Summer Recap Four: Birthday

My 24th birthday was a treat this year, as I got to spend it with Mom, Havilah and Lacey out at Lacey's house. They planned a tanking trip down the river near Mullen, which proved to be a lot of fun! We rode in a huge stock tank all the way down the river and enjoyed chatting, splashing and occasionally jumping in the freezing water.

Lacey made an Snickers ice cream pie complete with 24 candles!

It was a wonderful day full of lasting memories!

Summer Recap Three: Calamus Camping

Some of my best summer memories growing up center around our annual Vagts family reunion. Mom's parents, three siblings and their families pack the camping gear and we all meet in the central part of the state to camp for an entire week. This year was no exception as we all met at the Calamus State Recreation Area to swim, boat, intertube, ride bikes, play games, build campfires and eat lots of food!

Scattergories was the favorite game this year.



Pancakes enough for everyone!



Uncle Dale and Aunt Sue

Lacey and Brandon braved two rain storms in a tiny pup-tent.



We girls got creative doing hairstyles one afternoon. Everyone had to take turns styling and no one could do the same style.

Waiting to get all fixed up.

Brittany starting on Madison.



Madison's braids with a clip.

Brittany's completed style.



Mine...with lots of hair bands! We were searching high and low to find enough accessories for everyone.

Sarah's Dutch twists.




Lacey's crown...Havilah did this one and out-styled us all!



All the hair-dos!

L-R: Bristol, Brittany (Nick's girlfriend), Havilah, cousin Sarah and cousin Madison.



One of the highlights of this year was the hammock Brandon and Lacey brought. Cousin Stephanie, Havilah and I found it took more than talent to all get in it at once...



...there was much laughter involved...



....two or three (okay, five or ten) wholehearted tries...



....and finally SUCCESS!

"The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together." ~Erma Bombeck

Don't Forget

to tell someone you love them today.

Summer Recap Two: Salt Museum

If you happen to be claustrophobic, the Kansas Salt Museum is definitely not for you! We were privileged to be introduced to it after a concert this summer and were given a tour of the museum, which is located 650 feet under Hutchinson, Kansas. The experience started with going down a primitive shaft elevator where it is so dark you can't see an inch in front of your face. The air gets very cold the further you go down and then it opens into a dizzying maze of an underground world made of nothing but salt.

Bristol, Havilah and Sterling all geared up and ready to go underground.



Riding the tram through the underground...I had to ignore the thought that millions of tons of salt was lingering above our heads held up by "salt pillars"--areas of salt left unmined to support the ceiling!



Layers of salt are marked by changing colors much like the earth's layers. Large salt mining equipment is taken down in pieces and re-built underground, and when it is retired or not needed anymore it's permanently left below ground as its considered not worth the time it takes to bring it topside again. Nothing will ever decay underground, due to the lack of moisture in the air and the consistent ideal temperature.



When we kids asked Dad & Mom if they would've liked to have their wedding reception in the reception hall at the bottom of the mine, both of them quickly answered "no." They said they preferred sunlight to salt!



We each got to pick a fist-size piece of salt to take home as a souvenir. Havilah and I couldn't decide what was "fist size"-- our fists or the 6' man across the room?!



We knew it was time to leave when the salty air started getting to the boys' heads!

Frienship isn't a big thing...

it's

a

million

little things.

(Avery & Havilah pictured with Samantha, Dana, Olivia and Amanda Siegmann)

Summer Recap One: Mount Rushmore

This summer has been the busiest one I can remember in many years! I have dozens of pictures I've been meaning to share but finding a spare moment has proved almost impossible. So here's the first post in my "summer recap" series.

Although my family has traveled to 49 states and 2 countries, we had somehow missed ever seeing Mt. Rushmore! On our way through South Dakota this summer we decided to stop and see the popular monument. I was surprised at how much detail was carved into the rock, including glasses on Teddy Roosevelt!

Babysitters or Playmates?

Elk in Grand Lake, Colorado.