Rausch Rumble (in Magrath)

Every other year my Dad's siblings and their families all get together.    It was long ago dubbed the "Rausch Rumble" and due to fun characters that make up this family, it is always a fun event!!

This year, my Aunt Heather was in charge, and she opted to hold the reunion in Magrath at the Stake Campground.   I'd never been there before and didn't know what to expect, but the kids had a blast!!!   The first place they went to was, of course, the water slide that is built into a hill.    It's actually quite long, and surprisingly fast!    Abby, Sam and Jess just jumped right into the line up of kids and took their turns racing down.   

Nate....needed a bit of warming up.  He spent the first few minutes just cautiously observing;)

John eventually got tired of that, and made Nate give it a try:

Nate never did tackle the water slide again.  At least, not from the top!  Instead, he water skied and slid around in the pooled water at the bottom.    (He likes to live dangerously;)

While the Dad's supervised kids, my Aunt Heather gave a cooking demonstration for the women.   She showed us all how to make authentic "Kuchen" which is a German, fruity, cakey, dessert!   All of my Aunts (and a few of the older cousins) have fond memories of making this and eating it at my Grandma Anne Rausch's house.   (Apparently she always had a Kuchen or two in her freezer for when company came, which sounds like a good idea to me!)

This is a slice of Blueberry Kuchen.  (But really you say "Kuucwhen" with that phlemy sound in your mouth, because that's how us Germans like to talk;)   Yummm!!!

John spent some time down at a nearby creek with a few other kids and Dad's.  They found crayfish, a muskrat, a garder snake, and FROGS!   They could several frogs, and lovingly brought a couple back up to show us.    (and to squeeze and love to death!)

After a delightful potluck dinner, we all kinda lounged around and visited for the rest of the afternoon.    It was nice to catch up with many of my cousins, and to meet THEIR kids, and to see how this family has grown!

While we visited- the kids swam, bounced around...

....and played on the Water slide until the very last possible minute!

All of the adults decided that this reunion was such a success - why not do it EVERY year, and at the SAME PLACE too?     

If you ask my kids- next year can't possibly come soon enough!!!!

Girls night/Guys night

On Friday evening, John and Sam went out to join some others at our ward Fathers & Sons campout.   

Despite the fact that John and Sam weren't camping, they were just going out for Friday evening, Sam had waiting for it ALL week long.  He even packed his bags two days in advance!!  What did he pack for the evening?   Two changes of clothes, jammies (though they weren't necessary), his book of mormon, pocket knife, ipod shuffle and pokemon headphones, and a animal identification guide book.     

I LOVE watching Sam pack his bags.    

Friday evening couldn't come soon enough, (especially when you wake up at 6:00 am full of excitement) but finally, by 4:30...they were on their way!

They roasted hotdogs, made slingshot arrows, played with other friends their age, and of course- whittled wood!   Sam was in heaven;)    

Back at the ranch...Abby and Jess decided that we needed to have a "Girls Night." 

It involved going downtown to pick out mud masks.  

Having a BBQ dinner while watching a storm roll in. 

Applying said mud masks.

Painting toenails and fingernails.  

And watching a movie.   Abby insisted on a "Chick Flick" and the girls settled on "The Princess and the Pony."   (It was tediously annoying to watch, but in the spirit of the evening, I did my best;)

Nate was the odd man out, unfortunately.    I wasn't quite ready to let him go with John, and the girls weren't quite ready to let him join the girls night.    Poor little guy just kinda wandered around bored, but we discovered that if we kept handing him  juice boxes to drink, then he was perfectly happy!

It's a good thing this whole Father/Son's campout thing only happens ONCE a year!!!!

Birthday Trail Ride

This week I turned 33 years old, which really, isn't all that old.    I mean, certainly not when compared to my husband who is almost 40!!!  (I had to throw that in, because John hates it when I say he's almost 40, because apparently turning 38 is nowhere near 40?:)    

Anyways, I turned a mere 33, yet I felt as though I'd reached a huge milestone!  I am now officially the same age that my Mom was when she died.    All my life "33" has seemed like a far away time, a distant looming number, and I wondered if I'd ever make it there myself.  Is that weird?

I thought a lot about my Mom on my birthday, and wondered about those who would have been in her life at that time, and how her birthday would have been celebrated.  I was blessed to spend the day and a surprisingly relaxed way.  I stayed in my pajamas until noon.   Nate and I read books and cuddled.   I nursed a fairly persistent cold, that I've had all week.  And I enjoyed so many phone calls and quick visits from some of my favorite people who knew just how to make the day special!

John surprised me with a trail ride for two, scheduled for the weekend, of course.  

When Saturday came, I was delighted to see a clear sunny sky, and I took it as a sign that it was going to be a.great.day!    

This is the view as we arrived at the starting point!

