Tents, dutch oven cooking, camp fire, sand in our beds, dough boys, telling our most embarrassing moments around the fire, family, especially those we haven't seen in a few years, sand in our eyes, motorcycles, 4 wheelers, hot sun, cool nights, wind, wind, and more wind, sand in our socks, 15 Oreo cookies, dogs, black widow in our tent, sand on our food, memories, some great, others a little terrifying, new motorcycle gear, and sand covering every inch of our body, some parts exposed, some not.
Props go to John for making it all the way up Sand Mountain on his first try, even though the rest of us thought there was no way. (This isn't my picture. I didn't take my camera with me on this trek, but you get the idea of how big it is)
Mom and ConnorDad and Sydney
This would be the sand covering everything, including our eyeballs!
That was the perfect Dunes shirt!
We have an animal lover on our hands
When they couldn't have a ride, they could still ride
My cousin Jon took them on one last ride
Always better with family
Growing up, we did a lot of camping and most of those camping trips included motorcycles, so naturally we went to the Sand Dunes quite a bit. What could be better for motorcycle riders than endless sand hills? My family didn't get into 4 wheeling until I was a little bit older, so I spent a lot of time riding on the back of my dad's motorcycle, well, until I got in a huge wreck, but that is a story for another time. I will have to say that now that I have been around 4 wheelers, I like them much better and I like to be the driver. It's a control thing I guess. I rode on the back of one of the 4 wheelers while John was driving and I was a nervous wreck! Not because John was driving, just because of all the fears I had as a child came rushing back to me (like crashing into another rider who is coming up the other end of one of the steep dunes, or jumping the dune and I get thrown off the back). If you have ever been to the Dunes, then you will know how hard it is to get up some of those dunes. You have to go fast and use a lot of power, but if you don't let up at the top, you will jump it because most of the dunes go straight back down. Well, John had never experienced this, so he wasn't aware of that minor detail. So, one the way to Sand Mountain, we didn't quite make it up the first really big dune and I ended up jumping off the back. All was okay, John ended up getting up and over while I watched from the side lines. Then, on the way back to camp, we jumped at the top of one dune and I was almost thrown off. Great fun! (Not really. I think I pulled a muscle or two). But other than that, we had a blast. After years of telling John how fun a 4 wheeler is, I think he is finally convinced, now that he has been able to experience it.
Those are supposed to be bugs, or "petty bugs", on his cake. I tried.
He did not want to blow out that candle!
But he had no problem eating the ca... frosting
Now he can play rock band with uncle Mitch
"Hey, I am the youngest and didn't get to do much of this growing up," John said while putting the bike together as my uncle (who is a genius when it comes to putting things, anything, together) has to turn away and refrain from tearing it out of John's hands. It was actually quite comical on my end.
Hospitol Picture
6 months, look at that focus!
1 years old
18 months, he really likes hats
My sweet 2 year old (the terrible 2 year old will be held for another post)
