Four Wheeling with the Badhams

One of the great treats of our last couple of trips to Utah has been to go four wheeling with Russ's sister Marilyn and her family. This isn't an activity that we have any access to in our regular lives, and everyone looks forward to it.

Jared probably looks forward to it most of all. He thinks Uncle Dave is one of the coolest uncles because not only does he have the four wheelers, he also has a bright yellow jeep. When we were in Utah 3 years ago Jared was obsessed with the jeep. Finally Russ took him to the church parking lot up the street from Marilyn & Dave's house to drive around in the jeep. They drove around in the jeep for a while, and then Russ told Jared that it was time to go back to Aunt Marilyn's house. Jared (who was just turning 6) turned to Russ and said "It's ok if you walk back, Dad, because I can bring the jeep!"

This year Dave let Jared help load the four wheelers and Jared thought that was pretty much the greatest thing ever. Especially when Dave asked him how long he'd been loading four wheelers because he did it so well.

We met by the Bountiful "B". Aren't you glad you don't live in one of those big houses right below the "B"? I'm sure that motorbikes and trucks pulling trailers drive up and down past these houses all day every day. I think I wouldn't want to live with the constant sound of four wheelers outside my windows!

The first time Marilyn told us that we were going to go four wheeling by the "B" I wasn't too enthused. Take a look at the place---

It's pretty barren, even though we think the "B" is cool because Russ went to Bountiful High. It was a real lesson to me on not judging a book by it's cover, because once we got past that first part it was just beautiful.

We went up the mountain (using the four wheelers and the jeep) to a campsite that we've been to before.

Some stories for your entertainment:

Dave Badham and the Buddig Ham.

(Marilyn will have to correct me if I get this wrong.)

Once, when Dave and Marilyn were dating, the family was making sandwiches. There was a packet of Buddig ham on the table with the bread, miracle whip, etc. Dave got his bread ready, took the packet of ham, ripped it open, and put the ham on his sandwich, and then took a big bite. While he was chewing he realized that something wasn't quite right. And then it came to him--that packet of ham was meant to be used by the whole family! Marilyn's family was used to opening a packet of Buddig ham and each person taking a thin slice to put on their sandwich. But really, the information on the back said that the packet contained one serving of ham, and that was the way Dave's family had always used it. We bought Dave a package of Buddig ham just for old time's sake.

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Camp Loincloth

While we were eating our sandwiches (without the Buddig ham) at the campsite Marilyn and Dave told us a story of one of their adventures up there when their girls were little. They had ridden the four wheelers up the mountain and were riding around. They came to another camping are and a man came out wearing nothing but a loincloth! He told them that he had been camping there for a month, and Marilyn said that he was filthy. She also said that she kept trying to cover her girls' eyes because the loincloth only covered the man in the front--every time he turned around they could see his butt. Nasty!

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After we ate we switched riders so that everyone would get a chance to drive a four wheeler.

Rachel got to stay with Marilyn & I while everyone else went riding. She quickly had a face full of dirt--

Which was no surprise, since this is what she was doing! (No, I have no idea why!)

When she got tired of playing in the dirt she hung on on top of the jeep for a while.

I enjoyed looking at all of the wildflowers.

I did not enjoy helping little girls go to the bathroom in the woods. They were dressed far too warmly to make it easy!

When the riders got back to the campsite we packed everything up and headed back down the mountain. The view was lovely on the way down. We saw the sunshine on all of the water,

and a great view of the Bountiful Temple.

When we got back down to the parking lot Uncle Dave let Rachel drive a four wheeler. You can see why they think he's so awesome!

It was a terrific afternoon. We are lucky to have such great relatives!