Pioneer Day

In Utah the big patriotic holiday is Pioneer Day. It celebrates the arrival of the original Mormon pioneers in the Salt Lake Valley. Celebrations are similar to July 4th and are a big deal here. We spent the afternoon at the pool and then set off firecrackers in the street before calling it a day.

Photo of the Day

Boomah!

For his birthday this year Levi was given a touch and feel book about cats by his godmother, Aunt Diana. He's loved the book since he got it but recently discovered a cat in it that bears a resemblance to Meme's new dog Boomer, a Japanese Chin. He gets so excited when we get to this page in particular and because it's a pop-up book thinks that he can take the cat out of the book, all the while exclaiming "Boomer!" (He's the puss in boots). Just for authenticity, he pronounces it like a true Mainah...Boomah.

Photo of the Day: Joey meets Dolly

Photo of the Day: Costume Parade

Photo Session

This morning the kids and I attempted a photo session in the garden of a neighborhood church. It is the historical Garden Park Ward, a popular site for weddings and photographers. Despite the oil spill in Red Butte Creek which runs through the garden and our neighborhood, it is still very beautiful. I'm not sure if I got THE shot so I'll keep trying. It's pretty tough to get all three kids in the same frame in a reasonable pose. There were some keepers including this one of the girls which I love so I'll share. Hope you like it!

Red Butte Garden

Today we met Dad for a lunch picnic at Red Butte Garden. It was our first time there with the kids. After lunch we explored the children's garden which contains fountains, mazes, sculpture, playhouses and a sandbox just to name a few of the many things there. Finally the heat got to us and it was home for nap time. Yeah!

Sophie asleep; saved by the ottoman

Mini Golf

We played 18 holes of mini golf, on some sweet holes created by SLC artists. The fund raiser went to benefit, well, the artists. Here Sophie is, framed as the Taco Bell dog on hole #8.

July 4th, for real!

What the city of Salt Lake couldn't do on a Sunday, the Salt Lake Bees could.  See, it's okay if private businesses disrespect our particular religious traditions to celebrate the birth of our government, just so long as the government is appropriately indeferential to the first amendment, and forces public institutions to obey our particularly asinine god.

We took the kids to our first baseball game of 2010.  The Bees got killed, they were down 7-0 by the second inning.  Still, we spent lots of money on popcorn, and french fries, and hot dogs that the kids begged for then refused to eat.  After the game, we were herded out onto the field for an awesome fireworks show. You can see the field lights (off) in the photo.  Levi was terrified of the noise. Lily buried her face in my chest at the lights.  Sophie lapped it all up.

July 4th, One day early!

Today Utah celebrated Independence Day, 1 day early. Because, you know, Sunday is saved for the Angel Moroni et al., and really, the Jews won't mind if we move the party to their day of rest because, well, you know.  So we hit the library.  Lily played chess, Sophie played with that unusable abacus thing that kids love, and Levi ate pop up books.  Later we lit off some of our own fireworks with the neighbors, then Leah took the girls to the fireworks show.  No pics of that.