Here's a list of rules that were displayed for all to see and read.   Apparently I shoulda done that, 'cuz I broke rule #2 an awful lot!  (I didn't know this when we began, but my horse "Smokey" liked to stop and eat.   Like, a LOT!  As a result of our many snack stops, smokey and I spent most of our ride in a quick trot, always trying to catch up;)

I had to get used to snapping photos, while on a horse.   It's darn near impossible to keep still long enough to focus!  Here's a shot of John and our trail guide just after we started out.    We're headed for the hills!!

Our guide took us all through the foothills, and I felt as though we were right below Chief Mountain part of the time.   It was gorgeous!   (And somehow I managed to take pictures of nothing but the back end of horses!  Go figure:)

After 40 minutes or so, our horses started to climb.   Not just climb, but climb through some very wooded forest.    I LOVED it, and felt like I was truly accomplished.   I mean, hello ...I'm climbing a hill...on a horse!!!

We got to the top of the hill and stayed up there only long enough to take in this breathtaking scene!

Then, it was down the other side of the hill.   

And we went STRAIGHT DOWN!!!   It was so fun!   At this moment, I'd forgotten I was following a guide at all, I was too busy pretending I was in "Man From Snowy River."    

The morning went a lot like that.  Up hills.  Down hills.  Through Forests....

and Across Creeks!

I'm pretty sure I've never felt more calm, or happy, ...or at peace with the world.
 ...or sore. (just sayin')

I reckon I may spend the next 33 years of my life, trying to convince John that this "Country Life" is exactly what we need!    

Piano Recital

I love attending my kids' piano recital each year.   For one thing, it always marks the end of a laborious year of trying to get Abby to practice.  It also, however, gives my kids a chance to show off what they've learned, and my kids LOVE showing off;)

Despite Abby's teenage approach to anything involving "work" these days, she really did make some great strides on piano.   I saw glimpses, this past year, of her actually enjoying herself, AND she began playing from the simplified Hymn Book, and liked being able to be the pianist each week during Family Home Evening.    There's hope;)!    

Sam was SUPER nervous to perform at his recital.   He practiced and practiced and practiced.   One morning I was woken up at 6:30 am to the sound of the piano!  

....Sam just had to practice;)

He had his song down perfectly, but seconds before being called up to play, he made the decision to leave his books behind and play from memory.    That, combined with his nerves, contributed to a few mess ups during his big performance, but he recovered nicely and I think learned a lot.   

This was his FIRST recital!!

Abby and Mya performed a fun little duet together, that came together at the end, despite the need for some last minute practices with their piano teacher.    I'm so glad Betsy was willing to spend extra time with them, as Abby's part was a little rough;)    Duets are always so fun to hear!

After the recital, we went over to Dairy Queen with Rachel and Maddax for ice cream.  (But the kids ended up having fries, burgers and smoothies...?)     Aunt Rachel had bought both Sam and Abby candy bouquets to congratulate them.    

Abby was in awe, as she's "wanted one of these her whole life!!!"  hahaha

Sam was ...um...a little Crazy about his too;)

So crazy in fact, that I couldn't get a decent picture out of him.  

No matter how hard I tried!!!!!

Blossoms

We've spent the past two weeks enjoying the beautiful blossoms in our backyard.    

I LOVE spring, and blossoms (to me) are the assurance of a great harvest to come.    

I'm really looking forward to all that our garden will bring this year!!

These Blossoms covered our Haskep Bushes this year. 

   Ever heard of Haskeps?  I hadn't either, until my Brother got us several bushes to plant one year.  

It looks like we may actually get to taste this super berry this year, and I am Super excited!!!

Blossoms on BOTH our pear trees this year!!   Do we dare hope for a pear?

Some say it's impossible in this climate.  

I say, just watch and see;)

And of course, our crab apple tree.    When these blossoms fall they fill our backyard and look like giant flakes of soft snow.   Jessica spent an entire morning last week gathering petals in a bowl.    

That same week, Sam finished off our last jar of Crab Apple Jelly (which he calls Jolly Jam)   

It'll soon be time to make more;)

what hospitality!!!

A while back, Jessica's American Girl Doll, began losing her hair.     It was the strangest thing, but the extensions were literally falling right off.    I was so mad.  Jessica was thrilled!

She'd been wanting to have an excuse to send her doll to the "American Girl Doll Hospital" (yes...there really is such a place) and it looked like now was the time.    So, despite my annoyance with having to pack it up and ship it off  (I'm too used to our digital world, as writing out an address and slapping on postage was just about too much;)   we started the process of getting her doll fixed.

First, I had to go online and print out her "admitting papers."

Then we sent her off.

Jessica cried for nights wondering where her doll was, and I couldn't help but worry that we'd never see her doll again.     

A few weeks later though,  we received little "ponyo" (Jessica named her?) arrived healthy and well.    She came back to us in a hospital gown, a medical ID bracelet, a get well card, an official prescription for some TLC, and a new head of hair.   

Jessica was beyond excited.  Well one American Girl Doll Co.   Well done!   

Katniss and Co.

