Independence Day weekend

Have you ever taken a crazy test that tests your IQ or really just how dumb or smart you are test? Maddy took this test on the last day of school. Here's the question she answered wrong and I have also. 

Does England have a 4th of July? 

I say no way. No ones celebrates the red, white and blue like the USA does! 

Thursday after work we headed to East Canyon for the Price's Reunion. We didn't get the camera out and missed taking pictures of all the cousins who only came the first night for dinner and smores. I did talk to Preston and Niki and learned that they are moving from Daybreak to South Jordan and their daughter Payten will go to Elk Meadows. Guess what!?! Lexi and Payten will be in the same kindergarten class! I think it is an answer to both of our prayers. Payten is shy (Lexi is not) but Lexi needed a friend to know in class. So excited! 

Thursday night in the tent went really well. Poor Jack's air mattress gave out on him but we all slept. Even Lilly did although when the sun woke her up she woke all of us up! We have a big tent and had 2 queen air mattresses a play n pack and a twin mattress with room to stand up and walk around. It's got everything except a bathroom. We have porta pottys while camping and a short drive to the lodge for a flushing toilet. Everyone is trying to talk Grandma out of East Canyon next year, we'll see where we end up!

We left camping and arrived fashionably late to the Oakley parade it started at 10 and was a 40 minute drive. We left at 9:40, took the scenic route thru Henefer and Morgan to Oakley. The only advantage was the speeding Mike was able to do!! We arrived just in time and found Tif and Emma who led us to our seats. 

 I love small town parades. They still throw out candy. The floats are a trailer with hay bales, lots of rodeo queens on horses, a marching band and of course the fire truck at the end squirting everyone. We sat by some kids that were soaking the parade peeps with water guns and water balloons.

 After the parade we headed to Grampa and Grama's house. Look who has gotten so big!

 Before the kids got too dirty (I mean we left camping so we weren't really all that clean to begin with) I wanted a picture. Lilly is a pill and every time I want a group picture, this is her reaction!

The girls were just going out to the fields to find the chickens when we stopped them for a group red, white and blue picture. I always do a picture calendar and need a picture for next years! It was a bonus to get to spend the week with Emma (who will be off to High School next year)! 

As usual Lillian loves every minute of it! 

Lexi was trying to find her chicken, she knows which one is hers!

Just love this picture! Girls are going out in the fields to find the chickens in their watering boots.  The cows were butchered earlier this week. Later the horse was saddled. We love visiting the Ranch! 

 See I  promise she sometimes likes her picture taken. 

We ate lunch at the drug store and then headed back to East Canyon to go swimming. There's a short cut but sometimes you run into animals along the way! You go past the Jeremy ranch golf course and head to the mountains. I believe it's called the Mormon flats pass. It's a 20 minute trail but drops you off right into East canyon resorts entrance and saves you a lot of time!  Sometimes you find animals along the way who just part themselves in the middle of the road. Today it was the horses, usually it's cows. 

The little girls had a short car nap (I guess something is better than nothing) and then of course wanted to go swimming! Lot of cousins also had the same idea! 

My cousin Kara and her husband Chase played with the kids. Mike took pictures from the sidelines.

 After swimming we headed back to camp for dinner. Everyone brings your own meat and a salad and dessert to share. It's pretty delicious. Some of my favs are Bridget's cabbage salad, Marilyn's broccoli salad, Kelly's frog eye, fruit and of course for dessert the peanut butter chocolate covered rice krispie squares (can't think of the name they are called) they are a fam fav. Marilyn brings several pans up just so everyone can have a couple!

 Here's Grandma Great. The condo's were full this year so she came up and down every day while we were camping. I think she is taking a break from playing Rook--the last game I played with her--she kicked our buts! And Uncle Bob lost bad he was in the negatives (like 200's) most of the game.

Lilly loves to camp! She was in heaven and stayed pretty close which was nice for Mom. The big kids play in the forest and I didn't want her getting lost or finding the small water stream and getting soaked. BUT that probably wouldn't have happened either she doesn't like the water--another + for mom!

 And the kids just play. 

 And do things kids should do. 

 It was so fun to have Chad and Anna come up for the festivities too!

I learned that while my brothers are away in ND, they have a lot of time on there hands and find themselves reading my blog. So here's a shout out to Brody and Chad! Love you both and wish you would get married and then both have some kids so my kids could have cousins! 

 He too can give a cheeser smile! 

 A rare picture (and photo bomb by Emma) of Mike. He maned the camera all weekend. This is his new "work" lens. Love how the background is blurry and the subject crisp and clear!

