The Day They Came Home

I had to get up early in the morning to pick up the boys from FSY the day they finished. We came home by way of the windmills in Spanish Fork. It was Global Wind Day and National Electricity Day, June 15. While I was gone, Lucky and Daddy took some bonding time together and went rock hounding on Nature Photography Day. They took choco rocks with them. They did not get the obsidian and chocolate mixed up.

I learned there are different kinds of obsidian. Besides regular they also found mahogany, and snowflake.

When we all got back, Jeremy and I had our own bonding time celebrating National Megalodon Day by watching Meg 2: The Trench. 

It was also Smile Power Day. You can't tell me these smiles don't have power.

Prehistoric Creatures Day

Everybody say, "Dinosaurs."

Last Wednesday we headed to Dinosaur Island at Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point. "Escape to Dinosaur Island." 

We've been planning this for months since we knew they were going to have dinosaurs all over the gardens (it turns out they were animatronic dinosaurs). We were especially excited to bring our dinosaur loving youngest child. 

That face says it all.

 

It was awesome. We loved it. It was fun to guess the dinosaurs we could see in the distance before we reached the informational signs. Some we got right, some we didn't.

Pachycephalosaurus I recognized since that was my brother's favorite dinosaur growing up. He was so into dinosaurs when we were kids. Being around my own children right now reminds me of that. They've all kind of gotten into it with Jet.

I guessed Edmontosaurus for these dinosaurs up ahead. As we got closer and saw the informational sign and the "nest" with hatchlings, both Nichole and Jr. said, "Of course, because Maiasaura means 'good mother'." Told you they've gotten into it.

 

Jet recognized several dinosaurs. Not surprised. We brought along some of his toy dinosaurs as well. Triceratops, Brachiosaurus, and T. rex.

I love this picture that Jr. Jr. got. It totally reminds me of the first Jurassic Park movie. "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear."

Look, it's my favorite dinosaur, stegosaurus.

We even got to see a stegosaurus plate fossil and Jr. Jr. got into a nice discussion with the lady holding the plate and talking to us. She was impressed that our family already knew so much.

As June 15 was Nature Photography Day, we photographed not just dinosaurs (check out this picture of Lucky hiding behind flowers to get pictures of a Utahraptor- nature photography, tee hee).

We also photographed flowers and birds, especially a Cooper's hawk.

 

And Lucky got pictures of the nearby windmills for Global Wind Day.

There was lots of smiling for Smile Power Day. I love dinosaurs! They make me smile. So does my family.

Dinosaur Island was awesome!

Later that day, Jeremy and I watched The Meg to celebrate National Megalodon Day. My mom recommended the movie to us and when she found out we were going to watch it to celebrate the holiday, she watched it, too, in her own home. So fun. Definitely need to suspend your disbelief with that movie and understand that it's so predictable but it was not nearly as gory as Jaws so that's something.

I love how it worked out to watch a movie about a prehistoric shark on the same day we went to see prehistoric creatures at Thanksgiving Point.

Catch of the Day

You know those big windmills you pass when you're driving in certain areas?  Check out the size of just one of those blades seen along the ground.  Wow.

Dutch Days

Yesterday and today- Dutch Days during the Tulip Festival.  When we went last night, it was windy and a little rainy.  Today it's very rainy.
But we still had fun family time last night.  We got to see the windmill and Dutch boy and girl that Jeremy built (like the balloon tulips from last weekend). 

A lot of people were getting pictures being kissed on the cheek by the boy and girl.  Jeremy posed them that way for just that purpose.

The kids got to make little Dutch hats to wear.  Just like the balloon sculptures wear.

 We just had a great time as a family again.