Peachick at Pioneer Village

We went to Lagoon for "family day" last week. I saw this mama peahen and her little peachick near Pioneer Village. The peacock wasn't too far away. Sadly, someone was chasing them, so this was the best picture I could get before the peafamily dashed off into the bushes and out of reach. I'd never before seen a peachick. So little and precious. 

Pioneer Trek Bucket

For pioneer trek, my daughter was required to bring a 5 gallon bucket to hold all her personal belongings. Someone suggested we make a removable pad for the top so she could sit on the bucket and use the pad for a pillow. We searched around the internet for ideas of what to do and adapted what we found.

For the pad, I cut out a circle of foam board, cut up an old piece of padding, put fabric over the top, and duct taped the fabric onto the bottom of the board. Then I duct taped sew-on Velcro to the bottom of the circle and top of the bucket lid. Easy. 

For the handle, we saw this idea of tying on strips of fabric. I padded the middle portion and sewed fabric to cover it-- my daughter's idea.

She saw vinyl lettering on a bucket and assumed it was painted on. So, she made a stencil of her name and painted it on the bucket. It reminds her of an Easter basket, but we're pretty happy with the results.

Goodbye Butler Middle

My daughter and I rode our bikes over to the middle school to see how the demolition is going. The old building is coming down fast. They were even working on it yesterday. I'm pretty sure they're behind schedule. 

The new school is already built, but still not totally complete. They're working on the grounds and the parking areas.

 The words above the chalkboard in the classroom below say, 

"You are the future. Do you like what you see?"

Water Balloons

It took an hour to fill twenty balloons of each color. 

That's 120 water balloons.

The fight was over in minutes.

But it was fun.

Flag Day

 It's not an official federal or state holiday, but still nice to see some flags today.

I also walked past the memorial below which is at our local cemetery.

Summer Fun Begins

First official day of summer vacation. 

The children helped out around the house. 

We went to a fun park. 

Success!

Why Moose Have Antlers

at Red Butte Garden.

Her face isn't sad-looking because she was in pain or anything.
She just didn't want to get down and I caught her at the wrong time.

Red Beautiful

We bought a family membership for Red Butte Garden today. It was relatively inexpensive. We'd only have to go once as a whole family for it to pay for itself-- three times as a couple. Totally worth it. It's a garden of Eden right now. Gorgeous. It'll be the perfect destination for low-key (now free!) dates throughout the summer and fall.

Did you know there's such a thing as white wisteria?!
Until today, I didn't.

Not that you really need white when you have all that gorgeous purple.

So many places to explore with no dogs (or dog messes), no bicycles, 

and surprisingly few people. 

They have benches throughout and some benches swing.

I think it's my new favorite place.

Snow-topped Mountains,Trees, and Blue Blue Sky

More Wheeler Farm in May

Spring run off.

These are weed flowers as tiny as forget-me-nots only pink. There were tons of these at the farm today.

 Whenever I smell lilacs I think of the four childhood years I spent in Iowa. Not long before we moved to Utah, my parents left us children (they had seven at the time, five of them younger than me) to go on a house-hunting trip. Somehow I was sent to stay at a church member's home all by myself. An older couple lived there, not too far from my school, and worked during the day. After school, I came back to a quiet empty house. I missed my siblings. It was too quiet.
But I had my own room for the first time in my life. 

In the room was a desk just below a window where I could sit and do my homework. Most days, the window was open when I came back from school A perfect breeze blew through that window and gently lifted the white cotton curtains up over the desk and into the room. Right outside the window were lilac bushes. The scent and the situation brought the most serene, beautiful feeling. When I smell lilacs, I think of that room and of Iowa. It brings back a rush of joyful childhood feelings.