Canadian River Cook-Out

Yesterday we were invited out to a ward member's ranch for a cook-out, along with several other families in the ward. There are actually two families that live out in this area called Valle de Oro, which is several miles NW of where we live -- the EQ president and his wife's parents (which is where the cook-out was held).

When we got there, we found out that we would be going down by the river to eat. It turned out to be the Canadian River, which we were told feeds into Lake Meredith (the source of Amarillo's drinking water). Brian and the older kids went down ahead of me and when I got there, Hannah ran up and told me the mud was really slippery (and guess where she wiped off her muddy hands?):

They told us the river was only a few inches deep and the kids could wade in it, so it didn't take them long to try it out!

It was such a pretty setting, with a cliff on one side and the winding river and beautiful background.

The kids enjoyed wading...

knocking chunks of sand into the water...

running through the water (a big favorite)...

playing with the mud...

skipping...

jumping...

and yes, eventually laying in it (although McKay didn't go quite this far)...

Brian even took a shot at cracking a whip that someone had brought.

McKay didn't stay in as long as the girls did. He and Brian spent some time talking with the owner of the land about farming in the area.

When it was time to get out, the girls were soaked head to toe (and covered with mud and sand).

And they were cold! (Of course, I had no idea they would be getting soaking wet in a river, so I didn't have any towels or change of clothes for them.)

They hurried over to the small cooking fire to try to get warm (that's our bishop cooking the burgers):

Then they talked the bishop into giving them a 4-wheeler ride.

Brian and McKay even had a chance to go and shoot at some targets for a bit. We enjoyed a beautiful sunset...

before having to come back home with some very tired, dirty kids who had to take a bath before bed.