Silhouette Studio

One of the cool things they had at the Orem Colonial Fair was a Silhouette Studio.  I'm a sucker for this type of memorabilia.  The artist had each of my kids sit on the chair and then cut a silhouette for them.  We did two pictures.  One of the girls, one of the boys.  It was fun to watch him do this.  Apparently he also does this as Disneyland on Main Street every Saturday.  So if you are looking for a cool collectible, look no further.  I got a picture of him doing everyone but my youngest.  I had to hold him and he did not want to cooperate.  After he cut them he glued them down and framed them for us.  I love them so much.  Aunt Nik also got one.

4th of July

I love 4th of July.  The last couple years J has tried to be off because he knows how much I enjoy it.  There are parades and picnics to attend, fireworks and this year we went to a colonial fair.  I think it is a perfect time to reflect on what this country should stand for.  This year I actually started my day reading "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro," by Frederick Douglass.  Sometimes you need a gut punch.  The truth is that when this country was founded it wasn't founded for the majority of the people living in it.  But you know what we learned, and slowly, oh so slowly we started to apply the principles on which the country was founded to all the citizens who live here.  It hasn't be perfect and the truth is I've come to realize that it isn't something you can assume as a guarantee but it is definitely something worth striving for.  So I remember this day with reverence, the reverence for those who sacrificed for Independence and the reverence for our my in staying true to the ideas of hope this country was founded on.  

We like to go home to celebrate.  It is fun to be around family and also truth be told the fireworks are just better in Utah.  

 We started our day sorting out our entertainment for the night.  Uncle Rob went to the parade but he had to be there at 5am and most of us just had zero interest in waking up that early.  Instead we went to the colonial fair with Grandma and Grandpa.  Here Cheetah and Grandpa are meeting Ben.  A kid asked him what his real name is.  "Benjamin Franklin." he said.  I'm going to be honest I wouldn't be surprised one bit if he has legal changed it.  Also I couldn't look at him without thinking about that saucy Ben Franklin in The Office. 

They had lots of activities.  There was a museum of clothing from the time period, food to buy, rope makers, candle makers, story tellers, brass sellers, a blacksmith, stores to buy antiques, just lots of really fun stuff.  They also had a mission the kids could do where they could be spies for the

 In the afternoon we went back to Grandpas and the kids looked for fossils in some fossil gravel we brought back from Montana. 

 Then it was time for the show.  There were three families putting on fireworks shows on the street.  It gave us plenty to watch and my kids all enjoyed lighting stuff off this year.  We for the most part were safe.  The family to the left of us were a little idiotic and more than once they had a firework tip over and shoot into their crowd.  Luckily no one was hurt. 

A Couple Phrases

My sugar baby just keeps adding to his vocabulary.  A couple days ago he was trying to get himself some cereal.  I tried to help him by grabbing the box and he yelled at me "Let go."

I got a pedicure recently and my toe nails are bright orange.  When he saw them he said, "oh tiny toes."

The 3rd of July we were hanging out in my inlaws back yard and someone set off fireworks.  He ran toward the fence, reached his little arms up and yelled, "look at that."