Saturday is a special day…

But first, Friday.  We had our annual neighborhood potluck at the Bates’ house.  This time, it was a taco bar….so yummy!  It’s always so fun to hand out with the neighbors and visit, especially when you can sit and talk and eat…the perfect trifecta.  We have great neighbors and feel very blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people!!
Saturday was a big day for a lot of reasons..
1) Colin started football.  I don’t have a picture yet, maybe I’m still in denial.  But he looks totally cute in his pads, gloves, pants, and helmet.  Our lives have just changed forever!
2) Since Joe took Colin to football practice, I took the rest of the kids to the neighborhood breakfast.  Every year, they (I’m not sure who? The stake maybe?) put on a big breakfast for everyone in the neighborhood.  We’re talking pancakes, eggs, sausage, hash browns, juice, sno-cones, candy cannons, and a bounce house.  It is awesome!  Another chance to visit with neighbors and eat delicious food.  I seriously love living here! 
3) When the boys were done playing and we were done eating, we met back at the house to head to the Brainwave Fundraiser Event in Draper.  We missed the 5K associated with the fundraiser, but we showed up in our Team Tristan shirts and enjoyed the booths, games, and even a train ride.  It was great!

We saw the Rodeo Queen and everything!  It was a great cause for some great kids.  Sadly, Tristan got sick the night before, so he couldn’t even attend…super bummer.  We saw his brother and his grandma there, we just want him to get better!
4) Because it got pretty hot, we left to go swimming.  To our delight, most of Joe’s family showed up and we had a little party.  Justin and his kids, Ethan and kids, and Jake and Liz and family all had the same idea and we all showed up about the same time.  It was perfect timing!  We swam and visited and laughed and played and even ended up having a little Del Taco for dinner.  Christian helped me figure out Instagram, so it was also very productive! 
I love Saturdays like this!
It was all fun and games until Grandpa got stung by a wasp.  Dang wasp.  Right on his eyelid. 
At least he found the nest, hive, whatever.  It’s been a yucky wasp year all around.  Get better soon, Grandpa!

Locks of Love

There is this great organization that takes hair donations and turns them into wigs for children that have lost their hair due to illness or any reason.  Check them out here. Because many people close to us, including our cool friend Tristan is fighting cancer right now, this battle has become personal for us.  Camri knew she wanted to cut her hair, she knew Tristan has lost his, so she said, “Maybe they’ll make a wig for Tristan out of my hair!!”
She was very excited for the big event.  She washed her hair and we got all ready.  After I braided her hair, I began to cut.  Then the brave face washed away and she said, “What is happening to my hair?!!!”  She got over the tears quickly as I handed her 14 inch braid of hair to her.  She thought it was cool to hold her hair like that and she thought it was literally cool to have short hair (“My neck feels weird and cold!”) 

She looks darling with short hair and it will be long enough for a bun (maybe) by the time she starts ballet again.  In the meantime, she is rocking the short hair and I am very proud of my girl!

Time to play (again)

I know it looks like we play a lot, but to be fair, I don’t take pictures of us when we’re working.  I have to give props to the kids, though.  This summer, we have sorted closets and dressers, cleaned out the storage room and garage, refreshed the emergency water supply, fixed broken things around the house (drawers, cabinets, etc.), we’ve made baby gifts and even some Christmas gifts, they’ve kept their rooms pretty clean, and pitched in with dishes, laundry, washing windows, sweeping, and vacuuming.  So, I think they deserve to play a lot too. 

So, here we are playing.  With Grandma, Grandpa, and Lily at the splash pad.  They loved it and I was tempted to join them just to get out of the 105 degree heat!

This was not on the same day, but I took the kids to Costco last week or so.  Annie was totally on one.  She put Beau in a headlock and he couldn’t stop laughing!  At least he was a good sport, because she didn’t let go until we were at the car…

After the parade…

…we went to Hires Big H for lunch with these cuties…

Then went swimming at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. It’s nice to have a mid-week holiday, and it’s even nicer when Joe can join us.  It was a lovely, beautiful day indeed!

Days of ‘47 Parade…

Well, we made it to the parade this year, yes!  We got there and found great parking (a small miracle) and set up camp with my Mom and Dad and sister, Trish.  The nice people next to us had slept there all night and ended up moving over so we could have a front-row view.  So cool, say what you will about Utah people, but they are the nicest ones I’ve met! 
We were getting ready for the action.

Here they come!
Mom’s looking at the helicopter, Joe saw me taking a picture.  Nice.
Is that mustache real? The smile is!
Hey, look who’s sitting directly across the street?  We didn’t even plan this!  We must be related or something….
The kids loved the horses and thought it was even funnier when the pooper-scoopers drove by on their 4-wheelers. 
Annie parked herself on my lap and didn’t move the whole time.  She was enchanted. 
This was the main reason we came, to see a member of the First Presidency.  Look at President Eyring’s smile!  I bet you didn’t know you could feel the spirit at a parade…well, we did!
The Utah Pipe Band…
This train was great! My kids were tempted to hope aboard!
Sweet Princess Camri waving to the Princesses.  She stood up every time the princesses rode by and got a lot of waves and winks right back to her!

This was the float the kids climbed into at the preview…so cool!
GO COUGARS!!
Ice Cream, yum.
Charly and Sam from the movie “Charly”….a tear-jerker if I’ve ever seen one. 
Hey, we know this guy…
Awesome dancers, right behind the float…
Yay, Legos!
Just ‘cuz we live in Utah…
These pirates are pretty darn cute…
But these missionaries just might have been a little bit cuter…
Gorgeous!!
I knew it!! 
We saw a lot of beautiful floats.

We had managed to find a spot on the shady side of the street, we were so lucky!  The parade was a hit and I’m glad we were able to go.  We love Utah, we love the story of Utah, and we love the Pioneers who found their way to this beautiful desert.  We are blessed by the sacrifice of our forbearers. 
Happy Pioneer Day Everyone!!