had Jacob less than pleased. But, alas, we managed to get the blessed creatures after a much-longer-than-expected layover in Blackfoot and rolled into Logan around 12:30. That is a.m, mind you. Sometime in the venture Saturday night, we also learned that Jacob unexpectedly needed to be back for a church meeting Sunday afternoon, so we got up and headed right home. We made it just in time for Jacob to shower, throw on his suit and head to church. I'm tired again just writing this.

All in all it was a great weekend with family. We even got to stop in for a bit to visit the Israelsen's too before we headed up to the reunion. They are always so very good to us. We learned once again how incredible family is, and also that family reunions and extracurricular farm adventures really don't mix. I suppose you live and you learn, eh?

Oh, I must mention also: On the way up, we got to stop in and visit Jacob's sister and her husband and cute little girls who are just a half hour-ish away from my grandparents. It was so good to stop and visit seeing as though we don't get to see them very often. She let us borrow the CD's of the book The Undaunted which is about the hole-in-the-rock pioneers from Southern Utah. Jacob and I are still listening to them and are absolutely hooked. It is such an amazing story. We lay in bed at nights and listen for a bit before going to sleep. We did the same thing a year or so ago with the story Fire of the Covenant, about the Willie and Martin handcart companies. They are both by Gerald N. Lund. He is an incredible author and brings those pioneer stories to life. It brings a whole new depth and appreciation to all they went through while trying to cross the plains and establish settlements in Utah. If you need a good read (or a good listen) I highly recommend them!

Catch Up

Was I just mentioning something about June going by fast? I spoke too soon. It's now August. Yikes.

So much to catch up on. I may have to spread this over a few posts.

Last year was Jacob's big 30th birthday. We welcomed Ty man into the world just one day before Jacob's birthday, so his birthday was fairly low-key. Okay, it pretty much came and went without too much celebration- other than a super deluxe birthday lunch compliments of the hospital. So this year, I wanted to make up for it. I decided to throw him a surprise party. SURPRISE was definitely what it ended up being. He had NO idea it was coming and I loved every minute of it! It ended up being on the night before his birthday which was Ty's actual birthday, but I figured since he was just one he wouldn't mind. We met at the park and ended up having quite a few families down for a little party. We barbequed hamburgers and hot dogs and the others brought a side dish to share. I had a friend get Jacob down to the park by making him think they were going to go move a couch for a family member. We all hid around a fence and as Jacob came around the corner we shouted "Surprise!" Poor guy didn't know what to expect. I got him so good! It maybe was too big of a shock, it took him a minute to figure out what was going on.

Starting to get ready for the surprise:


I tried my best to figure out a way to get him down there in some nice clothes rather than his farm clothes, but to no avail. Oh well! The two birthday boys:


Getting ready for the BBQ. It was the perfect place- a pavilion for the adults and a playground for the kids (which of course I failed to get a picture of). I had so many fun decorations and tablecloths and balloons all ready, but I managed to pick the absolute most windy day of the year for an outside party. Horrible, gusty, blowing wind that about drove me mad. After a few pathetic attempts with everything blowing away, we had to keep the decos in the car. But, we still had a great time in spite of it.



Speaking of birthdays, I can't believe my baby boy is ONE! My goodness that year went by incredibly fast. I am so amazed at how much babies grow their first year. Here he is on his birthday last year:


And in the first and second weeks (he was such a wrinkly little monkey!):




And one year later:


Is it any wonder we call him "Tynado?" When he gets scooting around, he manages to leave a wake of destruction in his path. And then he looks up at you with his charming grin and bright blue eyes and you are sucked right in to his cuteness. He has been such an amazing addition to our home. He seems to learn something new everyday and it is absolutely delightful to watch him grow. He doesn't walk yet, but loves to scoot and crawl around. It will be just a matter of time before he takes his first step. Happy Birthday our sweet Ty Guy, we love you!

Quickie

I have PLENTY of things I need to update on. Some great pictures too.

But after a little blog hopping, I came across this blog today and thought it was so special. I don't know these people. I think they are related to some people in my ward, actually. Anyhow, they asked for comments from anyone and everyone showing support to this man who is battling cancer to help give him an extra boost. He has a beautiful little family. Perhaps even leaving a small comment on someone's blog can make a big difference. Go ahead and leave your own little comment! Like I am trying (although at times seemingly unsuccessful) to teach my girls- "Do unto others..." We all know the rest.

http://robgrimshaw.blogspot.com/

JUNE

Seriously- June is nearly over? Huh? Maybe I'll just give a quick rundown of some of our June events. Well, maybe not so quick. I'm a bit behind.

