Cabin Trip with Fonbuenas

Every year we have a tradition of going to the cabin with the Fonbuenas.  This tradition started at least 6 years ago when we had our first cabin at Mack's Inn.  I miss the old cabin!  We would pack 17-20 people into a little cabin and bunk house with one bathroom, and somehow everyone was happy.  (you can do anything for a weekend).  The best part of the old cabin was that it was close to the water and the kids could run down and play whenever.

Look how little they were!

One of our favorite traditions that we still do is to go on an early morning "girls float" when the water is still misty and no one else is out.  It's fantastic!

We still manage to have fun at the new cabin!  Here's Braeburn and the girls playing soccer out back.

After church we decided to go take family pictures.  We almost got eaten by spiders and fell into several gopher holes, but survived.  (You can see that only Mr. Bechtel and I stayed in our sunday clothes.... I remember now there was a small rebellion on that point and I lost!)

Fonbuenas posing.  Leslie and Nathan are on missions here.

When we got done we looked behind us, and this is how the boys were entertaining themselves.  

I'm looking forward to summer!

Braeburn Turns 18

How could 18 years go by so quickly?  I remember holding Braeburn right after he was born, looking at his perfect little hands and feet, just like it was yesterday.  The midwife asked if I would go through the whole process again, and I remember thinking that was such of dumb question.  Of course I would. 

Braeburn taught Mr. Bechtel and me how to be good parents, how to put others before ourselves.  I dropped out of college after he was born because I couldn't bear to leave him.  When he was one I thought maybe I could take a class or two and leave him with friends.  No way.  Neither of us was happy.  I realized then that no amount of formal education could compare with what I was learning every day being a mom.  

We went on lots of walks, read thousands of stories, and played with blocks and puzzles for hundreds and hundreds of hours.  I don't regret a single second of that time.  They are choice, precious memories to me.  We grew up together.    

Now, here he is, 18, and ready to head off to BYU.

He requested creme puffs for his birthday.

May all your best wishes come true!

Favorite Eagle Pictures

The Spy Twins helping Braeburn paint and stain his sign.

Testing out the flagpole.  Grandpa donated a flag to the cause and it worked just perfectly.

When the project was almost finished, the head of the Iona Historical Society, ZoAnn Simmons, came over to check on everything.  She said she had been working for over 3 years on the old tithing house to turn it into the museum, and this was the first definite sign of progress she'd seen.  Then she started to cry and gave Braeburn a big hug.  Just her gratitude was enough to make it feel like a worthwhile project.

The finished project.

2nd Eagle Scout Work Party

Braeburn gave the concrete several days to cure and then on tuesday night for mutual, the young men -  and Golden Delicious - came over to help him finish the project.

First, they attached the rope to a screw type thing at the top of the pole (Grandpa's good engineering) and then slipped the pole into the ground pole.  It fit perfectly, and the flag pole was 18 feet high.

 Putting in the rope holder thing.  (I am challenged for appropriate technical words!)

 Mr. Bechtel and the other leader getting part of the sign level.

The Eagle Project

Braeburn's 18th birthday was happening this summer, and so, not wanting to rush into anything, he started his eagle project in May.  After jumping through lots of hoops he came up with the perfect project:  Build and install a flag pole and a sign for the Iona Historical Society.  Figuring out how to build a flag pole for low cost (he provided all the materials) was the trickiest part.  We went to steel shops, and called custom places and everything was way too expensive.  Luckily Grandpa helped him figure that out.  They got a 20 'length of 1 1/2 " galvanized plumbing pipe and an 8' length of 2" pipe.  The idea was to set the short, larger piece in cement, and then slide the smaller, taller piece in as the flagpole. 

 He also found a cabinet shop that would carve the letters into the sign he built. After he got final approval, the actual construction part took only two days.  

Early Saturday morning Mannie Sanchez brought his tractor over and dug Braeburn three holes;  one for the flagpole and two for the sign.

Here is Braeburn finishing digging the holes.

Figuring out how deep to set the first pipe.  I think they put at least 4' underground.

Braeburn's best buddy, Spencer, helping with the cement.  Spencer is an absolute gem.  

And the mother's contribution:  Donuts.

Bear Lake

For the 4th of July we went down to Bear Lake with some friends.  We went to the little community parade , and then had a cookout at their cabin on the lake.  They had a huge water trampoline you could jump off of into the lake which was a blast.  Braeburn got very sunburned and we all had a great time.

I don't have any fun pictures of that.  Only boring family pictures.  Sorry!

Random Reunion Tidbits

Gravenstein making a Perfect Cobbler.

(It was done perfectly, not burnt, and had none of that "icky cast iron taste" Grandma doesn't like.

Grandpa with the child who has two names.

Baby Check-Up

and just to keep it realistic:

Mr. Bechtel, attached to his phone