Utah County Fair 2009

Today we went to the Utah County Fair. We had more fun this year than last because this year we had friends to go with. Hooray for friends. The Straits and Raevskys were there and we had fun! Today was the best day to go since they had the children's activities going on. The activities were mostly identical to last year, but Elliott didn't mind. Derek did great even though he mainly just sat in the stroller. Another fun, free visit to the fair.

Decorating a top (after making the classic foam visor).

Edin showing off his top.

Face (or hand) painting. Elliott chose a ghost.

A classic merry-go-round being used to generate electricity. Apparently they use this technique in Ghana to light school rooms and lanterns to take home at night. Pretty cool.

The little ones just watching.

So sweet.

Elliott got to be a UDOT worker and safely operate construction equipment.

Elliott got to go on 2 rides this year thanks to a Reading for Rides program. For children 5-12, if you read a book and write a summary (or draw a picture for 5 year olds), you get a free ride ticket. He earned 3 but was kind enough to give one to Edin so they could ride the boats together.

Elliott's keeping an eye on the ride operator. She told the kids they could splash the water, but if they did, she would splash them back. All the other kids on the ride were having splash wars with this lady, but Elliott and Edin stayed clear of it.

Random Pics

Can't get much cooler than this...

That's right...5 years old and reading the Wall Street Journal over lunch.

Picnic Time

A couple weeks ago, we decided to go on a picnic in the canyon. We invited our friends, the Straits, to go with us. We went to Canyon Glen Park. After dinner, we played frisbee. Well, I didn't play a whole lot. I realized how terrible I am. But I am getting better. We played again a few days later and I got in a few good throws. It was still fun. Everyone had an enjoyable time.

Derek getting a taste of the Limon potato chips. He thought he was pretty cool just sitting in front of the bag eating all the chips he wanted. (I don't think he had that many. They had a little sour kick to them.)

Lizzie chillin' by the tree.

A couple good action shots of Brent and James.

Edin and Elliott with mouths full of grapes.

Lydia and I relaxing.

And a few more sweet shots of Derek...

Sitting in a pile of Mac and Cheese (and pretty pleased with himself).

Love.

(That's how he does the sign for love. It looks strangely like he's folding his arms for prayer. The 2 actions are essentially the same for him, but he was saying "love" in this picture. I'm just glad I was able to capture it on camera.)

Derek was just sitting on the grass for a long time playing with this little weed and brushing it across his face. It was adorable.

Great America

We went to Great America while visiting Grandma and Grandpa. Grandpa went with us. We all had a long, fun-filled day. Derek was a trooper, since he mostly had to sit in the stroller all day. There aren't a ton of rides he is big enough to enjoy. I think he got to go on 4 rides all day. Elliott had a great time trying lots of different rides. I got to do a loopty loop roller coaster by myself. Brent joined me for the big wooden roller coaster and the Survivor ride. That was quite the thrill. We had a great day playing and being together as a family.

One of the more adventurous rides Elliott tried. He enjoyed this one.

Elliott had a blast going on the rides in Kidzville and Nickelodeon Central.

Derek relaxing during lunch.

More rides after lunch.

Before lunch, I couldn't convince Elliott to ride the kiddie roller coaster. After lunch, he decided he was ready to give it a try. Or maybe not (so he wished). We went on it and the first time around he started yelling to stop the ride and that he doesn't like roller coasters. The second time around he wasn't yelling anymore but he still didn't enjoy himself. I am proud of him for giving it a try.

Elliott says he was trying to pull Blue's tail, but she saw him and got him first.

Blue gave Elliott a big hug. She also tried giving Derek a high five. He was a little nervous but he didn't scream.

What a great day at Great America!

Grandma and Grandpa's House

Brent took a few days off work so we could go to California to visit his parents. He had Pioneer Day off, so we figured it was a perfect time to go. Since it's only a Utah holiday, the traffic wasn't bad. The drive was long, so we broke it up and stayed at a motel. The boys did surprisingly well for such a long trip. We were able to get out and do something every day. One day we went to the mall, another we headed to the park, then we visited Great Grandma and Great Grandpa, and finally we went to Great America (pictures in another post). We had lots of adventures and had lots of fun. Rob and Bryan came over almost every night. It was good to see them and play fun games together. We had a great visit.

The luggage cart at the motel was a big hit.

Even though there were 2 beds, Elliott opted to sleep on the floor on the return trip. The first night at Grandma and Grandpa's house he fell off the bed and got a pretty bloody lip. So, he slept on the floor the whole time we were there too.

Elliott spent as much time in the garden as he could. He absolutely loved it.

Derek always barks when he sees a dog, so we heard a lot of it while we were there. Since Tar is blind and deaf, he doesn't bother anyone (unless there's food). Derek eventually got to the point where he wanted to pet the dog.

Grandpa found the remains of an old croquet set in the garage. Elliott had fun hitting the balls around the backyard.

My birthday was actually the day we drove home, so that day wasn't all that exciting. We did eat at Denny's instead of fast food. Woohoo. Over the weekend Betsy made me a birthday cake. We were able to leave the boys with Phil and Betsy one night so Brent and I could go out and celebrate. We went to a Mexican restaurant and also saw Harry Potter. It was a nice night out.

It was great to be able to visit Great Grandma and Great Grandpa. My uncle Kevin was there too. We had a nice visit. We were at Angela's house, but she wasn't there. It was so good to see them again.

There were several dogs for Derek to enjoy. He especially liked Mutan.

The neck game (or whatever you want to call it). Elliott loves to do it with Grandpa. Derek had fun with it too.

Thanks for a great visit, Grandma and Grandpa. We can't wait to be able to come again.