Celebrating the Fourth and Other Family Events

Scott and Kristine's family came from Denver for a week's visit and celebrated the Fourth of July with us.  We went to the parade in Provo and that evening to the Stadium of Fire.  Carrie Underwood was the featured attraction followed by a spectacular fireworks show. 

 At the Stadium of Fire on the Fourth of July

(back:  Jenna, Shannon, Judd and Amy and their friends; 

front:  Sam, Narene, Scott, Kristine, and Trent)

Stadium of Fire dancers,

which included a group taught by our neighbor, Pam Bingham.

We began our celebration of the Fourth of July

by watching the parade in Provo.

(Scott, Sam, Jenna, Trent, Kristine, and Shannon)

  City of Provo float in the parade.

A fun addition to the parade.


* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Corban Lee Ireland, our 34th grandchild, 
was blessed by Doug on July 6.
(Parents, Shannon and Doug) 

After church, Shannon had a nice luncheon 
at their home in Layton
where this photo was taken of the men who
participated in the blessing.  Trent had changed from
the clothes he wore to church, as he was getting
ready to fly back to Denver.
(back:  Judd, Shannon's two brothers-in-law, Trent, Scott,
Doug holding Corban;
front:  Grampa Sam and Shannon's grandpa and dad)

  Proud grandparents,
Grampa Sam and Gramma Narene
with sleeping Corban
after his baby blessing.

Isaac's birthday is on July 6th,
so we celebrated his birthday also
on the day of Corban's baby blessing.
Shannon decorated his cake 
and used legos for the border.
Isaac is 5 years old.


* * * * * * * * * * * *


More memories shared with 
Scott and Kristine's family during their visit:


 
 Our hike to Stewart Falls.

It is a 3.5 mile hike there and back on a marked trail.

The water falls in two tiers and is over 200 feet tall.

From the ridge of the falls, we continued 

on a steep trail down to the base of the falls

where Ethan and Shannon walked behind the falls

and experienced the icy water.

(Ethan, Scott, and Shannon)

Kristine and Jenna started on the trail with us at

Aspen Grove along the Alpine Loop Road, 

but turned back when Jenna was not feeling well.  

Sam and I continued on to the waterfalls

with Scott, Shannon, and Ethan (Beth and Todd's son).

This was a moderate hike through a forest on the east side of 

Mount Timpanagos, but it was tiring because of the hot sun.

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

After our Stewart Falls hike, we headed for Cascade Springs

driving on the narrow, winding Alpine Loop Road to the Cascade Spring Road.

 Hiking at Cascade Springs

  (Narene, Kristine, Ethan, Scott, Shannon, and Jenna)

 Cascade Springs are cascading springs coming down the

mountain in a series of limestone terraces and pools.

(Jenna and Shannon)

It is only a 1.5 mile walk around the springs.

Returning home, we took a dirt road part of the way

via Wasatch Mountain State Park and Heber city.

Ending our hiking adventure with hamburgers and an ice cream treat

at BYU Creamery.

(Jenna, Ethan, and Shannon)

Playing games in the pool was a fun way

to cool off after our sightseeing in the mountains.

(Jenna, Shannon, Ethan, and Scott)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The next day, we checked out the reservoir

up near the shooting range 

located near the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon.

A sandy area at the edge of the pond is seen at the left in the photo.

The area has a campground and a pavilion.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Ready with our "cow" costumes to go to

join the crowd at Chick-fil-A.

Fortunately, the long line was in the shade.

Sam preferred to go as he was and pay for his meal,

but he stood in line with us.

(Trent, Kristine, Jenna, Shannon;

Ethan, Megan, Amanda, Beth, Joshua, and Jared)

* * * * * * * * * * * * 

Cousins enjoying being together.

We enjoyed having Kristine's sister's family 

(Angela and Rick Johnson from California)

stay with us for a couple of days.

(Megan and Amanda Graham,

Jenna and Shannon Ireland, and the Johnsons) 

 

 Cooling off in the pool.
(Rebecca, Ethan, Amanda, Shannon, Megan, and Joshua)

 Sarah pauses to watch how the card game is going.
(Shannon, Amanda, Grampa Sam, Megan, and Angela's daughter)

 Trent, Scott, Joshua, and Ethan have a game of walleyball
in the sport court with three Johnson siblings.

 Jared and Grampa Sam have a ping pong challenge.

Rebecca has another fancy hairdo

that Amanda has given her.

 

 The Grahams and Johnsons having a game of kickball.

Anna watching the fun.

Jenna, Megan, Shannon, and Amanda

 Saying our goodbyes as they are getting ready to leave.

(Shannon, Jenna, Kristine and Scott)

* * * * * * * * * * * *

More July memories:

 The Grahams had a baseball game for FHE at our place.
(Joshua, Amanda, Megan, Jared, Beth,
Rebecca, Todd, and Ethan)

A friend joined Amanda and Megan for
fun at the pool.

We went with Hal and Christy Smith on July 12th
to see Man of LaMancha, the musical 
playing at the Hales Theater in Orem.
(meeting the actors:  Don Quixote, Dulcinea, and Sancho Panza;
Sam in the background)

Sam continues to add improvements to our yard

and playground.  Here he is adding pea gravel

to a plastic ground cover.

Sam and Jared put together the 
Lifetime Ace Flyer Teeter Totter
for the playground area.

 Rebecca and Joshua try it out.

 Ethan's winning baseball team and coach were interviewed on
the local Spanish Fork television station.
(Ethan is on the right, back row.)

Ethan and Joshua at the annual
flag retirement ceremony.
This photo was taken last year and published
in the Spanish Fork newspaper,
but the boys also participated again this year.

 The Super Moon just above the mountain
on July 12th.
This is when the moon's path brings it closest to our planet.

 Smoke in the atmosphere from a fire
made this sunset unusual as
seen from our front yard.
We were not in any danger from the fire 
and don't even know where the fire was.
  

More happy occasions in the next post for the rest of July.