We went to Pioneer Day with Steph and her kids.  We were hoping to get there soon enough to witness Colonel Gail Halvorsen, 'The Candy Bomber' drop a load of candy on the park.  Our kids had just seen a movie about Halvorsen's life, how, after World War II, he dropped candy in Berlin during the Berlin Airlift (then a Soviet sector in Germany.)  It had started with his own rations, along with some of his comrades, that he wrapped little handkerchief parachutes around.  It became such a popular humanitarian endeavor that by the end of his tour, they had dropped 23 tons of chocolate and candy into Germany.  It's a pretty interesting life and he was going to do a candy drop as a pre-celebration for the 4th of July.  Well, we didn't anticipate that all of Utah would want to be there as well, and we hit so much traffic, that we didn't even get to the park until after the candy drop (we did see the plane from the car!) and people were streaming out of the park.

A little disappointed, we decided to enjoy the fun booths that they had set up for Pioneer Day.  I always love a good activity that puts my kids to work...like carrying buckets of water.

We played games.

Yve and Laina

Rockin' the bodysuit.

Then, as we were walking around the park, we saw a big crowd around a golf cart.  Intrigued, we pushed on a little farther until we saw, none other than,  Colonel Halvorsen himself.  Nobody knew that he was going to come back to the park.  He said that he just wanted to make sure everyone got some treats because one of the drops they did got stuck.  (awww.)   The kids were so excited to actual meet him.  He was very kind to them and chatted a minute (even though his ride was telling him that they needed to move on.  I have to say that was so much better than getting some candy dropped over your head!  (We heard later that when the candy dropped, it was a virtual mob.  So glad to have missed that!)  So, there you have it.  The Candy Bomber.

Rob's travel schedule has been pretty intense lately.  Since I knew that he was taking yet another trip I decided that it was a good time to take the kids to my Mom's house.  The six hour drive isn't too terrible by ourselves and since there are so many members of my family there in Utah, we have plenty of people to visit.

Before we took off, Robert spent some quality time with the little boys.  Look what he found...a drawer of naked babies!  Who doesn't want one of those?

Off to Utah we went.  (To make Robert feel loved, we did leave him with a long honey-do list.)  Then we spent our time doing very important things, like:

Cousin time!  Alaina, Jason and Gracie.  (or who Jason likes to refer to as 'my other sister.')

Hot tub time.

Story time (with scotty)

Movie time much needed after Seven Peaks time!   Yve, Alaina, Lucy, Oliver, Penny & Ethan.  Austin, Ellie, Tommy and Jack.  Myles and Peter.

Ice-cream time!

We got in a couple of days in Tooele with Russ' family.

And visited Russ at work.

Ethan and Yve got to go spend an afternoon with Jim, Steph and Mom at the temple.

These two are looking pretty grown up!

All important tramp time.

Park time.

But I have to admit that the very best time was hanging out in the yard time.

Could there be any other picture that captures the word 'freedom' better than this one?  (Still trying to potty train Jason!)

Three Cheers for Father's Day - and other highly stressful events.

If I'm being honest about it, Father's Day always puts me in a funk.  It's not that I don't like fathers.  I do.  I have an awesome Dad and a pretty amazing father-in-law.  I also happen to really like our resident Father here at the Jones' home.  Yet, here I am, another Father's day has now come and past, and I am... once again...downright grumpy.

Now, near the beginning of the month, I actually get pretty pumped about Father's Day.  I go out and get the cards I want to send to everyone.  I start thinking up a plan, half-believing that this year is going to be 'the year' we have a perfect Father's Day.  I think up a gift or surprise, and of course, I start planning the breakfast and dinner.  It is all very intentional and thought-out.

Somehow, between the planning at the beginning of the month and the week leading up to the actual day, my life gets away from me.  Every year.  Then the things I have so carefully planned out becomes some crazy jumble and I get lucky to get half the things done, and the things that I do get done just put me in a rotten mood.  To top it off, a few days later, almost without fail, I come across those carefully picked out Father's Day cards I never get around to sending.  (Looking at them right now.)

