Miss Independent Independence

There are many events we look forward to participating in during Provo's annual  Freedom Festival.  While high winds canceled the lift-off of the hot air balloons we had waken early to see, and government sequestration of funds grounded all Air Force planes from doing any sort of fly-overs, we still had ample opportunity to celebrate and show pride for our country, being sure to remember the sacrifices made to secure the freedoms we generally take for granted.  Even though the skies were empty and quiet on the morning of the fourth of July, there was plenty going on at the parade.  Oh, and of course there was adequate excitement during the evening at the Stadium of Fire where we were able to enjoy a concert with Carly Rae Jepsen opening for Kelley Clarkson.  An elaborate display of fireworks added the final exclamation point to an exciting day spent with our family.

Before the parade began, a street vendor passed by 

blowing giant bubbles that were too tempting to pop.

We managed to nab the same spot we did last year at the front of the 

street near the parade's beginning.  It has proven to be the best location 

for two years running.  Hopefully we can be just as lucky next year.

I was so thrilled that Kelly Clarkson was the

 headliner for this year's event.  She really is 

The American Idol.  I'm telling you, that girl can sing!

The pre-concert performances by the Stadium of Fire Dancers and 

Cirque Du Soleil were equally amazing.  What an incredible show!

This post authored by Amber

"I'm Really Glad That He's My Dad"

Most of Jason's Father's Day was spent with each of our four children clamoring to be close to him, eager and happy to celebrate with him.  He sat through sacrament meeting with four Disney baby princesses carefully stuffed into his front shirt pocket as he listened to the three boys sing with the Primary choir about how he is their favorite pal.  Well, there's no denying.  We think he is pretty special.  Happy Father's Day, Jason!

At his request, it was fresh fruit and cinnamon rolls with 

cream cheese frosting from Shirley's Bakery for breakfast.

The children were all so eager for Jason to open his gifts.  I think

 it was because they knew he'd likely share his treats with them.

I love that in the picture above Jason looked so surprised, 

especially when he told me that he wanted the exact same thing

 we got for him last year: a superhero kit (free printables found HERE).

Par for the course.

This post authored by Amber

We Remember

A full day was planned for our Memorial day activities, so we visited the Provo cemetery on the Sunday before to visit the grave sites of grandparents and great-grandparents on Jason's side of the family.

 Brevin and Spencer posed by the headstones of 

some of the namesakes of their middle names.

Ella made sure that all potted flower within the 

vicinity were properly saturated, while Garrett tested

 out the jumping height of several of the headstones.

Monday morning we traveled north to Logan to visit my mother's grave.  We also took the children by the Logan temple and the Brigham City temple.  They were closed for the holiday, but we were still able to get some pictures near the grounds. 

On our way home, we were invited to Clark and Lisa's home for a barbecue lunch and for a chance to shoot some hoops, dig around in the sandbox, and jump on the trampoline with cousins.  Grandma and Grandpa Gilliland were also there, and we had such a nice visit.

Our final stop on our trip was the West Warren Cemetery where I could pay tribute to my brother, Brad.

After a full day of activities, I returned home with a full heart.  I'm grateful for loving family relationships, and for the temples that allow those relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave.  Those are certainly reasons worth celebrating.

This post authored by Amber

Easter Sunday and a Visit to Laguna Beach

We left early Saturday morning to drive straight through to Anaheim, California, and thus kicked off our spring break with a family vacation to Disneyland.  Our travel plans allowed us a night of recuperation from the lengthy drive.  We were rested and enjoyed spending Easter morning attending church at a ward building that was located near our hotel.  Following the Sacrament service, we took some family pictures before returning to our room.
 

We wouldn't be entering the parks until the following day, so we spent some time in the afternoon in Downtown Disney.  Can you guess who picked the restaurant (ESPN Zone) that we ate lunch at?
   

Later that evening, we decided to take the children to Laguna Beach to catch the low tide and hopefully explore some sea life.  The idea was that the beach activity would serve as a suitable replacement for an egg hunt.  The tide forecasted was not anything spectacular, but we did manage to wade a bit around some shallow tide pools.  The children were just as mesmerized by the ebb and flow of the ocean waves, the squishy sand beneath their feet, and the salty, crisp air that carried a number of seagulls in flight. It turned out to be the simplest of things that made the visit an overall success, I guess.   

This was my first time to Laguna Beach, and I found the beach and surrounding parks and city to be quite lovely, and not overly crowded.  We found a place to sit and enjoy a picnic-style dinner before we piled back in our car to head on our way.

Jason planned to drive to the Newport Beach Temple grounds for a final stop during our evening.  We arrived just as the sun was setting and casting a soft, warm light on the building.

I couldn't think of a better way to end an unforgettable Easter Sunday.

This post authored by Amber

Eggs-tra! Egggs-tra! Read All About It!

Coloring the Eggs

Even though we were planning to be in California over the Easter holiday, we decided to make the most of decorating eggs and participating in egg hunts before we left for the "golden coast."  Jason picked up a number of egg dyeing kits that boasted results of speckled eggs and swirly, glittered eggs.  The colors (and processes) were much less exciting than the boxes indicated.  We decided that for next year (and always), it's best to just stick to the plain-old, standard egg dyeing kits.  They produce such vibrant, picture-worthy eggs.  Oh well.  We all still enjoyed eating the three dozen semi-speckled/semi-swirly glittered, pastel hard-boiled eggs.

This next sequence of pictures makes me smile:

It appears that waiting for the eggs to take their color was a miserable ordeal for Ella.  It's funny.  Garrett responded almost the exact way when we've colored eggs in the past.
 

Hunting for the Eggs 

We were fortunate that Nu Skin held a company egg hunt for all the employees' children up to age seven.  On the location of the warehouse grounds, the field was divided into separate areas for individual age groups.  Ella was assisted by Brevin, while Spencer tried to keep up with and help Garrett.  Jason and I worked the field taking video footage and snapshots.  Garrett and Ella each came away from the event with more candy, salt water taffy, and toys than was necessary, but they had a fun time collecting it all.

This post authored by Amber