Holiday Weekend

For the 4th of July weekend we planned on going camping with friends so Wednesday night we got everything all packed and ready so that we could just take off after work on Thursday. Well Thursday morning they called and some things had come up so they couldn't go anymore so Trent and I decided to still go since everything was ready. He got off early on Thursday so I met him at home and we ran up the canyon and staked out a spot by the river and set up our tent. Then we went home and picked up Erika and got everything else and headed back up. We found a really nice spot that was really shady and open. Erika had fun watching Duke chase sticks in the river and splash around. A couple bad things...it was WAY DUSTY...and there were a TON of bugs! Check out how dirty Erika's feet got within minutes of being at the campsite!Erika had fun picking every flower in our campsite!
By mid-afternoon on Friday we were bored out of our minds! Erika was going crazy because she had no one to play with and she couldn't ride her bike in the dirt so we decided to pack up and head home! That night we went down to Trent's parents house to do fireworks with Trent's Dad since he was home alone. Trent's Mom went with the youth in the ward to do the Handcart Trek up Martin's Cove. Erika FREAKED out when we did the fireworks and didn't get use to them until there was only like 2 sparklers left...then she was begging for more!I love this picture of her...it shows the true terror in her face!One of Trent's friends from High School trains horses and so we (at the last minute) decided to head up to Evanston, WY to go to the horse races and visit him and see his horses that he has trained. I guess he has over 20 horses that he trains so Erika got to see them up close and personal! It was fun to sit and watch the races and hear everyone in the stands get way excited at each race and yell out numbers that they want to win! Its kind of an adrenaline rush!! After the races we stopped and picked up a bunch of fireworks for the 24th...don't worry they are all legal!Before we went home we stopped at Baskin Robbins to get some ice cream as a treat and Erika was in heaven! She got to try out a couple different flavors with their little spoons.
While we were eating our ice cream she started singing Happy Birthday to me and then would blow out her spoons like they were candles...it was pretty funny!



All in all it was a pretty fun...and tiring weekend! I wish we had a 3 day weekend more often! On Sunday my Mom and Kyle drove up to Utah. Kyle is going to EFY this week and BYU so my Mom is going to hang out with family while he is there and then my Dad will fly up on Wednesday to hang out as well and then they will go home sometime next week. They brought up my brother's old bunkbeds for Erika so we are excited to get those set up so she can sleep in her big girl bed now!

On Sunday after I put Erika down for a nap I heard a door open and then shut and thought...thats weird. Then I heard it again but this time I saw Erika's little head pop out the door before it shut! So I go in there and she had climbed out of bed and put little flower stickers ALL OVER her crib! I would have taken a picture but I was too mad at her to remember to grab the camera! I made her pick them all off and she just cried the whole time saying over and over "I'm so sorry Mom" oh man its a good thing that kids cute!

Another funny story...on Saturday night I was trying to clean up the house and I went in her room to put some clothes and toys away and I hear her do like a complete body slam down on her mattress so I ask her "Erika what are you doing" to which she replys so sweetly "Sleeping" once again... I couldn't help but laugh...those few moments help make all the irritating moments like the story above worthwhile!

Well I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July! I saw this on a friends blog and loved it so I thought I would share:

"You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism." ~Erma Bombeck