Ute Stampede July 15th

We got to go the Ute Stampede again this year with our good friends, Joe and Ricci Cook who were good enough to get our tickets. Ricci and I went early with the kids because Matt and Joe had to go to a priesthood ordination but got to the rodeo just in time. They had a guy parachute out of a plane and he dropped this huge American flag as he came down. I couldn't believe how high up he was and that he was able to land right in the arena. The National Guard was waiting to pick up the flag as soon as he hit. As he was coming down God Bless the USA was playing.

Jolene was in Nephi for meetings so I invited her to come with us. Dusty and his family was also sitting close by so we got to meet some more of his family. We had such a fun night and it was a really great rodeo. One of the acts that performed was some free style motor cross riders. They were doing some incredible jumps and right before the grand finale Haddy had to go to the bathroom. She absolutely couldn't wait, so I missed the best jumps. At least there wasn't a line for the bathroom.

Jolene, Ricci, and me. Ricci is having a little girl in about three weeks.

P.J., Jabin, Dallas, Hadden, Joe, and Cash

Haddy, Carly Pay and Dallas

These girls were dying for a Carmel apple. I'm sure these apples didn't have any flies sitting on them all day in the hot sun like all the rest of the carnival Carmel apples. he he.

Poor Haddy takes after her mother and gets sooooo motion sick. She only did a little kiddie ride and went down the giant slide and she was a sick little girl. She paced from lying on the table to the garbage can while Dallas, Matt and Jabin waited for probably an hour for the Ferris Wheel.

I don't know this little guy that shared the ride with Jabes but they were cute little cowboys.

Jabin asked me to take a picture of him doing this.

There was huge lines for everything and Haddy and Jabin wanted to ride this little kiddie ride. We had to get rid of tickets, so I made Dallas do it. I couldn't help but laugh she was so embarrassed and said she really hoped none of her friends saw her getting on this ride. She hid her face so I didn't get a picture of her in her humiliation.

They finally got on the ride. They actually were the last ones to ride for the night because they shut the carnival down. It was 1:00 in the morning! I was pretty tired to go to work the next day but we had a great time.

Log Hollow Roberts Reunion

Kristina and I really wanted to have a Roberts family get together up Log Hollow this summer. Kristina mentioned it to mom and she organized the reunion and we did it over the 4th. I know mom went to a lot of work, and it is a busy time of year but it was so good to be in Log Hollow again. This place holds so many great memories for me growing up and is just a beautiful tranquil place. I decided to run up to camp because the road is so rough I knew I would beat Matt. When I ran over the hill that opens up to our camp spot Judd and Wendy were there and wondering if something had happened because I came running in. They soon noticed it was just me. It was a beautiful run and I ran down when it was time to go. Trying to keep my training going with all the fun we are having this summer is quite a challenge, I really have to be creative.

Does this picture remind you of something....

Lighting off my favorite firework, growing snakes. Lucas and Jabin are so cute together. Luke has got the funniest personality. Jabin said "I am going to light off four together" and Luke said "You do what you want man, your awesome!" He says the funniest things. He and Jabin had loaded a bunch of wood in the wagon and he pulled it over to the fire by his mom and Luke said "Hey mom, take a gander at this!"

Dallas and Buster can't keep their eyes open any longer. They both just wear themselves out. Dallas worked really hard putting a scavenger hunt together for the kids complete with rhyming riddles and all. She is so creative and the kids had a great time. She also helped Jabin and Hadden come up with a talent to do around the fire. They did "Tootie Ta" and Haddy has it down, it is quite the sight.

Joni, Kristina, and Maile

Beckah and her little helpers

The old silver water trough is replaced with a great big tire. Still works great for keeping water melons and pops cold.

Haddy's patriotic finger nails

Buster made the family portrait at the raspberry patch


Judd and Wendy

Cool Boy Jabes!

Hiking

We had a little trap shoot tournament and I'm not sure who won out of Judd and Matt. I saw Judd get a lot of them. I did finally hit one or two. Mom even got in on the fun and showed her great shooting skills. She said dad took her shooting once for a date and she out shot him and he never took her shooting again. The kids helped pull the shooter to give Wendy a break.

