Happy Fourth of July 2008

Since we got home from our month long trip life has been more than crazy....but we wouldn't expect anything less!! I think that's perhaps how we function the best around here. To make a long story short (ya, right!), we wasted no time getting back into the swing of things. Wednesday morning (the day after we got home), I had to WAKE UP all of my sleeping boys around 8am so we could eat some breakfast (Eggos--the "yummy waffles Mom makes at home," so says Ben) and be on our way to swimming lessons. No rest for the weary!! I'll elaborate on swimming lessons another day because that is a full story in and of itself. The rest of the day I got a babysitter (Daren had his own social schedule to fulfill) and started off by getting a new phone, took my computer in to get fixed (it's still there and I haven't heard a word--not a good sign!), and hit Costco for the basic necessities ($200 later!). My mind truly escapes me what happened the rest of the day, but it was all about getting back on our feet in Riverton.
Thursday: This is what my garden looked like when we returned home, for those who need a refresher--take a good look at it and remember it--full of weeds, but otherwise a successfully growing garden. On this morning I was trying to enlist any or all of my boys, and their little friend Nathan, to help me clean up the weeds. For some strange reason, they were very excited to help me. I promised to pay them for every Tonka dump truck load they dumped into the garbage can, so perhaps that's where the enthusiasm came from. I got distracted before we began, so the boys, in their excitement to start headed outside to "help"...can you see where this one is going???? I couldn't find them for a few minutes, but when I did, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Jake was standing there, proud as could be, with a whole dump truck full of weeds, or so he thought. He began in the garden, and he pulled out what he thought were the weeds, but were really all my Roma tomato plants--you know, the ones I use to make my salsa every September! He was so proud of himself for helping me and getting a load done so quickly, but I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I couldn't get too mad at him because he was doing what he thought was his job, but my only regret was that I didn't think fast enough to get a picture of the truck full of weeds. Ben was quick to react to the situation by trying to replant the tomato plants.

Ben went inside and got a couple of bowls of water to put around the plants, and he spent much time out there trying to nurse them back to health, but it's a lost cause. I appreciated the care that he showed, not only to the plants, but to me, knowing how much I love these tomato plants.

Well, last summer it was the pumpkin plants that Will pulled out so we didn't have any; this year it's the tomatoes--what do you do?! I love my boys!!

Jake and Natan especially deserved a water break that morning, because after our tomato fiasco, they were great workers in the yard for at least 20 minutes (I wish you could see Nathan's face better--he had the dirt caked on him pretty good!). The water break quickly turned into making waterfalls down the stairs, and they had a blast!

Thursday was also July 3, which around here means the Riverton parade in the evening. Chairs are set out along the parade route for days around here, I guess they could be considered "squatters" staking out their claim, but we take our chances every year and mozy over to the park a block away from us (that's where the parade ends) about 30 minutes after the parade has started and still end up waiting for a while. Will has about zero tolerance for loud noises, as apparently the fire engines were.

Jake had to go to the bathroom so bad just after the parade started, but I was able to hold him off until we saw the Miss Riverton float go by--our neighbor, friend, and trusted babysitter, Janae Lewis, was the first runner-up in the Miss Riverton pageant this year so she was on the float. She is the cutest thing and all our boys love her and her family so much. After the float went by we hurried back home, a couple of blocks, to go to the bathroom and fill up again on water bottles.

As we were walking home we heard someone yelling our names and turned around to find it was Janae. I couldn't help but take a picture of her with Jake--she looks like a princess!

Once we returned to the parade, Nathan and Jake resumed their favorite spots to watch--on Nathan's dad's (Ryan) new golf cart. We left the parade early (too long, too many politicians, etc.--don't get me started), got some dinner, and made it back to the park at dusk for the showing of the "Bee Movie." The kids were tired and grouchy by the time it got over, because of the late time, but we did have a great time.

Another Riverton Fourth of July tradition is the F-16 fly over at 10am that morning. Well 10am came and went, we even ate our breakfast out on the lawn so we wouldn't miss it, but there was no sign of them. In the meantime, Daren had pulled out his hat he got in Mexico before we got married. Ben thought it looked like the Indiana Jones hat, so he put it on Will, gave him the Indy whip, and off Will went. He still thinks he's like Indy, trying to swing on everything! (The F-16's finally flew over at 11am, and luckily we were still outside to see it!)

THE CARNIVAL!! I hate that this carnival has been brought to our little town and put in the park right by our house. It began just a few years ago, but I'm sure it brings in gobs of money so nobody will ever get rid of it. Because we live right by the park we see it every day and the boys ask about it every day. We missed a few days of it, fortunately, when we were out of town.

We bought the boys wristbands and the first ride they went to was everyone's favorite--the super duper yellow slide. They had a great time on it!\

The Gee Whiz ride became a new favorite--can you see the fun they are having by the looks on their faces. Notice Will's short little squatty legs barely poking out over the seat!!

Jake had it going with the girls this weekend!! First Janae, and then these two cute friends.

In the evening we had a BBQ with those from Daren's family who could make it. Whenever we lost Will, we knew where to find him!! :) He loves those Cheetos

Jake invited himself to play football with Chad and his friends--he seems to be the one who is most interested in anything that has to do with sports.

The fam watching the fireworks

Cousin Sidney and Jake

Ben's favorite spot to watch the fireworks from...at least for a short moment!

They were spectacular fireworks as usual this year. We are so grateful and feel blessed to live in this great land and appreciate those who have served and are serving in the military who help to keep this a free nation. Their sacrifices will not be forgotten, at least in this little family. What an amazing place we live in.

I'm just now getting through most of the laundry and our home still needs some cleaning up, but we are glad to be home once again. Daren was off from the fire department until yesterday, Sunday, July 6, so he didn't have to shave off his "facial hair," which has become a vacation tradition, until he got to the station. They aren't allowed to have facial hair, except for mustaches, because otherwise their masks won't seal.

Speaking of firefighters, today was the annual Salt Lake City firefighter's day at Lagoon, our local amusement park, so we took the boys. They had a great time, but I think we spent at least an hour and a half on the "last ride." I left the camera in the car, on purpose, and enjoyed a great day together with the family. I ran for the first time since I got back this morning, 5 miles, and I have been tired all day, so I'm going to end this now. Bye!!