Fourth of July

 Our Independence Day celebrations were more low-key this year, due to Ana and Rebekah flying to Italy on July 6. We shot off a few fireworks that we bought from a neighbor girl as part of her dance fund raiser. Rebekah marched in the parade, and we watched. We enjoyed a picnic at Grandma Susan's house. Everyone went to bed early.

Bonneville and Hillcrest combined marching bands in the spring, so Rebekah got to represent the newly formed High Desert Marching Band as a drum major. Ana didn't march in the parade this year because the Bonneville ballroom manager didn't apply for the parade in time.

The girls lined up in the side driveway enjoying the fireworks on the evening of Sunday, July 3.

Rebekah is obviously enthralled.

Winnie fanning her cousin at the parade.

Rebekah in the parade.

Easton sitting on Miriam's lap during the parade.

Ana (and her fancy nails that she had a friend do for her), Andrea and Seth watching the parade.

Winnie tumbling in Grandma Susan's backyard during the picnic.

Seth's gigs at the Egyptian Coffee House

 One Friday when Seth and I needed something to do for a date, we found out about a little coffee house in downtown I.F. where they feature local musicians on Friday nights. We listened to an indie/folk-type musician and sipped our Italian sodas, and Seth decided to contact the owner to see about being one of those local musicians. He gave her a list of available dates, and she asked him to play three times: June 10, July 1, July 8. Seth prepared a set list and then adapted it to his whims and audience. He had friends from work, friends from the ward and stake, and family members who came to listen to his tunes and enjoy the atmosphere. I joined in on a couple of songs: "Red Moon Rising" (tambourine), "Resurrection Fern," "I'll Be There for You," "Lost in My Mind," "Blank Space."

Seth playing in the coffee house with the flyer advertising musicians.

Enjoying the gig.

Winnie and Seth at the coffee house. The girls and I got ice cream and enjoyed it while he played.

Winnie and Ana.

Miriam.

Rebekah, Andrea and Winnie.

Seth playing.

Last gig of the set. Dennis and Susan made it to this one after calling me because they went to the wrong coffee house and weren't sure where they were supposed to go.

Menan Butte

With dreams of climbing Mount Borah in mind, a group of us spent the morning on Friday, June 24 hiking to the top of the Menan Butte. Rebekah was still at FSY, Seth had work, and Miriam's bunion prevented her from spending time on her feet this summer, so it was my parents, Ana, Winnie, Peach and I who went to the top and enjoyed the views.

Ana in the parking lot.

Ana, Peach and Winnie near the top.

Winnie running back up after exploring.

Peach, Andrea, Winnie, Grandma Scott and Ana on top.

Grover selfie.

Whole group selfie.

Utah reception/Zermatt

 My cousin had a reception in South Jordan, Utah, on Saturday, June 18, so right after I got home from the band leadership camp with Rebekah, I turned around and went back to Utah with everyone BUT Rebekah (she went to FSY at USU). We combined the reception trip with our annual yearbook camp trip since they butted right up against each other on the calendar.

We made an appearance at the reception and said hello to my aunts, uncles, cousins and parents, and then we appeased the girls by stopping at Scheel's and riding the Ferris wheel.

Seth and I on the Ferris wheel.

Winnie looking at the columns filled with fish at Scheel's.

The next day, we let the girls swim in the hotel pool, then cleaned up and attended sacrament meeting with my aunt and uncle before driving to the West Jordan and South Jordan cemeteries to visit some ancestors' headstones.

The headstone of Alexander and Catherine Beckstead, fourth great-grandparents, in the South Jordan Cemetery.

Winnie checking out the water feature at the South Jordan Cemetery.

Samuel Egbert's headstone (my third great-grandpa) at the West Jordan Cemetery.

Winnie, Seth, Miriam and Ana looking at the clouds at the cemetery.

Then we drove to Park City to meet up with the rest of the Camp Yearbook crew and then check in to our hotel at Zermatt and prepare for three days of shooting, editing and generally producing the video they show at the award ceremony at the end of the camp. Ana attended the photo track and learned more about her camera and shooting in general. Winnie and Miriam kept each other company.

Seth and Ana at breakfast the day the staffs come, register, and attend their first classes.

Miriam and Winnie at breakfast that same day.

Seth with his video editing setup in the hotel room.