Some had a little time on the "green" while others where at a game of horse shoes. There was something for everyone at this camp.

We had a lot of fun singing around the camp fire and telling stories. Riley was great on the guitar. I'm pretty sure the glasses were to keep the smoke out of his eyes and not that he was impersonating the Beetles gone Western.

We did have some fireworks and even some really neat neon sparklers. Mom told some family history and we just enjoyed each other's company. I am so blessed to have such a great family that really enjoys being together. It was so nice to have everyone there even though not everybody could stay the whole time everyone made an effort to come up when they could. We were only missing Tadd who is on his mission. Jesse and Daniel fight fires in the summer and Jesse mentioned that this was his and Bekah's first 4th of July together since they have been married.

Happy 4th of July!

Dad is famous for his bear stories. My favorite one is the one he tells about the bear and the old record player. I had dad tell this story to all the kids and I recorded it this year. As the story goes dad tells how he had a favorite spot up Log Hollow to pick berries and he was up their with maybe it was Roland, his brother, I can't remember, but they end up running across a bear! When he got to this part Dallas asked "Was it a brown bear or a black bear?" and dad said it was a big brown bear. Dad ended up taking off through the woods and found an old cabin and went inside. It had some stairs that led up to a loft and all he could find was an old wind up record player. Well the bear was right on his heals so he just took that record player and threw it at the bear. The bear was on his hind legs roaring with his mouth open and ended up swallowing the record player whole. It scared the bear so bad that it took off running back through the woods. Dad said that from then on out he could always tell where that bear was because for some reason that record player kept on playing. My dad has such an imagination, he could always come up with a bear story on the spur of the moment when ever anybody asked him.

I got a bear pinata they were going to throw away from work and after dad told his story the kids got to see what else that old bear swallowed. After all the kids got a chance Jabin got him with one good whack.

Finding shelter under a big pine to weather the storm. It wasn't much, it blew over fast, and this isn't the first time it has snowed on the 4th of July in Tabiona.

The snow soon cleared, we warmed up by the fire, had a snack of ranch and veggies and chips, then wanted to get on over to the Ridge to roll some rocks and get back to camp because we were worried Mom would be waiting on us. She had to run down in the morning to go to church. Leave it to Mom to always be the example.

Rolling Rocks off of Big Ridge.

touching up her lip gloss

Matts all smiles after successfully pushing off all the huge rocks he had his eye on. Judd supervised, Daniel was in on the action with Matt, Jabin watching and learning, and everyone else was holding on to kids so they didn't tumble down with the rocks.

Daniel and Sara

Family picture at the top of Hell's Hole

This is a picture from on top of Big Ridge looking across to Rock Creek or Upper Still Water Resevoir. Looking the other direction behind us and across Hell's Hole we could see Mountain Home by Altamont. Dad said it is probably about 11,000 feet in elevation.

We had a family game of baseball which Matt was more excited for then anyone else. Thanks Sara for pitching even though your back was killing you. Jabin and Dallas had some great hits. I had my hair in pig tails with a hat and Judd mentioned that I looked like Rose ODonold in a Leage of Their Own. I said that was just the look I was going for.

Hadden enjoying her lolly pop fresh off of the Lolly Pop Tree.

Grandpa John found the Lolly Pop Tree once again.

This is where you go to "Time Out" in the mountains.

This is the famous Drinking Fountain where Judd was born. Mom and dad's car broke down on the way to Heber City to have Judd at this little turn off just past Current Creek. I really don't know why it is here and if I was told I forgot. It is really a cement drinking fountain and water used to come out of it. I have told the kids the story and every time we go to Tabby they never can see it, so I promised we would stop by on the way back from camping. You can't see it very well in the picture because Matt and the kids are sitting on it but "this is the place." Years later, when I met Matt's family friends at the Elk Camp and he was introducing me to some of the older guys, they mentioned that they put the water line through Tabby years ago. Then they went on to say that I was probably the baby they spat on the ___(butt) to get breathing. And I just laughed and said "no, it wasn't me but probably my little brother." It turns out that they were the guys that ended up stopping to help my mom and dad.

It was a tradition to stop by the drinking fountain on Judd's birthday every year and take a picture.