Utah...part 11

4th of July - Summer holiday usually celebrated by attending parades, barbeques, family reunions, watching fireworks and freezing in a Suburban with hail/slush/rain falling manically outside....what?!?!



We headed to Vernal on July 3rd to meet up with Grandma and Grandpa Snow and Natalie before heading up to the mountain for the Snow family reunion. Excited as we were to see family, we were also looking forward to meeting up with Cassie and Scott (my brother and sister-in-law). After shopping at Walmart we headed up the mountain into a dark, nasty, ominous looking cloud. Driving through the scattered rain storms we found the campsite for that nights dinner. While driving up to the site however I realized how important it really is to have 4 wheel drive on Suburbans...I had to pull my father-in-law out of a nasty mud pile!

Since the babies had only recently learned to walk, on solid, dry, flat ground and since the ground outside was soaking wet, hilly and muddy, we held them and when they got too restless we herded them to the car for playtime. Finally, after enduring several sporadic rainstorms we ate a quick dinner and headed back down the mountain into good weather.

We met Scott and Cassie at a park for a relaxing couple of hours of play/chat time before heading to Jensen for the night. It was so good to see them and with the prospect of seeing them at least once a year in Vernal over the 4th of July weekend. I was satisfied to know they were looking forward to getting to know us as much as I was excited to get to know them better. Hopefully next year we can get together with a few more of the West half Kinghorns too!



We woke up on the 4th to great weather in the valley again... Grandpa Snow took the kids fishing up on the mountain. When Grandma, Natalie and I arrived with the babies for lunch we found hail all over the ground and nasty clouds still threatening more. Once again we spent the afternoon cooped up in the car waiting for the storm to blow over - which it never did. Lincoln enjoyed the hail, particularly because he's the only one who really was sad not to see any snow last winter. After a rushed lunch confined to the car we set off for better weather and 'home' with Natalie.

We arrived in Utah County just in time to head over to my cousin Dace's house for fireworks and food! It was so great to finally see their home and the view from their backyard is AMAZING! The babies were kind of oblivious to the big fireworks, but loved playing out on the grass. They did enjoy the fireworks that Dace lit off on the street in front of the house. They "ooooh'd" and "awwwww'd" in all the right places.

All in all it as an Independence Day to remember. From warm, fun, family barbeques to manic Uintah mountain storms and family reunions. It's one I won't forget anytime soon!