West Fest Fun!

We had a fun weekend this month by going to watch Cohen race his dirt bike Friday night. He did really good and the kids had so much fun watching him and playing with the little dirt bike toys. It was really entertaining. Saturday we went to  West Fest out in West Valley that we do every year. Cory's mom is in charge of the booths and we like to go and support her.
Cooper woke up feeling fine and then we got to the venue and he wasn't doing so great. He was running a fever and it was already so hot outside. We kept him hydrated and asked if he wanted to leave but he said no. He wanted to ride the rides.  So we stayed. My sister Alli came with us and we walked around the booths and then ate some yummy booth food.  My brother Ryan and Alex showed up for lunch and then we hit the rides. Cory's brother Cj and wife Jackie came and so did his sister Candice and her hubby Dallas.  We had fun riding the rides with the kids even though it was burning hot outside. Coopers face totally lit up the minute he got on the first ride. He looked better for a while. There weren't as many rides this year so we left earlier than normal.Cooper at this point was ready to head home. Cayman had so much fun with Cohen.

Uncle Ry and Alex

Loving the roller coaster ride.

The guys and kids thought it would be fun to ride the mechanical bull.  They all did pretty good. I think Dallas may have stayed on the longest.

And...of he goes.

Cayman is smiling here with her face painted. This is what she looks forward to every year.

Cooper and Cayman saying cheese behind the fire truck.

The last thing of the day and Cayman ran into a Princess Belle. So Fun.

We got a call on the way home saying our Newest member of the family was ready for pick up. Cory was so excited to go get his new toy. The kids have such fun on it and love going around the neighborhood for rides. I kind of like it too.

Here is Cooper and I at his swim lessons. He loves to swim just like Cayman! He does great with water and unlike most kids, doesn't cry if it gets in his face.

We found this fun ride at the Rite Aid and it only costs a quarter! It goes for a long time too!

That is our fun filled weekend! More coming soon!

Cory took the kids on a Saturday morning hike when I was at work.  They went up by the Bountiful Temple and walked around. The kids had a great time with Daddy and Cory loves spending alone time with the kids.

This week we had Cayman finish up her swim lessons. She was able to show us what she has learned and got her certificate. She sure is a little fish. She does think she is a better swimmer than she is so I have to watch her pretty closely still.

Friday night we went to a Bees Baseball game. We sat in the outfield and had a good time on the grass. It was perfect for the kids to run around and play. We had hotdogs, drinks, popcorn and nachos.  All great Baseball foods! Cayman was so excited because she was able to make a solo appearance on the jumbo tron where she danced and danced. When Cooper noticed her he had to walk over and wave to everyone it was so cute. Cayman felt like such a star.

Saturday morning we went on a Hike up to Little Cottonwood Canyon and hike the Temple Quarry trail and then did Lisa Falls. They were both great hikes and easy enough the kids could do them. We loved to play in the rocks and water and we had a  picnic.  It was lots of fun and super hot!

We went to the chalk art festival that night after hiking all day and we were able to see some amazing works of art. It is truly stunning what people can do with a piece of chalk.  Here are some of our favorites.

Cooper of course loved this one!!

The kids were able to meet Batman and were so excited. It was so sunny they had a hard time looking at the camera.

Sunday was Fathers day and we gave Cory a couple presents and then we had a yummy breakfast. Cory is such a great dad. I hope our kids know how lucky they are. There are so many dads that don't do much with their families or their children and Cory is very involved. He is always making sure we are taken care of and have fun things to do. Life would be so boring without him.  He is by far the best dad  I and our kids could have asked for. We then went to church and then had Connie over for Dinner. We BBQ'd outside and had oreo ice cream cake for dessert. Yum!!  Here is a pretty sunset that night.

Monday, Cory  and the kids met Grandpa and Grandma Vincent for FHE. They went around the Salt Lake Cemetery and he learned alot about his ancestors. He will describe the next pictures.

John and Phoebe Vincent are my 4th Great  Grandparents and some of the first in the family to come over to the U.S. from England. They arrived and were married in New York. As they were to poor to make the pioneer trek west to SLC together John sent his pregnant wife alone while he was able to save money to follow her. Phoebe had their first child at chimney rock and John got a job building the telegraph. John then worked his way west to SLC while building the telegraph line across the country.

Hezekiah Mitchell also a pioneer who was a polygamist and had two wives.

This is Sarah and another Hezekiah Mitchell who are my grandfathers grandparents. Unfortunately my grandfather never knew Sarah because she was hit and killed by one of the early day Salt Lake trolleys.

This is William McGregor who came over from Scotland. I found him to be quite cool as he worked at the Salt Lake Temple stone quarry and as you can see above we just visited there earlier in the week. William was a stone cutter who helped build the temple and also fought in the militia in the Blackhawk war near Malad Idaho which we drive through to get to Julys hometown. I thought this was cool to see how my life now and the places we visit now intersect with one of my ancestors.

This is my grandfathers parents. John  was quite successful and very good businessman. He bought and invested in land all around the state and SLC. He started businesses and a local oil company that is still around today. He also was one of the people that opened the little air park airport on Redwood Rd. It is cool to drive by all the gas stations and properties around the state and know that is part of my family and history. It is also great to think about my great grandfather every time we drive past his airport and think that is where my grandparents went on their first date. My grandfather took my grandmother on an airplane ride there since she had never been and now my kids have gone there. Cooper loves to watch the planes take off and land there.

Above are Joseph F Smith grave and Gordon B Hinckley and his wifes grave. If you know me I have a strong testimony of the church and that God has called prophets to guide us. I am so grateful to be able to live in such a great area where we are literally walking among prophets and able to walk on sacred ground and follow and walk in the foot steps of these great men. I feel like many,   President Hinckley was my prophet. He was special to me and greatly influenced my life from me gaining a testimony, to me serving a mission. It was very special to spend time here and ponder how he affected mine and so manys lives. We are so blessed to have a prophet and to be able to live in a place with such history.

The above two pictures are the homes my grandmother grew up in. The first is the one where she was born and was right by the Salt Lake cemetery and park there. The second house is on 11th east by the football stadium close to where we park for the football games. It looked like a very nice house and was where my grandmother lived until she married my grandfather.

Then we stopped by Gilgal to enjoy the park. At Gilgal with Grandparents walking around in the gardens.

Next is the Artisen spring on 8th south which I had never heard of before. It is a natural spring that is always running and people line up in long lines to get the fresh spring water. This is also a few houses away from where my grandfather lived until he was in Junior high. My grandfather used to come here to get water and this was also a place the pioneers used to gather and get fresh water from. Cool to be able to get a drink from the same spring as so many pioneers.

Grandfathers first home he lived in on 8th south.

This is where my grandfather lived until he married my grandmother. It is in a beautiful neighborhood up by Bonneville golf course and Hogle Zoo. I am told it looks much nicer today as they have updated and remodeled the outside  but you can tell this was a nice neighborhood back in the day. Also down the road is President Kimballs old home below and in the same neighborhood was Bruce McConkies and Pres Marion G Romneys homes.

It was a great night and very touching to be able to see the ancestors that accepted the gospel and immigrated to the US and learn more about what they did and be able to see their hands in my life and area around me. It was also humbling to reflect upon and be in the area of prophets who have came before and influenced  so many. All and all it was a great night and I am glad I was able to learn so much to be able to share with my children and family.

More to come with all our summer fun.