June started off with a SPLASH while Kenna and Allie took their first ever swim lessons. They did great. Kenna got the okay to go ahead to the next level. Allie still needs to overcome her fear of getting her head in the water. To the point that every once in a while she reminds me that she doesn't want to get baptized. Yes, she REALLY doesn't like her head in the water. Even washing her hair in the bathtub can be a bit tricky if the water is deeper than 3 or 4 inches. I tell her she still has 4 more years to work on it. Keep your fingers crossed for us.

Here is Miss Kenna- relaxed, doing well:


And Allie Gal, who is straining every muscle in her body and trying her darndest to keep her head as far up out of the water as possible:

For memory's sake, I must add our little incident with Allie at the pool. One day right after the girls had finished their little lesson, they came on over to me get their towels on. We happened to be standing right next to a fairly deep part of the pool, and while I was helping Kenna get her towel on, I turned around to find Allie in the water and she was....well....drowning. I can't explain the horror that ran through me as I just about jumped in myself. Fortunately I was able to lean down and pull her right up out of the water. I'm not sure who was more shook up about the whole thing- me or Allie. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what happened. I assumed she had leaned over to touch the water and lost her balance. Well, later that afternoon I finally got it out of her that she JUMPED IN. Oh my dear Allie. So much for overcoming her fear of having her head in the water. But really, it's just Allie. I shouldn't be overly surprised. She manages to do random things like this:
Here she had tied herself up to the dog leash and was pretending to be some sort of animal. I forget exactly which one. It's either a horse, dog, or a cat. If I assume, then I often get myself in trouble with her for calling her the wrong kind of animal. In this picture, she is less than pleased with Ty who is really getting in the way of her being an animal.


Fortunately, after the two weeks of swim lessons were all said and done, I think they had a good time.


For Father's Day weekend, we headed up to Logan. Jacob's sister Maria is heading to Argentina on a mission and spoke in church. She did an AMAZING job and will be an AMAZING missionary. We love you Aunt Maria! As always, it was so fun to be with family. It was a special treat to be there to celebrate our wonderful Fathers as well. Here are some highlights from the weekend.

Here are the girls playing with their cousins at the Otte homestead. My brother and his family were also up for the weekend, and then my brother-in-law brought up his two kiddos so my sister could have some peace and quiet in the house after working a graveyard shift. The cousins had a blast playing together.


And here we have the adorable Maria. She's the one in yellow looking so very cute. I am so sad I didn't get a picture of her with the girls. It's one of those things you think about when it's too late.



Here is Grandma Marsha and Ty. I finally broke down and cut his hair. I loved his long crazy locks, but they were getting a little out of control. I tried to see if I could cut it shorter in the back while keeping the top a little longer, but finally gave up and just shaved the whole thing with the clippers. It ended up turning out so cute. He is such a handsome little fella! He has such a contagious smile. You just can't help but love him to pieces.


And here we have Uncle Ross with his very cute "friend." Guess we'll just stay tuned for more details about this here "friendship."


Here is Kenna with cousin Olivia. Have you ever seen two little girls who were cuter in glasses? Never! They also had such a fun time playing with each other.

I love this picture. Mostly because you can tell the girls are in absolute heaven being snuggled up and loved to pieces by Aunt Marlene, Aunt Connie, and Uncle Karl.


I just can't resist posting this one:

Nope, that is not an oversized canary smiling back at you. It's actually Uncle Daniel who decided to come join the party sporting his platinum new 'do and matching bright beaming yellow shirt. AHAHAHA! Normally his hair is pretty much brown. There was a bit of a mixed reaction to this new color. If he was hoping for a major reaction, he got his wish. Needless to say, however, the next morning it had been dyed back to a more normal color. Probably a bit more fitting for a handsome young man who will soon be heading to Paraguay on his mission. Congrats Uncle Daniel! We are so excited for you.

I tell you what, June has just been full of all sorts of excitement.

