PARADE DAY!

Nothing is so awesome as the Livingston Roundup Parade every July 2nd to kick off the celebration of American's Birthday! This year the cast of "Full House" was in town for Uncle Joey's wedding to a local girl. Don't be jealous!!!! ;)

Addie holding her cousin Matthew with Summer on the left and Simon on the right.

The cousins with Uncle Mike waiting for the parade to start
(and the candy to fly!)

Ammon on my lap...

Niles and Simon

Lexi and James

Simon, James, Lexi, Summer, Matthew, TJay with their candy bags.

James the clown

Livingston Healthcare dressed up like MASH
 and made this cool helicopter float.

Daddy & Ammon

Niles with an Otter Pop thrown from a float.

Matthew, TJay, Summer, and Addie



Jess, Mike, Kelli, and Rich
 

After the parade, we had a BBQ at our house with some trampoline fun, s'mores, and rodeo fireworks when it finally got dark at 10:30. Good Times.

Summer 14 RoadTrip: Days 8-10

 

Day 8: June 28th, Independence Missiouri and Salina/ Lindsborg, Kansas

 

The day began with one last visit to the Visitors Center with Mom & Dad, then some farewell froyo in downtown Independence. Addie, Dad, Niles, James, Rich, Mom with Ammon, and Heidi at the FroYo Place.

Ammon, Grandma and James.
(notice the Direct Casket outlet in the background)

Niles kissing Grandma goodbye.

A Happy-Sister moment
(we had several of these, which was one of the aims of the trip,
but shhh, don't tell the girls we noticed)

We said good bye to Grandpa and Grandma and left from the yogurt shop and headed to Salina, Kansas around 11am. We stopped for lunch at the mall in Topeka, KS, then drove down to Lindsborg "Little Sweden" Kansas for about an hour before we checked into our hotel in Salina and let the kids swim. Below are some pictures around Lindsborg, with their awesome little Dala Horses.

Love this one!

The girls with St. Lucy

We rented this cute little quadracycle to explore Lindsborg and the kids LOVED it.

We stayed the night in Salina, then drove all the next day (Sunday, June 29, Day 9) through Nebraska to Custer, South Dakota where we stayed across the street from the Flintstones theme park. Monday (June 30, Day 10) we drove across Wyoming and Montana and got home around 5pm. It was so nice to be home...I don't think I've been so excited to back in my own house and routine since we went to Europe! What a relief. It was a WONDERFUL but draining vacation.

Summer 14 Roadtrip: Day 7

Day 7: June 27 in Independence, MO

On Friday, Grandpa took the boys to the World War I Museum and the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City while Grandma took the girls to the Puppetry Arts Institute and to the ovies to see "Maleficent."

Here's the outside of the World War 1 Museum in downtown Kansas City

James loves guns!

James & Niles

So many cool vintage War Posters!

Downtown Kansas City from the Museum tower
(the building with the arches is Union Station which houses Science City--I'd spent the previous day there with Mom Melin and the girls; to the right of this picture is Crown Center and Hallmark Headquarters)

Authentic Soldier food...
Goulash and biscuits and cole slaw for Niles

Not-so-authentic Pizza for James

Niles & James at the FR Bank

Mad Stacks of Cash!
***

Later that evening after we were reunited, we went to dinner at a KC BBQ place called Bandanas then to the Visitor's Center for our own little tour. The mission president was leaving that day, so all the sisters gathered to say good bye that night.

Grandpa pushing Ammon in his pram

Addie and Heidi

Rich, James, Heidi, Me, Niles, Addie, Grandpa and Grandma

Niles in the Pioneer cabin

Ellie Brenchley (granddaughter of the Visitor Center Director), Niles and James in the covered wagon

James with the Joseph Smith statue

James watching "MormonAds" about family life

Niles helped Grandma make breakfast!

Heidi doing art on Grandma's couch with Ammon

Summer 14 Roadtrip: Day 6

Day 6: Thursday June 26

Grandma and Grandpa had two days off their missionary work to show us around the area. They had a zillion amazing activities planned for us! That first day, Grandpa took the boys to Lego Land at Crown Center and Grandma took us girls to Science City at Union Station, all in downtown Kansas City. It was fun to see Grandpa and Grandma navigating a big huge city!

Niles and James heading to Lego Land

Niles and James with a Lego guy (is that the guy from the movie?)

Niles spots a plethora of legos!

James watching the lego builders at work

James with Lego R2-D2 and C3PO

Niles with C3PO

Lego soccer stadium (it was World Cup time!)

James with Lego Batman

James on Lego Motorcycle

For lunch we came over from Science City and met the guys for lunch at Crown Center food court. The Brenchleys also joined us (The Visitors Center Director and his wife had a 13-yo granddaughter visiting from Springville, Utah, so she joined in most of our adventures). Addie and I had delicious turkey sandwiched from Einstein Bros, Rich and Heidi had Chinese food, and the little boys had brats. Then we walked over to Kaleidoscope, an Arts and Crafts place that Hallmark created for kids (a place where they recycle/reuse extra paper goods, too).

Addie at Kaleidoscope

Niles with Grandma at Kaleidoscope

Heidi at Kaleidoscope

James and Dad at Kaleidoscope

After Kaleidoscope and a visit to the Hallmark History museum (did you know Winston Churchill was a painter? He was also BFFs with the founder of Hallmark and gifted him with several paintings--I loved them!),  We headed back to Independence and had Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner at Grandma's apartment. Then we went to this fun waterpark near the apartment.

Addie & Heidi

Addie

James

Niles

Niles & James splashing

James kept trying to get Niles with the spray,
but Niles figured out how to do it really quick!

We had a great time there and we were EXHAUSTED that night! We slept well and got ready for another busy day on Friday.