Memorial Weekend

Trey and I have loved his new job for many reasons. One reason is that he can take vacation time! He didn't have to work extra hard before we left or play catch up after, he just simply gets to take vacation! We got to spend a wonderful weekend at my parents cabin in Las Vegas, NM. It was a wonderful, low stress weekend full of great family time. This was our first cabin trip to not have a newborn. My baby turned two while we were at the cabin. Happy Birthday Dean! **On that note - I received a couple of phone calls from some of you thinking it should be time for Trey and I to announce our next baby. Thanks for the laugh - we are not planning on any more announcements though!
Evan, Jack, our new friend & cabin next door neighbor, Lauren, and Andie at the stream. This stream is just down the hill from the cabin. My dad built the bridge a few years ago. I don't think my dad could have dreamed up the amount of joy and imagination that would have been sparked by this bridge.

Lauren and Evan became good buddies instantly. As we were getting ready to go play by the stream the afternoon of this picture, Evan saw Lauren sitting on her front porch. After asking me, Evan went and asked Lauren's mom if she could come play with us. Lauren had to go inside her cabin to get her shoes. Evan was told to wait on the porch. Trey and I were watching from our cabin, giggling watching Evan pace the porch and occasionally knock on the door to see if she was ready yet. He would sit a moment, pace, then jump up and down a couple times, then wave at us, give his dad a thumbs up, and pace some more. We were being given a scene straight into the future of his first date. Oh, sweet goodness!

Andie was in heaven the whole trip. She must have picked hundreds of flowers. Saw butterflies and ladybugs. And had tons of quality time with my mom, her Nana. Andie named a particular patch of flowers her "Flowery Garden". We took many trips up the hill to visit her flowery garden. Then she would have us quickly run down the mountain because "the monsters are coming!"
My sweet Dean enjoying the ice cold creek. He personally redecorated himself. Every rock now has a new location.
Buddies Evan and Jack in the hammock, rather their "boat." We hung another hammock on top of them - and they loved it. Usually five or six kids were in the "boat" at a time.

Another highlight - Trey turned PVC pipe and duct tape into light sabers. Each kid picked their title - Evan-one-kanobe and so on. He created two forts out of of pine tree branches, one with a throne for Princess Laya, aka, Andie. Trey was the bad guy trying to capture the Princess. All the kids were to defend the Princess. It was hilarious to watch. My poor husband took quite a beating. And to top it off, my brother in law did the best Chewbaka impersonation. (sorry about the Star Wars misspells to all you fans.)