~Still Backtracking~

I'm still recording details from our Utah trip. This is about Tuesday, July 24th (a holiday in Utah- Pioneer Day, if you couldn't guess). After all the SCORCHING heat, we made plans to do some swimming. Utah weather decided not to cooperate, and it got cold. So, we were swimming on a cloudy, rather breezy, and a bit chilly day. It wasn't too bad while we were in the water, but standing in line for slides or walking from pool to pool got pretty cold. Beth told us about this place. It's the Kearns Oquirrh Pool, and it was really fun. There were outside pools and inside. Some were shallow for little kids, some were deep, and some were a little of both. Eleanor loved the slides. There was an indoor slide, which made it much warmer, but you weren't supposed to go down together- not even with little ones like Eleanor. Grant took her down once and got whistled at by the lifegaurd, but he said it was worth it. They had lifejackets for kids to go down on their own, and you could wait at the bottom of the slide for them, but Eleanor wasn't ready for something like that. At least she got to go once.

By the end of our time there, Eleanor was getting quite brave in the water. She watched little kids stand on a ledge (basically a seat in one part of the pool) and jump into the water, and she wanted to do it, too. Then, she got mad at me for catching her. So, I let her go once or twice without me catching her until her face had dipped into the water. She seemed to think it a bit shocking and unpleasant, but still insisted on doing it. She worked with her daddy a bit, and "swam" to him from the ledge. She also held her breath and put her face in the water. Then, she felt confident walking around in the shallow end where the water was sometimes up to her chin. She even tolerated the water falling down on her in some places! Those are big steps for this little girl! This picture is from after we were done. I had to bundle Eleanor up in towels; she was cold and tired!

Isaac and Beth, Grace and Eleanor.

Haley had the day off and came to join us. I was so glad she could come!

Mother, Haley, and Gary looking too cool. You can see some of the play equipment in the background. It was all pretty elaborate. On the far left of the picture, it looks like a red slide that dumps you from way up in the air, but that's not what it is. Just above that is a HUGE bucket that fills up with water. Whenever it's about full, there's a clanging sound, and everyone gathers below to get drenched by the enormous bucket. That is a LOT of water coming down on people. I stood directly under where it pours out and had to steady myself when it hit.

That evening, James and Lia hosted a BBQ at their house. Their was good food, the kids had fun, and we adults (and some of the older kids) even got to play some cards. They did fireworks once it got dark, but we headed home as they were starting. My daughter the wimp (bless her pea-pickin' heart) is scared of fireworks, and it was already past her bedtime, so we left. I think dessert was Eleanor's favorite part of the festivities- dreamsicles.

Eleanor enjoying her popsicle with Grandma.

Callie and Grace.

Connor & Callie (Matt's kids), Grace (Beth's daughter), Hayden and Adam (James' kids).
This isn't all the kids. I wanted to get a photo of all the grandkids, but some didn't have shirts on, some were fussy, and it would have been like hearding cats. Poor Grace has popsicle on the side of her face because Adam shmeared her with his popsicle.

Even Ethan enjoyed dessert. His mommy, Laurie, is feeding it to him. She is Matt's wife, and Ethan is their youngest.