Summer Adventure

We took the first week of July and went on a trip across the West.  We fit in visits to both sets of grandparents and had a lot of fun.

The Backseat Drivers

Utah



Every year for the 4th of July, my hometown has a hot air balloon festival.  It's really awesome.  You get up early and watch the hot air balloons get ready and go up as the sun rises over the mountains.  It's a really fun, patriotic place to spend the 4th.

 

We also celebrated Daddy's birthday.

Queen bee



There are several summer birthdays so we had a small celebration for everyone.  Jasper got a big dinosaur volcano cake, while everyone else got regular cupcakes.  That's how it usually goes with him around.



A pro of going somewhere else for the 4th is the fireworks.

The Zoo



We rode the train

My kids wouldn't look at the camera for a picture if their lives depended on it.

There are many ways to have your head eaten at this zoo.

Measuring up to the gorillas is something that must be done on every visit to this zoo.

We rode the carousel



Gma and little miss became BFFs

We saw this kind of turtle...



and this rare kind...

More fun

When I was little we would get these helicopter leaves off the tree in my mom's front yard and stick them to our noses, so of course I had to show Jasper the trick.

My children have no yard, so they were excited for the rare treat of running through the sprinklers.



Jasper bonded with Chet, my brother's girlfriend's dog.



My hometown also has a parade on the morning of the 4th, which Jasper really enjoyed...from behind his eyelids.



It's dangerous to fall asleep when Daddy is in the backseat with you.



L.A.
I got far fewer pictures in L.A. than in Utah, partially because we were only in L.A. for a short time.  And it was too hot to think about taking pictures.



Journey got a beautiful new dress for her birthday from Grandma.  She actually walks around flouncing the skirt and asking everyone if she looks pretty.

L.A. Zoo

We decided to have a zoo competition.  The Utah zoo won :) but the L.A. Zoo was fun too.  It was just hotter.



Jasper got a smashed penny, something Jon and I like to get as well.

Jasper practiced his crocodile hunter skills

Overall we had a really great trip.  It was nice to see everyone, and now we're going to hunker down and get ready for school to start, which will be too soon.