24th of July Family Fun

In July 2018, Shane and Alicia were coming in to visit. Wendy's crew wanted to connect, and we managed to get most of the family together for a group gathering.

It all started with an email, and then more email exchanges ...

Alicia: I’m finally organizing our schedule for our trip! As always, there are lots of people to see and we’re trying to balance time with both sides of the family, a few close friends, and time to relax. We have two open evenings for family dinners...Sunday and Tuesday. Which one do you want (you get first pick...my family gets the other evening.) I should mention that by family dinner I mean going to Red Robin or something.

Mom: Shane & Alicia leave today and will get here about noon tomorrow. We are planning on dinner at Red Robin on Tuesday for any family that can join us. They don't usually take reservations, but I hope they will for a large group. Earlier would be easier to get that separate room, but hard for our working men. Let us now if you think you can come or definitely can't come, so we can give them an approximate number. Then we can come here after for dessert and a longer visit and so the cousins can play. Derek came at 8 this morning and will work all day to finish putting up the decorative panels on the garage wall. Thanks Derek! Grayson stopped by last night and went to Home Depot and purchased and brought home the Husky work bench we had chosen to get. He was able to get a floor model so no assembly required! So it is nice to have that taken care of! Thanks Grayson. He said he will probably stop by Mon. with some hooks, etc. to show us and ideas for us. Now we just need to finalize our cabinet choices. Jase and Janelle & her friend will be staying here tonight. Jase is picking them up in Logan, as their Stay-at-home EFY ends tonight. They stayed with Janika and Brandon this week. Then they will drive on to St. George tomorrow morning. We had a nice dinner and visit at Derek and Danielle's on Sunday and Rick and Jase were able to go there with us. They had never seen their house and Jase was a big hit with the girls, playing with them. Monday Rick & Jase went to the New Haven summer barbecue with us at the common area. Rick was able to buy a car. Jase finishes his training up here today for his new job at Deseret Federal Credit Union. Chris came last Tuesday to take Dad hiking, but Chris ended up feeling sick and awful and could hardly make it down the mountain, so he wasn't able to enjoy it. Corin's wife Kylie's birthday is today, so we can all wish her a happy birthday.

Scott: Tuesday is a state holiday so there shouldn’t be work conflicts. Amy and I will be out of town.

Derek: We should be able to join on Tuesday. We'll plan on it! Sounds fun! If we are going to Mom and Dad's house afterwards, we can bring some small fireworks (unless they are banned in your hood like they are in ours). :)

Mom: Fireworks are not banned in our area, so that would be great. Linthorsts did quite a show in the circle on the 4th, so I don't know if they will be doing more on the 24th or now.

Mom: Instead of going to Red Robin and trying to work around everyone's schedule, we will just buy a lot of Papa Murphy's pizza and have a family get-together here. You can come anytime in the afternoon or evening you want---swim if you want---have pizza when you want and have ice cream and cookies and brownies, visit, and play in the yard. You can visit with Shane and Alicia's family while they are here from California until Fri. And Wendy and her 3 girls are arriving later today until Fri.

Chris: We will bring some gluten-free boysenberries from our gluten-free boysenberry vines, and also gluten-free cinnamon French toast cookies. Sorry Wendy they will have almond flour.

... so, Wendy did NOT pay close enough attention to Chris's email and thought those Snickerdoodles looked good. They tasted good. But they didn't make her feel good! She had to go lay down (and take some Benedryl?) 

There were Papa Murphy pizzas galore (although Jen forgot to grab the Cinna-wheel dessert she'd ordered with them, not set aside with the pizzas at pickup, but too much bother to take a trip back) and said brownies and ice cream... and fireworks.

Why are all the kids looking into the pond in the picture at top?

 There was a snake!

Jen brought out some duck eggs for Derek to take home, but he forgot them ... 

and then Mom used them up. 

... this video is pre-party, as the Blackham Boys got in the car to come out. 

But it's a favorite memory of the day (and month, and year ... maybe life!)

The next day, the available Westra Women DID go out to lunch ...
but did Chuck-a-Rama instead of Red Robin

Family fun and ladies lunch ... reminiscent of a year earlier, July 2017