Festive Fourth of July

Months ago, my parent's got us tickets to Tuacahn in St. George. Tuacahn is an outdoor theater. Growing up, I went a lot! It's a fun atmosphere and the backdrop is remarkable.

My parent's close friends Mark and Debbie Ostler have a home in St. George and they let us stay there which was generous!

Our trip to St. George was short, but sweet. We originally planned to stay 3 nights, but instead stayed 2. The number of people coming on the trip kept dwindling.  My family went, Jill and Daisy came, My parents, and Simon and Esther. (Jeff and Lindsey are in England and my parent's are watching their kids.) Last minute, Jessica and Chris stayed back. It's not a short journey with their 2 young kids. We caravanned in 2 cars on the journey and Simon and Esther rode in our car. It was like we had 5 kids! Simon and Esther are very well behaved and my kids loved being entertained with their cousins next to them.

FOOD

• "The Pizza Wagon" is checked off my bucket list! It's a pizza place in Hurricane that has 4.7 stars. It's outdoor and the oven is unlike one you've ever seen. It's hard to order and we've never had luck because it's popular. You have to order at the right time because there is limited space in the special pizza oven.

• I've heard a lot about "The Creamery" in Beaver which has 4.6 stars and we checked it out. If you go, I insist that that you get a scoop of "The Barking Pretzel" ice cream. Brown sugar-flavored ice cream swirled with a peanut butter swirl, chocolatey coated pretzel pieces and salty pretzel bark pieces. Andrew heard rave reviews about Pop Daddy Smoked Gouda pretzels. His sources were reliable. 

• Some say the "best Mexican food" in Utah can be found in Fillmore, UT at a place called "Tacos Panchos." This restaurant has 4.7 stars and was the perfect break in our drive. As a matter of fact, our gas light came on right as we got off the exit. It was a toss up deciding which was better-- the carne asada fries or the crispy tacos.

• "Viva Chicken" is a place we've frequented in St. George and for good reason. Others agree. It has 4.7 stars. My mom and Jill said the chopped salad was special. Next time I'll copy their order though mine was good too!
• "Bonrue Bakery" made fun a yummy breakfast and is also rated highly at 4.6 stars. My mom and I picked up a variety of goods-- donuts, cinnamon rolls, an almond croissant, etc. We gobbled everything up!
• "Nielsen's Custard" used to only be a St. George treat for us but now we have one minutes from our house. That didn't stop us from getting peanut butter cookie dough concrete while in St. George.
• "Chick Fil A" kept the kids happy.

ACTIVITIES

• Tuacahn

We saw "The Little Mermaid." What a delight! Ariel's voice was meant for that part. She nailed it. The costumes and sets were vibrant and incredible. Yes, they flooded the stage and hoverboards were a creative way to handle the no leg/mermaid dilemma. The blacklight cooking/chopping scene was a favorite. We've been at Tuacahn on nights where you're so hot you stick to your seat. We lucked out that it was a pleasant evening. There was and a breeze and some shade. 

At intermission, we got water bottles and Minute Maid Soft Frozen Lemonade which helped wake the kids up. It's wild they all stayed up! We make it back to the house after midnight.

Thursday, July 3

Originally, one of my parent's were going to stay back from the play with the youngest kids who were sleeping. Since Jessica's family didn't come, that meant only Penny would be left behind. Tuacahn offers "showcare" and I called and Penelope got the last available spot. She went to the childcare which meant all of us could enjoy the show. We expected Penny to sleep for the duration of "Little Mermaid" especially since they have a quiet room with beds. Miss social butterfly was partying hard until 11:15pm. She had only been asleep for a few minutes when we picked her up.

There isn't typically a firework show after the play but because it was the eve of the 4th of July we got to watch a big show with excellent seats. Most of us thought it was awesome although Daisy was terrified. 

• Gunlock Parade

One of my parent's former missionaries is from Gunlock and invited us to join her family for a parade. Her Dad was the MC. Gunlock is a tiny tiny town and it was unlike any parade we've attended. Sure, there was some candy thrown from vehicles but it was basically a planned water fight. Water balloons were thrown and the fire department squirted large hoses. James was in his happy place. After the water ended, the town does dancing in the middle of the town's only street, which doubles as a state highway, and my family lived for it. President Denning got called out to the dance floor. It was a morning we'll remember. We lucked out and got thrown Gunlock t-shirts which will help us remember this unique and terrific celebration.

Friday, July 4

My mom's "mission daughter" Sofie Shurtliff

• Swimming

The Washington County rec center has a wonderful pool for families! We spent the afternoon of the 4th splashing around. There were multiple slides, a lazy river, and an outdoor area with water guns. We loved this pool! Isabelle was devastated that she couldn't go down the largest slide. You had to be at least 6 years old and 44 inches tall. She's only a couple weeks shy of being 6. Nana helped stop the tears by jokingly saying they should make the lifeguards cookies with salt instead of sugar.

Friday, July 4

• D.I

My sisters are big into thrift shopping. I tend to only go to D.I when Jill is in town for the summer but I think that's going to change. After having huge success at the Riverton DI recently, my kids were eager to check out the St. George one. They found jewels at both. Asics shoes for only $10! The dress I wore to the play was a DI treasure as well.

Saturday, July 5

• Hiking

As we made our way back home, we stopped and hiked Red Reef Waterfall at Red Cliffs recreation area campground. Both the first and second waterfalls were dry but it was not a bust! The hike was 1.5 miles roundtrip. The slot canyon was incredible! It was toasty which was expected, but we survived. James found many caves to explore and rocks to climb. We saw 2 lizards and a giant beetle. I adore hiking!

