Julia had some friends show up but by far mostly her extended in law family. And I guess a lot couldn't make it! She's got a lot of family!
We held it outside in a pavilion. The seats on the benches were quite dirty. If you weren't careful, you ended up with a dirty bum like above! Niiiiiiice!
It hadn't rained in forever when all of the sudden we got a delightful summer rain. Bear had to run out and enjoy it!
And then a popsicle afterward always rounds off a fun afternoon. Bear and I have a lot of fun just the two of us while the older kids are at school.
Poor Bear was the only one that needed to have some cavities filled. Hopefully his 6 year molars come in fast (they are already on their way) so we can have his teeth sealed like his siblings. Then we might avoid the following in the future:
After his appointment his face was still numb and I needed to make a trip to Hobby Lobby. His little face was so cute all numb. He reminded me of a Christopher's little mini me when he had Bells Palsy.
Bear was riding his bike and I was walking behind him on our way to a primary meeting when I saw him do a wild screeching halt and he got down on the ground. He picked up what I thought was a wood chip or a doggy doody but no...it was a caterpillar. The biggest I have ever seen in my life.
He was sooo excited. I knew it had to be ready for cocooning b.c it was sooo big and juicy. We took it home with us and set up the old butterfly habitat we had left over from our Painted Lady Butterflies.
Sure enough, the same day we found him and stuck him in the habitat, he cocooned. Unfortunately, I think he died. We kept him for a month and he never hatched and so...we threw him out. But it was fun anyway!
My dear old school friend Kim Whatcott Cunningham was in Utah to run the SLC Marathon with her sister Jen Martin and made time for a little Red Robin lunch with me and Bear. It was so fun meeting with her again and her youngest son, Brandon. I love her so much and am so glad that we are still friends over all these years. 20+ !
Kids sleep in. Mom too. YAY!
More dutch oven cooking by Christopher. This time a breakfast medley.
We went hiking that day and then came home to more dutch oven cooking and a special treat...
An after dinner dessert of CHEESECAKE a la dutch oven! Yeah, it was good.
We have wanted to go camping all summer long but between Christopher's MANY camping trips and camps with the scouts, there just haven't been time for us as a family. SO, the weekend before school started we decided to go camping....in our front room. Christopher made yet another sweet chicken dutch oven meal.
Back porch campfire. Making monkey bread.
All the comforts of home.
Including watching Spongebob on the big screen while chillin' in the tent!
We got a visit from our dear friends the Gilberts from our hometown in Texas! It was SO fun having them stop by for a visit. It miss Texas and all my friends there so much it's nice to get a visit and share in the love.
Christopher has gotten a tad bit obsessive with the Dutch Oven cooking thanks to his scouting and the Young Men from church. He had to test out a couple recipes with us before he took them to scout camp.
PIZZA!
It was a dang good pizza made right in our backyard dutch oven!
The kids started school on the 26th of July. Reese.
Gavin.
Christopher summed up this picture best with his Facebook comment: I love their expressions! They look like they belong on some kid movie poster. Like one of those movies where the main character narrates you through his ridiculously juvenile adventures as an elementary student and the plot revolves around a mystical ball of play-dough that can control parents' minds. Obviously Gavin is the master mind of villainy and Reese is the overly precocious younger sister who keeps him in check.
We had a little cook out with my brother and his family. It was fun, until it started raining. Then it was still fun, but we were ready to go home.
YAY for fireworks. The only thing exciting about "Pioneer Day" is FIREWORKS!
