Uncharted Worlds

We got to see Jeremy's sister and brother in Washington. His other brother and family visited Utah after we got back. It was Pioneer Day, July 24, as was it National Cousins Day.

So our kids got to go with their cousins (the youngest of which we got to meet for the first time) to "Uncharted Worlds: A Journey with Giants" at Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point. It is similar to Dinosaur Island which they had the last couple Summers there. 

 

Aaaagh! It's going to get me!

Always have to get a picture of me with my favorite dinosaur: stegosaurus... and with my Jurassic Park shirt. It's important to wear that shirt to a place like this.

Of course we had to stop to feed the fish... ducks... and a turtle.

That leatherback sea turtle looked menacing.

 

Pirate ship fun. "Ahoy, matey!" 

 

Look at Jeremy, the uncle with the interesting beard.

Watch out! High Voltage! Didn't you watch Jurassic Park? Oh, yeah. You haven't watched it yet.

It was fun after watching Jet holding hands walking around with his older cousins at the zoo in Washington to watch Lucky doing the same thing with his little cousin.

Oh, no. Trapped in ice...

...next to the mammoth. 

 

We had a great time with this family.

Later Jeremy and Jr. were working on a project at home, so Jet and I went out for a drive up Kyhv Peak Road (it used to be known as Squaw Peak. It was hazy because of fires both in state and out) then a walk along the Provo River Parkway and by Bridal Veil Falls.

Afterwards we read a Provo Story Trail, "How Coyote Stole Fire," at Quail Orchard Park.

Since it was Pioneer Day, at the end of the day, Jet and I watched fireworks from the front lawn with our neighbor.

It was a big day but a good one full of family and fun.

Impromptu Date

Jeremy needed to check on getting something fixed in our van. I volunteered to go with him. It turns out the person said he could get to it right then so Jeremy and I went across the street to wait at a park.

It was North Park in Provo and the pioneer museum was open. I'd never been to the museum just the pioneer village once.

We decided to go in, look around, learn a little bit about pioneer history, put a few pieces on a jigsaw puzzle (It was an Eric Dowdle puzzle of Nauvoo), and enjoy ourselves. 

Jeremy said it's been a long time since we've been able to do something spontaneous like that. It was little impromptu date and it was very pleasant.

Exploring Somewhere New

One day, the kids and I made the trip to Wasatch Mountain State Park over by Midway. We may have driven through it once when coming back from Cascade Springs, but we've never been there.

I read some blog posts about it from Utah's Adventure Family, and wanted to take the kids to explore, so we did. We stopped by the duck pond at the visitor's center to see some birds. We saw a great blue heron flying in and landing by the reeds. After watching some barn swallows flying around, we saw a bald eagle flying close to the water then off into the distance. That was great. Those things are big. And they're not as common in Utah in the Summer. We expect to see them more in the Winter. So that was exciting.

We drove up to Huber Grove next to look around. There are pioneer buildings and informational signs about pioneers who lived in the area. They also have some nature trails so we all went walking through the woods then through the grasses where we got attacked by burrs, but mostly Jr. His pants collected the most so we all helped to get them off of him.

While we were in the grove of apple trees, a group of turkeys came for a walk near us. Two adults and several youngsters. They weren't bothered by us and we didn't do anything to bother them, just watched and took pictures.

Before we left that area, we had a snack in the van while listening to birds and watching squirrels run around. Then we drove to another place in the park where we thought about going hiking but it was too hot and we didn't get too far before we headed back to eat lunch in the van before driving home. The kids were done.

I enjoyed the trip with the kids and definitely want to go back. It's a lot closer than Antelope Island State Park (which we love) and I could definitely do more exploring.

That evening I went to a Relief Society activity. There was a chocolate fountain with things to cover with the chocolate and plenty of pleasant conversation. It was appropriate for National Junk Food Day on July 21.

Pioneer Day and Pioneer Day Observed

Happy Pioneer Day!

We celebrated Pioneer Day on the 24th of July and the 25th of July this year.
On the 24th we went for a hike (and scooter ride) as a family. We hadn't been very long on the trail when Jr. made the comment, "There's a beaver."
"Where?" I asked as I turned toward the river not thinking there was actually a beaver there. "Oh, there really is a beaver." There it was climbing down the bank into the water.
Jr. was surprised as he had said it kind of jokingly not thinking it was actually a beaver. We see a lot of muskrats around Utah. There was no mistaking that tail, though, and it was bigger than a muskrat.
Jeremy handed the camera to Nichole so she could get some pictures for us as I pointed it out to the younger boys. Jet was asleep in the stroller.

That was cool and a first time beaver sighting for me in Utah. Now I've seen beavers in three states and none of them The Beaver State. Ha Ha.
Nichole kept hold of the camera to take more pictures of wildlife- a squirrel eating an apple, a wasp nest with wasps, and an American dipper.

Since it was Pioneer Day, on the drive to the trail, Jeremy and I thought of some alternate lyrics to some Pioneer songs to reflect current situations. "Pandemic children sang as they walked and walked and walked and walked." "In Our Lovely Deseret" was given lyrics such as "Whenever they should meet, they stay a distance of six feet, while the coughing and the sneezing they despise."

Lucky had some fun with his scooter. He held on to the stroller so he wouldn't have to kick off from the ground and just be pulled along. We asked Jr. to take pictures and this is what he got.

As we got back to the van, we talked about how the pioneers wore face coverings, bandanas and such, and wearing face coverings is like wearing a scarf over your face and mouth in the Winter.
We also had some fun taking pictures of ourselves and the beautiful clouds and evening lighting on the hills. Nichole had a lot of fun.

Mom: Everybody say, "Happy Pioneer Day."
Most of us: Happy Pioneer Day.
Nichole: Happy Pioneer Day Observed.

On the 25th, our ward had a Pioneer Day Parade for the Primary children and their families, driving around the neighborhood waving American flags out the windows, dressing in Pioneer garb and having decorated vehicles if desired. It was fun to see how many ward members came outside their houses to wave and cheer us on.

Lucky was unhappy that he wasn't by a window that opened during the parade so when we got home I got pictures of our kids with their flags.

We didn't give Jet a flag during the parade but he was asleep by the time we got home and his hand was in such a position that I just had to stage this picture. So cute.

For participating, the kids also got a little snack- salt water taffy and a bag of microwave popcorn each. They ate their taffy soon after we got home and ate their popcorn while watching the movie, 17 Miracles.
There is a part in that movie where one of the pioneer women is given food to take back to the group by a "traveler." As she left, she remembered that she forgot to say thank you to the man so turned back but couldn't find him or the cave that had just been there. While watching that part, Lucky made the comment, "What if she said, 'Marco?' He would have said, 'Polo,'" Ha Ha Ha Ha. I guess that would have been a way for her to find him again.
That evening we played the video game, Oregon Trail, which is also about pioneers, just not pioneers for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In the game, we made sure to get to Independence Rock before the 4th of July after traveling to Independence Rock in real life and learning about it last year.

Lots of celebrating for Pioneer Day and Pioneer Day Observed. But no big fireworks show at the mall this year.