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We've celebrated pioneer day even living outside of Utah – but we sure enjoyed celebrating it like the locals this year!  

Spent the morning re-landscaping the front yard where we ripped out the tree/bush monstrosity (I use the term "we" very lightly – most of the credit is due to Nate, his brother David, and his Dad)

Cooled off with the pool and mini Fat-Boys (which, by the way, are just as messy…)

And enjoyed quite the glow-sticks/fireworks display (hard to say which one was more exciting, although they were both quite visible from our easy-get-away parking lot location.)

I am always grateful for my pioneer heritage, and this year, for the chance to really celebrate it!

I didn't take many pictures at the first family reunion we've been to since we left UT 10 years ago, but I'm glad I at least took this one of Meg, Nate's dad, and Great Grandma Adams.   

So of course she needs to try everything that Meg eats.  (Hence the dry cereal today…)

The kids spent an entire day in the backyard hammering in sticks, cutting and tying yarn, and trying to get the "shelter" to stand up.  They had the best day ever, and I had so much fun watching them!  (After the fort fell down over and over and over, they finally had the idea to tie the non-tree sides to the fence… and it may last the rest of the summer!  Super, super fun.  I wish these carefree days of summer lasted a little longer…

Of the popsicle, that is.  Oh yeah, and the popsicle mess.  By the time he was done, he looked like he'd been through WWII and didn't fare so well.  What else did I expect from a red popsicle on a 98* day? 

Picking berries with my grandma in her garden was a thousand times better.  Carter spent the whole 2 hours saying, "Grandma, grandma, grandma, is this one a GREAT one???" (whether she was telling a story or not… 🙂

There aren't a whole lot of similarities between our "old" zoo and our "new" zoo… but with the new Rocky Shores exhibit, now they both have otters.  

Thanks to Grandma, we enjoyed a super-fun, low-stress visit to see only as much of the zoo as we felt like this day.  (Which was nice, since we are used to a zoo you can see all of in 30 minutes!)  We spent our time at the new exhibit, where Carter couldn't take his eyes off that polar bear (a boy after my own heart!), there was a mid-photo scuffle over who got to hold the exhibit brochure, and Meg kept tapping on the glass saying "seeit!  Iseeit!"  We also got to take a trip on the train – Carter couldn't believe his good fortune.  It was a super hot, super fun day at the zoo!  

And next time, we'll catch the rest of it.  

…of medals (the kids planned an Olympics when we got together before the dads were in town)

…and of friends, of course.  (We got an uninterrupted – and delicious – evening with the grown-ups!  SO much fun.)

We are so lucky to have caught the Broughs twice while they were in the USA.  Next time can't come soon enough!    

(bunnies)

Meg loves hers – and Emmaas.  They were so cute together this morning I had to grab my phone and take a pic.  

I find myself asking that question all day long - the minute I turn my head, she is gone.  She can let herself out the front door (which always has to be deadbolted now) and I usually find her opening a cupboard or drawer and unloading all of it's contents.   I think she was encouraged by Emma laughing like crazy whenever she gets into Emma's drawers and pulls out every article of clothing as she yells, "Jams!  Jams!"  (because everything is jammies to her. 🙂