Happy 4th again, etc.

As I eluded to in my last post, we took a trip down the Provo River as part of our 4th of July celebration of America. Initially we thought we could save some money by going down without a guide, but we changed our minds at the last minute and paid for a guide. They warned us about a couple of rough spots that might have been tough for a newbie like me to navigate.

One nice thing about having a guide was having him take our photos. We saw some nice scenery of the canyon, including a beaver dam and some fishermen in waders.

At one point in the river ride the water was slow and shallow so I got out and walked alongside the boat. Thomas and Matthew got out of the boat, too. When Matthew saw how cold the water was he decided to hitch a ride in my arms.

The Ward family convened at headquarters (my Mom's house) for a Cul-de-Sac of Fire celebration that night. One of Sarah's friends let us borrow her cotton candy machine and I made some cotton candy for the spectactors. After grilled salmon and steak, among other things, Mom brought out some delicious homemade ice cream.

We let the boys light off a bunch of fireworks that night. Most of the ones we had made showers of sparks. After seeing some of the neighbors' fireworks, they decided they'd like to try some fireworks that shoot into the air next year. We'll see.

I've been having a fun time at my calling in church as primary children's singing leader. Last night I fashioned a singing thermometer out of wood. When I pulled it out today, one the children exclaimed, "Is that made of wood!?" I suppose it is rather unusual to see something made of wood (other than the piano?) during singing time. It was a big hit, with some of the children gaping in awe at how the red yarn seemed to appear out of nowhere. They all sang their hearts out to see if the thermometer would reach 100 degrees.

And since that was a picture of the boys, here's a picture of the girls to balance things out. Only a month and a half to go till Emmeline's grand debut!