Catching up!

Madison finally got her new uniforms for her Utah FC soccer team! They are Very nice looking and the get two one white one black! She has been playing soccer all through the summer and has attended two tournaments, one in Roy and one in Orem. She will start another one on August 12th in SlC.. We are so proud of her, for the hard work she put into soccer. Madi is one of the top players on the team and rarely gets to sit on the sidelines..

Coach Pierce calming the girls down after a hard fought win!!!

It was 95 degrees and these girls were in black playing in the middle of the day!! They drank gallons of water!

Another water break!

Shelby and her best friend Morgan went to a birthday party and came home dressed like cow girls! They are so dang cute together! It's nice to have your best friend live next door

Dakota and Shelby had a little accident on their scooters! Dakota got the worst of it! Broke his tooth, they super clued his lip and as you can see got lots of road rash, on his face, Arms and knees. They are both healing nicely and we are hoping Dak will not end up with any scares!

Deer Creek

As i was driving down the canyon the other day I was just in awe at all the beautiful scenery that surrounded me and at that very instance I decided that I was going to bring my family up on Saturday and so, I did! I think we had the most fun up at deer creek together as a family then we have had in a long time! The kids were able to kayak, jet ski, and float on the lake and just enjoy one another and enjoy a day outside.

Dakota really enjoyed kayaking with his cousin, he is a real pro at it and it has now become his passion in life! Such a dreamer that boy is!! Love it!!!

madison, playing in the sand, taking a break from the water! She was a real trooper dragging her mom and Aunt kathy all over the lake on our floaties! We didn't want to touch the bottom and she made sure we didn't have to get off the raft until we reached the dock!! Thanks honey!!!

Shelby and her cousin Nichole made a very creative river between the sand and the rocks! They had so much fun with all the sand!

It was kind of hard to get on the jet ski as you can see Madison struggling! But once you were on, watch out! Jordan was the driver! Hold on for dear life!!!

Jordan was in heaven on this jet ski!! He has always wanted to do this and i just loved seeing him smile from ear to ear and he gave all the kids rides around the lake!!

Dakota and Alex gave us a big scare! We had them row to the dock to return the kayak, and when they didn't return, we went on a rescue mission to find them and they were no where in sight! I started to panic and we asked around and no one had seen them. I paced the shore looking for them and fearing the worst. Finally, Kathy spotted them back at our camp spot! Holy cow, I'm still recovering from that one!!!

Dakota holding on for dear life!! He really had fun with his brother and they both enjoyed spending some quality time together!

Madi relaxing on her floatie

The girls stayed out in the water for hours! Thank heavens for sun screen!! I was so busy making sure everyone else was covered that i forgot myself and being 102 degrees on Sat, I'm sure you can picture what i look like after being on the water for 7 hours..

We all had a great time and it was fun spending time with family! Madison got sick right before we left for home with a high fever and a sore throat. She has been VERY sick all day today so, we are off to the doctors on Monday!

Independence Day!

Independence Day is the national holiday of the United States of America commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia.

At the time of the signing, the would-be United States consisted of 13 colonies under the rule of England’s King George III. There was growing unrest in the colonies concerning the taxes that had to be paid to England, commonly referred to as “taxation without representation,” as the colonists were not represented in the English Parliament and had no say in what went on.

As the unrest grew in the colonies, King George sent extra troops to help control any rebellion. In 1774, the 13 colonies sent delegates to Philadelphia to form the First Continental Congress. The delegates were unhappy with England, but were not yet ready to declare war.In April 1775, as the King’s troops advanced on Concord, Mass., Paul Revere would sound the alarm “The British are coming, the British are coming” as he rode his horse through the late night streets. The battle of Concord and its “shot heard round the world” would mark the unofficial beginning of the colonies’ war for Independence.

In May, the colonies again sent delegates to the Second Continental Congress. For almost a year, the congress tried to work out its differences with England, again without formally declaring war. By June 1776, their efforts had become hopeless and a committee was formed to compose a formal declaration of independence.Headed by Thomas Jefferson, the committee included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Philip Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Thomas Jefferson was chosen to write the first draft, which was presented to the congress on June 28.

After various changes, a vote was taken late in the afternoon of July 4.Of the 13 colonies, nine voted in favor of the Declaration, two — Pennsylvania and South Carolina — voted no, Delaware was undecided, and New York abstained.To make it official, John Hancock, President of the Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence. It is said that John Hancock signed his name “with a great flourish” so “King George can read that without spectacles!”The following day, copies of the Declaration were distributed. The first newspaper to print the Declaration was the Pennsylvania Evening Post on July 6. On July 8, the Declaration had its first public reading in Philadelphia’s Independence Square.

Twice that day the Declaration was read to cheering crowds and pealing church bells. Even the bell in Independence Hall was rung. The “Province Bell” would later be renamed “Liberty Bell” after its inscription — “Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants Thereof.”Although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the Fourth of July has been accepted as the official anniversary of United States independence.

The first Independence Day celebration took place the following year, July 4, 1777.By the early 1800s, the traditions of parades, picnics, and fireworks were established as the way to celebrate America’s birthday. And although fireworks have been banned in most places because of their danger, most towns and cities usually have big firework displays for all to see and enjoy.

Independence Month....

One day a good friend Lynda and i, were talking about how we enjoyed the months of blogging when we had a special theme to blog about IE, Thanksgiving(Gratitude) Christmas( Christ). We talked about doing it this month with Independence day and Pioneer day. I think it's a great idea! So, I look forward to everyone taking the challenge to dedicate a few of your post to those who have served before us, who serve now and to those pioneers who led the way for us.

I wanted to do my first post on the American Flag:

The flag of the United States of America consists of 13 equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing 50 small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 U.S. states and the 13 stripes represent the original Thirteen Colonies that rebelled against the British Crown and became the first states in the Union
The star :
is a symbol of the heavens and the divine goal to which man has aspired from time immemorial; the stripe is symbolic of the rays of light emanating from the sun."
Red:
Hardiness and valor
Red represents the blood spilled protecting our home.
Red: Signifies bravery.
Red is for the blood of the patriots and those that fight for our country.
Some say it represents the blood of American patriots.
White:
Purity and innocence
freedom
Blue:
Blue signifies vigilance, perseverance, and justice
Blue is for justice and perseverance.
the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes)
Answer
The red means the blood fought for victory, It may also mean freedom. The stripes represent the 13 original colonies, the stars represent the 50 states, and the white means freedom.

I thought this was a great definition of what the flag stands for! I look forward to this wonderful month and to learning a few things by reading all your posts!