4th of July

Happy 4th of July! We enjoyed our traditional celebration with a community breakfast of pancakes and eggs - Katharine enjoying her feast ~

She got chocolate milk and orange juice! But she didn't finish that pile of pancakes. Wayne came out to join our celebration. Waiting in line for breakfast.

Peter was excited to wear his shirt from his kindergarten "American Symbols on Parade" program.

Another cute pic of Kat.

Smile Lily!

Once again I enjoyed the displays inside the church building that showed the history of our Granite community. "We are building the kingdom of God, What are you doing?"

Back outside for the parade. 

Yay candy... "There are two days we get candy: July, and Halloween." - Owen 7/4/22

My favorite part of the parade was this group of people doing Smooth Criminal. 

Someday it would be fun to come up with something and join the parade. Someday when I have nothing better to do, or when I want an excuse to get all the grandkids together for a project. After the parade, we rode bikes down to the carnival, to offer moral support. Lily and her friends did a great service in giving free face painting today. I did not help this year. We walked around a bit, Peter did a few more of the carnival stations. Katharine took off her shirt and jumped in the pool

It was nice not being in charge of the carnival this year (Corey was in 2024), but Corey did get phone calls from the guy in charge of it this year and was able to help that way. Peter was done, so I headed home with Peter on our bikes. Corey kept K for a bit longer. I didn't see his text when he brought her home, and she promptly went up and peed on the carpet on my side of the bed. yuck. 

Abi drove herself and Sophi and Natalie up to Pineview to camp the night with Corey's brother Mark. Mark has taken his camping to another level this year!

Abi getting Henna freckles

We didn't go, mostly because there was an ecoli warning about the water up there and they issued a warning to not go swim in it, and Corey and I didn't want to go up there and then have to try to keep the boys from the water. So we just stayed home instead and took them to the Holladay fireworks. 

A nice young boy came and gave the kids free glow sticks.

We found Ethan and Bella and Alive there with friends. That was fun to hang with them for a bit.

Fireworks were great. Corey stayed in the car, so we didn't have to get out of a parking lot - but we did walk to where he was waiting and we were able to get away pretty quickly. Mel has been up at Bear Lake with Christian and his family. Fun!

It's been a good day, Happy Birthday America. I'm grateful for this country. God is at the helm, whether people acknowledge it or not. I hope we can survive Trump's corruption. I trust in God that we will. We've survived wicked leaders of the past, I trust God can continue to help us if we the people repent and turn to Him. Lord, help us repent, help our leaders to seek thy spirit.

Halloween Program & Trick or Treating

The little boys woke up early, and they were excited to get ready for school. They did a good job getting their costumes together this year, with little effort from me, which is how I like it.

Owen is the Halo guy, I think? Peter is a dinosaur, and Daniel is a pirate.

I was not looking forward to watching the parade in the cold. I went to wake up Katharine and I was just going to bring bags of chips for her to eat and bundle her in a blanket, but then Corey said he'd stay home with her. Hallelujah, thank you Corey! He took good care of her in our nice warm house. 

Even though he was home, I didn't take his car over. I walked cause I knew the parking lot would be full. The wait wasn't too long. Watching the kids come by - and there's cute Peter! 

Hi Daniel!

Owen!!!

Hooray yay. I know that it was not as fun for them to greet me as it would have been had I had Katharine with me, but not enough for me to bring her out in the cold. This not my favorite activity but it's fine. It was over soon enough and then I joined 2nd grader parents inside to go watch the 2nd Grade Halloween Program. Most of it is Christmas songs changed to make them in a minor scale and with Halloween lyrics. And a few original Halloween tunes like Monster Mash. Arrgh!

Just before outside at the parade, when his teacher saw me, she quickly leaned toward me to tell me to have my phone ready to record Daniel during Thriller. "It will change your life!" Haha. I knew that he was/is a great performer, and he lived up to expectations! 

I give his teacher's costume 5 stars! 

So before the cold sugary fun tonight, Corey and I both stuck out for a quick ride. He left, and then I thought "Well I want to go!" so then I left too, tried to catch up to him but didn't. Went up the quarry trail as far as I could go before snow stopped me. It wasn't deep, just made the trail too slick. I went a little bit past the 1st bridge. I rode silver bike cause I was hoping to get an achievement on the climb. No such luck. 6.96 miles, 43 minutes. Fall leaves are still pretty!

And now the little kids NODPK are here watching The Mummy. They have been scattered about the neighborhood all evening. Natalie with Hadley, Owen and Daniel with Zander and the biking gang. Peter was with them too. I took K around the neighborhood while Corey drove to find ODP in his car. It was cold, so it didn't take long for Katharine to call it quits. She got the knack of taking candy - 

But did not understand nor participate in the dressing up part. We were glad that she changed out of her Moana nightgown and put on pants and a sweater. I tried to put a red riding hood cape on her, but she rejected it. When K was done, I passed her to Corey, who was parked waiting for ODP, and he took her home. Then I went and found ODP. 