Sam and Abby have recently acquired pocket knives, and they are more then a little obsessed with whittling.   We are trying to teach them all the safety rules.   John's favorite cautionary advice is " Never cut towards your thumb... always cut toward your chum!" So as you can imagine, our kids (and everyone else) are in good hands;) 

For Mother's day, Abby and Sam both gave me a stick with MOM meticulously carved into it.  

Around that same time they each whittled a fresh branch and fashioned a BOW out of it.    I was surprised to see that they could actually shoot with it!

For the most part, I have no regrets about letting them have a pocket knife.    That is, until I find all the wood chips they've left behind!

Payne Lake Lodge

This past weekend John and I joined some other families in our ward at the nearby Payne Lake Lodge.  

I wasn't sure what to expect, as I'd never been there before, but we had a great time!   The weather was pretty chilly, but the kids kept themselves occupied playing pool, Foosball, karaoke, and exploring.   After the kids went to bed, the adults stayed up until almost 2:00 am just talking!  

It's always fun getting to know others!!

Picnic in the pasture

A couple of weeks ago, Sam came home with a little Fir Tree start.   He instantly planted it in a bucket of garden soil, but we knew we were going to have to find a more permanent place for it soon.   

This past Monday ended up being the perfect day to plant a tree, and we decided (very last minute) to make an event of it.    Sam wanted to plant it out at the "Community Pasture"  (a place where local farmers graze their cattle) because that is where we always go to cut down our Christmas tree.    

So we packed a lunch, and off we went.  

Oh yeah, and we called my sister 10 minutes before we left and asked if her family wanted to join us. 

We've not been seeing much of each other the past several weeks, so it was fun to reconnect!

As per tradition, Jewel tried to get all of the cousins together for a group photo.   

However, as per tradition, this proved to be easier said then done:

1st attempt.

2nd attempt!

3rd attempt!

Then a war began.    And we gave up.

(Doesn't this photo make you think of The Hunger Games!)

Eventually, we remembered why we'd come out here in the first place.     Sam grabbed his tree-in-a-pail, John grabbed his shovel, and we started our little hike in search of the perfect spot!

  Down the hill.....

Through the woods....

And across the creek.

Occasionally, some of us would find ourselves in a little predicament of sorts.  :)  

After a few short minutes, John found the perfect little patch of grass, where Sam's tree would grow big and tall.  (I'm pretty sure John was more excited to plant this tree then Sam was;)

Sam did stop playing with his cousins long enough to pour a bucket of creek water over his newly planted tree, one last time before leaving.    We've made plans to come back each year to see how this tree is doing, and I wouldn't be surprised if one future winter day, we cut it down and use it for our Christmas tree.   (We like to be ironic like that:)

Until then though, we'll just pretend we did Mother Earth a great big favor!!!!!

A bit of Dam fun, Tailgate parties, and Waterton to boot!

John's brother Ben, his wife Kat and their two kids came down on Thursday night for the weekend.   Combine that with the fact that John's sister is still here from California, and we had the makings for a full on reunion party.   (Canadian style;)

On Friday we ventured out to St. Mary's for a bit of fossil hunting.  ...in the rain. ...and the wind.

Darn this weekend!   The forecast for May long weekend called for cloudy skies, showers, and wind.

Perfect.   

The kids didn't seem to mind that it was so cold.   Within minutes they'd taken off their coats, socks and shoes and were digging in the sand like it was a regular ol' day at the beach.

Nathan has taken up "Sand Surfing."    

(Note:  Winter boots and shorts are totally the rage up here in Canada;)

Due to the fact that it was May long weekend, there was not a camping spot or picnic table in sight, we had to get a little creative with our picnic.    John threw all the seats down in the van, and we served the food out of the back of Ben and Kat's Nissan.    It may have been a little redneck, but that's how a tailgate party is done, no?   

Luckily, John's family is pretty chill and the bad weather (and lack of picnic area) didn't seem to dampen anyones spirits.     In fact, this turned out to be a practice run for our outing to Waterton the next day.

On Saturday we drove out to Waterton for hotdogs.   ...in the rain.  ...and the wind.

(are you noticing a pattern?)

Once again, we optimized the sto and go feature that is perhaps the one thing I like about our van.     (Take that all of you who refuse to buy a mini van.  Can you fit four adults, 6 kids, 10 hot dogs, 10 pops, and 3 large orders of sweet potato fries in YOUR vehicle?  I think not.)

After enjoying our lunch, courtesy of Weiners of Waterton, we headed to the indoor pool for some swimming!   It was awesome because we had the pool, sauna, and hot tub to ourselves.   My two year old nephew Maddax is a maniac in a pool and out swam everyone.    Sam and Abby made it their personal mission to get me soaked, despite my efforts to keep my hair dry.  John played and played and played.   I disappeared for a half hour  the sauna.  And then Uncle Ben bought everyone ice cream at Big Scoop.  It was great!

This scene made me laugh.   We drove by as a guy was flying his remote control hover craft, and there was a whole herd of sheep enjoying the show!  haha.  I bet they don't see that everyday.

It really was a fun weekend with them.  Rain, Wind and All!!!!!