Umpteenth Annual Trip to Moberly, MO - 2008
We have been going to Moberly, Missouri (where Scott grew up) for the 4th of July ever since I can remember during my married life. We have been married for 14 years and I think we have only missed a couple of summers: one summer in 1998 when I was 9 months pregnant with Chase and the next when we decided to spend it in TX with Scott's brother. It started out slow with only a couple of families coming each year but soon it turned into an all out annual Jorgensen Family Reunion. Each year around March we all call each other (Scott has 4 siblings) to find out each other's schedules and how long we will overlap with everyone! Some families come the week before the 4th and some come the week after but always we are all together on the 4th.
I want to honestly say that family is the only reason we go and we love them so much that nothing else matters while we're there. I can't. A reason, almost as compelling, is the pyrotechnics that are readily available and mostly legal. We live in Arizona now and before we lived in New Mexico...both states that frown heavily upon anything that shoots more than 6 feet in the air...BORING! We like to make stuff up as we go! Our daily trips to WalMart (the biggest thing in small town Moberly) usually include buying fuse, black powder and sodas. We use the fuse, black powder and the bottles from the sodas to make some pretty impressively loud bombs and pair them also with a #10 can, and several gross (yes you read that correctly, several gross) of bottle rockets. Put them all together and you have a Very Happy 4th of July!! Go USA!!
My sister-in-law Cheryl made an awesome slide show of most of the fun we had in MO. There are some really great pics there so if you're interested...click here!
There are other things that are done every year in tradition. Below are pictures of those things...
Group picture
I want to honestly say that family is the only reason we go and we love them so much that nothing else matters while we're there. I can't. A reason, almost as compelling, is the pyrotechnics that are readily available and mostly legal. We live in Arizona now and before we lived in New Mexico...both states that frown heavily upon anything that shoots more than 6 feet in the air...BORING! We like to make stuff up as we go! Our daily trips to WalMart (the biggest thing in small town Moberly) usually include buying fuse, black powder and sodas. We use the fuse, black powder and the bottles from the sodas to make some pretty impressively loud bombs and pair them also with a #10 can, and several gross (yes you read that correctly, several gross) of bottle rockets. Put them all together and you have a Very Happy 4th of July!! Go USA!!
My sister-in-law Cheryl made an awesome slide show of most of the fun we had in MO. There are some really great pics there so if you're interested...click here!
There are other things that are done every year in tradition. Below are pictures of those things...
Group picture
Aryn and Rylee flying with the greatest of ease
The swing - after driving for 3 days to get there the first thing they all run to right out of the car is the cool swing. My in-law's yard is graded on 4 levels. House level, game level, swing level and fire pit level. The swing flies you out right over the fire pit level and because the ground drops it makes for an exhilarating ride!
Mitch and Aryn...see all the foliage in the fire pit? You'll see all that on fire in G-ma's birthday post!
Mitchell and Kate. This year Mitchell got to go out to MO a week before we did. G-ma helped pay a bit for Mitch to go to Scout Camp on Catalina Island and he needed to work that off so they flew him out early to do some chores. Aside from the cutting down trees and chopping them up with a chainsaw (one of Mitchell's highlights...using a chainsaw) his biggest job was to help his Aunt Jenny with her kids. Her husband is deep into studying for the California Bar and she was in MO without him so he could study with no little distractions. They have 3 young kids and Mitchell was a big help to Jen. He actually had the magic touch with baby Kate. If she was inconsolable he could take her outside and quiet her down, even get her to sleep. He's gonna be a great Dad!
Mitch and Kate
Cousins: Braden, Jackson, Carson, Aryn, and Rylee hanging on G-ma's deck
I just loved this one of Carson pretending to be asleep
Jackson (Aunt Jenny's oldest) and Carson are close in age and this was the first year they were both aware of that. Each morning Jackson would beg his mom if he could wake up Carson to play. Cute! Here they are working together to bring G-ma's step stool back to the house.
Another favorite: bumper pool
3 boys cheering on the day time fireworks: Carson, Braden, Jackson
Aunt Jenny is also the best hair cutter EVER!
I can't pass up a chance when all my kids are ready for church a little early and waiting for everyone else. Must document it for posterity...or proof!
Another snaggle tooth for Rylee. We finally asked a family friend/dentist to pull it out
This is Sydney, Aunt Jenny's 2nd child...when you pick her up and squeeze her it feels like she has no bones...so we dubbed her "Squishy" - she was also called Sydney Bean and Sydney Stone.
Here's Kate, Jen's #3 - she's pretty Squishy too so we ended up with Squishy #1 (Sydney) and Squishy #2 (Kate).
Another must do: Shakespeare's Pizza in Columbia, MO (about 30 min south of Moberly)
Uncle Brad playing dog pile with the boys.
