International Day of Friendship 2026

July 30 was National Chili Dog Day. The boys had chili dogs while Nichole and I went over to our friend Stephanie's house for International Day of Friendship. 

She was getting some of her art gals together to watch a movie. When I picked up Nichole earlier that week from their regular art time, she gave me my signed copy of the second Timmy Termite book. Then she invited me to come to their movie night on Paperback Book Day, July 30. I didn't mind being included.

We had pizza and other treats. Nichole brought zucchini bread that I baked with zucchini from our garden. We watched The Princess and the Frog and talked about how that was the first movie Nichole ever saw in the theater when she was just a little girl. I blogged about it on March 6, 2010.

It's been a few years since I watched that movie. I enjoyed watching it that night.

Since that day was also National Father-in-Law Day, I texted a happy holiday to my father-in-law. 

Nice time with friends. 

Pacific Northwest Trip 2026- part 11

Monday morning, Jeremy and Marcus headed to another fair in California and I went for another morning walk, this time by myself.

I walked to the covered bridge that used to be the scene for so many pictures in the past- when it wasn't closed and you could actually reach it. Several of my nieces/nephews got senior pictures there.

I then walked down the road to a walking trail in the area. 

I got my juggling pics and videos.

June 29 was National Waffle Iron Day. Here's how I figure celebrating works sometimes- rationalization. My dad grilled hot dogs for us to have chili dogs. I figure that the grill has a lid that you close just like a waffle iron has a lid that you close. Boom. Celebrated.

After lunch, while Jr. and Jr. Jr. were playing frisbee, 

Jet, Nichole, my mom, and I celebrated National Camera Day by going on a "color walk" photo hunt. It's one of the activities for library Summer reading. Pick a color and take pictures of everything you see of that color as you go. We let Jet pick the color. He picked green. It's Oregon. We didn't take pictures of everything we saw.

When I showed him we could attach his camera to my selfie stick tripod, we was very excited and used it for the rest of the walk.

At one point, my mom showed Jet a line on the road where cracks had been filled in and he followed her following it.

This shows you're never too old to have fun.

 

When we got back to my parents' house, Jet said, "Let's do a family picture." I think he's been around me... and my mom. He set his camera up on the tripod with the timer and got his picture. 

Then when we got inside, he wanted to get another family picture with everyone so I just had everyone gather around Grandpa so he didn't have to move and Jet got his picture(s).

He really wanted to use the remote that goes with my selfie stick tripod, but I let him know it doesn't work with his camera. I let him take a few pictures with my phone on the tripod and he was happy.

Later while we were playing another game, 

Jet set up his camera on the tripod again and took more family pictures.

He even photobombed his own selfie. Did you know you could do that?

Jet certainly celebrated National Camera Day. It was terrific.

July Holidays 2025

July was busy and crazy. Life is crazy. We skipped a lot of holidays the last couple of months but we did celebrate some. I won't remember them all (you know, pics or it didn't happen), but here are some.

Independence Day was on... the 4th of July. We actually didn't do anything to celebrate. It was that kind of month. I didn't get any pictures with the American flag and we heard fireworks through the window but didn't go out to look at them. 

International Kissing Day was July 6 and Jeremy was at his fair during that time so we didn't celebrate.

This was not meant to be a what holidays we didn't celebrate post. Sigh.

We did celebrate Teddy Bear Picnic Day on July 10. 

Gummi Worm Day was July 15. I bought gummi worms in advance of this holiday. I forgot about it. Jet has had some gummi worms from time to time since then but no celebrating on the holiday or even "observed."

Yellow Pigs Day was July 17. Mustard and li'l smokies.

Stick Out Your Tongue Day was July 19. I confused the kids a few times while sticking my tongue out at them that day.

Moon Day was July 20. Astronaut sandwiches.

National Junk Food Day was July 21. We got dino nuggets and french fries out of the freezer to celebrate.

I wished my mom and my sister Happy Gorgeous Grandma Day on July 23. 

Pioneer Day was July 24. We had green jello and sourdough bread (both things you expect from Utah, though the green jello doesn't really fit in with pioneer times). We also had chicken and potatoes and baby carrots so I didn't have to put carrot shavings in the jello.

I also go a picture with the flag that day. 

I like to celebrate National Sleepyhead Day, the Finnish holiday, on July 27, but we missed it this year even though I was thinking about it in the days leading up to it. Did I mention things have been crazy so we didn't celebrate as much as we often do? 

National Chili Dog Day was July 31. I made homemade turkey chili to put on our hot dogs and homemade buns. 

Yeah, not a lot of holiday celebrating this July. That's okay, though. That's life. We're not completely missing out not celebrating here and there. We still celebrate more holidays than the average family. 

 

 

On a completely different note- 

Jet: Can I help you with your blog post? 

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Catching Up on July Holidays

OK. Here we go. Sigh.

July 25 was National Chili Dog Day and National Refreshment Day. We had chili dogs (with homemade chili) and refreshments. Done. Blogged.

July 26 was Talk in an Elevator Day. A few of us got a picture of us talking in an elevator the day before. So we celebrated it observed. Done. Blogged.

 

July 27 was National Sleepyhead Day (in Finland). I totally missed it this year even though I was thinking about it just the day before. Sigh. Told you we were busy. Check out how we've celebrated that one in the past, though (starting with last year's celebration while we were in Washington). Done. Blogged.

July 28 was Milk Chocolate Day. We had chocolate milk. Done. Blogged.

July 29 was National Lasagna Day. We had lasagna. And I learned how to do "baked" mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot from A Season of Family Meal Plans, volume 3. Done. Blogged.

July 30 there were a lot of holidays I didn't celebrate but I should have. Paperback Book Day. International Day of Friendship. Father-in-Law Day. National Cheesecake Day. Sigh. I must not have been feeling well that day because someone made me breakfast and Jr. helped make dinner that night. 

He decided to gather all the ingredients needed for the dish in a bowl before making it. Heh Heh. Done. Blogged.

July 31 was National Avocado Day. We had avocados in our salad (yet another recipe from A Season of Family Meal Plans, volume 3, by Jordan Page) as well as cucumbers. 

Jr. took the bowl of cucumbers I had just cut up and made this comment:

"Man, this cereal's the best."

He doesn't particularly care for cucumbers so we talked about other ways to use cucumbers besides eating them like cereal (though I love eating cucumbers). Done. Blogged.

And just like that, I'm caught up on the rest of July holidays. Go me.

Done. Blogged.