4th of July Sunday - Monday

Sunday we had a big B-B-Q at my parents house and lit off some fireworks that the little boys had bought. Then the kids and Dad's played a serious game of rugby! Lots of tears from the little boys and only one bloody nose.

Monday morning Joel, Paula and Charles ran the Freedom Festival 10K in Provo. It went right down the parade route so we picked a spot early and sat there until they ran by. It was fun to see them all. They were only 5 minutes apart.




I did a couple hair do's while we waited to the p-raid to start. Then we watched the parade with the Rogel's and the Shelton's. They see parades like that all the time but down here in the heat we never see real floats with moving parts and cute features. We see people waving from cars and flat bed trucks carrying people. The Provo parade even had a bunch of big balloons like the Macey's parade on Thanksgiving. We were thrilled!

4th of July weekend - Tuesday

On Tuesday we went to the Hogel Zoo in Salt Lake City. It had been a couple years since we had gone and it was fun to see the new baby elephant, Zuri. She was so cute!





Then we saw the Bird show and you knw me and bird birds. Look how gorgeous! Then we went over to the Train and took the little train ride. It was short and sweet. At the end we let the kids play on the Zoo's playground.


















































Everyone had fun until this happened. It looks like he's just kidding and he was at first until he tried to get his head out. He got stuck and got scared. Like the good Mom I am I hurried and took a a picture and laughed while Joel helped him out.

Carla Clothier

On Friday Jan, Andy and I went to Vegas to make a wedding cake for our good friend Carla Clothier's wedding. Carla spent the last 2 summers helping us with the Summer Theatre Institute at Tuacahn as the stage manager. We had a blast each summer and we were so happy to see that she had found Mr. Right. Donald Morgan.
When we saw her she was on cloud nine and ginning from ear to ear.


We unloaded everything at the church and started right in on the cake. Jan had made the biggest layer chocolate with white chocolate chips, filled with chocolate butter-cream frosting and white chocolate chips. The second layer was lemon because lemon is Carla's favorite, filled with raspberry. The 3rd layer was white cake with raspberry filling and the top was lemon with a butter-cream filling. We got them all frosted and ready to be decorated and left to go to the Bellagio Hotel Buffet for dinner. It was amazing. The hotel has this great garden in it that changes with the seasons. Everything was made out of flowers. It was gorgeous.


The next day we got up, went to Hoover Dam and then to Mel's Diner to eat. It was the cutest little place with the best breakfast.


Then we went to the church to finish up. Andy and I were pretty useless on the decorating part but we were great comedic relief. Jan had some shirts made up so we looked professional with her logo and store name for her new cake decorating business. "Jandy's - Diet Starts Monday" We looked awesome.

Jan is incredible with an icing bag in her hand. She put white ribbon around each layer and piped on lace and pearls.



On 2 of the layers she put little Mickey Mouse heads because Carla is a Disneyland Freak! We knew she'd love it and that it would take a second glance to see them. Carla's colors were classic Black, White and Red. So, Jan put little black polka dots on each layer and then began the flowers. It was GORGEOUS! It took forever but the look on Carla's face when she found the hidden mickey's was priceless. Jan is the most multi talented person I've ever met. I don't think there's anything she can't do.

War airplanes!

My Brother-in-law Pat is a pilot and gives us the heads up whenever there's something cool going on. My boys love going to the airport and yesterday they had 5 old war planes on display. They were AMAZING! I had a cousin who was shot down in the last months of the Vietnam War and since then I have had a special place in my heart for Air Force Pilots. Joel's grandfather was also a pilot and best friends with Charles Lindbergh. They learned to fly together in the Air Force and remained friends their entire lives. Looking at these planes brought all of the stories I've read and heard about to life. The pride that I felt as we looked at these old planes was amazing. We stayed just long enough to watch the biggest one take off. Unbelievable was the only word I could think of to describe what I was feeling. As it turned and flew back by us I got a huge lump in my throat for all those who died for my freedom and for those still serving to keep me free. I am so thankful for my country and for the Freedom we have.

Sophie's 12th!!!

Woo Hoo! Sophie turned 12 and is officially in Young Women's. Even thought she's been coming for the last month because of girls camp stuff. She got her interview with the bishop on her birthday to graduate from Primary and to get her Temple recommends to go do Baptisms for the Dead with her friends and Shayne the next day. We have a tradition that every birthday starting with the 12th we go do baptisms. It has been super fun. And Shayne got to hand the tradition over to Sophie by taking her for her 1st time. I have always been a big believer in Temple work and I hate when people say that after you graduate High School then you prepare to go to the Temple to either go on a mission or get married. To me preparing to be worthy to enter the Temple starts at 8 years old or earlier. By 12 you should get your baptism recommend and always be able to go at any time. If you hold that recommend then you should always be worthy.

Anyway,
Sophie and Leighton Ipson (yes, Austin's little sister) share the same birthday. So we went to Pirate Island Pizza and had a fun party. The girls ate a HUGE pizza called the Kraken.









And then they played lots of games, had cake and ice cream and were all hopped up on sugar when we left. Sorry Mom's to return them like that but they had a ball. Sophie is lucky to have such wonderful friends. They all live in our stake except Megan and she just lives a mile away. They are such good girls. I hope that as they get older that they hold onto those friendships through High School. It'll make High School a lot easier.






















Left to right - Nikki Turner, Victoria Robinson, Leighton Ipson, Sophie, Tylair Hudson, Megan Paddock and Brianna Esplin.

Happy Father's Day!

Here's a shout out to all the Dad's in my life. You guys rock! I don't know what I'd do without your love and support. I love you all but especially this guy.














Not only is he the hottest guy I know, he's also very smart to have picked me as a wife.












Joel is an extremely amazing person. He works 80 hours a week to keep us in all our grandeur. We hope that will change soon. He want to have him home more of course.














He loves everyone, has a heart of gold, respects his priesthood, and loves his kids.
I'd be lost without him. Happy Father's day Joel!