3rd Annual Pig Roast

It's 10:30 at night, and I just got finished tidying up the house. I was about to head up to bed, and then I thought, "Who am I kidding? I never seem to be able to get to bed until midnight no matter how hard I try, so I might as well take care of those orphaned pig roast pictures that have been hanging out in a pending blog post for four or five days." So here I am. We'll see how amazing I am, maybe I can write about the whole awesome pig roast AND get to bed before midnight.  And, by the way, this is by NO means comprehensive: see Bet's blog and Laura's posts for many more (and probably better) pictures.

Technically, this is not a pig roast picture.  This is a picture I took whilst I was packing my camera, and realized I hadn't taken a single picture since Elliott's birthday on August 6th.  So I quickly had to rectify that situation and take a picture of my quickly-growing toddler.

He hadn't forgotten how to grin at the camera.

Okay, we're now at Vaughan's, so we've officially started this party.  It looks like a wild one, judging by this debauchery.

Helping Lincoln get the coon-skin cap on.

I don't know who had the camera, but it was apparently time for my closeup.

And a closeup of my gorgeous husband.

And the beautiful ladies, Cheyenne and JoAnna.

I really don't know why someone took this picture, but I bet this cover model got more notice before her closeup.

Tori, elegantly lounging with a Dilbert comic.

Elliott and Orianna, in their blanket "house."

In the mad rush of August, several birthdays passed without cake.  Bethaney made cake September 1st to rectify this situation.

Gilbert was happy to help with pan-scraping and frosting.

When we started singing "Happy Birthday" to Gilbert, he whirled around delightedly to see everyone singing to him.

He was tickled (orange) with the attention!

What a perfectly awesome two-year old!

This must be a Livie picture, but I love how it looks like there's planets looming into some yellow landscape.

Friday night, the "kids" played some rather bizarre relay games.  This is one of the few pictures that turned out.  Most of the time, I was laughing too hard to focus the camera.  The first relay involved balancing an apple on a wooden spoon and running from the entryway door to Mom's chair in the corner of the addition, making sure to step over the Polly Pocket vomit the kids had spread over the floor.  Then, after touching Mom's big toe as she sat innocently reading the paper, they had to pivot and run back to the corner of the kitchen.  The race was timed, and there were five second penalties for dropping the apple.  I think it was using Mom's toe as the turning point was the thing that sent JoAnna and I into hysterics every time.  It might have had something to do with sleep deprivation, but it was funny at the time.  And, Mom, you owe me the big bucks for not posting the picture I took of your big toe.  It would have added a lot to this story, but I figured you hadn't had advance notice to get a pedicure, so I'd spare your toes.

Tim blasted the competition in this iteration, where you had to balance a water bottle on your neck while holding a spice jar on the spoon.  The route was still the same, though Dad had fun putting things over Mom's toe and fouling up their pivot.

Then, a fashion show where David wore Olivia's drastic heels.

He looks simply adorable.

I'm sure it had NOTHING to do with the fact that kids were running around the kitchen and howling with laughter, but this is the sight I found when I went down to bed at 10:30.  And he was still going strong at 11:30, when I finally gave up and passed out.

Elliott with Gilbert White.  Bethaney had bought Gilbert a boy Bitty Baby from the American Girl Company.  Actually, she'd bought two of them off eBay.  She thought Elliott might feel better about starting school if he had a backpack-sized friend to go with him.  In the great White children tradition, Elliott promptly named it Gilbert.  Seriously, we have about 20 dolls named Gilbert.  Elliott adores this Gilbert, he worries (for Gilbert's sake) if the doll isn't tucked in with him every night.

From this angle, Elliott almost has long legs.

Then, I missed all sorts of photo opportunities of the pig slaughter, and people arriving.  Here, lots of people are starting to husk sweet corn.  96 cobs, I believe.  Yeah, it was a lot, we ended up slicing a lot of it off the cob later that afternoon.  It was yummy, though!  Part of the reason might be that the varieties were named Ecstasy and Serendipity.  Drug-injected corn, baby!

Dad and Laura got to hang out on the swing while husking.

The pig roaster, with the pigs turning away inside.

Then, getting the volleyball court set up.  I defy anyone to find sturdier side posts.

Getting the tractor in on the action.

