Oh July!

July went by way too fast. Maybe because we tried our best to fill it with some good ol' summer fun. 

Tanner had the 4th off so we tried to make a day of it. 

 Don't let this picture fool you, This is the only one we got without Austin crying. I did something silly enough to get a millisecond of a smile. And Tanner and I were in our red, white and blue duds  too, but we didn't think to get a family photo. 

 We went to a band performance down by the river. They played all kinds of fun patriotic music. I was hoping my kids would be able to hear the Star Spangled Banner but the poor conductor passed out from the heat...so that was the end of the show. It was super toasty. 

 Austin really loved his corn on the cob.

 We took the kids to the parade too. The Shriners are always my favorite in a parade and these guys were awesome. That man totally had our kids thinking that was a real live skunk. I don't know who was more fun to watch, my kids or the men with the skunks. You could tell they were really getting a kick out of it. 

That night we had some friends over who had some sparklers and fireworks. Guys, I promise that isn't why we invited you...but we were glad someone else had thought of it. 

 Austin loved the sparklers. We didn't give him one but he was mesmerized by them.

 On 7/11 we dressed up as cows and got some free Chick Fil A. Chet really wanted to go as a cowboy but I told him the only way he could get a free meal was if he went as a cow. While in the play place a little boy came in wearing a Woody costume. Chet just stared for a long long time and then said, "mom, he's dressed up as a cowboy." with the most disappointed look on his face. I had to explain to him that the little boy had a cow print vest on so it worked...but I could see that Chet had felt totally betrayed. It was pretty funny, but not to him. So now he wears his cowboy clothes everywhere he goes, because he can. Hopefully he'll be able to laugh about it later. 

 Morgantown has a Kids' Day and we went this year. We got tons of stuff that has mostly all been secretly thrown away by me. But the kids had a blast and it was all free.

They did an obstacle course, punched and kicked with real gloves on, jumped in a jump house and Chet even won a t-shirt for scoring a goal on his first try with a lacrosse stick. (Do you call it a stick?The guy helped him...and still gave him the shirt. I was pretty excited.)

 One day I took the kids to the splash pad. Mariah and Chet ran the whole time. Austin kept trying to escape so he could play at the playground. He wasn't a big fan of the water splashing him. 

 Those moments when they all are getting along and happy are just magical.

 Austin was pouting because I wouldn't let him leave. Such a mean mom. 

Tanner's work had a picnic and although it was hot we had a good time. 

We have had some wonderful missionaries here and Elder Kent and Howe were great. They are always willing to listen to Mariah and Chet and the nights we are feeding the missionaries are always our kids' favorite. Elder Kent just left and we were sad to see him go (he was in Morgantown for six months) but we are excited to get to know the new Elder. 

We dog sat for some friends and Darcy just may have convinced me that we could do a dog. As long as it's already potty and crate trained, doesn't shed, and eats all the food Austin drops at mealtimes. Darcy kept our floor so nice and clean. I miss her. The kids were so sad when she went home. They loved feeding her, taking her for walks, reading to her, snuggling with her and playing fetch. She was well loved while in our home. 

This is where she was every meal...she took her job very seriously. 

The 24th of July (Pioneer Day in our church) fell on a Monday and after reading an article in The Friend we were inspired to have a Pioneer themed Family Home Evening. I made stew and cornbread and we dressed in "pioneer" gear, or what we could scrounge up. We watched a video about the Sweet Water crossing and the great sacrifice some young men made. Then we talked about what it means to be a Pioneer and how we can be a Pioneer today. Then we listened to fiddling music and taught the kids some Virginia Reel style dance moves. After our dance party we did some stick pulling. Then we made covered wagons with marshmallows, graham crackers and pretzels. I forgot the lifesavers so we tried to make wheels with pieces of marshmallow, next time I'll remember. It was such a fun night that didn't require much prep from me. 

 We really need to get some bonnets...

Their faces are the best.