Day 5

Provo

Driving to Idaho

I thought the wide expanse of blue sky with the lone cloud was funny.

Idaho:

Moonrise, listening to a wolf howl...

Day 4

7 hours

Wyoming:

Independence Rock

Martin's Cove

(Heavier than you'd think)

Devil's Gate

Utah (finally):

Day 3

12 hours

Somewhere in Nebraska

Chimney Rock

Just in Wyoming

Day 2

6 hours

Nauvoo

Winter Quarters; Omaha

Day 1

8 hours

Lemonade

Life has been a little lemony of late. So the kids made lemonade. :)

A couple months ago we passed a boy selling lemonade before a parade. David, remembering the time we sold lemonade, asked if he could do that. I told him he could, maybe he should take some of his birthday money and do it. He was game, so he got planning. This week afforded us the perfect opportunity for him to invest in his little stand. The city was having a sidewalk sale with all of the businesses, so he decided to set up shop. He and Andrea each chipped in part of their birthday money to buy supplies and then we got to work. They made 11 times their initial investment, so I'd say it paid off. They were pleased.

Day 1: ready to sell!

After a couple hours (almost three, actually) of selling we got just over half way to their goal. We learned that from about 11:30 to 1:30 everyone for lunch at one of the local restaurants and so no one was interested in lemonade. We took. It's for day 2...

Day 2:

We set up at 2:00, the time we'd closed yesterday. Within an hour and half they'd met their goal and then some, plus twice as many tips as yesterday.

They did great! David encouraged/forced Andrea to break out of her shy she'll and talk and make their pitch. By the second day she was totally comfortable and at ease. The second day they started having little bets with each other on who would get the next person to stop, or how many they could sell while the other was taking a bathroom break. It kept them pretty motivated.

David got the most compliments on his bow ties. 

The #1 question: what are you going to spend your money on? David's answer : I'm going to save it. Andrea's answer : I don't know...

Hand sanitizer was appreciated. 

We had a few customers who stopped because they'd seen people with lemonade with a little lemon garnish on the cup. They said it looked good so they'd been keeping an eye out for whomever was selling lemonade. They were surprised it was a couple of well-dressed kids.

One person complained about the price. Another person, upon tasting the lemonade, said this was a really quality product and it was a great deal.

People shopping with kids stopped for lemonade more than people without.

The kids are taking what they've learned and earned and applying it to their next lemonade stand next month. They have grander goals for next month, we will see how it goes.

4th

Our 4th started early. The street sweepers were out getting Main St parade ready and woke us up. But it was a good thing, I wanted to go for a run so we got moving quickly and got breakfast for the kids. Jonathan and I went the same distance in our runs, only he did it in about half the time I did. I didn't mind. Peter stayed with me, the big kids kept up with dad.

After runs I worked on our hamburger buns and pie crust while the kids and J waited outside for the parade.

Our parade neighbor kindly took a picture of all of us when I finally got out there.

The parade is one of the biggest in our state. A number of our state representatives and officials walk in this parade. And there is lots of candy, the kids loved that.

After the parade we had lunch, talks with friends, then the kids and I headed out to the orchards to pick pie cherries.

Andi and I just couldn't get over how beautiful the trees were. The picture does it no justice, really. The cherries hung in bunches like grapes, and they sparkled like rubies in the sun. They were tart, so the kids each had one and then were more content picking them and bringing no me handfuls like little pirated treasures. "Oh, mom! I hit the jack pot!" and "Mom! Look how beautiful!" and "See, mom! I got the cherries!" were heard the entire time.

It took us a grand total of 20 minutes to pick over 5 pounds. I want to go back and get more!!

The orchard had a pitting machine, so after we had paid for our cherries and a donut for each of the kids we got to watch them put the cherries through the pitter.

After we got home I whipped together a cherry slab pie and hamburgers. We had a yummy dinner then took the pie to a friend's home for good fun and fireworks.

A couple were so insanely bright that I could take pictures that didn't come out completely dark. I got this one and just laughed, so I had to share:

The big kids were off playing and eating treats or I'd have gotten some pictures of them, too.

I'm so glad we were able to spend the 4th together and to have so much fun. The day has taken on a different feel and meaning to me this year. I appreciate so much the sacrifice of so many to secure for myself, my family, and countless other families the blessings of liberty. We sang the Star-Spangled Banner at church on Sunday and, while I love the verse everyone knows, I was particularly touched by the third verse found in our hymnal:

Oh, thus be it ever,

When free men shall stand

Between their loved homes

And the war's desolation!

Blest with vict'ry and peace,

May the heav'n-rescued land

Praise the Pow'r that hath made 

and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must,

When our cause it is just,

And this be our motto:

"In God is our trust!"

And the Star-Spangled Banner

In triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free

And the home of the brave!

I hope everyone had a safe and delightful Independence Day! I do so hope that we will always remember with gratitude those that risked all to establish a nation that values liberty and freedom, and I hope we might enjoy these freedoms for many generations to come.

Sparklers and fireworks

Saturday night we went to a fireworks show. It is so dry here right now that a lot of shows have been cancelled. This is a show we've come and watched the last two years and they launch their fireworks off an island in the middle of a lake. Makes for a safer launch when the grass is terribly dry.

We pulled out sparklers right before the fireworks started. The big kids enjoyed them. Peter was hysterically delighted.

This kids face!! Hahaha! He was laughing so hard!

We had another family from church meet up with us, and it was fun to enjoy the show and their company. 

This was also the first time in years that Jonathan had been able to go watch with us. It was a wonderful family outing, and we had so much fun!