The Newman Family Birthday Party Weekend Extravaganza

The second week of July we went up to Island Park again to have our own little Newman family party.

The first night we went to the Playmill and saw "Fiddler on the Roof". We really enjoyed ourselves even though we were dying of heat and felt like we were suffocating there on the very back row. 

BUT at intermission we ordered a Dole whip to cool us down and it completely satisfied my pina colada cravings I've been having since leaving Mexico. SOOO good.

They had Brevan and Addi go up to the front to sing Happy Birthday to them and we sure got a kick out of the people hanging all over them. I don't think they thought it was quite as funny as we did. 

The next morning we had breakfast out on the deck. It was so nice and relaxing to not be in a rush to go anywhere and to just chill for a little bit. Also, we had forgotten the hitch to hook the boat up so there really wasn't much for us to do anyway until someone brought us up a hitch...

After breakfast, we headed out on the boat. It was kind of a nasty, cloudy, windy day so we didn't stay long, but a few people were still able to pull out some tricks.

Pretty soon it was too nasty so we decided to change up our plans a bit and head to the Lewis and Clark Caverns to go for a tour. So we loaded up in the car and made the long drive there. When we finally got there, we were just too excited! So excited that Tylee ripped her pants and had to invest in some sweat pants to wear. We about died laughing over her ripping her pants episode(s).

And then we headed into the caverns. Kolton and I had been once before, but it's been a few years. It was pretty neat to see all the cave formations and we all had a nice time.

After that fun experience, we headed back to the cabin for some dinner and to meet up with Tyrel who was coming to join us.

The next morning Kolton was bound and determined to get home and back to work but we were able to convince him to come out on the boat one last time.

To wrap up the birthday weekend party time, Kolton realized that he had surfed with his phone and wallet in his pocket. So fun! So we laid out all his dollars and stuff to dry and put his phone in some rice.

P.S. The phone in rice thing really works! His phone is still kicking now.

And that was the weekend! We had a ton of fun laughing and goofing off and spending time together.

Fourth of July / Newman Reunion

 We had our usual Newman Reunion up at Island Park over the Fourth of July. It was the perfect mix of some of my favorite people over my favorite holiday. 

We did a lot of boating, a lot of eating, and got a lot of sun so it made for a pretty great weekend. 

All of the pictures I took are of us in the boat or on the wakeboard and there are about three hundred of play by play wakeboarding shots so I'll try to narrow it down some to only the most impressive.

Kolton pulling out his usual tricks

Kolton and Addi cuddling at the front of the boat

My dad having the time of his life

Tyrel even got up!

Tylee

After going out in the morning Kolton and I decided to take it easy the rest of the day. We actually took a big long nap which was kind of embarrassing, but also really nice. When we woke up it was pouring rain and only a few hours before the fireworks were supposed to start. But after dinner it cleared up real nice and we went out again and had some BEAUTIFUL water. It was warm and glassy and so perfect and awesome. After than adventure we went back and enjoyed the fireworks.

Tylee jumping the wake

Austin and his board grab

Kaylee and Kynlee

Kynlee showing her skills

Me and my all impressive skills

Kolton attempted a few backflips. Obviously he didn't get it done, but it wasn't for lack of effort.

Sexy boat driver

Austin was just real happy to be there.

Krystal and Kynlee

I always love the Island Park fireworks. We go out on the boat and join all the other boats and it's just really a good time. I can't believe how good their show is and how long it lasts! The show was probably 45 minutes. We kept saying it was the grand finale and then it just kept going and going and going. Always a good time.

And that was the weekend. We had such a nice time and it was a great kick off to our month of parties. Bring it on!

Ladies Who Lunch

So the other day I was attempting to organize some of the junk in my basement when I found some of my high school yearbooks and journals. 

I started flipping through them and immediately began laughing my head off as I reminisced about high school and all of those bad ole days. 

From there I decided it was high time some of us girls got together so we organized a little lunch date for whoever could come. 

We met up at Olive Garden and just had a nice time visiting and catching up and laughing and exclaiming how we couldn't believe there were actually kids at our party because so much has changed in just a few years. 

It was quite the nice afternoon and we just had the greatest time! We'll have to make it a regular thing because I forget how much I love those ladies until we get together again. 

Andra and Baylee and Daws whining in the background

Taytum and Renlee

Auri, Madelyn, and Atticus

Kandice, Me, Laken, and Auri

Reflections on Baling

First crop hay this year was a real wing dinger. 

We got off to a great start with one of the top 5 worst baling sessions of my life. We started at 10 that night and finished up at noon the next day. I hadn't had a nap the day before because I'm not real bright so I was craaanky and tired and falling asleep in the tractor. I honestly would wake up and be half off the row or all the way off the row and it was just really, really bad. I was definitely happy to come home and sleep the rest of the afternoon after we were finally done. 

After that night the rest of it went pretty well. I always made sure to take a couple hours nap in the afternoon and was able to mostly stay awake through the rest of it. 

I also somehow got roped into helping Hansen's with their hay. First crop was kinda nutso for them. Sandra was gone to girls camp and Kirt to scout camp and Kolton was the big man in charge. Bear came out to bale until he broke his foot so one night their Grandpa Taylor had to come out. When we finished for the night Kolton asked me if I could switch out his Grandpa. I thought I was coming to the rescue but instead I broke down 4 times in one hour. Tylee was with me and we really didn't accomplish much. I thought it was a one time deal, but that night as we were getting into bed Kolton mentioned how "WE" were going to have to go out the next morning and get some more stuff done. So somehow I ended up trying to help both parties and somehow we got it done even though I'm definitely not the most dependable or most capable employee. 

And since we're on the subject of baling...

A strange tradition was started by Tylee many years ago when during one baling session she got over the radio and announced that she had made up a song for our listening entertainment. She then proceeded to sing "Under the Sea" from the Little Mermaid with all new lyrics all about baling. It was one of the funniest dang things of my life and really got me thinking. 

The next year, my friend Andra and I made up SEVERAL baling songs recorded them on our phones and sent them to each other all summer long.  My favorite thing became seeing my little phone beginning to load a new text/song in the middle of the night or waking up the next morning to a baling song Andra had sent. 

At the end of the summer we compiled all of our songs and made ourselves a CD. Yeah, we're pretty neat.

This further started the ball rolling and now on any given night of baling I can count on my sisters or one of my cousins to send me a little ditty they have made up. Really, the musical talent on this farm just astounds me. 

Once I was lucky enough to get a little ditty from Kolton and that pretty much made my life. SO funny! It is now his ringtone on my phone and I die laughing every time it goes off...especially when I'm in public. 

But I digress...

So through many baling songs we were able to make it through first crop. 

Near the end of every crop I start feeling worn down and hating life. One of the last nights baling I was thinking how tired I was of this and really just not wanting to do it anymore. A storm was moving in and we were going a hundred miles an hour trying to get everything done before it hit.

Then I looked over and saw my sister in the next tractor and I just got a really big goofy smile on my face because I realized how much I really do love the misery and especially love doing it with my family. 

Every night when we are done baling we all load up together in the pickup with Memo and just laugh and laugh all the way home. (Lots of things seem a lot funnier at 3 in the morning) I get dropped off  at my house and we all call to each other as is our custom..."See you tomorrow, 6 am!"

Another favorite line is, "Sorry bout dat. Es no my problem."

Anyway.

None of this really makes a whole lot of sense but basically I just really love farming and especially doing it with my family. We don't always get along the greatest but at the end of the day we are all working toward the same goal and something about that just brings us closer together I think.

And it just doesn't get much better than that.