What we do without a TV, Computer and Wii

I just counted and we spent 20 days of our summer at the Ranch. We just got back two days ago from a great six day stint that was a blast. We are so lucky to have a cool place to go every summer where life can slow down and we can just enjoy being together. Going to the Ranch means unplugging from everything. There is no TV, no computer, no Wii and the cell phone barely works unless you run or ride a quad to the top of a hill. So, what do we do without all of the technology? Here is the list, in no particular order:

1. Go on a hike with your mom and 10 cousins and catch a huge, slow moving horny toad and then have it give birth in your hand. (Ask Albert about this one...a story that goes down in our family history for sure.)

2. Ride 4-wheelers with most of your extended family to a fire lookout tower and get to climb to the top and see the Rim in a whole new way because your sister-in-law had the guts to climb to the top first and ask the nice forest fire lookout guy if 20 other people could come up, too.

3. Find tad poles in a small pond, get covered in mud catching one and bring it back to show your mom all while grinning from ear to ear.

4. Knit hats with your cousins and wear them everywhere until you get home and realize they are not great attire when it is 115 degrees.

5. Sleep in until the sun shines on your face (around 5:30 a.m.) and then find lots of children in your bed who are ready for some snuggle time OR insist on sleeping with your parents and kick your dad in the face all night.

6. Throw rocks in all of the "secret ponds" on a daily basis.

7. Go exploring in the woods and run back to the ranch house to tell your mom she doesn't need the gym anymore because you found her own personal gym in the woods which includes a dirt hill and a fallen tree she can run up and down. (Who needs a playground or a gym when you can climb up and slide down this hill for as long as you can stand the mosquitoes.)

8. Make up skits with your cousins, practice your skills and then entertain your mom, aunts and grandma with all of your amazing talents.

9. Wait for the a good thunder bumper and then play in the mud as long as you want or at least until dinner time.

10. Play Uno and try to keep your dad from cheating.

11. Get new, homemade pajamas because your mom has no computer to blog hop so she sews instead.

12. Go outside after dinner to try and find a few bars on your cell phone to call your sweetie and tell him you wish he didn't have to work for a living and that he was there to enjoy this beautiful sunset with you.

Mud washes off

Two weekends before school started we decided to head back to the ranch for a final hurrah of the summer. We planned to stay for three days but ended up staying eight when the A/C went out in our house. We had to replace the whole unit and I decided to forgo 110 degree weather and no A/C, so I stayed at the ranch until the new unit was in. We were so lucky we had a fun, cool place to be.

The weather at the ranch was perfect with daily rainstorms and 78 degree temps. What more could you ask for? We also had fun riding the ranger, seeing horses, listening to coyotes, viewing stars (the kids said they had never seen so many stars in the sky), playing games and having mudball fights. That last activity came one afternoon when we had a huge gulley washer. When the rain stopped, we were left with water running everywhere and tons of mud. Albert jokingly asked me if they could play in the mud. I immediately said, "Sure, let's do it." She didn't think I would say yes and they were all so excited to get dirty. (You can tell that I had been at the ranch a few days and I was quite relaxed at this point.) Anyway, the kids played in the mud for two hours and even Cupcake got in on it. These pictures do not do justice to how dirty they all got. They were literally stained with mud. It was a great time and definitely one of the small and simple things I hope they will always remember.

Flying Adventure

Albert and Hog got to fly with Grandpa in his airplane to the ranch last week. They loved the whole experience, especially getting to wear the head phones and buzzing the ranch house so Grandma would know to head to the airport and pick them up. Hog could not believe that it only took them half an hour to get there.

When Grandpa left the ranch on Monday morning he buzzed the ranch again and we all got to go outside and wave. I thought it was totally exciting!!!

Thanks, Grandpa!

Good times at the ranch!!!

With temperatures at home in the 110s we were so grateful to get to spend the weekend at the ranch. It was in the mid-70s and rained everyday. What more could you ask for!!! We celebrated Pioneer Day in Snowflake with a good old-fashioned small town parade and loved hanging out with the friends when they dropped by the ranch house. We had a great time riding the quads and rangers and ate lots of good food with our family!!! My favorite part of the whole weekend was the time we spent playing UNO and eating popcorn on Sunday afternooon with just our little family. It was a half hour I wish I could freeze in time.

Tim headed down the mountain on Sunday night but the kids and I got to enjoy three more days of ranch fun. We are hoping to get back up there before school starts.

Cupcake fell off the cement steps and skinned up her face but she is an official "ranch girl" now.

Aunt Misty gave lots of quad rides to the cousins.

We missed the foot races at the church in Snowflake so we just had our own.

Albert and Hog were front and center to collect candy at the parade.

Hanging out during the parade.
Me and Cupcake enjoying her first parade.