A Family Reunion - Part 3 - Wrap-Up...

 

A family reunion just isn't complete...at least for us...until the Pinata comes out! Loaded with lots of yummy candy...The Farmer and The Rooster hung the anticipated pinata from the rafters of the porch. One by one...the cousins, from smallest to tallest...took their turn hitting a the swinging target.

 

 

 

It didn't take long for the "loot" to hit the ground...and the cousins quickly scrambled to fill their arms...shirts...and whatever else they could find...full of candy!

 

 

Some people were pretty excited to get their hands on the "pinata parts" and proudly wore them around during the evening;)

 

Others simply used the "pinata parts" to hold their candy stash in.

 

All in all...the pinata was a success...

 

Sunday morning, before we left for church...the family gathered to hear message sent by The Missionary Boy. Grandpa S. had asked him several weeks earlier if he would share his feelings about serving a mission. The Missionary Boy, prepared a messge and recorded it with his camera, and then sent it home. His message was so sweet and the family seemed to enjoy it. One of the small cousins said..."what happened to Jordan's hair??"..(it is shaved right now)...another said..."he doesn't look the same"... Hopefully they could feel his missionary spirit and his love for his mission.

 

 

For the last few years...Aunt Kim...who is an amazing photographer...does a little photo shoot with the "Beauties." They are all growing up so fast and are becoming beautiful young ladies. As always...Aunt Kim captured them perfectly! It is a great tradition of the reunion.

 

A Family Reunion - Part - Activities...

 

Activities at a family reunion...are a delicate balancing act;) The adults would really like time to just be together and visit...and the kids need to be kept busy most of the time. Fishing is high on the list of activities for the kids...they really look forward to their time at the pond. This year, thankfully...there were no accidents;)...Last year we did have a "hook in the foot" accident, and a quick trip to the Dr. to have it removed. Anyway...many hours were spent in deep concentration at the pond.

 

 

This year, Uncle Ben's family provided an Archery activity, which was really enjoyed! Everyone took a turn or two...to see if they could hit the target, while the rest of the group watched...and offered commentary;) It was a really fun activity!

 

We thought it would be fun to bring a couple of ice chests full of "mini" sodas from Mexico...and it turns out they were a hit!

 

A Family Reunion - Part 1 - The Farmer's Art Class...

A couple of weeks ago...we headed to the mountains of Arizona for a family reunion. It worked well for us, as it was a holiday weekend in Mexico, and The Darlings didn't have to miss school. That was a really good thing! We met the "Mesa Family" at Tenny Ranch...a great reunion location owned by some cousins. We began planning the event a few months ago, and first and foremost on the requested list of activities was The Farmer's art class. When I told him that the he had been so highly requested...The Farmer was secretly quite thrilled. There is nothing he loves more than a good art project! So he was pretty happy to do his rock painting event once again!

 

A special trophy was made for the winner of the art competition...that was one lucky child that got to take the shell people home!! The Farmer requested that the trophy be displayed in a focal point,in the home of the art winner. The little man that won was going to make sure it was proudly displayed;) I told his Mom...I was really sorry about the instructions from The Farmer...but she was a great sport!;)

 

Special supplies were also purchased for the art class. In fact, after traveling down a few isles at Michael's Craft Store...the cart was pretty full...thanks to The Farmer...and when we went to check out, and he saw the total of the items...he quickly said..."what in the heck did you buy????" to which I answered...."really???" And then he realized that HE was the one who "needed" every item so that the art event would be complete

and total success!!

 

It really did entertain the kids for a very long time. They would take a small break, run around outside....get something to eat...and then they would head back to their art projects...

A few of the art projects...

It was an even greater success this year! I am not sure how The Farmer is going to top this one;)

Missionary Monday...

 

Elder Jones...and...Elder Snow.... Didcot, England

 

Elder Benedeitti, France (Grandson), Elder Von Allmen, Switzerland (Son), Elder Jones, Mexico (Father)...a very international family!;)

Dirty Dogs...And...A Football Game....

 

Last week, as we were getting ready to leave town for a few days...The Rooster noticed that the dogs looked sad. They seem to know when we are leaving...they hover close by while we are packing the car...and they get sad. The Rooster thought he will treat them to a good run in the orchard before we left...that would make the dogs happy he was sure of it! The Rooster is thoughtful like that;) Off they all went...The Rooster in the Rhino...and all three dogs following behind.

