Micah Got to Spend the Week With Us!

After the rest of the family left to go back to their own homes after Independence Day, we got to keep Micah here with us for a week!  I wasn't sure if a week would be too long for a three-year-old, but it was a whole lot easier to do the switch in taking him home over the weekend, so we gave it a shot!  As it turned out, he was just fine, and the only time he seemed homesick was when he fell and scraped up his knee pretty good.  We clearly didn't take care of his owie the same way his mom and dad did.  Then he was fine once again!

Micah remembered that we made ice cream on Independence Day.  He wanted to make ice cream again!  He did a lot of the mixing, and even egg cracking, himself.  (After he cracked the egg, I opened it up and dropped the egg out.)  Then...

...he got to eat the ice cream off the dasher!

We had Family Home Evening on Sunday.  We acted out the story of Philip and the Ethiopian man.

In Primary, Micah got a Primary Bag.  He got to color it himself!  

We did lots of National Day Celebrations with Micah.  You can read more about those in the National Days of July blog.  Micah is dipping almonds in chocolate.

Grandma's crayon bucket is full, full, full.  We sorted the crayons, and sent some of them on their way.  

I love how Micah's drawings are starting to take form.  This is two people finding a pet octopus.

Micah loved to water, and to feed the chickens!

This was the first time he played with the Tinker Toys.  He had a lot of fun with them!

This is what I did when I was a little girl at my grandma's house.  My kids used to play with this Chinese Checker board when they went to my Aunt Irene's house.  Now Micah is playing with it at my house.

About a year ago, we found replacement tracks and connectors for the Hot Wheels set.   We got out the hot wheels, and raced and raced and raced every single car!  The best ones when our boys were little are still the best ones today.  The duds are still duds!  Micah and Grandad had a blast!

This little guy is a Play-Doh boy.  We got out the Play-Doh and played just about every day!  (I am a Play-Doh grandma, so I was certainly okay with that!)

Micah scrathed a gnat bite until it bled.  He didn't want a bandaid on it until I drew a happy face on it.

We picked currents off the current bushes to feed the turtles!

Again, Micah loved watering!

Micah's first introduction to the marble run!

I had to watch a webinar for school, and then I had to download and send a bunch of stuff to the school print shop.  I got out the tent and let Micah watch Stinky and Dirty while I was working.

A cherry break while we worked with Play-Doh.

I got a kick out of Micah and the rocks.  Susan used to do this exact thing when she was small.

Lucy is his favorite!

It's Friday!  We made pizza and watched a movie!  We saw Monsters University!

I love this boy!

So does Grandad!

On Saturday, we got a Happy Meal at McDonalds.  Micah had TWO boxes of fries in hs Happy Meal!

On Sunday, we took Micah to Moab to meet his parents.  We stopped in Monticello to see the temple...

...and to use the bathroom at the church house next door.

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We sang songs and read lots of stories in the car!

When we came out of Sacrament Meeting, we found Micah's family waiting in the foyer!  (They went to Sacrament Meeting in Price.)

We had a picnic at the Rotary Park in Moab, and then we all went back to our own homes.  The adventure was over for this year!  I'm already looking forward to next year!

Girls' Week and Independence Day 2019!

This year we had everybody back together for Independence Day.  Amy and Cody had a brand new baby last year, so they weren't able to come, but this year, we were all here.  I think this is the best get-together we've had thus far!

Usually Girls' week is AFTER Independence Day, but due to where the fourth fell in the week, we decided to have it BEFORE.  It turned out great!

I have been totally fighting trying to get these photos in the right spots.  It's not working.  In fact, several photos wouldn't upload, and I don't know which ones.  I'm not going to go back to figure it out.  You were all here.  You know when this stuff all happened.

Susan brought some rambatans for us to eat during girl's week.  They were tasty and delicious.  In fact, they were the subject of the song of the week, courtesy of Micah,  "Rambtans are a very idea!"  It's catchy.

 

While the kiddos were playing in the water, so were the girls!  We had a nice foot soak, followed by pedicures!  (Eli was pretty doggone clingy that first day,  where Amy was, there was Eli, also!

Of course, we went on a walk or two!

Eli loves his baby cousin, Erika!

We all had fun with tie-dye!  It's coming back, you know!

David and Micah got along really well this trip!  They are growing up and becoming good buddies!  Here they are helping me make foot juice!

The tie dye stuff is done!

Peter found a box of tissues, and boy, did he have fun!

Helping Grandma make ice cream!

Making Bath Bombs!

It's Independence Day!  We're all dressed up in our patriotic duds!

Helping Mom cook breakfast!

The grandad and Brian set up the shade for eating, then Brian got Grandad's birthday present, and they set up shade over the sand tent!

Uncle Steve really is a champion story-reader!

Gotta play washoos!

The shade is finished!

It makes playing in the sandbox much cooler!

Chelsea just had one finishing touch to put on Emily's blessing dress--the button and button hole!  She did it!  It's done, and she did a really great job!

Amy is making the traditional lemon ice cream!

Watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Susan's turn to help with dinner.  She and her dad are making ribs!

The ribs meal was a hit with everybody!

And of course, we had our fireworks in the driveway!

 

Lucy got in on the fun!

On Friday, after breakfast, we went to McGaffee for a hike, a hot dog cookout, and some Frisbee Golf!

 

For a long time, the grandad has wanted to do a Mongolian Barbeque with the whole crew.  This year, he put it into action!  Here is Micah with his bowl of food ready to be cooked.

Brian and the dad grilled the food on inverted Ductch oven lids,

It was a total hit!

On Tie-dye shirt day, we had our parade!

It was really fun!  This time, we gave the big boys candy to throw to the audience!

Eli...

...is a kook!

On Friday, after Brian's family left, we went to Ford Canyon Park for some gunny sack races!  Erika is ready!

Eli is ready!

This year, the one big change we made was assigning families to help cook, clean up, and watch the kiddos during meal time.  It was a great change!  It was a great week!  Until next year....