Tim and JoAnna, wisely removing themselves somewhat from the action.

See the parking lot?  Lots of cars there.

Bronson setting the post...

And the bucket pressing down.  Or the wheels coming up.

Standing back while the bucket does its pounding act.

Setting the hole for the other post.

Bringing in the big guns.

Owen hand-driving it in.

Farm boy muscles!

Good way to debark the cedar post, too.

Spectators in front of the house.  I think Kimmy is asking her dad if they can take the van to Split Rock, the ol' swimming hole.  And he said yes!  What a trusting father.

Elliott, steadily filling up on chips before lunch.

And then, I have absolutely no pictures of the absolutely enormous quantity of quality food.  Laura covered that, so go check her pictures out.

Bethaney brought a ball sprinkler over for the kids to play in.  I wish I had pictures of Gilbert, blissfully wading into the spray, whether it was aimed at his face or his tummy!  The cold water was a little off-putting to my skinny minnies, but they sure enjoyed the mud puddle that resulted.

Elliott played in this puddle all. after. noon.  He's such a little dirt-phobe most of the time, I'm always glad to see him play in the mud.  He got a crispy sunburn, since the water and dirt washed the sunscreen right off, but he had a glorious afternoon.

As did the rest of us, blissfully sitting around digesting.

Cuddling little boys.

Gilbert, fast asleep cuddling Grandma Jill.

Lincoln, thinking he's big stuff in his own chair.

Yes, I take a lot of pictures of this kid.  One reason is because he's close by...

And the other reason is that he makes my heart melt with his beauty.

Sort of like this flaxen-haired niece of mine.

I missed a ton of pictures that Saturday, like pictures of the stellar volleyball games that were waged all day.  And Ashley taking the kids for rides with the lawn mower wagon.  And I got hardly any pictures of the people there.  So you'll have to believe me when I say it was a perfectly lovely day, between the weather, the friends and fellowship, and the luscious food.

Then, on Sunday, we had 53 or 54 of us for union Sunday meeting.  Here, Miss Teenager-in-Training hangs out with her cousin Amy.

Stefan seems to be saying, "WHAT did I get myself into?"

Most of the young 'uns.

And again.  Ashley had got in the picture, but then Owen refused.

As did Marilla.  But after the Christmas photos fiasco with Marilla, I did not insist on her presence.

Beauteous young ladies.

No, these two aren't sisters.  Why do you ask?

The usual Owen face when anyone tries to get a picture of Owen and Ashley.

He looks like he's planning something sneaky.

Amy, with her buddy Ethan.

I had to steal this picture from Victor.  I love this of my dad, mid-laugh.

Sunday evening, we went up to the hill for a bonfire and hymnsing, so I had to go Rabbit hunting.  I still adore this car!  (All these next pictures are blurry, because it was too dark for the camera to take a quick picture, but if I used a flash it made it look like it was midnight out.)

The congregation.

Armful of goodness.

Then, just to add a little zest to the evening, Dad decided to see if the old travel organ still worked.  He had to fight the brambles for the school bus.

They found it, and it still kind-of, sort-of worked!  The workers used to use it in Alaska in the 70s, taking it around to the gospel meetings.  Somehow, Mom and Dad ended up with it when the workers got rid of it. 

They put the organ on the back of Dad's truck so it would have a level surface.  It required a few repairs.  Thankfully, Tyler Williams was right there with duct tape, so they were good to go.

Starting to play, with an admiring circle of fans.

Pretty young girl, Miss Orianna!

And, another pretty young girl in the form of Miss Amy.

The Cool Couple arriving.

Rilla treated the back of Dad's truck as a stage.

Owen looking oh-so-cool.

And Olivia, looking... startled?  Polite?  Freaky?

I think this was when they were trying to do a duct tape repair.

Sunday night, it poured buckets, so it was good that everyone had got in lots of outdoor activities in in the first two days.  We left right after lunch on Monday so we could get settled at home at a decent hour, before school!  And the tricky thing was, I accidentally took ALL the pork home with me, instead of the one big bowl mom had packed for me!  Thankfully, Cody and Anthony came by my place the next day and carried it north again.  Between the two of them, I'm not sure how much pork actually made it back to Vaughan's, but at least I tried!

Okay, it is now 11:30 and my brain is shutting down.  Nighty-night, all.