Larsen Family: McDowell Family Reunion

Tana was the host this time around so we all headed to Denver. We were just missing Tammy and her family. We started our journey stopping in Pocatello to get my parents' car top carrier so we would fit comfortably on the long ride to Denver. We stayed the night there with Nicole and her family and then headed out early the next morning.

We stopped in Soda Springs, Idaho to show Nicole's family the soda water. This time we brought flavor packets to add to it. Blake would not take our word that there was really soda water that just came out of the ground.

The kids liked it so much they filled their cups up to take on the road with us.

Next stop, Fort Bridger. We decided last minute to take a slight detour to go see Fort Bridger. It was fun to walk around and see the old buildings still standing from when the fort was in operation.

Post Trader's Store

School House

Sitting outside the museum

Jim Bridger's Fort replica

Ranch house

Commanding Officer's Quarters

We met Grandma and Grandpa in Rawlins, WY and stayed the night in a hotel before finishing the journey to Denver.

The kids were excited to drive right by the Bronco's stadium. They knew we were close to Aunt Tana's house.

Everyone had arrived to Tana's by Sunday evening. She rented the complex's clubhouse for the week which was wonderful. We started with dinner followed by an exciting game of Family Feud.

The next morning a handful of us headed to Bronco training camp.

We have tried to get out to training camp the last few summers so we were really excited to go.

We were able to get a few autographs. The next morning Nathan and Devin headed back to try and get Von Miller's. Nathan was successful in getting that for us. It is now hanging on our wall in the Bronco room of our house. Thanks for helping us out Nathan!

Our kids had fun being crafty with Grandma and the Aunties while we were away at camp.

That afternoon we headed to play at a reservoir. We had planned to rent paddle boards and kayaks but didn't realize the rental place closed at 3 so we missed out. But we managed to make our own fun.

The water was pretty chilly so it was a race to see who would get completely wet first.

Blake started to swim out to the buoy so asked him if he wanted to race. He was in the lead until the very end. I couldn't let him beat me. I was the winner and it was all fun and games until we got in trouble from the ranger for swimming outside of the tiny swimming area.

Almost everyone got in on the water fight with the squirt toys

Ryleigh

Bentley

Aunt Tana and Brynley

Uncle Travis

Grandma

and even Grandpa

Maddie didn't want to be involved in the water fights but Zach couldn't let her sit out of it.

The kids had fun playing in the sand too.

We headed back to Aunt Tana's to hang out with Uncle Marvin who stopped in for a few days on his way to Alaska.

Tuesday we headed to hike up to St. Mary's Glacier

It was a 3/4 mile hike uphill with a very rocky terrain.

Everyone made it! Thanks Uncle Marvin for taking the family picture.

We were so proud of Bailey for hiking up the whole way by herself. She is not one that likes to walk much with her short legs.

Some people chose to hike up further to the glacier. All of our kids wanted to do it so they could touch the glacier. They were so excited to touch it.

Some went even higher to walk out on the glacier and make it to 11,000 ft. Ryleigh was the only one out of our family to do it. She had to keep up with her older cousins.

And here she is again keeping up with her older cousin. They were the head of the pack heading back down.

That afternoon we had fun hanging out at the pool.

That night we had the adult dinner at a yummy Chicago style pizza restaurant.

Aunt Vicki surprised us Wednesday morning and stopped for a short visit too. She came with us to tour Hammond's Candy Factory.

We were all given a sucker at the end of the tour.

As soon as we walked in, Uncle Marvin told all of the kids he would buy them a candy after the tour.

After the candy factory tour we said bye to Aunt Vicki and Uncle Marvin and then went downtown for a picnic, to see the capital building and walk around for a bit.

That evening, some of us went to a Rockie's game...

while the others stayed home and had ice cream...

and fell asleep.

Thursday morning we headed our separate ways. We stayed an extra day at Tana's before heading to Roosevelt to UBIC (a celebration in the park with a parade). Devin grew up in Roosevelt and they attended UBIC every year. He was excited to show us around town and take us to UBIC.

We stopped in Vernal and drove by the temple