7-4-2015

  Favorite Holiday came and went too quickly as always but it was so fun spending it with my family for the 1st time in years! We started off the weekend celebrating Grandma Gutterys and Danicas birthday on the 3rd. Two of my favorite people. We had a relaxing day filled with fun, laughing, great Mexican food. Before Dani and Brennon got there, we blew bubbles on the front porch, chased snails and braided hair.

 Liam loves any time spent with Grandma, they were so sweet together, I just wish we could take grandma everywhere with us.

 Then Shayna went with us to check out the new Holbrook city splash pad! It was pretty impressive but Liam was stuck on the mushroom water feature, he pretty much sat on it the whole time.

 Once Danica pulled in we went straight to El Rancho, our favorite Mexican food spot in Holbrook (and a family tradition). Danica was a little worried about lice but we had to get the iconic sombrero birthday picture. They had one Liams size so I had to take a few pics of him too!

 We went home, played some basketball in the backyard, pulled out the ping pong table and helped grandma and grandpa Guttery hang up some beautiful light from the trees in their backyard. Then of course more food. Just enough to put us into a solid 9 hour food comma and have us ready for the greatest holiday ever!

 We got to participate in the ever-so-famous Holbrook Bike Parade! Which, if it isn't clear through the pictures, is a glorified community stroll down a cul-de-sac.  The kids from the town decorate thier bikes and ride down the street following the town fire truck...only this year, the fire truck forgot! Seriously hilarious. No music, no floats, just a community stroll! It's so Holbrook! The Gutterys make a pretty big deal out of it, they all grab their unicycles and ride through the streets with enough patriotism to power the city!

 Here's the unicycling crew!

 ....so Holbrook....

 Flint with cousin Emily, he was one of my favorite "floats"

 And then there's Austin of course, looking like America all summed up in one body.

 My cousin Chad was very brave..so brave I could hardly watch.

 Royce wasn't worried one bit!

 Liam went with grandpa, who got a flat tire after the first 50 feet. It made balancing really difficult but Liam was a slave driver...no rest for grandpa.

 Liams carrying on the Guttery tradition...sorta

After the parade, we played at the park and the kids just loved swinging together...and all the attention they got each time they smiled. We ate it up.

 While we were playing, we looked over at the other side of the park and I just had to snap this shot...real life guys, this isn't a joke. This kid just pulled down his pants and peed, right in the middle of the playground.

That was our cue to leave. SO we went to Taylor to hang with the Hatches for a little bit. Jamison was painting his hair when we got there, so everything was normal.

 Love these sisters

 Liam isn't completely happy without a booger hanging from his nose and carrying as many balls as he can.

 The weather was amazing... for a while. It was so cool and had a nice over cast (which we would later find out was actually the beginnings for an incredible storm) But while we had some dry, cool weather, we played tackle football.

 It became more of a tickle tackle than anything with the ball.

 Tried to snap a family tackle shot but it didn't last long.

 This is Lauren, Jamison Special Friend. I have a feeling we will be seeing her a lot more ...

 I know these pictures all look the same but Liams faces are just killing me

 ^this is Liams "grouchy face"

 ^ classic Liam tongue face

 ^ There's the money shot

 My uncle john go the city pool for us so we had a private party all night long and a perfect seat and platform for fireworks. It was a little chilly but that didn't stop us from having diving contests and eating the best hotdogs I've ever tasted! Stratton and Liam had no fear when it came to the diving board. Strattons for couldn't be better...

 Liams on the other hand....

 almost always resulted in a face flop...but he seemed to like it. weirdo.

 We gave Liam a little glow stick and it ruined the majority of our pictures with its blue flairs. But we snagged a few good ones. We think liam liked the fireworks. He was silent during them and had a pretty blank expression but he got really excited right after they stopped, like he was just trying to be polite and let them finish, but I'm just glad he watched and let us do the same.

Sunday was beautiful. The highlight was going to my grandpas Gospel Doctrine class and hearing him give a lesson about the gift of the Holy Ghost. As I listened to him teach using insightful and profound words and analogizes, I was reminded of the first time I ever heard him speak about the Holy Ghost at my baptism 17 years ago. He's such a great teacher, when he testifies of the truths he has learned, you learn them though him! Such a treat to hear him teach, my favorite thing he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, without the Lord we ain't much." Classic grandpa.

The whole family pitched in, the kids shucked the corn, Sam and Grandma focused on the meat and mashed potatoes and Jason and I made the most complicated and ridiculous homemade salted caramel ice cream...almost not worth it. But the whole meal was amazing and stuffed us all just enough that all we felt like doing was playing cards all day!

We had such a good time, we really did miss Idaho and all the fun traditions we had developed over the past 4 years but its always fun being with these crazy people and in these old town full of memories and cooler weather.