We're getting back to normal around here...

I started posting about Art City Days about 2 weeks ago - and then my life got interrupted and I never finished. So I'm working on finishing this week - even though it's already Thursday.

So we ended the week by going to the concert and fireworks. They were as awesome as I'd hoped they'd be. They had Due West come. If you've never heard them and you like country - give them a try. In fact you've probably heard them and just don't realize it.

One thing I've learned over the years is if I let the kids bring a friend - they are much happier. They play together and let me enjoy the evening and relax. So they brought friends. I saw one of my co-workers that night and he was asking me the next week how many kids I had. He thought maybe they were all mine. I told him three is plenty for me thank you very much.

Bre just hanging out.

Hillary and McKinnley. This is how they always pose together.

Playing Frisbee.

Connor and Sam for the one minute they sat with me. Then they were off to walk around and act like teenagers. They didn't come back until fireworks time.

The girls again.

Due West

McKinnley knows how to rock - even if it's country.

I love the way the carnival lights up at night.

My girlies.

Waiting for the fireworks.

It was a fabulously fun week. Perfect weather all week long - I couldn't have asked for more. I hope even after my kids leave home they come back for it each year.

Another Fab lunch

Bre is beginning to out do herself:)

Feel free to invite yourself over for a campfire and sandwich sometime - she'd be thrilled to fix one for you!

Bre's a rockin sister

Breanna has been a rockin big sister and really stepped up her game this summer. This is what she served for lunch the other day.

The Parade

After the balloons and breakfast - we head home to get ready for the parade. I only took a couple pictures this year. The parade was short and had surprisingly few entries. I love that each city has it's own celebration - but that makes for some serious competition for floats and such. But it was fun just the same. The kids brought some friends and we collected a lot of candy and had a great time.

We had our family pictures done a week or so ago and the poor lady who took them may never work with us again...everytime she told Connor to smile this is what he did. I'm sure she got some good ones - but man he is a pain when asked to smile!

The hot air ballons

Early on Saturday morning Hillary and I went out to see the balloons fill up and launch. No one else wanted to get up that early - even with the promise of breakfast afterwards at the fire station. We haven't been able to do this for a couple years due to the rain - but this year was perfect. We couldn't have asked for a better more beautiful day. I think the balloonists would have liked even a hint of a breeze - but for those of us on the ground it was perfect.

Most of these pictures were taken by Hillary. She has quite the eye for photography sometimes. Later this week I'll show you some more of her work.

I love that in some of them you can see the snow covered mountains in the background. I saw on the news that one of the ski resorts is open for skiing in June. Crazy times.

I wore just a jacket - but Hillary refused to put on a shirt with sleeves -so she needed her blanket.
The pink pig is always Hillary's favorite.

Hillary loves this balloon with the giant leaves on it. She took this one.

And obviously she took this one of me and the balloon.

I just love these shots - all sky and balloons.

As promised...

Here is the first of many posts to come this week - all about Art City Days which ended spectacularly last Saturday.

We started of on the 4th participating in the Nestle 5K. I only have one picture - all of us before the run. We all finished - and we all finished in under an hour. That's way better than last year and we were all proud.

That evening we went to the rodeo. It was a typical small town rodeo - not near as fancy or big as the ones in the surrounding towns - but fun still the same.

This is the cash calf competition. Basically they take a poor little cow - tape a bunch of money to it and let the kids chase it. Whatever you can get you can keep. Connor and his friend Sam did it.

See the guy in the black t-shirt sitting on the gate? Right in front of him is a tall kid in a purple shirt - that's Sam. The hair next to him is Connor:)

Here they are at the very end - empty handed:( But determined to try again next year.

I didn't get any pictures of the mutton busting - but Hillary is extremely interested in doing it next year. For those who don't know - it's pretty much little kids riding sheep around as long as they can hold on - which varies from about 1 second to 15-20 seconds. She has already informed me what exactly I will need to buy her in the way of clothing. A sparkly red shirt, white pants, blue sparkly chaps, pink cowgirl boots and a pink cowgirl hat with a tiara that fits on it. Plus after the parade - she added a horse to the list. At least she dreams big.

The Children's Parade

This week is Art City Days. Possibly the most fun week in Springville all year long. We did the Nestle 5K last weekend and it was super fun. We also went to the rodeo - that's a whole post in itself - hopefully as soon as I remember to download the pictures of the camera:) I love doing things as a family and supporting our community at the same time.

Today was the Children's Parade and Bre was kind enough to take Hillary and her friend McKinnley over because I had to work.

These two girls have become best friends since McKinnley moved in across the street a little bit ago. Hillary has a lot of friends - but none in walking distance of our house until now. And she is certainly enjoying it - they spend every moment they are home and awake together it seems.

I love it when you catch a photo that shows just how happy they are.
Hopefully there will be more posts and pictures as we gear up to attend two concerts, a magic show, the hot air balloon festival, the fireman's breakfast, the parade, the craft fair and anything else we can squeeze in in the next 36 hours. Should be good times:)