Pioneer Day and things...

Monday I mailed a box to Taran.  He needed some thank you cards for people who had sent him money and/or gifts in the MTC.  I also sent him bread and honey butter in honor of Pioneer Day the next day and some pictures and letters from all the kids and me.  Tim writes on Dear Elder so he gets a letter a different day.  We stopped at my moms and mowed, trimmed her dogwood bushes, cleaned that up and several other tidying up jobs outside and Emily and Gwen worked inside.  We hung out since Teresa can drive now she has her truck so Timo had Tim's car and we dropped Tim off at work.  I went and got Tim from work then he went and got some free movie passes, he had a voucher.  We went to the Ashford the Alzheimer's/Dementia place near our home to do Family Home Evening.  Last time George helped Zane bear his testimony this time he gave the prayer for Izak.  Emily taught the lesson on Pioneers.  George remembered the story she was telling, it is amazing how deep Gospel principles are for these residents.   Gwen, Zane, Micah, Emily and Timo each played a song.  Emily sang with her song.  Gwen played I Love to See the Temple and George sang along, his own version.  We enjoy this opportunity.  Gwen is still nervous but it is good for her, maybe over time she won't feel that way so much.  We shared cream puffs with them and then we came home.  I would love to take photos of our FHE because they are really are sweet people.  But because of privacy issues it is not allowed.

Tuesday was July 24th Pioneer Day as in the day the Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley in  1847.  Tim and I went to breakfast that morning.  Then Teresa had Izak, Micah and Zane work in her classroom.  I did our weekly shopping.  When I got back we went to my mom's and ate our picnic lunch we brought.  We weren't sure the weather was going to let us go to Bridal Veil Falls.  After we ate it had cleared so we took my mom and their wheelchair with us to Bridal Veil.  Teresa and my dad were tired so they opted out.  My dad has been having a rough time sleeping or not sleeping I should say.  It's been hard on my mom as well.  We had fun at Bridal Veil even though it was very crowded.  We saw my uncle Brian who was riding his bike through the canyon--in the collage he is in the picture with Tim.  It was a nice break for my mom so we are glad we took her.  When we got back Charl and Katie were there with their kids.  So the younger kids played, Tim took our boys to Trafalga (we had planned it before we knew Charl & his family would be there) and we had an impromptu pizza dinner.  It was a fun time for not planning the day!  We had planned to go to the Orem Owlz baseball game--they are affiliated with the Anaheim Angels.  We get in free with our Pass of all Passes and they were doing fireworks that night there.  We still have a ban absolutely no fireworks where we live--we had that big fire just before the 4th of July so they are still banning fireworks.  We got rained on part way through the game--in the collage it's Gwen and Izak under the blanket we brought.  It was a nice warm rain so once it cleared out we were fine and they played the game through it.  It was a fun game they were winning until the end the other team got 5 runs to put them ahead.  We came back to within 2 runs in the 9th but to avail the other team won.  The fireworks were set off right behind us so we just turned around and watched them.  I actually filmed the whole thing it was pretty cool!

Wednesday Tim took the day off.  Timo went to work.  I went to the temple in the morning.  Tim went to the temple with Emily and the YW he helped out with baptizing, I helped with driving them and the young men who came later.  Timo and Izak went.  I took Emily from the temple to a play in Orem on of her friends from school was in it.  My mom was going to the temple that afternoon and was able to pcik her up when it was over.  Tim wanted to go to Seven Peaks since it was his day off so we took Gwen, Zane and Micah.  The older kids wanted to hang out with friends.  We had fun and went on several slides--Tim and I took Gwen on a slide with a 3 seater tube.  She liked it a lot.  Zane is a maniac wanting to go all the time on the slides!  I love the wave pool best but I will go on the slides when I can.  I usually just hang with Gwen at the wave pool which she loves too.  When we got home that night Emily and her friends were making tacos.  I helped them a little bit.  I made them wear the Mexican hats we have!  They complied.

Thursday June was coming over so the kids were excited about that!  Later that morning my sister took the 3 boys to see the Avengers for helping her in her classroom.  They loved the movie!  Gwen and I took June for a walk and deliver stuff.  I was going to take them to the park after we delivered stuff but it was so hot I thought we should go home.  June fell asleep on the way home.  I just wheeled her into the boys' room since they were gone it would be quiet in there.  She slept about an hour.  She played with Gwen and Zoe in the playroom.  She is a genius which we knew that but she did manifest it in how she was playing.  That night I had a dinner with all the YW leaders and camp leaders.  After Girls Camp one of the leaders emailed us all that she missed us and was organizing a dinner at Cheesecake Factory.  So we only had a few ladies that missed.  It was super yummy and fun!  We plan to get together again.  Tim was a great sport feeding everyone and such.  Gwen had her first late night eating dinner and watching a movie at Zoe's in her pjs, fun!

Friday I went visiting teaching in the morning.  Then it was free swim at my sister's pool so we went right when it was supposedly open, well it wasn't so we ate lunch and waited.  Then I had to pick up Timo and his friend Clay from work--since we are sharing a car.  By the time I got home Katie and kids were there.  The kids had a blast, don't we love cousins!  The three boys are trying to earn a sleepover with their Pew boy cousins--they have to not fight with each other.  They are doing better.  We ate dinner early since the Olympic Opening Ceremonies were at 6:30 PM.  Wow!  I have to say that cauldron was the most amazingly engineered thing!  So cool looking as it came together!  Wow!  We stayed up so late watching it all.  Tim got donuts in honor of the event!  I should have done more but I am feeling a bit worn out on creativity!

Saturday Tim and Timo helped a neighbor move to another house in the neighborhood.  I ran a box to Taran with Emily's camera since we found out his broke.  He is going to use it until we figure out his camera.  When I bought it for his 18th birthday I bought an extended warranty that I need to find.  I also sent him some treats with it.  I got back in time to go to lunch with my friend whose birthday was in May!  Yes, I have been busy.  We had a great visit and got back late.  Tim was great and had things under control.  I had some medication to pick up so I ran and got that.  Tim took Micah and Izak and some friends to Trafalga--they had a lot of fun.  We had leftovers and it was Emily's friends joined us so we pretty much got cleaned out so Tim and I went out on a mini date later.

Today was great we had a senior missionary couple spoke who are going to the Baltimore, Maryland.  The youth speaker and couple were great!  The young women and their leaders sang "Light on a Hill" our camp song, Tim said that it was good.  After Sacrament Meeting I took Emily home to get her stuff to go to Cedar City with my mom.  For Christmas my mom got tickets to see Les Miserable and The Merry Wives of Windsor for Emily.  They left just after 4 PM and we just heard that they had made it.  Fun!  Timo went on splits with the missionaries after dinner.  Pretty cool.  Our Hometeachers came and that was really nice.  Hopefully I can get this to work! I have been having fits with it all this time!

We are weeks away from school starting, I am not excited!  I need to gear up!  Have a great week!