Sometimes you don’t have a good reason to say no, and suddenly, bam, you’re on another airplane to Utah. This trip was a mix of business retreat for Ben, cousin adventures for me and Bronson, and lots of small-town magic that kept us entertained from dirt bikes to duck races.
Highlights from the trip:
- Bronson living his best life with dirt bikes, tractors, and a riding lawn mower.
- Hanging out in Rigby with cousins Becky and Brad (trailer life = freedom).
- Ben making new business connections at his retreat.
- Rocket launches, Cornbelly’s, and chasing chickens in Huntsville.
- Bronson competing in an impromptu duck race (yes, that’s a real thing).
Airplane, Takeoff, Repeat
Ben got invited to a business retreat up in Island Park ID. For some reason, I really didn’t want to go. However, I didn’t have a real good reason not to go. So here I am, on an airplane again going to Utah… again
Luckily, airports rank very high on Bronson’s favorite-things list. Watching planes take off turns him into a full-on jumping bean of excitement.
Rigby Retreat: Dirt Bikes & Cousin Time
We landed in Salt Lake City and drove up to Rigby, Idaho, where Bronson and I stayed with Ben’s cousin Becky while Ben continued to the retreat. Becky and Brad are those kinds of people who make you feel instantly at home, fun, relaxed, and just plain good company.
They had a trailer we could stay in, which gave us our own little space. Bronson? He was in paradise. Brad had dirt bikes, and every evening after work, he’d let Bronson ride with him. It was pure childhood magic.
We also went hiking (lots of rock-throwing into water, Bronson’s specialty), visited the temple, and just soaked up cousin time. The cherry on top: Bronson got rides in a big green tractor and a riding lawn mower. Basically, if it had wheels, Bronson was there for it.
We went on a hike to throw rocks in the water, the temple, and just hung out with cousins. He even got to ride in a big green tractor, AND on a riding lawn mower. It was great fun.
Ben had a great time at his retreat and made some good contacts that will hopefully lead somewhere.
Back to Huntsville: My Happy Place
Oh, Huntsville. Every time we come back, I fall a little more in love.
Pop-pop kept Bronson endlessly entertained. Their thing right now is watching rocket videos on his phone, and of course launching actual rockets in the yard. Throw in cousin chaos, chicken-chasing, and wide-open space, and Bronson was in heaven.
We also visited the family of a missionary who served in Waco and grew up right next to Huntsville in Liberty. It was fun to see where he came from!
Cornbelly’s: Fall Festival w/ Hi-d
Another highlight was visiting Hi-D and her girls. Together, we tackled Cornbelly’s, a fall festival that was so jam-packed with activities we barely scratched the surface.
One of the most unexpected (and hilarious) moments? The duck races. They hand live ducks to kids, set them in little water lanes, and let them flap their way to the finish. Bronson got picked to race, and watching him try to cheer on his duck was priceless.
He also tackled slides, tried new activities, and generally leaned into the festival spirit.
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