Ashton Family Week 2008

Ann gets us shirts every year, or every other year. The kids get their "number" on the back of what order of grandchild that they came in. Beck is #19 and Paisley is #23. We put a red J on the sleeve for our Jacksen who we miss so much! Argh!

Beck, Paisley, and I headed up to the cabin with Ann last Wednesday and then Family week started with people arriving on Sunday. We got back on Saturday and before even heading home spent the day in Mattawa for Grandpa Yorgesen's 89th birthday party. There are 40 people that all stay in Bob and Ann's cabin on Priest Lake in Idaho. A bunch of cousins for Beck to play with (and fight with) and a bunch of people to cook for and a bunch of pop to drink and games to play and I celebrated my 26th up there by accidently breaking my mother-in-law's stove! (love you Ann!) We boat, we hike, we tube, jetski, and EAT EAT EAT!On one of the days we made little scrapbooks of the pictures from the reunion last year. The kids had a lot of fun putting them together and remembering the things that happened at last year's reunion. This is one of Beck's new favorite things; he loves his "dishy pole." There isn't a hook on it, bit he worked on casting it for hours on end. He was so cute! Too bad it was broken by the end of the week, but he got some great fun out of it!On Wednesday we rented a party boat and along with our other boat went up to the Upper Priest. It takes a bit to get there, but this time we stopped at a place that had some cool sand bars for the kids to play on. We stopped the party boat too fast and there was too much weight on the front and it started to sink! After that the kids were a little nervous to ride back on it, so they all loaded into the MasterCraft for the trip back to the cabin. Thank heavens as it was almost sinking, my mind and body was able to do a few things at once; I had a video camera in one hand, (which I was too preoccupied to press record) Beck's handle to his lifejacket (with him in it of course) and my foot was able to scoop up Tiffanni's beloved Chaco shoes before they floated away!Beck and Piper on the party boat...My baby Paisley on the party boat...This is only a small amount of the beverages that we consume. I myself probably drank a full 36 pack of Mountain Dew. So much for breaking that habit....Paisley learned to grab at her feet while we were there, so cute! She is also rolling over from her front to her back. And the spit up continues.....On the hike to Chimney Rock (4 miles) Paisley was such a trooper. This was her first hike and she just "hung out" the whole time. )With her sun hat on of course, I had to take it off for the picture!) Hike to Chimney Rock. That last 30 minutes is a doozy, like straight up hill, gives the calves and thighs a killer work out! I even changed diapers and nursed when we got to the top, all while taking in a beautiful view of Priest Lake.

The all too famous Rock Slide that we hike to almost every year.

All in all it was a great week. We made lots of new memories and had some great fun. We missed our #1 Jacksen and the game playing and Mountain Dew drinking will never be the same, but this is one great family that I am so proud and happy to be a part of. It's been so fun to make my place in this family and do my best to blend in. :) It's so good to know how close we all are and all the fun cousins that my kids get to grow up with. The Ashton Family Rocks!