Mi Casa es Su Casa

It has been a busy July for us so far! We enjoyed having Sarah, Aaron, Pyper, Hakan and Finnley visit us for the 4th of July weekend. We made two trips into Kanab that day--once in the morning to watch the parade down the center of town (while Dean and Aaron golfed) and again in the evening to watch the 10 minute fireworks display (maybe a waste of a 30 minute one-way trip...) Pyper and Hakan thought it was awesome that the people in the parade threw candy to the spectators (we had to keep an eye on them that they didn't get run over when the parade made a u-turn at the end of Center Street and came back again). Hakan was thrilled to see Spiderman in the hometown parade and later, when the fire engines came by, Pyper was waving for them spray her with water while Hakan cowered behind me (Sarah had the presence of mind to duck into the nearby cafe with Finn when she saw what was coming). I made a pitiful campfire in the evening to let the kids roast hotdogs for dinner (which we ate inside since it was too hot to stay outside) and then we went back out to roast marshmallows for 'smores. It wasn't a fancy feast, I'm ashamed to say, but my intent was for the kids to get a kick out of it.

Pyper and Hakan got to experience some new things while at Casa de Campo. On Friday, while nearly everyone else was in Las Vegas helping move household items for a couple in the branch, Mom, Jennifer, Pyper & Hakan got to go to the 'farm' with Mommer to feed and water her horses, water the garden and also pick fresh spinach for dinner!

Dad and the other men helped Popper with the new terrace project that looks like will take more work than originally anticipated, but on our last evening there, Keith talked Popper into building a campfire for old times sake. So, using the firepan that the Cox's had given them, Popper inagurated the upper level of the new outdoor living area with a Montoya campfire! This will be a new favorite spot to congregate once the project is complete--and it will be awesome no doubt!

This years visit to Mommer & Popper's was brief but it was fun to get to see Terry & Ferrell, Tricia, Chris, Jordan (and Pico), Ashton & Wesley.
Mommer enjoyed having Finn all to herself for a while as well. Sarah's post about their trip will likely be more fascinating reading, but I had some pictures that I knew she didn't have and wanted to share them.
We missed having Aaron, Rachelle, Bryce, Dena, Todd & Kristen with us in New Mexico, but we are looking forward to the wedding in October and another chance for us all to get together again.