Branding at Lone Tree Ranch

We were planning to go help James and Hanna with their big branding, but then after James got hurt, it solidified the plans. 

Jill and Larsen went a few days early to help get things ready.

We drove to Upton on Thursday night. Austin assured me we had enough gas to get to Gillette, and guess how many miles to empty we had when we pulled into the gas station...3 miles to empty. Carly and Austin said they weren't worried at all. It did keep my wide awake watching the gas gauge go down.

On Friday, they gathered cows and got everything ready.

On Saturday, the branding action started at 6 am. It killed James to sit and watch and not be able to do anything. They had lots of people come to help. Austin and Larsen roped a lot of calves. Hanna roped a few. Carly was on the vaccine team.

It all ran well and finished about noon. 

We also love everytime we get to see Will... and other kids too:)

He is a funny kid.

 

Spring High School Rodeo & Provincials

Carly qualified for provincials in goat tying.

So we took a journey to Stettler, Alberta and stayed in this tiny air bnb shed. It was cute but small. This is what happens when you forget to make a hotel reservation and there is also a softball tournament in the small town.

Carly got second in the first round, had a 9 second run in the second round, and the goat and Carly head butted each other in the third round.

 

Creighton & Lizzie John's Wedding

I came to Utah for Hanna's college graduation, and then my parents picked me up in Logan so we could go to Creighton's wedding. Austin and Carly headed back home to go to a high school rodeo.

We met some of my siblings at Thanksgiving Point that night. Then the next day we celebrated the wedding of Creighton and Lizzie (son of Julie and Tristan John). Guess who beat the wedding couple to the temple.... Grandpa Randy and Grandma Carol. They like to be early. They got married in the Provo City Center Temple. 

They had the luncheon and reception in Lizzie's parent's backyard. Tristan had ordered temporary tattoos of Creighton and Lizzie for everyone to put on. Classic. I left partway through the reception to fly back home. W (Rachelle's husband, Nathan) took me to the airport. 

Hanna's Graduation from USU

Hanna graduated with her Bachelor's degree in Communicative Disorders from Utah State University.

She walked across the campus with all of the graduates before the university commencement ceremony.

The next day she had her college graduation - College of Education and Human Services.

We stayed at Karma and Steve Albiston's house, and Jill and Will came up too. We also got to see Declan when he came up for a picnic at Albiston's.

Good work, Hanna!

 

Carly's Birthday - Sweet 16!!

 Carly turned 16 on April 29, 2024!

Carly had a pre-birthday celebration when she went to with Austin to his conference in Edmonton. They stayed at West Edmonton Mall and they took Carly's friend, Presley Butler (who also turned 16 this week). While Austin went to his conference, Carly and Presley went shopping and to the water park. Carly bought some jeans and shirts (modeling in this picture).

On her birthday, we had German pancakes with buttermilk syrup for breakfast. We cooked steak for dinner, and then she had a few friends come over for ice cream cake.

For her birthday, we gave her a slingshot and paintballs, some bath and body works soap, and a t-shirt with a frog on it (her request). Then we bought some cowboy boots when we went to America.

She was most excited to get her driver's license. She has driven a lot, especially in the last few months. We spent a lot of time practicing parking. Then she took her driver's test, and she didn't pass. She had 110 demerits, and you can only get 75 and still pass. The nice testing man took us back and told us the things she needed to work on. So we scheduled another test - a week later. So we went back to the car and Carly shed some tears. We tried to soothe the tears with a McDonald's ice cream cone. She stayed in the car and watched a movie and then went back to school after lunch. 

The best news was that we scheduled another driver's test for the next week, but they called that afternoon and said they had an opening the next day. So she took it on Friday and passed!!!

Kaden & Kali Lee's Wedding

Kaden got home from his mission to Chili in November, engaged to Kali Torrie in January and married April 27, 2024 in the Cardston Alberta Temple.

They had their luncheon and reception in Taber. It was the most interesting (and longest) father of the bride speech I have ever heard. Kali's dad quoted scripture, had lots of advice and analogies about trees, etc, and then he dubbed Kaden a knight with a toy sword.

After the reception, they wanted to send off floating lanterns but it was too windy.