Wednesday, August 6, 2008

RODEO!!

If you are not from Preston, it's hard to explain That Famous Preston Night Rodeo.  It's a hometown event - three days of rodeos, parades, sidewalk sales, and a carnival - and it's a big time for my family.  Since before I was born, a member of my family has been on the Rodeo Committee - my great-grandpa, my dad, and now my mom.  Both sides of our extended family come to Preston for it.  

I have so many memories of rodeo time throughout my whole life and it's something I want my kids to have good memories of, too.  We had a great time at it this year!  (Check out my sister Madi's blog for a much more eloquent post about rodeo time!)  I just realized that even though most of the section B bleachers are filled with Becksteads, I only got a few pictures and none of them have any Becksteads in them... except me, of course!
Garreth's mom and brother Davy came up with Rachel, Leah and Eva (who are mini-cowgirls and obsessed with horses!)
Last year my little cowboy rode a sheep in the mutton busting event.  This year when they announced for all mutton busters to get ready, Liam turned to me with a panicked look and said, "Please don't make me go, Mom!"
Little cowgirls.
Sam, Lucy, and Liam chowing down some cotton candy in the park at the sidewalk sale.
Tegan and Declan chillin in the strollers.
At the carnival...






Watching the parade...
Nana!

Liam's Birthday Party at the Fun Park

We usually go all out for the kids' birthday parties every year and since we moved the week before Liam's birthday this year, we promised him a big family party.  And a big family party he got!  We reserved a party room at the Cache Valley Fun Park and even though it was a little chaotic, we all had a fun time!  He wanted an Indiana Jones theme (big surprise) and we loved having the people at the Fun Park take care of everything for us, even cutting and serving the cake.  It was a fun morning! 






Tuesday, August 5, 2008

The Dinosaur Park

And here are the rest of our Layton pictures...

We had a great time at the Dinosaur Park in Ogden.  It was fun to go to places we never visited (but always meant to!) when we lived in Utah.  











The Treehouse Museum

Here are a few pictures from our trip to the Treehouse Museum in Ogden.
Liam, looking like he's about to burst into song.
Fireman Ronan.
Sam's favorite part was cooking cupcakes in a teepee.
President Liam.
Medieval times.
Garreth, apparently very secure in his manhood.

Real Salt Lake Game

While we were in Utah, Davy and Rachel hooked us up with tickets to a Real Salt Lake soccer game and we had a blast! 
They gave Grace and Liam each a Real jersey - very cool!
Silly Ratchford girls!
Davy and Garreth's sister Pamela was in town so we got to see her at the game, too.  (If Davy looks a little overdressed, it's because he was at work - he is the PR and Marketing Director for the team!)
It was a great game and they won!
More silliness!

We're Home!

We are back from a GREAT trip back to Utah and Idaho!  We had so much fun and packed in so many fun things, and it was SO good to be around our families again.  But after ten days and more than 2000 miles in the van, it was great to be home, too!  I just loaded 250 pictures from our trip from the camera onto the computer, but don't worry, I won't post them all!  The ones I do post I'll have to do a little at a time, maybe in between loads of laundry...

We spent the first four days at Garreth's brother Davy's house in Layton.  The kids had so much fun seeing their cousins again and the place was a wonderful madhouse the whole time we were there! 
Declan and Ronan - only three days apart and good buddies (except when wrestling - Declan knows he doesn't stand a chance and cries like, well, a baby! But he loves to wrestle with 5 year old Leah - go figure!)
The kids had lots of water time the whole trip because DANG was it hot!  We are used to 70 degree days every day, not to mention the moisture from living by the ocean, so it was a big adjustment!  The high altitude and hot dry air gave us issues with nosebleeds and eczema flareups and Liam said every day, "I'm just so SWEATY!!"  Thank goodness for air conditioning!



Grace and Eva in matching swimsuits...
and Ronan and Declan in matching swimsuits, all unplanned.  What can I say? Rachel and I just have good taste I guess!
Liam was so excited to play video games with Conor and Ethan.
Princess Leah, the only one who allowed me to take a picture during a game of dressup.
Declan and the teeth he's desperately trying to cut.
A bunch of cousins, minus napping Sam.
Ronan and Grace.  Are these two related or what?