July

Summer is all about Parades.  And this year it seems like it was parade after parade.  I love parades, but honestly I think we are just about paraded out.  Five parades is just too many in one season.   A couple of town days parades and then on the fourth of July we made the kids dress up the wagon and walk the parade route trying to give the last of the kittens away. (We had eleven born this spring, and they are pregnant again! eeeeee! we didn't get them fixed fast enough).

Hollie was the best, completely unabashed, waving her arming and shouting "free kittens!" - she was very cute, I wish I had taken pictures.  Thankfully, we didn't have to go more than two blocks before we found them all homes and were able to make it back to our spot to enjoy the parade before it passed by our blanket staked out at uncle Blake's house.  

We also enjoyed North Logan's pioneer parade on the 24th with some friends, followed by their fun pioneer festivities.  In this picture Hollie is encouraging Gavin in the Egg and Spoon race.

Later that day, we met up with Jill and family for a fun community play that featured some of the kids art work in the foyer from an art class they'd just completed at the library.  

We joined Jill's family again the following Saturday for Mendon's Pioneer parade and town days.  

Here's Gavin showing off this taffy ball from the parade in Mendon.

The kids sure enjoyed the fire truck hose down with suds and all.

and we finally made it to visit inside the Willie House 

and enjoyed homemade root beer and buggy rides. 

And a picture to commemorate Hannah's horseback ride with her Daddy.

We also enjoyed two fun filled weeks having swim lessons with cousins this month:

We celebrated Grandma Elva's Birthday:

We also spent a Saturday at Lagoon for the HRI work party;

Jotham also surprised me with a trip to the Op-er-aaaa!

He didn't want to tell me where he was taking me, (finally I got it out of him) but he admonished me to dress up fancy.  So I thought, well, this will be the perfect time for me to try out those fake eyelashes.  20 minutes later, eyes, red and watery, I gave up, I was going to be late for my date to the Op-er-aaa!   Only to finally realize I'd gotten my adhesives mixed up and was trying to put them on with some left over nail-glue(super glue), yikes!?  oiieee!

I love going to the Eccles theatre, in all its old, historical glory! Its just a fun old theatre, perfect for hosting the Utah Festival Opera!  Imagine my thrill when I realized he'd gotten us box seats!  Box Seats!  Amazing! To actually be practically right up on top of the stage and to see and watch the orchestra, I confess, I loved it!  The actual opera, however, The Student Prince, by name, left much to be desired.  It was awful actually.  For being a contemporary with Showboat and prestigiously having the longer run in New York, I had greater hopes.  But sadly, it was shockingly lacking both in great music and acting...whoa, the acting.really.was.pitiful.

But who cares!  I had a wonderful time with my sweetheart at the OP-er-AAAA!!!!