Ana and Grandpa Scott. Ana attended the photo track (taught by Grandpa Scott) again.

Winnie, Ana and Miriam playing miniature golf during downtime.

Andrea signing the back of a girl's name tag. Seth and I played "I'll Be There for You" during the talent show (with Miriam on the tambourine), and this girl wanted our autographs. We signed them as though we were Friends characters. 

Car selfie on the way home at the end of the camp.

Rebekah is 17!

 Rebekah's actual birthday was on a Tuesday, so we held a birthday dinner (which also celebrated the birthdays of Seth and Aunt Jessica) on Sunday, June 12.

Rebekah got to hold her baby cousin Canyon for the first time.

The T-shirt Aunt Rachel got Rebekah. Rebekah also received cash from Grandma Susan and Grandpa Dennis, Swedish fish from Uncle T's family, black socks from us (I swear ... that's what she really wanted!), and an egg cooker from Grandma Scott. Rebekah LOVES eggs in any way, shape or form, and the cooker will go with her to college next year. 

The three cakes Ana made for the birthday havers. Seth had the banana. Aunt Jessica had the red velvet. Rebekah had the salted caramel.

The rainwater that collected inside our house that night. This was the second time we had major leakage through the roof, and it took some work, but it looks like the underlying problem has finally been solved. Since this incident in June and the repairs that were completed, we haven't had any more leaks. And Tobin was really good to not charge us (or our insurance) anything this time around. They obviously didn't fix it right the first time, so they made sure to do it the second time.

We planned to take Rebekah to Sushi Time, but they had too long of a wait. So instead we went to CupBop for Korean barbecue.

The day after Rebekah's actual birthday, she and I (and the other drum major ... Brad from Hillcrest) drove down to American Fork and attended a band leadership camp. And honestly, that's probably the best birthday present anyone could have given her. We left very early on the morning of the 15th. Rebekah and I stayed with my Aunt Susan in South Jordan, and Brad stayed with the Bonneville band director's grandparents-in-law in American Fork. They spent the days learning about how to be good drum majors, and I spent the days updating our blog (which is when I last got around to this), visiting with Ross and Susan, going to sessions in three different temples, shopping at a couple of D.I.s and hiking to Timpanogos Cave (but not going inside). Brad said about two words the entire time he was in the car, but Rebekah and I had some good conversations as we traveled. 

Selfie I shot and sent to the family. Rebekah and I shared the king-sized bed in Susan's basement after we kicked her granddaughter out of it to the bedroom upstairs. (I felt really bad about that, but Susan assured me that Kaylen would have had to move in a couple of days anyway because her parents were coming to visit, and they would need the basement bedroom.)

Seth is 40!

That's right, the big 4-0. Seth has been on this earth for four complete decades. I knew that warranted something special, so we arranged for him to fulfill a life dream.

For as long as I've known him, Seth has said that he wanted to go skydiving. I, however, do not think that falling 12,000 feet sounds like a fun time, so I told him he'd have to do it alone. So that's just what he did for his birthday. Except he wasn't really alone, of course. He jumped tandem.

The nearest place with skydiving is in Ogden, so on Saturday, June 3, the day after all our girls got out of school for the year, he and I took off on a drive to the south. His appointment was for 1 p.m., so Seth and I ate a picnic lunch in the car, then got him to his destination to sign away his life and get geared up.

Seth talking with his jump partner about how to safely jump. 

Posing beside the plane before boarding.

On the way down. We paid extra for the photo/video package so Seth could have the momentous occasion recorded.

Falling slowly.

On the ground and headed back to the hangar.

With his jump certificate and honorary bumper sticker.

He reported that jumping from a plane was like riding a roller coaster, only with 100 times the anticipation and exhilaration. After the jump, we made the trek all the way back to Idaho Falls so we could report to the girls that their father had survived the stunt. 

His actual birthday was pretty low-key; Ana left for a few days with the ballroom team in Disneyland, and most of the rest of us went to Miriam's softball practice. But we did have a combined Seth, Jessica, Rebekah birthday dinner at our house on Sunday, June 12.

Seth (and Winnie, Kelsey, Hudson and Oakley) watching an ecard Seth received for his birthday.

The card Rachel gave Seth for his birthday. The Wildes also gave him sandwich roasters to use while camping.

The shirt my parents gave Seth. It says that he has the best mother-in-law.