B-days, Family Visits, Fun June 2010

Tara and her family were in UT visiting from Houston for about a month during the summer. We had such a good time with them. This was a day Tara and I took the kids to "This is the Place Monument/Park" in SLC. It is quite the attraction, with old replica houses, buildings, etc from the 1800's. They had a petting zoo, a train ride, pony rides, etc. We could've spent the entire day there. It was sooo hot that day, over 100! We were melting! The kids had a blast though.


Meg, Nadia, Gia, Claire, Kenna and Mitch on the train.



This was a miniature pioneer village that the kids loved! We had to drag them out of there when it was time to go.

Mitchell in heaven! He always has loved trains.

The girls on the prowl for poor, unsuspecting baby lambs.

Kenna got one long enough to grab a picture with it.

Giavana found some.

Claire on "her" pony. She didn't want me getting too close to it. :)


They had an old fashioned mid 1800's school house complete with a live teacher! She instructed the "pupils" for a time and then allowed questions. She was very formal in her speech and pretty strict. She stayed in character the entire time. The kids got a kick out of her.

This was a little photo shoot Kenna and Meg did with Claire. She was a good sport and a spirited little model. :) They had her wear their tank tops and then they gathered the excess fabric in the back with an elastic. Why didn't they have her wear her own clothes, I wondered? But then that would be too easy. Also, you gotta love Claire's bed head. I guess the girls were going for the messy runway look.

Mitch and Claire the morning of her B-day.

Claire turns 2! We had Grandma Cynthia and Grandpa come over for her party. She is soooo into Mickey Mouse Clubhouse right now. And...it's all about Minnie!

My Grandpa Furness turned 98 in June! It was so neat to be able to celebrate with him and with Aunts Mary, and Martha, and Uncles Roger and Wayne. Amber and her kids were here visiting from Georgia so we all made him a cake and had fun helping him blow out the candles!




Here are all the kids crowded around his kitchen table.

Dance Festival @ Shelley Elementary

Every Spring Shelley Elementary has a dance festival where all of the kids get to perform a dance number for family and friends out on the school field. Mitchell's group (the kindergarteners) did a Humpty Dumpty number. Here he is in his Humpty Dumpty outfit.




Mitch really had a blast out there.




The 2nd graders did "The Monster Mash" Here is Meghan as a Zombie and her friend Brinley as a mummy.


The 4th graders did square dancing and were supposed to dress like the Utah pioneers from the mid 1800's. McKenna loves this outfit! And her dad just loves being in this picture.


Overall we had a great time watching the kids dance & they loved performing.


Claire loved the festival and insisted on wearing her "eyes"(sunglasses).

Claire being "too cool for school"!


Mitchell was able to show us his class room. He was so proud! Here he is with Claire showing her around.

Mitchell's Birthday Party and Kindergarten Program

Mitchell wanted a pirate birthday party this year. Here are all his mateys saying "ARRGH!"


The kids and I found some pictures of pirate cakes online to find ideas to help us make this cake. The whole process was a lot of fun, expect for the night before the party when the cake stuck to the bottom of both pans we baked it in and would NOT come out! After much blood sweat and tears, this was the result. Mitchell loved it! He didn't care that it almost caved in, or that the plank almost fell off. I don't think he even noticed. He told me his favorite part of the cake was "the sharks in the water eating the fishies!"

We found this really cool pirate ship pinata. Here is Ava, Pirate Princess up to bat.

Cap'n Mitchell and his Pirate Princess, Ava. and Kenna :)

The end of the treasure hunt! Yay!

For dinner we served hotdogs cooked to look like octopus and mac and cheese shells.

The food was a big hit!

Here are the pirates coloring their pirate pages.

The pirate bunch about to give their gifts.

Mitchell with his painting that was used in the program.


Some handmade tamborine action




There is something about this shot that reminds me of Ian. :)


With his FAVORITE, Mrs. Bigler! Mitchell has really liked his Kindergarten teacher this year.

Birthdays and BYU Spring Football

McKenna's 10th Birthday!

This wasn't McKenna's year for a big birthday bash, so we just had Grandma and Grandpa over for cake, ice-cream and presents. It was fun.

McKenna with Grandma Cynthia and Grandpa on her birthday.

BYU Spring football practice/scrimage is opened to the public. So, of course Hans, I mean WE, couldn't miss it. :)

Hans' and Grandpa's birthday celebration.

Can you decode the meaning of the numbers on the cake?

The kids had fun coming up with it.


Mitchell dons his spiderman finest to the party!

Meggie, Grandma Cynthia, Claire Bear and KennaBug all wanting to lick the frosting off of the candles! Okay, maybe not Grandma.

P.S. The answer to the candle riddle: Hans turned 37 and Grandpa turned 71.