Beal Century Farm

Justin and I are stuck waiting at the airport this morning, so it's a good time to write the blog.

Last week we drove - yes DROVE - to Arco for Atomic Days. This year marks 100 years the Beals have farmed in the Lost River Valley. The river was even running this year - the last time I remember that happening was my senior year of high school, and I hadn't seen it run before that!

Wednesday we left Puyallup and drove to Tri Cities. On the way, our undercarriage kept falling down from the wind resistance catching in the front. We duct-taped it multiple times before getting to Kennewick. We stayed at an AirBNB - a couple had a room for us in their home. We listened to Elizabeth Smart's "My Story" on the drive, so now I was freaked out about the host/hostess being a psychopath... they were only slightly crazy: the thermostat was set to 77 which felt SO HOT. I was dying all night... Justin just went into what I like to call his "Nicaragua mode" in which he can sleep under any and all circumstances.

The next morning we stopped at Firestone to have them put in some screws to keep the undercarriage in. But 2 hours in, it fell again, so from there until Nampa we stopped every-so-often and duct taped it. I called a Toyota dealership in Nampa - they got us right in and an hour later we were on our way - the final push!

We got to Arco around 7:00. I am in total awe of the Lost River Valley. Some people think where I live is pretty - I agree and disagree. There are too many trees to see anything where I live! My Mom basically lives in the Garden of Eden at her house, surrounded by mountains with farmland all around. It was so nice to be home!

Alex and Anna also got in that night and we enjoyed chatting with them into the wee hours of the night.

Friday the rest of the Beals arrived. I took Justin and Emmett up to the farm on the 4 wheeler . This was the first time I'd seen the pivots and the ditches pushed in. Emmett got to see some horses and we were chased by a few dogs. We went to the A&A for some grocery shopping to the Deli for lunch - that place has the same bread I remember eating when I was 12. Ha! We set up our chairs in the backyard and gabbed all afternoon and had taco salad for dinner, which everyone contributed to.

That night we began working on the float. My sister in-law Jory made a huge barn background for the float that my dad loved so much, he has it hanging on his shop as a permanent fixture! We all helped paint signs, blow balloons, and load straw onto the wagons. My dad had to leave the house at 9;30 the next morning to get it to Arco in time for the parade, hauled by the good old Oliver. We of course enjoyed another late night around the fire.

It was fun to see lots of my Beal cousins the next morning at the parade. All of my brothers and sisters were there with their kids, with the exception of two nieces - quite an incredible feat! Keaton's wife Amanda is due in August, though she barely looked 6 months pregnant to the rest of us - they are having a baby girl. We had the best float of the whole parade, that is for sure. I saw a few familiar faces in the crowd. Afterward we had lunch at Allison's, and that afternoon came home to swimming and more fun conversation. We had potluck dutch oven cooking that night - Gabe and Hart made the meat, Hart and Alex made the potatoes, lots of people brought sides and Justin of course made the peach cobbler dessert!

Sunday we went to church and came home to my mom's Funeral potatoes! I ate my weight in potatoes. So good! We left shortly after with the goal to get to Tri Cities that night. Thankfully the undercarriage stayed put so we only had to stop for gas twice before getting to our AirBNB, this time with a Mormon family. We got up early Monday morning and drove the rest of the way. We got home shortly after 10:00.

It was a long trip with all the driving. Never again! Never never again... but so worth it. I wouldn't have missed this! It was so good to be with all my family - it definitely filled my cup.

Last week I came down sick, and now it's time to travel again! Justin is coming to seminar with me in Dallas. Emmett is staying with family while we are gone. I am excited to have this quality time with Justin - it's going to feel weird just the two of us! But lots of fun is in store for us in Dallas and I can't wait.

Pics and videos to come.