Catching up... last week of July

After we got done with Cousin's Camp, Family Reunion and other various adventures including finding places for 21 people to sleep here, everyone went home, and Mom and Dad left for Iowa, to see Amy's new baby (who arrived 9 days late), so the house felt pretty empty. To add to the emptiness, Price and Josh left for the week to go to Clear Creek Camp. I probably should have sent a camera with them, but I wasn't sure they'd even remember to take pictures, so I didn't. So, no pictures.

While they were gone, though, I took the rest of the kids to Discovery Gateway. We stayed 3 hours, but could have been there much, much longer. As I collected kids and tried to get out, I kept losing kids to different activities- it took quite a while to actually leave the building!

Emma and Annie learning how to be cartoonists.

Ethan's favorite part- the life flight helicopter on the roof!

Filming a stop-motion film- this was really fun. I need to have a set-up like this at home!

And last, Emma in her true calling- working at a grocery store. I kid you not, she spent 2 hours in there. She totally hogged the jobs from all the other kids. When I finally made her give up her post as a cashier, she moved to the deli and made sandwiches to order. She was very competent and very busy. I sometimes think she has the organizational genes of my Grandma Steele, who was known to organize lines to the bathroom at the movie theater. Emma knows how things should be, and tries very hard to make us all comply. I can't even hold her hand anymore- she doesn't just holds hands, she moves me where she wants me. Pretty funny. I think (hope?) this will serve her well as she grows up.

The boys came home Friday, tired but very happy and excited- Clear Creek is the best!

Saturday morning, we went slip and sliding with our friends the Phelons- they have a great set-up! My camera ran out of batteries, but I did get a few pictures:

The morning ended rather abruptly when Rebekah ran into Price, who was stopped at the bottom. No lasting injuries, though, and everyone wants to do it again sometime!