We know how to celebrate Pioneer Day!

Our ward got invited to participate in the Days of 47 Childrens Parade downtown.  Here are the 3 kiddos with their shields they made. 

Here's Spencer excited to see us watching the parade.  (Kyle's parents came up and watched the parade too)

Kyle is the best dad and walked in the parade with the 2 younger ones.  (They waited like 3 hours for the parade to start before they started! )

Carly putting her carpentry skills to work

The boys made helicopters (we got these at the park after the childrens parade, they had a huge party and everything was free!  So fun!)

Carly made a bird house.



We celebrated Pioneer Day at our usual place(Hinckley) and no Pioneer Day celebration would be complete without someone from our family wrestling a pig! 



The Hinckley parade - where there's so much candy, the kids can't keep up!

Annual tradition of picture taking

Great Grandparents and all the great grandkids and grandkids (Only missing a couple on missions)

Took the kids to a little splash park in Delta after the celebrations. 

July Bits

Panning for Gold at This Is The Place Park.  If you find gold, you can keep it or go to the bank and turn it in for candy.  Needless to say, all the kids wanted to go to the bank.

Riding the small train in the Native American Village

Getting in trouble in the school house.  :)

Riding ponies.

Independence Day Fireworks

Watching the parade.  We all loved it! 

Antelope Moonlight Ride.  22 miles.  Beautiful.  Perfect weather.  Lots of fun. 
Sore bum.  Will definitely do again next year.  :)

Self Portrait before the ride began. 

The End

Summer Lovin'



Went with the YW to Manti last week to see the Mormon Miracle Pageant.  We got to do baptisms there and then stuck around for the pageant.  It was super fun!  Love the Manti Temple. 




Just got back from girls camp.  I always dread it coming, but then always have a lot of fun when it's here.  We didn't get much sleep, got DIRTY!, and had a moose in our little tent area always trying to scare the girls....




Yesterday we went on a family hike (to conquer something on our summer bucket list) and headed up the canyon.
We got there and it was beautiful!

 


On the back side of Silver Lake

 


We decided to hike up to Twin Lakes since it was not that far away (about a mile from Silver Lake).  It was pretty steep the entire way and the kids grumbled and complained like crazy.  Except for Spencer, he loved it. 



We had almost made it to the Lake and ran into this little guy... okay not little at all.  He was huge and not very far away.  He was about 20 feet away from us and I got pretty nervous and snippy with the curious kids.  We passed him up and kept on hiking.  And I kept looking back to make sure we were safe.




Almost to the Lake and Parker had a little break down.  Here's Spencer helping him and trying to say comforting things to him.  What a good big brother.  These kids really were troopers though, because it was hard for me and they had to take twice as many steps as I did. 

 


Finally got there and it was beautiful! 

 


Beautiful! 




On our way back down, we were looking for our moose friend and he had laid down in the trees. 


And after our hike was all over, the kids kept saying how much fun they had...

 


Today we decided to go to the Hill Aerospace Museum, because we have never been.  The kids loved seeing all the cool airplanes. 



The kids were all a little bummed that we couldn't actually get in any airplanes, but still had fun.




Loved the huge helicopters! 



Wingardium Leviosa

Really quick, here's a pic of Parker the day before we got his stitches out of his face.  He looks SO good now! 
He still has a little cast on his hand, but he's doing great!

Okay, on to the party!

About a month ago we got a letter in the mail from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry inviting us to attend.  So we prepared as much as we could and the day finally arrived to go!  Bellatrix Lestrange was even excited!

Harry Potter was pretty excited as well.

And the Hungarian Horntailed dragon was not as excited at first, he was famished.  But as soon as he got some crackers from his muggle mother, he did much better.

The evening started with Hagrid showing the young wizards their way to Hogsmeade to buy their supplies.

We happened upon some of Hogwarts staff as they were on their way to the castle. (Really, don't they just look so awesome?  They are Kyle's cousins.  The 2 on the left were the main ones responsible for this amazing party.  Thank you Trisha and Jodi!!)

Parker showing Hagrid (Uncle Scott) his owl he just bought.

Buying his wand (from Great Grandma and Grandpa).  He was taking this all very seriously. 

He bought himself a butterbeer and loved it so much, he went and bought another one. 

Harry with his butterbeer mustache. 

Got Butterbeer?

We entered the Great Hall and was given instructions from Filch and Dumbledore.

Then Snape, Mcgonagall, and Trelawney filled us in on some more things.

Lily even made a visit.

Then it was time for classes.  Mcgonnagall taught some spells and we made some snitch necklaces. 

Then off to Potions class with Snape. 

Professor Sprout taught Herbology. 

And Trewlawney could barely see her students, but taught us how to see things because she IS a seer.

Trying on those crazy glasses.

And then we went and had a great feast.  It truly WAS a great feast!  I wish I would have gotten pictures of it as well!



Wish I took a picture BEFORE the students ransacked Honeydukes.  They spent all their galleons getting TONS of fun stuff at the store!  And this was just one of the rooms. 



We ended the night with watching Harry Potter on the big screen outside, eating all of our treats. 

The kids had such a great night and I just can't get over all the work and preparation that went into this fun
family party!