Pioneer Day

 

Last night was our neighborhood Pioneer Day celebration.  The Clingers put it on every year and they are spectacular.  The kids love the fireworks, though we left a little early this year.  We were babysitting Peter and Rosie for the weekend so Emma and Stephen could celebrate their anniversary. Peter was soo easy.  He just chatted, did puzzles, jumped on the trampoline, played with balls, and did whatever was asked.  Rosie did a great job too.  She did whatever Peter was doing.  She did take off her diaper once, so that was an adventure and she woke up extra early this morning, but she was so sweet.

My Aunt Margo and Uncle Wayne returned from their Portugal mission.  I loved seeing them again.  We got to go to their mission talks today in their ward.  I loved seeing all three of my Wilcox Aunt and Uncles.  Gian and Wendee, Whitney, Amber, Elliot and Susan and their kids, Miranda (who played a beautiful musical number on the organ), and Margo's parents whom I've known since I was a little girl.

Then we stopped over and Grandma and Grandpa Robertsons' for a minute to say hi and pick up last minute things that we'd left for the Tarkintons' to use.  We still need to get the slack line.... 

The Y

Jer took Sam and Ada hiking the Y with the Tarkingtons because that was the thing that Hal wanted to do before they went home.  Seth, Evelyn and I went to the new Indiana Jones movie with Uncle Seth, my Dad and Aunt Nella.  I had fun, it was a good movie and my family was so patient with me having to be flexible with kids.  The hikers did a great job.  Sam loves time with Eli and it was a lot cooler in the evening than it would have been, so that's nice.

Jonathan, Sam and Eli wanted to play video games, but the TV in the living room is broken and the girls were watching a chinese show on the TV downstairs.... so they connected to grandma's DVD player in the sewing room. Sam came to me saying that he was living in the 90s.

 

Evelyn's birthday

We officially passed the point where our kids want toys.  For Evelyn's birthday, she wanted baking classes. The teacher teaches the science behind why each ingredient works a certain way at certain temperatures. Evelyn has loved it.  It just so happened that it was back to back with ballet and she didn't get a chance to change into her clothes.... but we've had some delicious cookies and pastries lately.

Our "Vindow Syl". We don't have a screen in the window and the kitties like to hang out up there.... so we just open the window and pet them.

 

Bridal Veil Falls

 

We biked down the trail from the park above Bridal Veil Falls down to Grandma and Grandpa Robertson's house.  We wanted the whole family to go, but it was Evelyn and Seth's first time so Jer dropped us off at the top and we rode the downhill stretch all together with our Aunts and Grandpa.   I used to bike this trail all the time as a teenager, but not so much anymore. It was nostalgic and fun.

The water was high.

Waiting for everyone to get to the top.

The rest of the week

Napping kittens

New slurry on our old street

Summer rest

Hiking Stewart falls with Dad and cousins.  They tried hiking to hamburger rock but there was too much snow.  They ended up going to first falls, turning back and doing Stewart falls instead.  Sam and Eli took the wrong trail and Jer had to go after them.... They did about 7.5 miles after all that.

Seth, Jack, Rose, Evelyn and Ian played D&D while I did daycare.

 

My Dad had a birthday

My Dad had a birthday and we were all able to be there.  I LOVED visiting with everyone and I'm excited as my parents start to get ready to be temple workers.  I'm proud of you my Dad!  I love you and I'm so grateful to be yours.

Ada, Jer, Sharon, Brad, Janelle, Seth, McKay, Dad, Devin, Mom, Casey (Sophie's nephew)

Sophie, me

Seth, Sam, Evelyn Vivien, Rae, Thea, Michelle, Aubrey, Jordan, Lance, Isaiah, Josh (Sophie's nephew)

Right before going to the park, all the cousins did a space adventure at The Space Place.  They had so much fun.  They didn't blow up, but half of them were stunned by a bad guy that interrupted their training. Evelyn wasn't too happy to be stunned on the ground, but it was pretty funny.... Seth was one of the security officers and accidentally stunned the medic.... And both the people that could have called another medic were both stunned.

I'm glad that they're not too old to be kids still.

Aunt Sophie took them all over to catch the football.  They had a blast.

 

This week Robertson Doings

We went to the Myazki film festival showing Castle in the Sky.  That was fun to see on the big screen. Admittedly, I did fall asleep after a full day of daycare and a busy weekend.... but I enjoyed it and loved seeing all the kids to happy together.

We did the first pinewood derby in 9? years.... something like that. All our kids did their own cars, but Seth needed the most help. Ada made a cute Perry car.  

Evelyn's car is a basic one that says Hi and Bye on it.

Sam made a watermelon.  It was more work than he thought it would be, but the extra work he put into it made it the 3rd fastest car. 

Seth's is a Batmobile.  Jer did a great job with it.  Seth did draw it out on the block, paint it and was at Jer's elbow the whole way.

Ada had two shifts that day, so she did her morning shift, we did the race, then I took her to her lunch shift.

The kids had so much fun!

Ada, Grace, Mariah

Rocky and Sam

Millie, Grandma, Evelyn, Grandpa (who's car won)

Ada's, Sam's, Evelyn's, Jer's and Seth's

Seth, Evelyn, Maisy, Mariah, Cyrus, Hal, Jer, Walter, Jonathan

Taylor, Eli, Sam, Rocky, Grace, Marg, Amy, Jim

It was Rocky's birthday just after they had to go home, so we had a delicious brownie and ice cream birthday party.  Rocky is right.... ice cream is the best.

I'm glad they got pictures before leaving. 

Margaret, Amy, Becca, Judy, Jim, Jer

Owen, Seth, Hal

Seth and Owen

We did a hymn sing in too.  I loved that.  I would love to hear a quartet with Joseph, Ada, Jim/Jer and a good alto. 

Seth and Owen were cowboys.

The tired aftermath.