Fall Break: Cabin Weekend with the Colemans!

October 15-17 2010

We had two family functions scheduled back to back on different weekends! One weekend with the Free family and another weekend with my side of the family the Coleman clan! What a busy October for us! Since my brother Nate, my sister's family, and my family had a lot of fun during the summer at the Critchfield's cabin, we decided to do another weekend during the fall! It was absolutely beautiful due to the change of season (fall colors exploding off the trees) and we had perfect warm weather with a slight breeze all weekend long. The nights were cool but not cold enough to keep a fireplace going. Unfortunately, John was not able to to attend due to working at his new job and had some early morning Sunday meetings at church. So it was just Nate, Adam, Karen, me, my two nephews, and my two daughters.





During the day, we all had fun riding the four wheelers in the foothills! Adam brought his motorcycle. Can you believe all four kids fit on one four wheeler?



Karen took me on the back of a four wheeler. Do you love my glasses, LOL? I was wearing some motor cross riding goggles to protect my eyes from Nate and Adam's dust while riding since I forgot to bring sunglasses!



Nate was disappointed that he didn't bring his motorcycle! The four wheeler is not fast enough for him! He still had fun though!



Here is my brother-in-law Adam dirt biking! He loves his new motorcycle!



When the kids were not riding the four wheelers, they played their DS games, slap jack, and go fish.



Sometimes the kids complained during the day that they were bored since the generator was off. It's really sad how much they rely on electricity to entertain them. So we told them to dig a hole and a HUGE hole they dug, LOL! The funny thing is they had to fill the hole the next day because they dug the hole near the septic tank, ugh! Nate was afraid his foster dad would not be too happy to see that large hole near that area!







Around dusk we either sat around a warm fire, while in-doors played card games such as phase 10 with a twist or sticks, listened to music, played Nintendo or Xbox, and jammed with the guitar hero!









Since there was a big rain storm brewing in the unita mountains, we cleaned the cabin and went home around mid-afternoon on Sunday. We were dirty and smelly because of no shower for a couple days! I was so happy to be in my own bed and with my husband! We sure missed him while we were gone.

Free"kin" Awesome Family Reunion 2010

October 8-10 2010

Over the weekend, 53 Free descendants gathered at Little Creek Cabin up Paragonah Utah Canyon for a marvelous family reunion. That was not the whole family either. We were missing a couple families such as: Elizabeth & Ben Campbell, most the Silva clan, and all the Christiansen family. The cabin was rustic and spacious decorated with wild game decorations, farm antiques, etc. There were many trails to hike on, a couple horses on the property, and cattle roamed near the area! Most people got a log bed to sleep on. There were a few bodies in random places like a hammock, coaches, or air mattresses. We had an amazing time among family members playing games, eating great food, hiking, riding four wheelers, playing football, and so forth.











We arrived late afternoon on Friday just before dinner. John and I were in charge of organizing the menus and food helpers/clean up assignments. Each Free sibling was in charge of one meal and the grandchildren were the meal helpers/clean up crew. The adult grandchildren were in charge of the desserts. I believe the meals went smoothly and nobody went hungry. Friday night we enjoyed Navajo tacos and sconces made by Del Tso(a beautiful Indian woman who lived with the Free family as their foster child many years ago). We had free time afterward dinner which most people played games, talked, and so forth.



Grandpa with the yummy Navajo taco and Justin with a honey butter scone!



My youngest daughter sleeping in the loft with her two cousins Mandy and Brandon.



Saturday morning John and I were in charge of breakfast. We made vegetable sausage patties, hash browns, French toast, scrambled eggs, cantaloupe, and orange juice. It was a huge success and the only leftovers we had was hash browns which was fantastic due to limited space on refrigerator and coolers.



Next, we divided into groups (kids/granny/grandpa, young girls, young boys, college age adults, and the old adults) for scripture study. We read and discussed our scripture and had to come up with a fun way to present it to the whole family. The young kids did an awesome job acting out the story of Joseph Smith having surgery without any alcohol (a bottle of ketchup was one of the props, lol). My youngest daughter was a nurse that helped clean Joseph Smith's leg. Next the young girls did a cute skit that included a lot of singing! My oldest daughter was the narrator. The rest of the presentations were so creative and outstanding. There is a lot of talent in this family!







After scripture study, many of us went on an hour hike in the foothills near the cabin. We came back ate lunch chili, corn bread, fruit and grilled vegetables by Marilee and Rich Nelson. After lunch, we played a game of family feud, which my niece Holly worked very hard making the power-point and organizing the surveys. We then had free time for a couple hours. John played touch football with the boys while many of the girls got haircuts by Del Tso. My oldest daughter got her hair chopped too! It is a cute tomboy layered haircut with bangs that totally fits her personality!





