The Blanch Herd: Every Heart Beats True

Our Fourth of July fun started early. On Sunday the 2nd, a last minute decision to go to Providence that afternoon rather than waiting till Monday resulted in some quick packing and a decorated bike (so it would be ready for Tuesday's parade). We drove North and spent the evening at Hyrum's Fourth of July celebration/USU Alumni Band concert (Cal and I, anyway - Sam stayed at Grandpa and Grandma's house with Gregg and went to bed early, tired boy). We made a pit stop after the program to tour H+T+G's new house - it's coming along, but behind schedule due to all the building that is happening currently. Hopefully they'll be in by the end of this month. We headed back to Providence for a late bedtime snack of homemade bread and cheese (can you beat that? I think not!).

Sunday afternoon bike decorating.

A lovely evening for a concert.

Front porch sittin'.
(Last time we visited they didn't even have a porch,
so this is progress!)

Stellar summer sunset.

Monday morning started at a decent time, crazily enough. Sam slept till 7:00 (sure beats the pre-five-a.m. times he was waking last time we slept over, and even the 6-6:30 normal wake-ups he has at home). Cal slept till 9:30 (what?!? when she woke up, she said, "I didn't know it was morning!" ha). Gregg worked from the nap room while we had a chill morning of stories with grandpa before he went to work, playing with bubbles and balls in the backyard, BBQ prep (I made lime coconut bars and chocolate chip cookie brittle and helped with the BBQ sauce for the pulled pork sandwiches), and a trip to the splash pad with Grandma. That afternoon we set up the backyard and waited for the guests to gather. My parents were expecting up to 60 people to show up! I didn't count, but there was definitely a crowd of extended family, old ward friends, and new neighbors. And an awesome potluck table that was packed to the gills. Plus homemade root beer. Of course! I meant to snap a pic all evening, but, alas, I never did. So just imagine a backyard full of friends and food and fireworks to come. We actually left before Logan City's firework display, but we got another stunning sunset from Mother Nature as we drove through Wellsville.

Tuesday morning was full of our little Eden community celebration. The breakfast at the park was scheduled to start at 7:00 and I planned to be there early, but when I rolled over and checked my clock, it was 7:45 (!!!). We hurriedly got dressed and headed out the door - good thing we did the bike decorating early! Callie was so excited to be in the parade. Turns out we had plenty of time for breakfast (waffles and berries and cream - (so patriotic!), scrambled eggs, sausage or ham (or both), OJ, chocolate milk, the works!). I walked with Cal to the substation where the parade started, and followed her around the three sides of the block back to the park where Gregg, Sam, and my parents and Mugs were waiting and watching. And then she got her Capri Sun juice bag and that was that. We visited with some neighbors and played on the playground and then walked back home. Cal and Sam had a quick dip in the pool, we visited on the deck. And then we decided to brave the Huntsville crowds and visit the cemetery (the cemetery?! yes, the cemetery . . . people do go to the cemetery) since it was open that day. (Back story: the Huntsville Cemetery is only open on Tuesdays and Thursdays and you have to drive through the pay-point for the beach, so the grumpy workers were kind of shocked that we were going to visit the cemetery, thinking instead that we were just trying to get out of paying our beach entrance fee.) We found the headstone of Nils and Pernella Anderson (my third great grandparents) and then picnicked on leftover pulled pork and baked beans and watermelon and chips in the shade. Back home for naps and relaxing and then my parents and sister returned home. We grilled up some most excellent burgers and "roasted" green beans for dinner and finished the night off with "poppies" before an early bath and bedtime. The kids were asleep by 7:15! I was in bed with my earplugs at 9:30! (No fireworks for us this year - that's what happens when a couple of late nights catch up with you. #meanmom)