House O' Sullivans

We've had a loaded week.  Sunday we had our dear friends over--Bethany and Andy and their 3 girls.  We usually only see them once a year, since they live in Virginia right now, but it is always magical.  An amazing dinner and conversation punctuated by a wind storm and wild rain ended with a sun-shower (the term I give to rain when it's sunny overhead) and a triple rainbow.  We migrated onto the garage roof for a better look at the magic. Monday we celebrated Izzy's birthday with all the cousins at Liberty Park with a picnic, splashing in the water feature, and an evening concert (Indian dancing and Afghani music).  Tuesday we spent the afternoon and evening up Millcreek Canyon with the amazing ladies from my book club (an education discussion group) and their families. Wednesday the kids and I dressed up in our pioneer get-ups, picked up Grandma White, and drove up Emigration Canyon, retracing the path the pioneers took entering the valley.  We...

The last weekend in June, we had our ward youth conference.  Our theme was "Be Strong," based on this scripture in Philippians: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."   We started Friday up Millcreek Canyon with a lunch and a devotional, then a hike to the top of Grandeur Peak.  I knew that for a couple of kids it would be easy, for most it would be mildly challenging, and for some extremely difficult.  Being the pregnant lady with the big belly (third trimester, finally), I took the position of caboose, giving myself the job of shepherding the stragglers up the mountain.  One boy, a cousin of one of my young women that I'd invited the day before to join us, stopped about 50 yards up the trail, huffing and puffing.  He pulled off his backpack and told me that it was too heavy and that he'd never make it. Upon closer examination, I observed two small water bottle and a few snacks--not much of a load.  After a short pep talk,...

Last Thursday, we took a trip to the Jurassic Period, meeting up with Mary and Kellee (as in THE Neal and Kellee who lived in Wayne's Bar once upon a time) and some of their family at the Dinosaur Park in Ogden.  I totally pulled the homeschooling card and we got in for $3 each.  It is always a true delight to save money.  The Dinosaur Park is a huge outdoor park complete with a river, lots of trails, tons of trees, and actual-size sculptures of dinosaurs--100s of them--lurking everywhere. Phoebe and Jed get consumed by a Triceratops while Hallee, Zeke, and Jake look passively on The kids were fascinated with all of the fish and ducks in this pond.  Not dinosaurs, but rainbow trout. Sophie with her cousin Phoebe Part of the park housed a sprawling playground, including this awesome tree slide. Phoebe, Zeke, Soph, and Hal, not realizing that a prehistoric creature is creeping up on them from behind. One of the many trails in the park. Wh...