Wyoming Family Reunion

By Sandy Zabel

Hannah Mickelson and Zoe Taylors are best friends. Zoe is staying with Hannah's family while her own family are in Denver with a sick baby brother who was born with health problems.
As eleven year olds, Hannah an Zoe find all kinds of problems they have to work through from sick neighbors to forest fires. Sometimes they need help but usually the resourceful girls can solve the problems by themselves.
This is the second in the Wyoming series. The first book is Wyoming Friends.
Together these book are the 50,000 word novel written for the Nation Novel Writers Month contest. Between the two books there were 50,042 words. It was a fun challenge.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Two His Glory Publishing
• Release date: Dec 5, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301635610

Sandy Zabel

Hi Writing must be in my blood since my father (Harold Scott) was a writer, my sister was a writer and now my daughter is a writer. I have always enjoyed writing. Some of my inspiration comes from listening to children talk and use their imaginations. I also illustrate my books and I love to draw coloring pages and color them with children.

Book preview

Wyoming Family Reunion

by

Sandy Zabel

COPYRIGHT ©2012 SANDY ZABEL

Published by Sandy Zabel of Two His Glory Publishing at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Ebook ISBN 9781301635610

Chapter 1 The Rescue

Chapter 2 Leave Us Alone

Chapter 3 Buried Treasure

Chapter 4 Where's Sammy

Chapter 5 Helping a Friend in Trouble

Chapter 6 Smoke!

Chapter 7 Todd Comes Home

Chapter 1 The Rescue

Zoe, wake up! Look at the beautiful snow. Hannah ran back from the window, her dark brown hair straggling on her shoulders and shook her best friend Zoe. Slowly Zoe opened one eye then the other.

What's the matter? Zoe asked sleepily.

Come see the snow, Hannah repeated. It is so beautiful, and it's still snowing. There won't be any school today. The bus wouldn't be able to get us even if there was school. Looking at Zoe trying to go back to sleep, Hannah went back to the beds and shook Zoe's whole bed.

What is it, an earthquake?

No, silly, Hannah said laughing at her friend's funny response her blue eyes twinkling. It's snowing. Come and look.

Zoe slowly sat up and rubbed her brown eyes then stood and walked to the window. Glancing out she was going to go back to bed when the beautiful scene stopped her.

Oh Hannah, it is beautiful, Zoe breathed softly. Look at the enormous snow flakes. They must be the size of a quarter. I doubt if we'll have school today.

I just said that, you sleepy head, Hannah replied hugging her friend. Let's go get something to eat and see if school has officially been closed. Zoe was staying with the Mickelsons and had been since early in February when her brother, Todd was born with health problems. Now Mom and Dad were in Denver with Todd and she was here in Wyoming. At eleven years old, Zoe was proud to think her parents thought her old enough to be apart from the family, though she missed them an awful lot and hadn't even seen baby Todd. He had been taken to Denver as soon as he was born.

After dressing the girls went to the kitchen. Justin, Hannah's fifteen year old bother, greeted them with the news school was closed.

Do you think we could go riding if the snow stops? Zoe asked. She looked at Hannah and the adults for an answer. Both girls loved to ride.

It will depend on how deep the snow is, Hannah's Dad, Alan responded. Your horses seem to like the snow as much as you do, so they might enjoy a romp in it if you don't go too far.

By the time a leisurely breakfast was over the snow had stopped, the sun was shining brightly on the white snow. Both the girls lived on ranches. Hannah had lived on the same ranch her whole life, but Zoe had moved to the Circle T Ranch when she was six years old. Her Dad, Ethan, had always wanted a ranch and bought a neighboring ranch five years ago. Hannah's Dad, Alan, helped Ethan learn about ranching and the two families became good friends.

Dressing for cold weather, the girls went outside and stood on the porch looking at the foot hills where no tracks marred the smooth surface of the bright snow.

That sun shining on the snow about blinds a person, Zoe commented. I think we'd better get our sun glasses. Turning she went back into the kitchen and found her sun glasses along with Hannah's.

That's better, she said as she surveyed the darkened scene.

It does relieve the strain on the eyes doesn't it, Hannah remarked. She had tuckrf her long wavy hair into a stocking cap. Let's go get the horses and see how deep it is on them.

Running to the barn was a difficult task and several times they fell into the soft, fluffy snow.

Do you know how to make snow angels, Hannah asked, looking at Zoe.

Is that where you lay down and flap your arms and legs to make the wings and dress?

When Hannah nodded both girls dropped to the snow and lay down. The snow was almost too deep to make snow angels. Their arms went under the snow instead of clearing it away.

This snow doesn't work for snow angels, but it's wet enough to make a great snow man. Hannah made a big snow ball and packed it tight. Zoe did the same.

What can we use for the eyes? Zoe asked, still rolling her snow ball and packing it tight. Didn't you use to have some dress up play clothes awhile back?

Yeah, Hannah replied, stopping and standing up. Is this snow man a man or a woman?

Why do you ask that? Zoe stood straight too and rubbed her back.

I remember a man's top hat and maybe a gray scarf, Hannah remarked. She thought again. I remember a woman's boa and some kind of a hat, but I don't think they are the same color. We can make a fancy hairdo out of straw.

That sounds good.

Hey, since your snow ball is the biggest, let's use it for the bottom one, Hannah replied going to Zoe's snow ball.

It is the biggest, but it needs to be bigger yet.

Together, the girls rolled the snow ball around the yard till they could move it no longer. Pounding it to make it hard the girls added more snow around the base to make it stable.

That looks good, Hannah remarked standing back away from it. You do know since we made the base that big the next ball is going to have to be huge. There's no way we can lift a snow ball that big that high.

Yeah, this snow is heavy. Let's roll it first then after we lift it up we can add more snow to it.

After the girls had rolled the next snow ball awhile they tried to lift it up on top of the base snow ball.

Oh no, it's too heavy already, Zoe moaned. All that work for nothing.

The girls stood looking at the big snow ball when Justin came out the door.

Hey Justin! both girls yelled, then looked at each other.

Turning back to Justin, Hannah said, Can you help us lift this snow ball up on top of that one over there?

Pulling his gloves on, Justin bent over the big snow ball. The girls were trying to get close enough to help him lift when he picked it up and set it on top of the base. Giving them a salute he turned and walked toward the barn.

Looking after him a moment the girls turned and looked at each other again with mouths open.

Did you see that? Zoe asked, continuing to look at the barn