Fourth of July

I figure I better catch up with some of the things we've been up to this summer. I have just had the blogging blahs and can't seem to get motivated to do it. Mostly because it's summer and with all the kids home all day and Chris gone all day, I am pretty busy. Also, McKenna lost our camera so I haven't had all that many pictures and my phone is being stinky and not letting me download my pictures. I did manage to get the pictures from the Fourth of July because I had this prompting that I should download the camera before I left it with McKenna. I'm so glad that I listened for once.

As we do every year, we headed to Malad for the Fourth of July. It seems almost silly to post because we do the same thing every year. See...here, here and here. I wouldn't have it any other way though, we love it. This year we had a really long weekend which was so nice and sooo relaxing. It was a MUCH needed break from the day-to-day grind.
We started the weekend off with the annual Malad Salmon Bake. Lots of yummy food, visiting and relaxing, while the menfolk do all the hard work. The kids play for hours at the park and visit the booths until it's time to head home. Afterwards, the coals are the PERFECT temperature for S'mores. Since we always haul the trailer to and from the event, we park it in the yard and have a monstor S'more party. This year I tried these banana things with marshmallows and chocolate, wrapped in tin foil. I don't know, but they didn't turn out that great. I think our bananas were past their prime. We'll have to try it again next time.

Most of the weekend the kids spent the time playing with cousins and setting off fireworks. The kids bought these huge sparklers, like 3 feet long. Chris thought it would be fun to line them all up and take a picture. Let's just say that taking 5 kids, ages 2-8, and handing them 3 foot long sparklers and ask them to stand next to each other, ISN'T such a great idea. Luckily, there were no injuries....just several VERY close calls.

I was able to read a lot and that was nice. We also watched movies, hung out at the ranch and relaxed. Grandpa is letting some friends pasture their horses in his empty field above the house. The kids LOVED the horses. They were really friendly and so the kids would pet them and feed them. The owner came by and asked the kids if they'd like to ride them. Of course they all did, so he saddled them up and the kids each took turns riding them around. The little kids he led around and the older ones got to go by themselves.

Mason

Brooklynn...at first, she wasn't so sure...

...but then she warmed up to the idea and enjoyed it.

McKenna was in heaven. She loves horses and keeps begging to take riding lessons with her friend Kylee. She wasn't scared at all and took right off.

Lauren

And Tyler, who refuses to look at any camera these days, let alone smile

We even got Grandpa on one!

On the Fourth we headed to the parade. This year Grandpa was a driver for one of the distinguished citizens in the parade. The kids got TONS of candy as usual. Later we headed up to the ranch for 4-wheeling and hanging out. That night we went to the fireworks show which never disappoints. They have a really great show for being such a small town. Before it starts everyone lights fireworks in the street. Idaho has great fireworks that you can buy so it is always a great "pre-show".Overall our weekend was so fun and so relaxing. Can't wait for next year!