 Oh and miss Lilly sat here for an hour playing in the dirt

A game of horse shoes by the boys. Bob and Steve

Chad and Jake

 Anna and Chad

Grandma got a kick out of Lilly playing and eating the dirt. She literally had the sand bucket shovel and put it into her mouth several times. It's not an oreo face but a dirt face you see here! Grandma thought her diet must be missing some needed nutrients so she liked the taste of the dirt. LOL. 

 and enjoying every minute of it. While we sat and played cards, played horse shoes and tried to keep the mosquitos away. I didn't come home with any bites and neither did the little girls but Mike and Maddy have lots. Mike counted 35! I guess bug spray really does work because I didn't ever put pants on.

 Emma found the boys. This is Jana's son Jarum he brought a friend and they were flirting with Emma all night! I'll admit she is gorgeous! And not technically a blood relative.

We played cards while the fire started, Emma rocked Lilly to sleep and then we all crashed late of course again and rose early when the sun rose. For breakfast it was small numbers, Bob and LJ and Sharon cooked for Kim and my family. Grandma decided she needed to come up as well. Kelly and Vance were great sports and drove her up even tho they didn't feel well. She had breakfast and then left to go back home. We left camp and went to the swimming pool before we were headed to my parents for a bbq and the rodeo. 

After swimming and packing up from camping we headed to the Oakley polar king for a shake and French fries before heading to the Prices doors party. We have connections so we also got invited!

It was a small group but good company and great food. Steve and Tif worked all day to get ready for the party. Dad has the yard fixed up so nice. He put in a green house, some grass and new rocks. Chad and dad painted the chicken coop in addition to spraying the never ending weeds. Tif cooked and cleaned and had the place so festive and decorated.

Lilly was being silly! Actually this is really just what getting a picture of her takes. lots and lots to get hopefully one!


We missed Brody who was working in North Dakota for his shift. He always comes to East Canyon and plays with the kids when we are at Grampa's house.
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Lilly played with cousin Blakely at East Canyon and at the party ( my cousin Chelsea's daughter--her husband was also working in North Dakota--Chad got lucky and got the holiday off). She gets all of our hand me downs! It's fun to see Blakely wearing the clothes my girls and Emma has worn.

After dinner, my dad saddled up Skipper.

When Jack was at Grampa's house last weekend, he rode and led the horse all by himself. Tonight he showed mom his stuff!

And then Chad and Anna brought out the dogs to have a potty break. The lab is a service training dog, they have a mastiff and 2 bulldogs. Needless to say they have a lot of work!


Before long it was time to head to the rodeo. I hadn't planned to have Lexi or Lilly at the rodeo.Tifani arranged to have a baby sitter at home. I took Maddy and Jack to the same rodeo when they were 1&;2 and it was miserable! Lexi was so sad and in tears and promised that she would behave and be a good girl. My dad luckily had an extra ticket. Lilly stayed with Dannie.  It was the best night off for me! Entertainment and no baby especially because she was so tired and worn out from camping and lack of sleep.


Lexi sat on multiple laps during the rodeo. Most of the night was Jake. Then she moved to Chad, and Mike and Grandpa had a turn too. The rodeo entertained her and so did the treats. We all especially loved the rodeo clown.

The rodeo starts with a flag ceremony and ends with fireworks in the sky. Tears always fill my eyes when I hear the star spangled banner.

As the sun goes down the temperatures drop, we were all glad to have a jacket to put on while we watched the rodeo. The clown said he met someone from Tennessee and was surprised she had a mouthful of teeth.

This is Lexi's, I didn't have a clean jacket for her so she wore Jack's zombie jacket.

And a big thanks to Steve and Tif for a wonderful weekend. Tif was a trooper and stayed camping and threw a wonderful party-as usual! The food was delish. We enjoyed salads, grilled corn on the cob, hamburgers and hot dogs. My dad and Anna went on a horseback ride on Saturday morning. They gathered us together. Didn't get pictures of everyone at the rodeo. Taylor and his girlfriend came, Jake and Alex, Chad and Anna and then lots of employees. We almost had the whole section to ourselves.


Emma posted this, cute pictures of Maddy and Lilly. And of course Emma, isn't her hair cute! She colored Maddy's and Lexi's also. We tried to get Jack to let us color his tail but he chickened out.



After the rodeo we drove home. We arrived home about 12:30am. It was late. The kids were all asleep and the car was full of camping equipment. We got everyone to bed and emptied the car before crashing ourselves. Mike wanted to be at church because the scouts were going to camp the following day. He is going up to camp on Wednesday.

Wonderful Independence Day weekend. Special thanks to Grandma Price for getting us together at least twice a year for camping and then a Christmas Eve party. For Tif and Emma getting us to camp with them and for the parade and rodeo and good times and the best of memories. I'm proud to be an American! Love this country, my freedoms, my liberty and my family. That's what this time of year is all about.

I always remember my mom at this time of year. I found this picture. And put it online. Missing her always. Do you see a Lilly resemblance? Could be because we are about the same age or maybe she does have some of me in her--besides her happiness!