Church Fork

Breakfast up the canyon. Another one of Grandma Joys traditions.

Days of 47 Float Preview

I think I take more pictures in the month of July than the whole rest of the year. I LOVE July! I love our traditions for both the 4th and the 24th. It's a month full of memories of my Grandma Joy and the patriotism she taught me to have for this beautiful country we live in.

Every year we love to go to the float preview and see the floats up close, before they hit the streets. We vote for our favorite ones and then watch during the parade to see what awards each of our favorites won. It is interesting to see that each kid picks something different and at the parade they remember whose float is whose. One of the favorites this year was this one with hundreds of glittered crickets. They were mesmerizing.

They love to get their faces painted. The boys usually all pick the same thing, but Bennett branched out this year and to my disgust he picked a snack. Sorry, Ava. Maybe next year you can have a beautiful butterfly.

Ahhh! Don't eat me! This float won the Childrens Choice award. It was from How to Train your Dragon. I think our kids might have helped this one win.

Paul McCartney

I can't believe I almost didn't go to this concert. Hands down the best show I have ever been to and now I can say I saw one of The Beatles in concert. I went with my mom, dad and sister, Jana. I would have died of embarassment to have been seen with my parents at a concert when I was younger. This time around I think my parents were the ones that were embarassed. Jana and I sang our hearts out and danced and screamed the whole time. My dad kept rolling his eyes and putting his head down. Ha ha dad, we're cool. I promise.

Jana is such a ball baby! When Paul came out on stage, she started crying.

The Party

Ava got ready for the party by putting on a little Christmas and a little Halloween. The boys were so excited to wear their Halloween shirts. I felt bad putting them in them because it was so hot, but they didn't care.

When each friend arrived the received a bag. In the bag was either and red and white lei for team Christmas or an

orange and black lei for team Halloween. They then decorated their trick or treat bags.

We played hula hoop ring toss and tried to catch Jack Skellington.

Nightmare Before 5th Birthday

This year Bennett wanted a nightmare before christmas birthday. He told me that he wanted this because then he could have a little Halloween, a little Christmas and a little Birthday all in one. When your birthday is in June, it's kind of a hard one to pull off. This is what we did.

We started by pulling out a little of our Christmas and Halloween decorations.

A Christmas tradition of our is to play pass the present on Christmas eve. So we got presents and wrapped them in Christmas wrap for a game of Pass the Present.

I found a soccer ball pinata and turned it in to Jack Skellington.

We had a graveyard of Jack Skellington balloons. We used hula hoops and played a ring toss game.

Tea Party

I was never one of those girlie girls who was into tea parties and playing dolls. However, as an adult, I now fill like maybe I missed out. We had a tea party for Jerica's bridal shower with hats and everthing, and it was so fun. Jana the genius, found a pattern for making hats out of paper and everyone made their own and then decorated them. I love seeing how the same pattern turned into so many different styles. It was fun getting to spend time with girls and playing pretend.

2008

Bennett (3), Beckam (1) and Carter (10 months)

2009

Bennett (4), Beckam (2), Carter (1)
and Aiya (10 months)

2010

Mackenzie (6), Beckam (3), Bennett (5), Carter (2),

Aiya (1) and Ava (10 months)

Sugarhouse Fireworks

I am so glade that this part of our 4th of July traditions still happened this year.
I LOVE going to Sugarhouse Park and watching the fireworks. It is crazy busy, but so much fun.

This might surprise some of you, but Carter is a really good cuddler.
He often will say to me, "I cuddle you, mom".

Cute Aiya

Ava woke up half way through the show and even though she wasn't sure about the fireworks, she didn't cry.

4th of July

We started out the day at Nana's ward breakfast with an all kids bike parade.
The kids were fascinated with the fire engine that came.

This is my newest favorite tradition for this holliday.

Scooter mowed a maze in the lawn that ended in the middle of the star.
He also mowed a maze in the front yard.

We had timed races and tons of fun with this genius idea.
(BTW it was my idea)

An old tradition is to take a picture of the kids on the playland.
The tradition started with just Bennett, Beckam and Carter.
We now have Mackenzie, Beckam, Bennett, Carter, Aiya and Ava.

Jerica's Wedding

I really think I have the cutest kids in the world.

Okay Beck, your pretty cute too.

My cute kids at my sisters wedding.


Carter

Ava

Bennett