When it comes to Father's, however, Kenna, Allie and Ty can definitely say they have the best. In fact they can say their Dad is a gold medal CHAMP! There is only one man in the whole wide world who can say he scored the gold medal for the discus at the Utah Summer Games. (Well, that is in the 30-34 age group.) Even now I can hear the theme song to the Olympics playing in the background. I know, I know, you had to reread that several times....

....yes you read correctly. DISCUS.

Jacob's work office volunteered to help out with the Summer Games. Jacob was sent to help out with the discus. When he discovered that no one was signed up for his age group, he decided to give it a whirl. Are we really surprised? This is Jacob we're talking about! You can't let a perfectly good medal go to waste! This is something I LOVE about Jacob. He's not afraid to just jump on in and give it a go.

Here's a tutorial on how to be a gold medal champ, Jacob style:


FIRST- you have to get an in with your fellow Olympians. Gain some savvy on just the right technique, you know. For example, who is this fella Jacob is consulting with in the red shirt? I haven't a clue. Neither does Jacob. Just another fellow discus thrower. Stranger just isn't a word in Jacob's book.


SECOND: you need to get in at least a good 5 minutes of practice time. Get the stance and the throw perfected. Become one with the discus.


THIRD: Pray you don't whack an innocent bystander in the head and then throw that discus out like your life depends on it! (The discus is at the very top of the picture)


AGAIN JACOB, AGAIN! YAH!


FOURTH: Be sure to pass on your skill and wisdom to your progeny.


You know they say the only true competition is yourself. Well, yes, that was quite literally the case. Way to go Daddy! You never cease to amaze us. We are so blessed to have you. Thank you for reminding us we can do anything we put our minds to.

Happy Miserable Day!

Something about the word Memorial just didn't quite jive with Kenna, and all day on Monday she kept talking about us celebrating "Miserable Day."

Fortunately, our Memorial weekend was anything but miserable!

We started off the weekend with a visit from Aunt Marlene, Aunt Connie, Aunt Maria and Uncle Benson. We had so much fun and were so sad to see them go on Sunday. The girls were in HEAVEN with all the love and attention. I was in love with my dishes magically getting done and having some fellow adult ladies to chat and laugh with. Jacob loved having a brother to get out and get dirty with. I don't think poor Benson sat down once. Aunt Marlene was more than patient to have two excited little bed buddies sleep with her Friday night.

I'm ashamed to say I only ended up with one picture from the weekend. Here are the girls giving Aunt Connie a new 'do. Allie especially LOVES playing with hair. Somehow Aunt Maria smugly managed to pawn off the hairdressing to Connie. After all these tangles, Aunt Connie had a serious encounter with the hairbrush which involved some major head trauma. Thanks for being so willing Aunt Connie! These girls (and Ty, of course) are blessed to have such wonderful Aunts and Uncles who give them so much love.


On Monday we headed down south to Leeds and took a Ranger ride down to the Virgin River. The downfall was the wind, but we managed to have a little picnic.


We let the girls play in the water for a bit. Of course we forgot extra shorts or swimsuits to put the girls in, so we did what any respectable redneck family would do. Now don't judge, it looks just like a swimsuit.


To avoid a belly full of sand, Ty just got to hang out in the stroller....

...and eat Oreos.


The highlight of the trip, however, was our Miserable Day Lizard Adventure! We got sick of the sand and wind after a bit, so headed over to the other side of Leeds to find some lizards. Of course it was all 100% my idea- I was just dying to pick up a wiggly little critter. I am a fan of everything creepy and crawly.

Ew.

My job in the endeavor was to scope out the little reptiles and take pictures. That's about my max.

The girls however, were absolutely ENTHRALLED. And their father? Equally exuberant about the whole deal. They emptied out a Gatorade bottle, poked some holes in the side for air, and filled it with sand. It was so cute to watch them tote that thing around just waiting to put a lizard inside of it.


"Get him dad!" (insert here squeals of sheer delight from the girls)


They just kept climbing higher and higher to find one of the blessed creatures.


They were finally able to catch 2 lizards; one for each of the girls. Based on the reaction from the girls, catching a lizard was an absolute triumph and an event full of giggles and smiles. How can I not enjoy that?

When we got home, the first thing dad and the girls did was head out back to make a new habitat for the lizards. Here we are a few days later still reaping the benefits of being lizard owners.




With entertainment like this, who needs a Wii?



Miss Reptile America



The poor little things.

I mean the lizards, not the girls.

Turns out our Miserable Day holiday was memorial indeed!