Cove Fort was really cool

On our way home from California we stopped at Cove Fort. I have always wanted to stop here, but we have always been on a time schedule when we are heading down that way. Sue and I took the opportunity to take the kids. It was really quite amazing. The Fort was built over seven months by President Hinckley's grandfather. The walls are made from volcanic rock and are four feet thick and the bottom and taper to two feet thick at the top. The doors are huge and thick, but hollow. They used to fill them with sand to stop the bullets, but then the hinges had issues, they tried other things like cotton, that didn't work because it would rot.

One thing I loved learning was that the fort was built for protection from the Indians, but that Ira Hinckley and his family befriended the Indians so they didn't worry about attacks. Once friendships were forged, they didn't need the inner yard area for stage coaches and wagons at night, so the Kinckleys planted the huge beautiful trees that are there now.

Liz and Nathan loved learning about different things from the time period. What a great hour and a half!

Road Trip

My mother-in-law and I took the kids on a road trip to Southern California. My sister lives a few minutes from where my in-laws used to live, so the kids and I stayed with my sister and Sue stayed with a friend. We had a chance to see Sue's mom (the kids' great grandma DuVall) and her sisters too. We saw the beach and just enjoyed some time away.

This is the closest In N Out to us (for now) and was our first stop. Sue would have been happy to eat here for every meal, but I don't think they are open for breakfast.

Here are the kids with Great Grandma Duvall. We met her and Peggy and Julie for dinner as we passed through Ontario on our way to Torrance.

On Friday we intended to just have lunch and play in the sand at the beach, but then we decided to get our feet wet, we got a lot more than our feet wet, and before long the swim suits were out and we were having a ball.

The kids love playing in the sand. We brought a lot of it home to Michelle's apartment.

Me and the kids, wishing Brian was with us.

Grandma and the kids, ready to get their feet wet.

Sue tesxting her boys, bragging about where we were.

The kids all LOVED the water.

Time for the swim suits. We had a great day!

Mom and dad are gone . . . Let's party

So Brian and I spent the end of last week in New York with my brother and my parents.  We had a great time and did so many fun things.  We put some pictures on my family's blog.  Check out the links below.  

http://eprocrastinator.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-york-city-part-1.html  

http://eprocrastinator.blogspot.com/2009/06/new-york-city-part-2-for-kids.html

Anyway, the kids stayed with their Grandma and Grandpa Chantry.  They had a BALL!  Grandma read a book about filling buckets that helped them be helpful, kind and peacemakers and had great activities planned.  Here are a few pics from the Treehouse Museum.

Mike's favorite part of anything . . . TRAINS

Liz dressed up as Alice in Wonderland.

Nathan as Harry Potter.

Meg and the zebra.

The Chantrys on the way to stop the fire!

Another day the kids went to play in the Splash Pad at the park and had a great time.  Nathan was so pleased when a bucket poured on his head.

Megan is just cute little Megan.  She can never decide if she likes getting wet.

Mike
Liz.
Mike ready for hot dogs and smores

Liz, Nathan and Mike liked the fire pit.
Megan (above) and Nathan and Liz enjoyed the smores with grandma.

The kids also got to see Up and the boys wne to Home Depot to build a project with Grandpa.  What a great few days.  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa!