Pioneer Day

Because I have a fetish for holidays, I am glad when I have another chance to celebrate.  Living in Utah has the added benefit of another summertime holiday--Pioneer Day.  It is also another occasion where fireworks are allowed (just not the ones that come from Wyoming).  We marked the occasion with a family get-together in Orem for homemade ice-cream and cookies and such. Then it was off to home for a personal firework show courtesy of Sam's Club and our personal pyro-technician, Jason. 

This post authored by Amber

Fishing With Dad

Brevin and Spencer continually work toward earning special outings and activities, and recently they selected to go fishing with dad.  We thought we'd try a close location that we'd never been to before on an evening during the week.

We made a quick jaunt to Salem Pond to see how the fishing would be.  It turned out to be a lovely evening for the entire family.  Spencer had a few bites and Brevin managed to reel one in.  The pictures I took turned out nicely, too.  I'd say that it was definately a successful evening of fishing.

This post authored by Amber

Little Creek Ranch...Big Family Reunion

Since they were aware we would be returning to Little Creek Ranch for a summer family reunion, our boys were counting down the days until we would go to Paragonah Canyon.   This would be a reunion for the three blended families on my side to come together, eat lots of food, play games, and simply have a great time visiting.  We did a few other things as well.

We played in the water and launched water balloons:

We competed in a number of sports activities and various feats of skill:

Spencer lost his first tooth while there (don't worry, the tooth fairy managed to find him and deposit a gold dollar in the bottom of his sleeping bag):

We played the whipped cream game (a new family favorite activity):

And we rode horses:

Another highlight of our trip, although I don't have pictures of it, was exploring the sponge beds in the nearby pastures.

The trip did not disappoint.  It lived up to the every bit of anticipation that was assigned to it.  It also made for an opportune time to announce to all of my family in one setting that we are expecting a baby in January. (So, consider that a golden nugget of information for all those who endure to the end of my lengthy posts. You're welcome!)


This post authored by Amber

The Bombs Bursting In Air

This year, the celebration of our nation's birth took us to Burger King for a flame-broiled Whopper (what's more American than a big, greasy hamburger, right?).  Following dinner, we headed with Jason's family to the Stadium of Fire where we participated in the largest Eagle Scout induction ceremony, watched spectacular fireworks, and listened to a variety of incredible music.  Oh, and did I mention, we saw Carrie Underwood in concert?! 

Yeah, it was all pretty cool, but I think this will still always be my favorite part of the fourth of July celebrations:  

This post authored by Amber

Indiana Spence

Spencer turned six this year.  Six!  When did that happen?  Well, to mark the occasion, he requested an Indiana Jones-themed party for our family gathering.  We did not do a friend party this year (I take even birthdays off) which is a shame, 'cause I'm sure there are so many cute things you could do around the Indiana Jones theme for a friend party.  Maybe he'll still think Indiana Jones is cool come next year. Nevertheless, I tried to make his invitation and cake worth remembering.

Here is the invitation:

Here is the cake:

Here is the year in review video:

Any questions?

We held the party the day before his actual birthday. When he woke up on the 28th, he requested to have bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast for his b-day breakfast. 

That evening, our family went to Pirate Island Pizza for dinner.  It was a great way to celebrate!

This post authored by Amber

Who Said Thirteen Was Unlucky?

The end of June marked thirteen years of wedded bliss for Jason and I.  We decided to celebrate by going to Chef's Table, one of the only "high-end" restaurants in Utah Valley.  

Our table fronted large windows overlooking Provo.  The food was delightful and the service was impeccable.  I found myself glancing around from time to time to see if anyone noticed if I used the wrong silverware or if I directed my spoon through my soup in the incorrect direction. No one seemed to care (or at least no one kicked us out of the restaurant for lack of proper etiquette).  It was very enjoyable, and at the end of the meal, we were feeling a bit self-indulgent, so we asked to see the dessert menu. Ooh, la, la!

Don't you think thirteen years was worth a treat like this?  I do!

This post authored by Amber 

I Know...It's Been A While.

I practically had to dive into the photo archives in order to find images for posts that remained....well....unposted.

Oh NO!  I did not give a shout out to the cyber world about how amazing my husband is on (or around) Father's day.  Shame on me!

I'll spare everyone the list of reasons why I think he's groovy.  Suffice it to say, we've been married for thirteen years now, so there are plenty of things that I like about him, one of which is this:  Jason is the only person who can manage to pose with our three boys and get a decent smile out of everyone.

As they say, the proof is in the pudding (whatever that means)!  Did I mention, happy father's day?

This post authored by Amber