Grandpa's Barn Party

Ever since my parents moved to Utah and bought their land and built their house, my dad has been wanting a barn for his horses (that he will get in the future).  Well, he finally finished it and wanted to celebrate in style.  So, they threw a Barn Party and invited everyone they knew.  Of course, my siblings and I all had to be there for such a fun occasion.  At first, I was just going to fly out there, but we thought the kids would really enjoy it.  Once Garrett found out that there was a home BYU game that same weekend, he bought tickets and decided that we would all drive out there.  Since it was going to be a short weekend, we decided to drive it all in one day instead of splitting the drive into two easier days.  We left really early on Thursday the 16th.  We had the kids skip school those two days.  

A pretty picture on the drive there.  The kids did really well in the car--thank heavens for movie players and electronics!  The only problem we had was that Bella got a little car sick in Brigham City when we stopped for some dinner.  She threw up going through the canyon.  Other than that, we were all fine.  We got to Wellsville around 7:30 or 8 I think.  My sister Megan was flying in later that night and my other sister Tiffany was flying in the next morning.  

Lydia and Maggie at Grandma and Grandpa's house that night.  We talked for a bit and then went to bed.
October 17th

A view of the barn before we got it cleaned up

Tiff and her boys got here around noon and as soon as they got here, we headed into Logan for lunch at Cafe Rio! Yum!  When we got back, the kids were playing outside and then Andy started a bonfire of scraps of wood that were left over.  

Micah

Noah, Mailei, Bella and Grant

The fire

Tad was finishing up some staining.

Us girls spent the afternoon cooking chili, and baking cornbread.  Solviej made a couple of different kinds of cookies.  

I was upstairs in the house and I saw out the window that Grant was giving some of the little kids rides in the wheelbarrow.  I think he's got Noah and Iris in there in this picture.  I thought that was cute.
Later that night, we watched a show that we used to watch as kids, called The Yellowstone Cubs.  My grandma and grandpa Hansen had it and we watched it with them a lot because Yellowstone was our go-to camping vacation.  It's a cute show and our little kids just loved it.
Saturday Oct. 18th
This evening was the barn party and so we spent all day cleaning the barn and decorating to get it ready.  

Megan and I cleaned windows and Tiffany and Maggie swept and vacuumed out dust and whatever else was up there. 

Maggie

Tiff, Charee, Megan and Me

The guys went to get a load of hay to put in the barn.

Me, Maggie and Tiffany looking out the upstairs door.

The kids all wanted to climb up onto the hay.

Lydia, Bella, Mailei, Iris, Grant, Paige and Noah

My dad and my uncle Alan (my mom's brother).  These two built the barn almost on their own.  They did have some help with some things, but they did most of the work.  My uncle lives in Stone, Idaho.  He'd come up and work with my dad during the week and then go home on the weekend.  He's pretty awesome.

Alan has a little dog named Lulu that loves to catch mice and play with them until they die. (nice, huh?)  Anyways, Garrett found one of her dead mice on the ground and threw it up in the window where all of us girls were standing and talking.  It freaked us out because it almost hit us.  We're all talking about it in this picture.  

They unloaded some of the hay into my brother's trailer because they were going to give hay rides during the party.  

The kids all wanted to go for a ride.  

They went on numerous rides during the day.  

Then Garrett and Andy unloaded the rest of the hay up into the barn loft where the party was going to be.  

Cute kids--Iris, Micah, Grant and Paige

Iris and Noah.

Megan and Maggie putting up lights 

Charee and I doing the same

Decorating the outside with hay bales

Tad gave us girls a ride back to the house so we could all shower. Me and Megs

Mindy, Charee, Tiffany and Megan

Solviej and my niece Karlie were carving pumpkins all morning.

checking in on their work.  Some of the kids helped, too.

Paige helped Noah carve a bat on his.

After we got all tables and chairs set up...

Bella with her pumpkin

The food tables

Tad bringing some chairs down to the barn for more sitting options downstairs.

All decorated!!  My dad used to make these ghosts for our house when we were growing up.  So we wanted to have them up here.  Andy got these ready.  They look great!

Hayden and Maggie cooked a bunch of hot dogs for those who didn't want chili.

When everything and everyone was ready for the party, we took lots of pictures.

Hanging out and waiting for people to start coming

My dad!

 Me and Megan 

 My dad hired his neighbor, Roger to play at the party.  The rest of his band members couldn't play that night, so somehow, he gathered up 3 different guys--some he had never met before--to play in the band.  They were really good.  It was incredibly loud though, so it made conversation hard.  

 Lots and lots of people showed up.  It was come and go as you liked, so most people didn't stay for very long, but there was a steady stream of people for the first couple of hours.  

 Us in line for food

 Alan and dad (and Lulu)

 Charee and Tad pretending that they are at a stake dance.  Silly kids

 Mom and I

 Lydia and Maggie--they were so excited to be at the barn party.  

 Being their normal goofy selves.

 Our family picture.

 Garrett, Maggie and Lydia left soon after dinner to drive all the way to Provo to see a BYU football game.  Both girls really wanted to hangout at the barn party.  BUT neither one of them has ever been to a football game...plus it was a BYU game, so they decided they wanted to experience the game.  I think they had a lot of fun.  The only bad thing was that it didn't start until 8:15.  Which means that it didn't end till after 11 and then they had to drive back to Wellsville.  We were supposed to get up early and start driving back to Oregon, but when they didn't get home until after 2, we decided to sleep in and just leave whenever.  

 Pretty sunset on the drive to Provo

 At the game

 Meanwhile, back at the barn...More pictures

 We all took shifts helping my mom serve food.

 Lots of people there!

 A view of the barn at night

 My dad wanted to make a speech and introduce us all to the people that were there.  

 We had so much fun dancing that night.  It was mostly our family that danced--there were a few others, but not as many people as I thought would.

 We took a break and went out for a hay ride.  My brother drove us out and behind my parents house.  It was so dark out there!  About halfway through the ride, my nephew Hayden jumped out of the darkness and scared us all!  He was brave/crazy for waiting out in the dark for us!

In case you are wondering where my other kids were, I bribed Paige to take them inside the house and babysit them.  It was so loud in the barn that Noah and Bella didn't want to be there.  I didn't want to miss out on the party, so I'm really glad that Paige helped me out!!

 Back inside--I think we were dancing to Footloose in these pictures--SO much FUN!

 Cute mom and dad

 My uncle Alan LOVES to dance--something that I didn't know about him.  So, he asked all of us girls to dance multiple times.  He had a good time!

 Solviej pinching Tad's rear.

 They are so funny and were dancing with their hands on each other's butts.  

 Tiff and her son Hayden

 mom and dad

 Lots of fun dancing that night.

 After everyone left, we got pictures of the 7 of us.

And one of my parents.
It was quite the successful barn party and I'm so glad we were all able to be there.  Even though it was a really short weekend and we spent a LOT of time in the car, it was totally worth it!