Justin's parents went camping up American Fork canyon and kindly invited us to join them. Justin had to work and Sarah had swimming lessons that week but we went up as a family Monday evening and left the other three kids to stay a couple of nights. Henry always loves an opportunity to use his hatchet.
"This is Erica Rock." "No, this is James Rock" Everywhere we go.
"No wait. This is James Rock."
And then came the rain. Luckily we had already eaten dinner. It started as a sprinkle and then increased to a full on downpour.
Most of the group took shelter in the camper but a few of us rain-starved folk stayed outside under the canopy. If one stood up on the picnic table, one stayed dry. The rainwater pooled in the low spots of the canopy and it was fun to push it up and make a waterfall on an unsuspecting person as Justin is demonstrating here:
I did it once on purpose, once on accident, and then got blamed for an instance that was all nature.
During all this, we saw an elk.
This my friends, is true love. Justin getting soaked in the rain roasting me a marshmallow.
I didn't even have to ask. He knows.
Henry also has a sense for smores and wandered out of the trailer just in time.
That's my kid.
So for 48 hours Sarah was an only child. We spent the time going to swimming lessons, shopping, watching TV, not cleaning the house and took her out to dinner. And swimming lessons each day. She is in the intermediate 3 class which means she's learned all the strokes and gets coached on how to improve. They also learned underwater racing turns which are already her favorite.
During her hourlong lesson a lady next to me asked me about something or other. She had an accent which initially intrigued me. After a few more minutes of conversations of weather and summer camps and such, I asked her where she grew up. "Russia," she said. Outwardly I said something like, "I've never met anyone from Russia before," because if I said "Tell me all the things because I want to hear everything you have to say," she would make up a reason to sit somewhere else and wouldn't tell me anything. Since I kept my cool we talked the entire hour. Well I asked questions, she talked.
I learned she grew up in Russia and joined the church at 19, moved to the US with her American husband (that she met in Russia) and "was shocked" at seeing an American grocery store in DC. So. Much. Food. Plus our refrigerators and kitchens are huge and she thought they held a year's worth of food. Her husband got after her for dumping out milk after a week. She said it was bad since she bought it a week ago. He had to reassure her it was still good.
Her favorite thing about America is driving everywhere. In Russia (in the cities she lived in anyway) you walk or take the bus and it's very dirty. She loves driving her kids around for the safety and "you just carry your bags from the trunk to the house!"
Puddles in the US are water and fun for kids to jump in. Puddles in Russia are oil and do not let your kids jump in them. She hasn't visited Russia in 8 years because it takes 36 hours to get to her home city. Yes, she's had some mean comments made to her and her children since the conflict in Ukraine began. No, she doesn't think all Americans hate her. Ukrainian and Russian relations is very complex and long and Americans are only seeing a small picture right now. Putin is bad but Ukrainians have done some terrible things to Russians living in Ukraine for decades. US sugar is boring and only has one flavor = sweet. Russian sugar is made from beets and has a flavor. Russian Snickers taste different than the ones made in America. Bread tastes different too. I told her I would love to try Russian sugar and bread. The next day she brought me a slice.
It was dense and healthy. There were a lot of flavors going on which we don't get from storebought brread of the recipes I use. It was a sourdough with white, wheat, and rye flour. I wouldn't say I loved it but I liked how interesting it was.
I'll probably never see Natalia again. She said most people have a hard time understanding her English with her strong accent. She asked me how I understood her so well. I told her once I got used to her accent, it wasn't so hard. I did the same thing with the Spanish speakers that worked on our house last summer. Just takes getting used to.
I'm working on another yard project. I want to add some shrubbery to the south and east side of our home where the lawn extends right up to the house. I don't like that. I think houses need shrubs for decoration and cooling effect. So I've been a little preoccupied with houses around my neighborhood. What kind of shrub is that? How tall does it get? Do I like a row of the same shrub or a mix or pattern? What's the difference between a shrub and a bush? Do I want deciduous and evergreen? What kind grow the biggest and the fastest?
On my daily walks I have my phone on the ready to capture inspiration.
Trees are my first love. I walked 8 blocks back to this house because my phone was dead the time before and I couldn't take a picture. Luck of all luck the homeowner was in his garage. After I took this picture I politely asked him if he could tell me what kind it was. "I'll have to ask my wife." He called to her in the backyard. Not only did she tell me the kind of tree it was (Japanese maple, now on my shortlist of trees to add), she took me on a tour of her backyard and pointed out all her plants and trees and told me what kinds they were. Some of them I knew from my obsessive reading online and others were like mysteries solved.
In a perfect world, everyone's landscaping would be labeled so I could stop image searching on Google.
This is just a sample of the photos on my phone. Everywhere I go.
The Dyes made a triumphant return to the Pioneer Day breakfast. (2020-covid, 2021-ran out of food before we got there)
Back to the park for games.
Sarah plays this every year because it's tradition.
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| 2011 |
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| 2016 |
And all the other years too. She'll be running this game in a couple of years if she has any say about it.
Then to the bounce houses and rock wall.
And top it off with James dousing Henry in the dunk tank.
Then since I thought I was going to die from the heat, we went home. I drank a gallon of water, ate some popsicles, sat on the air vent and still thought I was going to pass out or throw up. A shower helped. My Scandinavian ancestry was sure showing this day.
After burgers for dinner we went back to the park in time for the ping-pong ball drop.
Is there anything more exciting to a kid than a helicopter dropping ping-pong balls that could win you a bike?
In surprises of all surprises James won! We all cheered so loudly and Henry and I walked him down to the prize station. He drew a number and it corresponded to this scooter.
We already have more scooters than kids at our house but he's never wanted to ride any of them.
But I guess when it's your very own prize, you want to.
Anyway, back to the park, the music started and the glowsticks come out.
So much dancing.
We had a Warhead eating contest. I feel like I lost.
And then it gets dark and the magic happens.
Let me illustrate a little about how amazing this firework show is. James asked, "How many grand finales are there going to be?" It's like 25 minutes of grand finales. (But don't come--it's getting crazy crowded and if I have to keep coming earlier and earlier to save us a spot, so help me.)
Somehow James fell asleep halfway through. Ash in his hair and all.
Blessed, honored pioneers. We love Utah.
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