Just for Uncle Jeff

So, Uncle Jeff got a great deal on a used Power Wheels dump truck, and since Landon is the right size, he is now the proud owner of his "first car," as Landon put it.

Thanks, Unlce Jeff!

Backyard Campout

Since the "Father and Sons'" campout was rained out earlier this summer (meaning that Leon whimped out), we held our own campout in the backyard. We cooked tinfoil dinners and attempted to eat outside. The wasps were relentless, so we took our meal indoors. We roasted marshmallows and popped "Jiffy Pop" over the little fire.

And, we watched a movie outside on the lawn.
Sleeping in a tent in the backyard wasn't exactly the same as Father and Sons', but it sure was a lot of fun.

Dinner In The Canyon

Each summer my sister and I get together with our families and head to the canyon to have a campfire dinner. Really, this is just my way of enjoying the mountains and a campfire without having to actually go camping. Of course, we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows... Played games out on the grass.

And, the boys threw rocks, leaves, and sticks in the river.
In all, a very fun evening. All the way home the boys kept asking when we'd get to do it again. It just goes to show that sometimes you don't have to spend a lot of money to make a memorable family outing.

I Need Yer Vote

K, so I entered a contest to receive a blog makeover from "Olivina Design House", and I've been chosen as one of the final contestants and need your vote. You can go here "The Thrifty Home" to vote for me (and see the other entries). I have entered my jewelry blog for this contest, but honestly, I could use help with both of my blogs. Sheesh.

Pioneer Day Parade

Our neighborhood/ward does a Pioneer Day kids' parade complete with decorated bikes, wagons, pioneer costumes, cotton candy, and popsicles. There weren't nearly as many spectators as there were participants, but the kids had fun.
This year we wanted to do something a little different, so we decorated one of Dallin's remote controlled cars and made a float. It had some technical difficulties during the parade - when going forward it only wanted to go in circles, so it had to be driven backward, but it was still a hit. And, yes, those are Fisher-Price Little People on top of the float. You would think with all the "dudes" in our house that we'd have something that resembled a pioneer or at least a cowboy, but G.I. Joe was the closest we could get and that wasn't quite the message we were going for. So, the Fisher-Price farmer and his entourage had to do. We also used a log cabin bird house that Jayden had made for Scouts. I really had to scour the house for this one.

BYU Isn't Just For Studying Anymore

I heard about the "I Spy" exhibit at BYU and thought it would be a fun place to take the kids on a hot summer day. I called up my sister and we herded the kids to the BYU Art Museum. The "I Spy" exhibit was smaller than I had expected, and I think we breezed through it too quickly, but the kids thought it was fun looking at the "art" and seeing how some of it was made. (Don't turn me in for this "contraband" picture taken in the Art Museum. I realized after taking it that taking pictures was not allowed.)


Since it didn't take us long to explore the Art Museum, Natalie suggested that we check out the Science Center.

You can't go to the BYU campus without visiting the Dress-Code-Violating Indian.

We took advantage of air conditioning when we could and explored some interesting buildings.

And, we took advantage of cool water and visited a fountain. (Don't turn us in to BYU Police, but some of the kids fished out money for wishes when our change stash ran out. But, they did throw them back in - does that make it better?)

You really can't make it through BYU campus without riding in a few elevators. And, what fun would riding in an elevator be if not for the jumping?

After standing next to the immodest Indian, we had to redeem ourselves and pose next to good ol' Brigham.

Right at the feet of the Brigham Young statue is a perfectly tempting hill for rolling. Sorry, Natalie, I just had to be sure it was documented for all to see that you actually rolled down the hill. Me and my stomach were too chicken. Ah, to be young again.

After a hot day romping around campus, we stopped at the Creamery for some ice cream and fries. What a lot of hot, hungry kids we had.

Who knew you could have so much fun at a college campus. It sure has changed a lot in the past 12 years since I've been a student or worked there. Maybe I planted some seeds of interest to inspire my boys to want to go there. Actually, when Jayden heard that you have to get good grades to make it into BYU, he said he'd rather go to another university that doesn't care about that. So much for high expectations. (I made sure to have a good discussion with him about college and his future career - not to worry.)