The 24th of July in Utah

July 24th is the day we celebrate our statehood here in Utah...so July is just one celebration after another...and one parade after another!!  Brandi and the boys came down to Spring City to join in on all the fun.  We gathered in front of the old church on main street to watch the parade.  It was so much fun to watch Damon and Jonas as they stood on the sidewalk and caught tons of candy!!  Damon was catching everything that came his way...including some guys sandal he thru right next to him...it took Bea about 5 minutes to quit laughing...but I must say it was pretty funny!  You will also notice a cast on Ian's nose.  He had a run in with a Honda Accord while he was riding his bike! The doctor said he if hadn't been wearing his bike helmet, he would either be brain dead or just plain old dead!!!!!  We are lucky he is alive and just wearing a cast on his nose!  So we had plenty to celebrate this weekend.

Damon and Jonas

Gavin marching in another July parade

Currant Jam

A couple of years ago Randy decided to plant several currant bushes out in the garden.  I have heard of currant jam, but until this year I have never made it.  There are all these tiny little berries on these bushes and I kept thinking to myself "if I have to pick all those little berries to make jam will it really be worth the time??"  Since I've never made currant jam I spent a little time on google trying to find some recipes.  The one I decided to use made the process so simple and in no time at all the berries were picked and I was looking at seven beautiful jars of homemade currant jam.  YUMMY!!!!!  I hope next year there are more berries so there will be more jars of jam!

The finished product

Happy Birthday America

There is nothing like a parade to start off a day of celebrations and there's nothing like the small town parades here in Sanpete.  I love how each parade starts off with the American Flag being carried by someone in the military and how everyone puts their hands over their hearts to pay respect for this great country and those brave men and women who have fought to preserve the freedom we celebrate this day. God bless America!!!  As you can see in this picture, Gavin was in the North Sanpete marching band and did an awesome job.  The rest of the family was gathered on the sidewalk to watch the parade and the kids stood by with their bags patiently waiting for all the candy that would be thrown from the floats and trucks.

Logan, Haylee and Taite waiting for the parade to begin

Holly and Aaron

TaNeal, Wyatt and Kenzie (looking pretty good after her surgery on her shoulder last month)

Later in the afternoon we gathered to celebrate the birthdays and the kids enjoyed eating peas and fresh strawberries from Grandpa's garden

A Week of Birthdays

While I was busy attending girls camp, two of my beautiful daughters were celebrating their birthdays...which was the first time I have missed their celebrations...EVER!!!  I got a chance to text both of them before we headed up on the mountain, but it just wasn't the same.  I remember when I was pregnant with TaNeal I would ask her what she wanted for her birthday and she would answer "the baby!"  Well...she got her wish.  Holly arrived on TaNeals 2nd birthday!  Over the years it was always interesting the way the celebrations went so that each of them could feel like it was there special day.  I'm not sure I always accomplished that.  Then nine years ago they were pregnant at the same time and we wondered if their babies would be born on June 28th also.  It wasn't meant to be, but they did end up in the hospital together and Logan and Haylee shared space in the Sanpete Valley nursery together.  Logan was born on the evening of July 2nd and Haylee was born a few hours later on July 3rd.  We went to the Hoopers to celebrate Logan's birthday on the 2nd and we decorated cookies for Haylee's birthday on the 3rd. Then we got together and celebrated all four birthdays on the 4th of July with cupcakes, cake and homemade ice cream...YUMMMMMM! 

Logan with his arena birthday cake Holly made for him

Haylee testing the frosting for her cookie we decorated

Homemade raspberry and peach ice cream...always at hit at our family get-togethers!

Girls Camp 2011

It has been a very busy week and a half!  Last Thursday I was watching grandkids in Salt Lake, Friday we headed to Cedar City and Tuesday morning I left for girls camp!!  WOW...talk about marathons!!!  It's been a while since I went to girls camp.  When my girls were growing up I vowed that I would go to girls camp with them each year...and I did.  Either as a ward camp leader or as a stake leader and I have some very fond memories of my time with them.  But camp has changed a little since those years.  I remember lip syncing to Poison's "Ain't lookin for nothin but a good time" and I must say I do a pretty good CC DeVille impression with my air guitar!!!  Not to mention a little Def Leppard but now I would be banned if I did any of that...no ipods or cell phones (which won't work even if you could take them). There are some other things that have changed and definately for the good!  No more tents and there are more flushing toilets!!   So I turned off the cell phone and left the ipod at home...along with my computer, packed my truck and headed up Fairview canyon for 4 fun filled days of dirt, mosquitoes, rain and the beauty of nature.  This was our first year in our newly formed Cedar Creek ward and we had an awesome time.  Things are more spirtual than in years past...which is as it should be.  Our theme for this year was D.O.T.S which stood for Depend On The Savior.  There were lots of fun things to do that were centered around the theme.  I can't speak for anyone else, but I really enjoyed myself.

Cooking over an open campfire

The girls lovingly call these cabins "chicken coops" but they sure beat the tents we use to sleep in...especially when it rains!!

The girls didn't go hungry!  Here they are getting their lunches ready for the hikes.

Here we are in front of the "big yellow bus" that hauled the girls to camp.  One of the members of our ward had just purchased it and offered to drive them up.  Two of our girls aren't in the pix.  One was taking a little hike and the other had to leave camp early that morning., but as you can see, there were quite a few from the Cedar Creek ward.  What a motley crew! There were close to a 150 girls and leaders up there in our Mt. Pleasant Utah stake.  Good times!!!