Playhouse Give-Away

For the third year in a row we participated in the 4th of July Parade, pulling a playhouse (see previous post). This was the first year we didn't throw candy. In our parade you can't actually throw candy from a moving vehicle, you have to walk alongside and toss it to the kids. This year I decided to just ride along with the kids on the playhouse rather than run back and forth throughout the whole parade filling up bags of candy for the kids to toss. Camaron is on the left and Jake is on the right. Inbetween them are Teron & Jeron Tucker, Cam's best friends. One time someone asked if all four boys were mine. I said no, but Teron jumped in saying that they were half mine because they are always at my house! I'd claim them any day - they are great kids! After the parade we put the playhouse in the City Park along with all of the festivities so that the Family Support Center could continue to take donations. At about 2:00 in the afternoon they did the drawing for the playhouse. A couple who lived right here in Richfield won. They were even there for the drawing. I think they said they have 13 grandchildren that live here so I'm sure the playhouse will be well used. The boys went to the Tucker's house and played on our water slide for the afternoon. We got the waterslide for $35.00 (originally $249!) on a super-clearance sale a few years ago. Of course we don't have any grass so they have to go elsewhere to use it. :) We went to BBQ with some other friends and had a nice evening, and then we went back to the Tuckers to set off fireworks and watch the City's fireworks display - they have a great view from their backyard. We drug ourselves home at about 11:00 and crashed. Between the playhouse, the Chamber Float and being on the 4th of July Parade committee I was beyond exhausted!!! I think I'll be lazy today and then start playing catch-up next week (good luck). All of the work on my desk has overflowed off onto the floor...it's not a pretty sight.

Chamber of Commerce Float

As promised, here are some pictures of the finished Chamber of Commerce float. The back is my favorite part. You can't really tell from this picture but there are two mountain ranges, which are cut separately out of wood and then mounted on top of each other. The sunrays are 1"x4"'s and the letters are each individually cut out of wood. Thank goodness we just had to paint and mount everything...it would have been a pain to cut it all out. The main body of the float is pretty generic so they can change things around every year. We also have a big lights parade here every December so they will use it for that as well. I'm just glad it got done in time for the parade!

Long Flat

This afternoon we went for a drive to an area in the mountains near us called Long Flat. Sam has been working with a couple to design a house for them to build on their lot there and he wanted to check it out in person. The roads weren't great but once we got up there it was just beautiful. We saw several people we know - one was on a family four-wheeler ride and the other was stranded on the side of the road because his dune-buggy had run out of gas. :) (The road is narrow so we pulled over whenever another vehicle approached. Sam has a big logo on his truck so anyone who knows us can spot us a mile away.) We also ran into some people we know who have a cabin up there. They invited us to come over and see the cabin. I was thrilled because I really needed to use their restroom! :) We ended up staying for quite a while. Our kids had fun playing with their kids and Camaron had a blast shooting BB guns! He is such a good shot! At one point we spotted this herd of Elk. The picture was taken from in front of the cabin. One day I would love to have a cabin up in the mountains to use as a "get-away!" Here is a picture of one of the deer we saw as well. The roads into those mountains are only open for a few months out of the year. There is still a little bit of snow here and there. In the winter you can only get in by snowmobile.

4th of July Parade Float

Sam and I belong to the Richfield Area Chamber of Commerce. Unfortunately, we both walk around with "Can't Say No" flashing across our foreheads. The Executive Officer of the Chamber had made a comment that she would like to build a float for the Chamber for the 4th of July Parade and wanted us to keep our eyes open for an old trailer or something they could use to build the float out of. I happen to be on the Richfield City 4th of July Parade Committee ("Can't Say No!") and at one of our meetings someone mentioned that someone had an old float that they wanted to get rid of. Of course, I had to open my mouth and say that the Chamber was looking for one. :) Needless to say, we are re-building a float. I wish I would have taken a picture of the float before everything was torn off, but here is a picture with just the platform re-built. The original owners had just chopped the top of the car off and welded a frame around it. I think we were all shocked that it still runs. Instead of proper supports there were things like old empty gas cans and stacks of 2X4's holding things up. Here's a picture of what it looks like now:

Fortunately we were able to round up a few guys to help - two of Sam's friends (who aren't even members of the Chamber) and two members of the Chamber who are always willing to help (there aren't too many of them around here..). When it's all decorated (still waiting for the decorations to come in the mail.....) I will post pictures of the finished product.

If anyone wants to participate in the parade, let me know! There are still about 6 spots available! It's FREE! :)

First Lost Tooth

Jacob, my seven-year-old, finally lost his first tooth on Tuesday night (bottom middle)! You can already see the adult tooth growing in behind it. He had been scared to pull it out. I had an appointment in Salt Lake on Wednesday morning so the boys and I went up to have a sleep-over at Grandma's in Lehi on Tuesday night. Grandma convinced Jacob to let her tie some dental floss on his tooth. Then she yanked it out before he knew what was happening. Last night I heard him telling Sam, "we should go to Grandma's every time I have a loose tooth!" It was cute. Camaron (10 years old) has teeth that don't want to come out either. He has only lost four on his own and has had to have four pulled. I am assuming that when they go to the dentist before school starts in August they will both have some that will have to be pulled. Sure wish we had dental insurance! :)

Family Support Center

There is an awesome place here in Richfield called The Family Support Center of Central Utah. They offer a lot of services to the community like parenting classes, supervised visits, respite care etc. They also house children that have been removed from their homes until permanent arrangements have been made. They rely heavily on donations so for the past several years we have tried to help them out by building them a playhouse to use as a fundraiser. When individuals make donations to the Center they receive "entries" into the drawing. We start off the fundraisers at the Sevier Valley Home & Garden Shows each April and then do the actual drawing on the 4th of July at the Richfield City fesitivities. All of the materials and labor are donated by local businesses (including some of our favorite businesses in Utah County!) and contractors so 100% of the funds raised go directly to the Center. This is a picture of this year's playhouse. It's not too late to make a donation for a chance to win this one! Contact the Center at (435) 896-4798 or come to Richfield on the 4th! We have a great parade, festivities in the City Park - including man-made pools filled with live trout for the kids to try to catch, and fireworks! Of course, if you don't live in or near Richfield you'd have to find a way to get it to your house on your own! :)

Here We Go.......

My brother Don and sister Noreen have been "blogging" for a while now and it has been a great way for me to keep up-to-date on what's been going on in their lives. I have especially enjoyed seeing their pictures! Tonight I was talking to Noreen on the phone and I told her that I was really glad that I don't have a blog because if I DID have a blog she would have "tagged" me and I would have had to post pictures of my kitchen sink, closet, bed etc. without being able to clean them first. She then proceeded to convince me to start my own blog. :) So here we go.....