FRIDAYFriday we did a lot of various activities. On a sad note, we first went to a funeral for a four month old baby girl. It was a very touching/heart-breaking funeral. It was filled with many messages of hope and of eternal families though. I of course cried like a baby throughout most of it. I think that as sad as this is, it is a better reminder for all of us to hold close those we love. It does not matter if the person is a new baby or an 80 year grandparent. Everyone's time here on this earth is limited and I think we all need to show our love while we have time, rather then regret the time we wasted.
My brother's family was in town this weekend from Maryland. Grandpa and Grandma took the whole family (that was here) to Boondock's Fun Center. They have bumper boats with water cannons, fast and slick track go carts, golfing, video games, laser tag, and a kids area. We had a ton of fun and stayed WAY later then we thought we would, but we all had fun. Pretty quickly, the kids and I figured out that there was a go-cart that was faster then the rest. It seriously just seemed to have a bigger engine or something. In true "Herbie the Love Bug" fashion, we were passing almost every other go-cart on the track at least once (in the 5 or so lap course). After Boondock's we came home to a pizza dinner and then headed off to bed.
SATURDAY
For the 4th of July, like we have for several years, we went up to the top of Big Cottonwood Canyon to the town of Brighton. They have a huge/inexpensive fundraiser breakfast in an amazing setting. It has been a lot of fun for us to do this with my family. After breakfast, there is a miniature parade with lots of people tossing lots of candy. We all had a great time being together and having fun. After breakfast, the parade, etc. we just played around for a little bit. Then, in the early evening, we went to my brother's house for a BBQ and some fireworks. Apparently, his neighbor across the street spends around $500 on fireworks every year. It is quite the display. He also lights all of them with a blow torch! He really couldn't have been outdone.......until the guy two houses away started lighting the illegal fireworks he bought on an Indian reservation for $20! We had a lot of fun that night as well.
This little girl is smiling after a nice, filling breakfast.
Here the kids are cheering on the parade.......okay, maybe they were just yelling for candy. It is hard to remember these things in my old age.
Here are McQueen and Tinkerbell playing with sparklers for the very first time in their lives. Poor, deprived kids. They loved them...and were very safe with them....well, other than someone burned a hole in our blanket, but other than that, they were very safe with them.
Here is McQueen chilling out at the fireworks show with a couple of his male cousins.
I am sure you have heard of the Stadium of Fire. That is nothing! Check out the all new "Aluminum Ladder of Fire!!" that my brother's neighbor can do.
SUNDAYSunday, we went to church as usual. We only attended our own ward ONCE last month. Illness or other circumstances required we didn't go, or went to a different ward. Either way, hopefully we are off the inactive list......at least until next Sunday.
MONDAY
Today we mostly ran some errands. I had an early morning follow-up appointment for my tonsils. I didn't want to wake the kids earlier then I had to, so I brought them in their pajamas. McQueen told me how ridiculous it would look for them to go somewhere in his pajamas. Although he couldn't even walk himself out to the car and was sleeping on my shoulder, he put up quite the verbal fuss. I told them that it is a new fun game. They seemed to get over it quickly and we came right home to change them afterwards. The rest of the day seems to be a blur of running errands. Before taking the kids back to their Mom's, I surprised them by taking them to the Kangaroo Zoo. They have filled their good deed jar and so they earned it. At the Kangaroo Zoo, they require socks. I had forgotten this and had to pay $4 for a pair of socks for each of the kids. That is what you get for only wearing flip-flops. All in all, they had a great time.
McQueen is a
jumpin'
Tinkerbell is getting eaten by this alligator thing
Starting off with the really big slides
McQueen loved this baseball game, Tinkerbell didn't like it so much. The ball is floating on air, just waiting for the hit, a swing and a miss! I shouldn't say he missed. He just didn't hit the ball. He instead hit his sister, who was standing in the wrong spot. He also was not paying attention. So, a swing and a hit means McQueen saying sorry and Tinkerbell having a little welt on her arm.