Let's take this Father's day.  It was insane.  Now, I was pretty excited about this one, because I thought I was really editing out the extras crazy ideas and really just sticking with one solid, simple plan.  The kids and I decided to write a list of about six of Robert's favorite things, and then do them all.  (That's me, simplifying.)  Since some things cost money, we decided to start Father's day on Saturday.  It was pretty easy.  We would go Rob's favorite type of restaurant - Thai Food, for lunch.  Then get an ice-cream at 31 flavors.  Followed by a movie at the outside theater nearby.  In the morning we were going to do breakfast, walk around the neighborhood and go to church, ending with dinner and a night swim.

Pretty great idea, right?  Well, before we even got to Saturday, I was super stressed out.  Mostly since two weeks before, Rob was gone for a week trip.  The minute (not exaggerating) he got home he packed as fast as he could and ran out the door to Austin's 11 year old scout camp.   He was home Sat. night and Sunday, but out the door early Monday morning for a week long scout camp for the two boys.  He came home Saturday morning, tired and dirty.  But I had plans, didn't I?  So, the poor guy tried to be cheerful.  After a nap for him, we loaded up the kids and went to Thai.  The little boys were insane.  Jason had to go potty every two seconds.  Neither one of them like the food.  Emmett was already overtired.  It was a mess.  Literally.

The kids had made these Father's Day gifts for Rob:

This lovely candy bar card was made with love and a whole lot of fighting and arguing over the message.  :)

After that we skipped the ice-cream and opted for a quick juice and go the kids home to bed.  Rob got the big kids and went to the movies.  I cleaned up for the next day.  On Sunday, I was up early with the little boys, made breakfast and got the kids dressed up in their Father's Day outfits.  We got one pictures before the little boys decided it wasn't, if fact, picture time.  However...they still looked pretty cute.

That afternoon we got the kids all cute and off to church.  We got there and as soon as we got settled in and church got started, Jason leaned over and suddenly threw up all over the floor.  Robert whisked him to the bathroom where he hand washed Jason's shirt and got the child cleaned up.  I got the lovely job of scrubbing up the floor  (thank goodness for baby wipes!)  I was very happy we got there a little late and managed to be in the back of the church!  When it was all clean, I traded places with Rob and put Jason's shirt out to dry on a bush outside.  It is so dry and hot here that within 10 minutes, he shirt was nearly dry.  

As soon as I got Jason's shirt on, we heard the primary children singing their Father's day songs.  Jason was acting just fine (hyper but fine) and he wanted to sing so I walked him up to the front to join the kids.  Well, he was super excited and ran up to the steps, face-planting it just before he got there.  oops.  Instead of crying he got up and ran to the kids.  Then he ran past them to the benches behind the Bishop.  There, he started running, full speed back and forth behind everyone for the remainder of the songs.  When the kids came down, he refused to and I had to send Ethan up to chase him down.

As soon as we got him I took him out again to the hallway.  As I was talking to my friend, Jason took off full speed again, down the hallway.  I sped-walked after him, not super worried, until I turned the second corner and saw him still running back towards the entrance to the chapel.  I ran.  He ran faster and bust through the doors.  I got there in time to watch him run down the side aisle, cross the front and run, full tilt back down the second aisle and out the opposite door.  Pill!  I jammed back around the back of the building to catch him on the other side.  As soon as he saw me coming, he knew he was busted so before I could get there he ran back in and repeated his shenanigans going the opposite direction.  Little monster!  I was forced to return back to the other side to try to catch him again (I certainly wasn't going to go running through the chapel!)  When I got to the other side I was relieved to know that my little babysitter had caught the scoundrel and brought him over to Rob.  By the time I got back there, all red-faced and out of breath, I whispered to Rob, "Can you believe that kid!?"  His response was classic Rob, "What are you talking about?"  Yup.  He somehow missed all of that.  I think he had been busy watching the back of eyelids. 

We got through church, with only about 5 comments of, "Don''t worry...we've all been there." We got through dinner.  I got the kids to bed.  I managed a grumpy 'Happy Father's Day.' and rolled myself into bed.  Boom.  Another Father's Day fiasco.

******wow.  I just reread this little melodrama I wrote a couple of months ago.  I was tempted to erase and just put up the cute pictures of the day.  I mean, sheez!  What a whiner.  But, then I thought, why not?  Life is pretty messy.  Plus, I'll need to remember some of these experiences to bring up at choice times when my kids tell me how easy my job is.  :)  Just keeping it real for Father's Day.

Btw.  Rob's an awesome dad.  The kids love him.  I love him.  That had to be said.