 

They were gone just long enough for us to finish packing the car...and when they arrived back home...they were no longer white! I can't say that I have seen them quite that dirty in a very long time. And The Rooster was right...those dogs were happy! They actually look like they are smiling for the pictures! After the run...they seemed a little less stressed about us leaving and were

just glad to sit in the back of the truck and rest.

 

Just a funny side note...The Farmer has to be really careful not to leave the tailgate of his truck down...once the dogs are in the truck...they refuse to get out. I guess they have learned that it is a pretty good afternoon if they get to go with The Farmer to The Farm!!

 

With the car loaded...we headed to Cobre New Mexico, for another JSA High School football game. PreShie left earlier that day with the Cheerleaders. It was a great game...even though the JSA lost. We didn't completely anticipate how cold it was going to be at the game...luckily for good friends who shared their blankets...we made it through the game, toasty warm! I think the cheerleaders nearly froze...but they sure looked cute while they cheered their hearts out for their team! Just for the record...a couple of times the Cheer Captain actually yelled at the crowd for not cheering loud enough...she was feeling a bit bugged that the crowd wasn't screaming their loudest...just sayin';)

That Cheer Captain takes her job very seriously....yes she does!!

Their Trip To The Fair.....

 

The fair has come and gone....It rolls into town a little more than a week before the 16 of September...Mexico's Independence Day. We have been going to this fair for years....since The Darlings were Little Darlings. The Farmer's Father really loved the fair and was very often the reason that we attended. Some years he even participated in the annual rodeo, while we sat in the stands and watched. This time of year is also the time of year that The Farmer's Father passed away. In fact, the year he died, the local cowboys invited The Farmer's family to the rodeo...at the fair...where they had a moment of silence in his honor. The cowboys all wore black arm bands in his memory, it was a tender gesture from a group of his good friends. That was 18 years ago this year.

 

 

A couple of weeks ago...The Farmer informed me that he had "loaned" the Longhorn Family to the fair...and that they would be on display for 10 days at the fair grounds. How they got the Longhorn Family to the fair and into their pens, is beyond me...that is what I should have photographed! Their horns are getting long! After they had been moved we went to the fairgrounds to check on them.

 

 

They were confused and a little upset...there was loud music playing and they didn't seem to like that too much. Carne (the mom) was the most upset. The Farmer assured me that after a couple of days they would settle down and they would be fine.

 

 

 

The Darlings visited them a couple of times...while at the fair with their friends. It was fun to see the Longhorn Family on display. Now...had you told me when I was growing up, that one day I would have four Longhorns at the town fair...I am pretty sure I would have not believed it...but...I guess alot of things happen in our lives that we didn't really plan on happening;) The Longhorn family are home now...comfortably grazing in their pasture. We visited them last night and they seem quite content. We are glad they are home...safe and sound!;)

 

Missionary Monday....

 

We are traveling home after a great weekend with "The Brotherhood" and their families...more about that later;)...but Monday's never disappoint! No matter where we are...I find myself up early on Monday mornings in search of The Missionary Boy's weekly report. Today was no different;) The perfect start to another week!

 

Sometimes This Happens....

 

After all the work of picking the chile...(jalapeno)...and after it was all loaded and ready for delivery.... the truck tipped over.

 

 

The call to The Farmer, to inform him of what had happened....is a call I have heard before. It happens. So the good news is this...not alot of damage was sustained. We have had semi-trailers loaded with chile turn over...completely turn over and all was lost...including the trailer. But in this case...the chile was re-packed...re-loaded...and was still received at it's final destination.

  What was lost??? A lot of time! And thankfully that was about it!

Chile Season....

 

Chile season is in full swing around here. The fields are loaded with beautiful chile that is waiting to be picked! Grown in this area are a few different types of chile...Cayenne, used for hot sauces like Tabasco or Frank's Hot sauce. Jalapeno peppers, used for nacho slices as well as other canned or frozen products. And finally, Green Anaheim Chile, which can be roasted, and used for salsas, as well as many other things.

 

 

Picking chile isn't an easy job. In fact it is very hard work. It helps if you are short...really it does! The workers are often brought in from other areas, they come as families, and usually the family all work together in the fields picking. They fill their buckets and then take them and dump them into large bins that the chile will be shipped in. The workers can increase their daily pay rate by the amount of chile that they pick...so it isn't unusual to see them jogging through the fields with full buckets headed for the large bins, to empty their buckets and then begin again.

 

 

 

There is a large amount of Cayenne grown in our area. Chile fields are easily found and large shipping trucks fill the highways headed to the Border with loads of freshly picked chile.

 Chile season is in full swing!