Peter was cold and ready to be done, so I trusted OD and friends to find their way back home and I took Peter back to our warm house. Abi is at Tara's, I think Lily and Sophi are together with friends in the neighborhood. Aaaand I just found out that the older girls do not have school tomorrow, so yay, no carpool! Looks like we get to sleep in. I've turned off my morning alarms except for waking up ODP at 7:45. And now I'm sneaking off to the temple! I'm glad that Draper is not closed tonight. Some other's are. I don't like candy or the darker side of Halloween, I told Corey maybe next year we forget the whole thing and go out to eat as a family instead. Prob won't happen, but I can wish. The kids like the pizza with neighbors though, and I get it that it's fun. I'd rather be at the temple though, and Thursdays are the day I usually try to go, so thanks to Corey for letting me sneak away. See ya

Happy Halloween

On Saturday Corey took the kids to pumpkin patch to buy pumpkins. Then they went to the community Halloween festival for hot chocolate, donuts, and a costume contest. He's a good dad. I was glad to say home with Katharine. Owen checking out the mud on his shoes, Peter dressed as a black Ninja.

While Corey took NOP, Wayne had asked some of the kids to go to his house for a raking party this past weekend. Corey was gone with kids and the toddler I had was no good, but thankfully Mel came up on Saturday to visit, and she and Wes went to rake leaves. They had a fun time goofing off together, trying to rake fast and furious. Wes got a blister he was working so hard. There's a lot to do around here, and some things the kids want to do, I don't care about. They wanted me to put up more Halloween decorations, I told them I got rid of all of them a few years ago, which is true, so Daniel put up stuff he brought home from school. Cute. Kinda sad too, but cute.

I'm glad they owned it. I told them to wait for Mel to be able to carve the pumpkins with them on Saturday, but they went ahead without her, and without me cause I didn't want to do it. So they all look like they were done by little kids, and they were, and that's just fine. 

Lily did the barfing one. 

So, today is Halloween. That means the Halloween parade, yay...

It was crazy cold. Corey and Wes were still at home, so I left Katharine and Peter with them and I walked down. I went on a walk this morning and was amazed by these white and green leaves. Like the white was so white, I honestly thought they had been painted. 

The toddlers don't want to be standing outside anyway. Neither do I, but it's more bearable without little kids fussing that they want to leave. All of these dutiful parents and caregivers. 

I thought this sign was sad. Back in the 80s, we were allowed to bounce balls on the school's brick walls. Times have changed.

Ok, finally time for the parade. Captain America!

Owen is Red from Rainbow Friends, which I know nothing about. But he was ok with this Elmo costume that I got from the thrift store and adjusted, so I was happy.

Natalie was Cleopatra. Holding out her hands asking "Where's KATHARINE?!?!" Sorry, I left her. 

Once Natalie walked past, I was outta there. Then I prepped myself mentally for when the kids got home and would need help getting ready to trick or treat. BUT, then, Corey and I decided we should go on our annual pre-Halloween bike ride instead! So I put Abi in change of costume and make up, which she was happy to do, and Corey and I took off, yay! We left at 3:30. It was great to be in the canyon, but it was suuuper cold!!! I got 4 achievements. 

We were able to make it to the ruins despite the snow. 

It was fall weather again back at home. We got a black permanent marker and drew jack o lantern faces on brown paper bags and called it good for their trick or treating sacks. 

The kids enjoyed pizza with neighbors and then they scattered - Natalie with Lani May, Daniel with Austin, Owen was with Isaac I think... Corey and I were texting each other about where we were and who we saw last and hoped that we still had all the kids. I came with Katharine, then Corey took her home and I finished with Peter. 

He's cute. It was fun to take him around. 

Some of the houses he wasn't too sure about!

Natalie accidentally left her Cleopatra costume on the bus, so she had to come up with a quick costume after we got home, cause I told her I was not going to call or bother anyone from the school district bus system.

She did the costume that Mel and Wesley did - Wes went down to Provo for a college dance party with JM&E. I'll try to get pics of that later. Wes and Mel were bigger versions of Natalie, so they looked like this - 

Only taller, and in a darker room with a lot of other people dancing. Now it's time to see what spoils the kids came home with...

They shared with Katharine, she got all sticky, then we gave her a bath, and went to pickup Sophi from a friend's house out at Churchill. Joseph came up with a date and we were able to meet her, Deborah, she was nice! They followed Owen and Daniel around for a bit and got hot dogs and scones from our neighbors. Some of them really go all out, it's fun. We all eventually made it home and now we're going to turn off Harry Potter and go to bed. You got that, Katharine? BEDTIME!

Oh, right, we need to read scriptures first...

Holding her little Book of Mormon, such a good girl. 

Hope it was a good Happy Halloween for everyone. Goodnight.