Pioneer Day

Over Pioneer Day weekend, Dash went to Salt Lake with his friend Isac to go to the Aquarium and watch a Bees baseball game.  We partied it up without his though by going to and participating in the Pioneer Day parade.

Our ward's primary had a float in the parade. They asked that each child research an ancestor and dress up like their chosen relative.  Sport chose to go as a young Grandpa Rolland Peacock, in charge of herding sheep as a four year old.  It was actually pretty incredible to think that Grandpa was the exact same age as Sport when he was sent into the hills with his little herd all by his lonesome.  Colt wanted to dress up as Grandpa David Clayson.  Easy.  Long sleeve button up, jeans, pliers in his belt and a John Deere hat on his head.

The little Grandpas.

Sis was too young to participate in the parade so she and Brandan gathered candy.

Colt walking with our primary.

Sport riding in the wagon.

Cooling down in the post parade fire truck shower.

Big Boy

When it comes to expressing hunger, Tag is a great communicator.  Since he was a tiny baby, he could indicate his desire to nurse through what everyone in the family recognizes as his "hungry coughs".  This is a noise between a dry cough and a pant that gets progressively more urgent in direct proportion to Tag's proximity to me.  About 3.5 or 4 months, Tag tried using similar polite and subtle methods (ie lunging at our spoons or grabbing at plates and cups) to indicate his desire to join in family meal time, an event he was spectator to, but never participator in.  When that didn't work, it became absolutely necessary for him to scream and occasionally sob every time a forkful of food by-passed his mouth.   To pacify him, we all started slipping him tiny bites.  Well, you know the old adage, a rolling stone gathers no moss.  Actually, that doesn't apply.  Anyway, he was hooked.  So without fanfare, or mounting anticipation, Tag eased himself into the world of solid food.  When I finally pulled out the baby spoon, at about 5 months, we pulled out the camera as well.  So here he is, enjoying his first "official" meal.

Tag eating carrots.  He feels so old hat at this solid food thing, he thinks he should work the spoon as well.

Fat face. Don't care.

Summer on a Construction Site

At one point I felt a little bad for the kids spending so much of their summer over at the new house.  I don't feel bad any more.  What do kids need to be happy? Sunshine, dirt, power tools, frogs, and peanut butter picnics.  They're having the time of their lives.

When he is not busy building forts or finding snakes, Dash helps out by babysitting Tag so that I can help Brandan.

When I can't help Brand, Daddy's has plenty of other helpers on hand.  Colt especially likes using the hammer.

Sport and Sis help out by hauling off scrap pieces that they put to use in their fort building.

 In July, we ran out of the foam forms we used to build our walls.  We saved a buck or two by making the drive to Colorado Springs and picking them up ourselves.  We all loaded up in Ryan Partridge's truck and spent 19 hours on the road.  The highlight of the trip - driving past the Denver Bronco's stadium.

Here I am with the kids and a full load.  It was a long slow drive home.