Golfing and Family Fun in Harney Country

Last week we made our way to Harney County for our "vacation." Shortly after arriving at my parents' house, we headed down to the golf course where my Aunt Sharon and Uncle Jim had just finished playing in a big tournament. Aunt Sharon was trying to be "taller" in this picture, which is why she looks so serious and the B's are laughing.
We got our buckets of balls and away we went to the driving range. Even my dad hit some balls! He is actually very natural at it, and I think he had more fun hitting balls than anyone.
After the driving range, we hit the putting green. Notice how I know almost all the golf course terminology, now? I am getting very proper with my golf knowledge. (Hahahaha!)
 I made a great putt! Wooooooooo!
The next morning, I got this precious and adorable picture of the three youngest cousins. Britt has outgrown both the girls, although he is the youngest of them all. Below is a picture of them at the same time of year last summer. So, so cute! I am so glad we got this picture. Except for the fact that they are growing up way too fast. That part makes me cry, but there's nothing to be done about it, so I guess I'll just accept it and be grateful. I love them so much!
Brady has been wanting to play golf with Aunt Sharon and Uncle Jim since he met them, and we finally were able to work it into our schedules. It was super sweet of them to golf with us after having just golfed several days in a row - they were exhausted, but they still made time for us, and we are so grateful to them for it, because we had a fantastic time that none of us will ever forget!We got there a bit early and did some more putting.
My mom was the paparazzi for this day. I got a few pictures, but she got the most and also the best ones. Her camera is on a much better setting than mine, and her pictures turned out really well. I need to get some assistance with my camera so I can refine the images. In any case, thank goodness for Grandma! Her eye was hurting her terribly, but she was a trooper and captured a bunch of fun memories. Aunt Sharon had me drive the golf cart, which was fun. Us 4 B's always walk when we play, but thank goodness we had these carts, because the course is much bigger than we are used to, and with seven of us playing at a time, it was a four hour trek. What a treat for all of us to be able to play together! After several holes, even Brailey and Britt got to drive. This was their first time ever driving! Britt accidentally bumped into the back of Brailey and Aunt Sharon, but it was thankfully at a slow speed. Lexi was brave to put her life in the hands of Britt. We all had a big time teasing Britt about his crash afterwards. He later told me, "I didn't realize you had to turn the steering wheel so much - I thought it was like an arcade car and you just barely turned it."
Above, Dad and Uncle Jim were looking for balls that went out into the field next to the course. They didn't have any luck finding them.
Lexi was such a trooper! She hasn't golfed for a year or so, but she picked it up just fine and had fun. We forced her to play, of course. What better way to spend time with her? Once she saw that Brailey, Britt and I are still beginners, she relaxed and had a big time. She's such a fun kid! Thankfully, she was able to use Uncle Jim's clubs, since she is a lefty like he is. It was really sweet of him to share with her. After it was all said and done, she was glad she came.
Brady was in his element on this day. He loved every second we were on the course!
All that golfing wore these two out. They had to take a siesta, of course. Later that evening, we got to see my brother, Shawn. It was super fun to see him! He is such a happy, jovial person these days, and it was a treat for us to see the "real" Shawn back with us. He has been through a lot in the past few months, but he's managed to pick up the pieces and has found happiness for the first time in years. And we have our family back, which has been the biggest blessing of all! It is a shame how we lost so many years, but blood is thicker than water, and we are all thrilled to be able to have dinner together and to be allowed to truly be ourselves. There was a lot of gratitude, love and laughter at this dinner, which is how families are supposed to interact, right?
We were able to get two family pictures. Both of them are cute! It was a bit of a process to get these, so I am thrilled they turned out as well as they did.
And what's a family dinner without a little entertainment? Brady was excited to see that Shawn knows how to golf, and of course he had to set a few balls out for him to hit.
Bucky, Mom and Dad's pug, was curious about what that golf ball was doing in his yard.
The audience...
And then we got these fun pictures of the girls. It was really nice for them to be able to spend time together, and they enjoyed each other. They painted their nails earlier in the day and talked and giggled like cousins should. Below, as you can see, they were twinning.
Of course after we took the picture, they had to see how it turned out.
It turned a bit cool, so Britt put his arms in his shirt. He's a silly boy, sometimes.
And then the simultaneous posting of the picture to Instagram. Seriously cute!
It was a special day, from start to finish, with delicious food prepared by Grandma and the best company we could ask for. We may not get to see each other very often, but when we do, there is love and laughter in our hearts. Stay tuned for my next blog post about our camping trip to the forest and Strawberry Wilderness.