Another favorite: Connie's house. Scott's brother, Brad, and his family have settled back in Moberly. They are the most talented bunch of artists ever! I love to go see Connie's house each year and see what unique and clever ideas they have come up with. Here is Connie's kitchen. How many of you would think to put a tree in your kitchen? It's so cool! They can decorate it for each holiday!
Allie in her room. All of Brad and Connie's kids are talented as well. Allie and Andrea decorated their room all by themselves. So creative in the colors and another tree! Their Dad made the cool beds...can you see the top bunk hidden in the tree?
Andrea and Allie painted their door. Andrea pointing to one of her parts, she also did the section below...Allie did the other sections
Even Scott enjoyed the room enough to take a rest
Another must do: swim at the hotel. Mitchell's cheesy smile. There are too many of us to stay at G-ma's house so some have to shack up in the local Best Western. Not too bad...free pool!
Rylee Jean Jelly Bean
The last of the flag suits. Old Navy has stopped making this suit and I'm so sad. I could always spot my kids at any public pool because of these bold stars and stripes. Carson is the lone kid left and when he grows out of it...sigh.
Another must: going to the park to watch fireworks over the lake. We always go early to stake out a good spot right on the lake edge so we can see the fireworks above and below! Plus, Uncle Brad has 2 canoes that we can have tons of fun with. See above mentioned slide show.
Mitch and Aryn...see all the foliage in the fire pit? You'll see all that on fire in G-ma's birthday post!
Mitchell and Kate. This year Mitchell got to go out to MO a week before we did. G-ma helped pay a bit for Mitch to go to Scout Camp on Catalina Island and he needed to work that off so they flew him out early to do some chores. Aside from the cutting down trees and chopping them up with a chainsaw (one of Mitchell's highlights...using a chainsaw) his biggest job was to help his Aunt Jenny with her kids. Her husband is deep into studying for the California Bar and she was in MO without him so he could study with no little distractions. They have 3 young kids and Mitchell was a big help to Jen. He actually had the magic touch with baby Kate. If she was inconsolable he could take her outside and quiet her down, even get her to sleep. He's gonna be a great Dad!
Mitch and Kate
Cousins: Braden, Jackson, Carson, Aryn, and Rylee hanging on G-ma's deck
I just loved this one of Carson pretending to be asleep
Jackson (Aunt Jenny's oldest) and Carson are close in age and this was the first year they were both aware of that. Each morning Jackson would beg his mom if he could wake up Carson to play. Cute! Here they are working together to bring G-ma's step stool back to the house.
Another favorite: bumper pool
3 boys cheering on the day time fireworks: Carson, Braden, Jackson
Aunt Jenny is also the best hair cutter EVER!
I can't pass up a chance when all my kids are ready for church a little early and waiting for everyone else. Must document it for posterity...or proof!
Another snaggle tooth for Rylee. We finally asked a family friend/dentist to pull it out
This is Sydney, Aunt Jenny's 2nd child...when you pick her up and squeeze her it feels like she has no bones...so we dubbed her "Squishy" - she was also called Sydney Bean and Sydney Stone.
Here's Kate, Jen's #3 - she's pretty Squishy too so we ended up with Squishy #1 (Sydney) and Squishy #2 (Kate).
Another must do: Shakespeare's Pizza in Columbia, MO (about 30 min south of Moberly)
Uncle Brad playing dog pile with the boys.
Another favorite: Connie's house. Scott's brother, Brad, and his family have settled back in Moberly. They are the most talented bunch of artists ever! I love to go see Connie's house each year and see what unique and clever ideas they have come up with. Here is Connie's kitchen. How many of you would think to put a tree in your kitchen? It's so cool! They can decorate it for each holiday!
Allie in her room. All of Brad and Connie's kids are talented as well. Allie and Andrea decorated their room all by themselves. So creative in the colors and another tree! Their Dad made the cool beds...can you see the top bunk hidden in the tree?
Andrea and Allie painted their door. Andrea pointing to one of her parts, she also did the section below...Allie did the other sections
Even Scott enjoyed the room enough to take a rest
Another must do: swim at the hotel. Mitchell's cheesy smile. There are too many of us to stay at G-ma's house so some have to shack up in the local Best Western. Not too bad...free pool!
Rylee Jean Jelly Bean
The last of the flag suits. Old Navy has stopped making this suit and I'm so sad. I could always spot my kids at any public pool because of these bold stars and stripes. Carson is the lone kid left and when he grows out of it...sigh.
Another must: going to the park to watch fireworks over the lake. We always go early to stake out a good spot right on the lake edge so we can see the fireworks above and below! Plus, Uncle Brad has 2 canoes that we can have tons of fun with. See above mentioned slide show. 
Comments