4th of July Extravaganza

This year for the 4th of July Greg surprised me with tickets to Stadium of Fire again.  We went last year but we hadn't planned on making it a yearly event.  This year they had the Beach Boys which Greg loves and Scotty McCreary who won American Idol last year and we voted for him every week.  We were excited to get to go.  We decided to make it into a 3 day event.  On Tuesday we went up to Provo with Greg's parents truck and trailer.  We dropped the trailer off at my Aunts house and we went up to SLC and West Jordan to pick up a new toy kitchen and a playhouse we found on KSL classifieds for the girls.  Both went well except for the air conditioning cutting in and out in the truck and it being super hot and the girls being super tired.  We stayed that night at Auntie Helen's house.  My girls just are so comfortable there.  There aren't really even any toys but they manage to find something to do all the time that we are there and they just talk so comfortably with my aunt and uncle and just love visiting.  I love it too.  The next day we met up with my friends Matt and Jill to go to the Provo Parade.  This is a major big deal parade so we didn't exactly have front row seats but good enough considering the girls had their ears plugged most of the time.

 Then it was on to naps at Auntie Helen's while Greg and Matt went golfing, followed by a barbecue also with Jill and Matt and their 3 kids.  All the kids splashed in the paddling pool and our girls loved playing with their kids.  We had a great dinner with the most amazing hamburgers ever.  Then we hung around for a while before it was time to go to the concert.  Matt and Jill were amazing and offered to drive us to the concert and then pick us up afterwards so that I wouldn't have to walk so far in the blazing heat being pregnant.  Matt dropped us off 1 block away.  It was a perfect.  By the time we got to our seats (which were 4 rows from the top) I didn't feel like passing out or dying (good right).  We got the girls their promised slushes and found our seats and only had to wait a few minutes for the show to start.  What amazing friends.

This is how Allie spent the first hour of the show, ears plugged and in tears because it was too loud.  She finally snapped out of it after a while and only had to plug her ears again when the fireworks started and she actually had fun (thank goodness).  Brailie was happy as long as she had something to drink in her hands.

Both performances were awesome.  The best part was the energy of the crowd during the Beach Boys.  It was really fun and actually perfect weather too.

The fireworks really are something amazing.  They are loud and bright and huge.  The girls loved them but didn't like the sound.

Jill came and picked us up after the show also which was so good as the girls only had so many steps left in them.  They really did amazing and much better than we expected considering I really couldn't carry anyone and Greg had his arms full with bleacher seats and a blanket.  After a good sleep at Matt and Jill's we woke up to a yummy breakfast and rain.  Oh what beautiful rain.  The girls played in the rain and loved playing with each other.  It was so good to visit with good and dear friends.  Then we got ready to head back to Auntie Helen's.  There we had a yummy lunch and then Greg and Uncle Doug loaded up their dining room table and chairs which they were giving to us plus a huge load of wood.  Auntie Helen and I visited while the girls played in the rain buckets and got soaked.  It was such a great day but a long one too.  The girls were out fast asleep in 5 minutes and I think I gave it the old college try and lasted 10 minutes.  It was good to be home by evening even though we didn't have rain.  What a great little getaway.  Thanks to everyone who was a part of it.

Uncle Steven with energy

Uncle Steven

Allie and Brailie did not know that Greg was coming to pick us up but they did know that Uncle Steven was coming and they were so excited-especially Allie.  Even after Greg got there she was still super excited about Uncle Steven being there.  It is probably because he is the best uncle in the world.  The girls don't have any other uncles that treat them the same way he does.  He makes them feel like they walk on water and he plays with them non-stop.  He had energy left when everyone else was exhausted.  He read stories, played dolls, wrestled, danced, played tag, maybe goofy faces and voices.  It was the best for the girls.

Wrestling with Uncle Steven

Exploring the basement with Uncle Steven.  What other uncle would put on all that stuff?

The night before we had to leave Allie was pretty bummed out that we had to go.  In her prayer she said (with  a pouty face and sniffles inserted in just the right places), "Dear Heavenly Father, I'm sad because I don't want to go home and I don't want to leave Uncle Steven and I am sad and I want to stay."  Isn't that just the cutest thing.  Kids know when someone makes them feel like a million bucks.

Provo and Aunty Helens House

On Thursday/Friday we went up to Springville and Provo for a few reasons: first to visit Aunty Helen and Uncle Doug and stay with them, second to buy a new chain saw for Greg (so as not to have to repeat the wood cutting trauma of last time) and third to get a new bed. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
First we went to Aunty Helen and Uncle Doug's house. Now I just want to say my whole life I have always included the honorary title of aunt (or as we say in Canada Aunty) and Uncle when referring to one of my parents siblings. I have never ever just called them by their first name. I think it is an honor to be an Aunt or Uncle and love that title. Thus I am teaching my girls the same thing. So when we got to my aunt and uncles house I told Allie that this was Aunty Helen (though we have been there a few times before) and after her initial 5 minutes of shyness she pretty much wore that name right out, "Aunty Helen lets go see this," "Aunty Helen lets go outside," "Aunty Helen where is tommy (the cat)," "Aunty Helen I want to play the piano." It was so cute. We had a great visit at their house. I think Aunty Helen and Uncle Doug got such a kick out of Allie and were probably long overdue for a nap after we left.

Here is Allie eating the blueberry pie I took along to Aunty Helens house. She called it bumbleberry pie and ate every drop (this after eating half a cucumber and half a bowl of jello, half a roll, 3 helpings of green beans, meats and cherry tomatoes for dinner- and we can't get the girl over the 26 pound mark.)
Playing with Aunty Helen on the swing

Brailie let Aunty Helen hold-even when I left the room to go to the bathroom and she didn't cry. We didn't experiment with this until we were about to leave. I told Aunty Helen she was hired as my full time nanny.

After daddy bought his chain saw and we did some other shopping we went out to eat. Brailie got to have her own melon and she didn't hold back let me tell you.She wolfed down 3 pieces and screached when I cleaned her off!!!!!

Allie's mod-podge of a lunch. This girl is so funny; after eating some dessert she always wants to go back and eat more of her regular food. Spaghetti and ice cream-ummm what a combo.

Then because it felt like it was three million degrees outside and we made the mistake of saying the work "swimming" and were hounded for all of 2 hours prior to this, we decided we better find a pool ASAP and get wet. The girls had a blast. The pool had a great kiddy area that was totally not parent friendly with all kinds of squirty things and other water stuff that is fun for like 8-10 year olds and really just annoys parents but the girls loved playing in the water.

Allie reminded us that she is a big girl and can float all by herself now. I have to find some swimming lessons next year I think.