Saturday, July 5

Unfortunately, I forgot our hiking backpack for Penny. We tried using a towel to tie her on my back but ended up just carrying her which worked out.

A hilarious quote I have to share. Backstory...Penny was not her best self when we stopped for Mexican food on the way home. (It was naptime.) Daisy exclaimed: "I don't even know what's going on with that baby!" Amen Daisy! Penelope fell asleep shortly after we resumed our drive. Yahoo!

So grateful my parent's made this trip happen! Summer is zipping by!

At Last!

James is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! 

James' baptism was extra sweet. He turned 8 in March but we waited to baptize him so my parents could be here. It made for a big weekend (with my parent's mission homecoming too), but it was special. 

Things I want to remember about the baptism:

-James got his own set of scriptures and a basketball scripture case. He fell asleep with them next to him in bed and even brought them to read in the car as we drove somewhere. Bringing them to church the next day was a must. He didn't need any reminders.

-To prep for the baptism, we watched a video, read some scriptures as well as a book, and Andrew and James practiced the baptism pose. The few times they practiced, James couldn't help but giggle. We told him during the real thing, he shouldn't laugh. After he was baptized, James made a happy sound and wore the hugest grin. It was so cute.

-Isabelle played the violin with Jessica! Talk about confident. She hasn't been taking violin lessons long but nailed "I Am a Child of God." (She learned the first line.)

-James felt so loved. Many supported him! Grannie came from WA! Cousin Malia came on her way home from a camping trip. Cousin Jacob drove from Provo! The Hendricks made the drive from from Pleasant Grove. Some other friends, The Thomans, supported James even though they have a rocky background with the church. Jeff and his family were in town as well as Jill and Rob. My grandparents came! Ward friends showed up too! The Carrs, Bradshaws, Boones, Rosevears, and James' dedicated primary teachers Sister Littlewood and Sister Martin. James was bummed his 2 best buds from school (and others) weren't able to be there but it's a hectic time of year. James is a popular guy!

-There were many helping hands that made the day go smoothly. After, we had cookies. James requested some of his favorites: ginger and s'more cookies. We also had oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter kitchen sink cookies, and m & m cookies. Friends and family helped bring those which helped ease my load and I am so grateful! I made the s'more cookies.

-Jessica had decor ideas and told me what to do and executed a simple yet graceful design transforming the drab space. It's hard to get the vibe looking at the pictures. We put candlesticks on stylish holders and tied blue ribbon around them. Fresh flowers added a nice touch too.

A few bumps that day:

• I lost my car keys in the mayhem loading things up which lead to crabbiness and arguing.
• James left his dry and clean underwear in his backpack in the car. When it came time to change into dry clothes after the ordinance, I had to dash to the car to get those.
• Several family members went to the wrong church building which lead to a late start. Tip-- If you have a baptism in Utah, be sure to send extra reminders since buildings are plentiful. 

President and Sister Denning now reside in South Jordan once again!

They arrived around noon on Wednesday, June 25. They're home at last! The day had some hiccups. My mom lost her phone which lead to an extra long wait for them in the airport. We had a pizza party at their home and one of their ovens stopped working! Oh well. We still got the 6 pizzas cooked. 

It was fun to see almost immediately that my parent's habits haven't changed. My mom pulled out all sorts of souvenirs for her grandkids and kids (dolls, bracelets, shoes, earrings) and was helping whip food up in the kitchen. My dad couldn't contain himself and got right to work on household chores. He hadn't even changed out of his suit but that could wait. The dead spots on the lawn were calling him. Within 24 hours, my dad had borrowed a truck, bagged 6 giant trash bags of yard excess, and took his broken treadmill and grill to the dump. Some things never change. He has already started his new job!

My parent's homecoming was on Sunday, June 29. They are loved and it showed.

My parent's were the only speakers and I felt the spirit. My mom shared miracles she saw on the mission and my dad wrapped up with his testimony in Portuguese. So many of their missionaries were in attendance and sang "Called to Serve" in Portuguese for the musical number and it was vigorous! My parent's were also asked to teach the combined 5th Sunday lesson. Boy the room was toasty and jam-packed. Following the meeting, there was a lunch at my parent's home. I'm not exaggerating when I say that 200 people came! Whew! Many family members traveled here for the occasion. I guess over 500 people were in sacrament meeting.

These are the missionaries and I think some had left before this pic was taken!

Mission pic wall

Mission quilt and aprons

Jessica was in charge of the decorations for the homecoming party and I helped with the food. I wish you could have been there to see how Jessica transformed the space! Lots of cute balloons and flags. The backyard was beautiful with seating at tables and under the pergola. I am pleased to report that we had food to spare! Especially carrots. The carrots left their mark in more than one way. I cut myself peeling carrots and my hands turned orange from cutting so many. (The orange didn't fade for awhile even after a shower or multiple hand washes.) 

MENU

*Individual chip bags

*Pao de Queijo

*Veggie cups filled with celery, carrots, tomatoes, and ranch

*Sandwiches (We ordered platters from Costco and picked them up the night before)

Drinks

*Guarana (a popular soda in Brazil)

*Water bottles

*Kool Jammer juice boxes

*Izze sparkling water

Dessert

*Cookies (My mom had 10 friends bring 2 dozen cookies each)

*Acai with granola, fruit, and sweetened condensed milk

Party favors

*Biz (Brazilian oreos)

*Pacoca (Brazilian peanut butter goody)

My mom had 8 friends helping in the kitchen and others jumped in too. It's safe to say I needed a shower and worked up a sweat. Things settled down after the initial rush.

I didn't even touch on the other family bonding moments/activities/food we've had. Lots of catching up to do. More to come! In the meantime we're going on a little getaway together to make up for lost time. Stay tuned.