Later that evening we had a delicious variety of soups and Top Raman (for kids) for dinner and homemade bread for dinner by Joe and Diana Free. After dinner we gathered in a HUGE circle and shared the following things with everyone:

1. What is one thing you are particularly thankful for over the last 15 years?

I am thankful for being FREE! I absolutely love my family and extended family members who have taught me how love, serve, be faithful, and find joy in simple things in life.

2. What is one piece of advice you would give yourself if you could go back 15 years?

I would tell myself not to be so hard on myself! I NEED to ask for help from others especially from my Savior. I would tell myself the importance of the Atonement, which is not only for repentance but giving my burdens to Jesus Christ through prayer. In addition, I would tell myself you're a child of God and Heavenly Father loves you very much.

3. What is one thing you are going to work on now as a result of conference or other personal study?

We are working on having regular family prayer/scripture study and being moderate in all things such as changing our eating habits, adding daily exercise, and budget our money better!

4. What is something you are seeking to accomplish/be/do or whatever in 15 years?

I would like to be a mother of four (two boys and two girls)and finish my college degree.

The next morning we had a simple breakfast and attended church in my in-law's Paragonah ward, which was 30 minutes away. I could tell my mother-in-law was so thrilled to have so many family members visiting her ward! For lunch, Dave and Kristin made a variety of yummy sandwiches, hot chocolate, and fruit. We had free time for the rest of the day. My daughter and husband loved holding the babies! John, Justin,the girls, and I went on the four wheelers. The kids played on the playground, held barn kittens, molded clay figures, played card games, etc. Matt and Chiaki made an amazing grilled chicken teriyaki rice bowel!





















After dinner, it was time for us to go. The weekend flew by so quick! We enjoyed hanging out with the family and felt love for each other! What a magnificent weekend filled with smiles, laughter, songs, love, and appreciation of the great outdoors!

Good Times= Cabin, Creek, & Card Games

July 23-25 2010

Over the 24 of July weekend, we went up to the Uintas Mountains. We stayed in the Critchfield's cabin (my brother Nate's foster parents). They own around 20 acres of land surrounding the cabin. The cabin was still unfinished and ran on a generator at night. The plumbing was 3rd world country where you use a bucket to flush it down, lol luckily we had a toilet! We had to bring up our own water and "rough it" without a shower. We had an incredible view of the valley below the cabin.



We shared the cabin with my brother Nate, sister Karen, brother in-law Adam, their two boys, and dog Harley the Hog (Basset Hound).











There is an interesting story about the hog, which we were happy he came up to the cabin with us over the weekend... While we were gone to Deer Creek, Nate was doing some handyman stuff around the cabin. There was a giant gray wolf that was lurking around the cabin. The basset hound was on the deck. He started growling at the wolf and scared her away. The funny thing is the wolf was easily three times the size of Harley. We believed the wolf was a mother and had some puppies near by. She seemed harmless and we never saw her again thank goodness.



There were several coolers that held our food and drinks! We ate lots of BBQ meats, pasta salad, homemade bagels with cream cheese, made smores, and ate huge hoggie sandwiches.





We stayed up late playing card games like Uno and Phase 10. My brother Nate brought his flat screen TV and Xbox. The kids played with their Game boy DS, watched movies, played Uno, or played video games. They also caught some lizards too.









On Saturday morning, we went to Deer Creek. It was about 30 minutes away from the cabin. We had a BBQ lunch with the Smith family (my sister's in-laws). The kids enjoyed swimming and playing with water toys. In addition, we went boating in my sister's father in-law's boat. The best part of the weekend was when we were all pulled on a large three person tube. My girls absolutely loved tubbing. They laughed and smiled the whole time out while in the tube. When it was the adults turn, we were in for a ride! Karen's father in-law loves to flip the tube around and go very fast! Karen, Adam, and I were the first adults to accept the challenge of not being tossed out! Karen was the first to fly out, then me, and Adam. Next round, I did a back flip into the water! My youngest daughter screamed and cried for me in the boat. She was so afraid when I fell in the water. John had to calm her down and tell her the importance of wearing a life jacket. It was a lot of fun but I could tell I was sooooo out of shape trying to swim in that cold deep water! Next was John and Adam's turn to endure scary tube ride. Some how Adam was able to hold on and not get thrown out. Poor Johnny got whipped out of the tube twice! He was done tubbing after that! The kids went again and then we went back to the shore! We drove to Heber to get the kids ice cream cones and headed back to the cabin for dinner.



















Here is a video of Adam, Karen, and I falling off the tube.....



When we got back to the cabin, Karen did my hair as well as my girls. When we were kids, she learned how to French braid and still this day I cannot style hair very well. Our hair style was perfect after a couple days of no showering!





On Sunday, we woke up early and found the boys in the loft with a deflated mattress and sleeping uncomfortably on the floor. Later the boys went four wheeling and motor cycling. We cleaned up the cabin, packed, and then we went swimming in a very cold stream down the hill from the cabin. We got home later in the afternoon. We were extremely tired from all the excitement and lack of sleep! We sure enjoyed spending time with my brother and sister's family! We look forward to making more fun memories in the future!