July 2015

How about we start with my favorite pictures of the month!

I'm pretty sure that it is legal to do sparklers all year long.  We decided to let the kids practice a little early.  I don't think they burned long enough to cause any concern.  The babies were not quite sure if they liked the idea of holding a burning stick.  I guess when you put it that way, it is a little terrifying. I think we will just stick to watching fireworks for now.

My parents bought new picnic tables and Sunday dinners have officially moved outdoors.  Dinners are pretty casual now and I don't think Luke eats more than a bite or two.  It is perfect for summer nights and just means that the backyard relaxing starts a little earlier.  

We had a little "family night" and met Erika and Clark at Chipolte for dinner one night.  The kids loved having a chance to play with big sister.  

Tim and the big kids took the jeeps and drove from Ogden up through the canyons and around to Porcupine Reservoir.  Erika got super sunburned, but other than that, they had a great adventure.

Tim's dad's birthday fell on a Saturday and we had big plans to meet up with the entire family at Cherry Hill.  Unfortunately, I discovered that morning that Ruby had been infected with hand foot and mouth disease.  She got quite sick and it is super contagious so me and the babies were quarantined and missed out on all of the fun.  Tim and the big kids had a great time with all of the extended family.  We were definitely sad not to have the chance to swim and play with cousins.  

Man these babies love their daddy.

Tim and the kids spent the morning at the nature conservatory in Ogden.  They spent a lot of time hiking around and were able to interact with several different types of birds

While the big kids were off exploring live animals, me and the babies went to the Bean Museum.  We have been there a few times and I think each time we go they have more fun.  They were fascinated by the attack scenes, for the past two weeks they have been talking about the bears and the lions and the scary animals.  

On the 24th of July we found our traditional place to watch the Spanish Fork parade.  It was a little rough going in the beginning - the kids don't like to get up so early but once they woke up a little, they loved the floats, the animals and anything that Luke could call a "robot".  

After the parade we completed the full holiday tradition - Chuckarama and a movie.  We saw The Minion Movie  I may have spied some napping adults, but the kids loved it. 

One of our favorite traditions of July is to go see the fireworks for Mona Days.  We arrived when it was dusk and had fun at the dance, then settled in for the main event.  As always, the fireworks did not disappoint - seriously they were amazing.  A little loud for the kids, but really awe inspiring. 

I have loved watching the kids play outside...trampoline, splash pad, sprinklers, bikes and scooters. The best part of summer!

I've started going to a bootcamp class early on Tuesdays and Thursdays which means that I have been running even earlier.  I'm still not converted to being a morning person, but I have been seeing some awesome sunrises that makes it almost all worth it.  

The Ute Stampede

Most of my dad's extended family are from Nephi, so growing up, we spent a lot of time there visiting relatives.  The Ute Stampede Rodeo and city celebration have been going on as long as I can remember and feels full of tradition.  Three parades each year- the grand parade, the livestock parade and the bathing beauties parade - and of course, the rodeo.  We haven't been to the parades for years but we try to make it to the rodeo every year.  This year Tim asked me why we drive 50 miles to this rodeo when there are several rodeos much closer if that is all we want to see.  I tried to explain to him why the tradition of The Ute Stampede feels like such a big deal, but I'm not sure that it really made sense.  Somehow, for me, it seems to bring together a lot of good memories, both recent, and very old, and I love being a part of it.  

This year we were a little smaller group than normal, but had plenty of young ones to keep us entertained.  Cory, Jarin and Jami were all out of town, but my parents said that for sure they still wanted to go and take all the kids.  Seriously, the best grandparents ever to keep making these kinds of memories.  The kids loved it and were pretty fascinated by everything going on.

This year there was one little detail that made the night not quite perfect - the weather.  Most years it is really hot and we try to get seats that are covered to keep from being in the sun.  When we got out of the car this year and saw the dark clouds....we should have known that heat was not going to be our problem. It was windy and cold for most of the night and we probably should have all dressed a little more warmly, but we still had a great time.

My favorite part of the entire rodeo is the beginning.  They have representative from each branch of the military come out, and then the flag is brought in by a parachuter.  I was worried that he would not be able to jump this year because of the wind, so I was even more excited when we saw him headed down.  I'm not sure how he kept the flag on track and landed in the arena, but it was really quite breathtaking to see.

Doesn't matter what is happening in the arena, sometimes the best entertainment is in the stands.

I only got a few shots from the actual rodeo, to catch the action, it really requires a better camera - or maybe a better photographer.  We don't know enough of the rules and specifics to give a great critique of the quality of the rodeo from a cowboy's perspective, but as far as entertainment quality, it was fantastic.