July 4, 2012

Matt had to work until 6 a.m. on July 4th.  He also had to go in at 8 that night.  It really stinks that he had to work on his favorite holiday.  He loves fire.  He loves to light fireworks.  The girls and I decided that we were going to go swimming with my Mom in the outdoor pool at the West Valley Rec Center.  I didn't want my Mom to be alone for the holiday.  My Mom gave me a call about 9:30 in the morning to see what time we were going to swim.  We decided on 2 p.m. the hottest part of the day.  I decided to lounge around for a bit, arrange pictures from our Nauvoo trip.  I received a text from Rachael at 10 a.m.  She was wondering if we had ever decided on getting together for the Kaysville 4th of July parade.

We never did finish talking about it.  I asked her what time it started.  She text me back and said 11 a.m. I realized that I would never make it in time.  We weren't ready for the day yet, and we hadn't eaten breakfast either.   If I were to try I probably would have a major anxiety attack, get pulled over for speeding, or have a   bad accident from speeding.  It was a good idea not to go.  I still had to make the meat for sloppy joes, so we could have them for dinner at my mom's house.  I text Rachael back and let her know that we wouldn't be coming and explained why.  Told them to have fun, and thanks for the invite.  I'm glad she understood.  I wish that we could have gone, love hanging out with them.  We already missed the get together they all had with at their house.  Josh and Brenda came.  We couldn't come because Matt had work, and I had Bunco.  I don't know if it was just a Bar-B-Q or if they were lighting fireworks as well.  

After texting Rachael I decided that we had better get our butts moving.  I got breakfast made, told the girls that they could run through the sprinklers after they got showered.  While they were playing in the sprinklers I made the sloppy joe meat.  Then I quickly exercised, got showered, and dressed in my swim suit.  I got everything that we would need packed up in the car, and then we went to my Mom's house.  From there we walked over to the pool.  It's about a 5 min walk.

The pool was super crowded, we were lucky to find a spot in a shady area for our stuff.  We got our sunblock on and went into the pool.  We were in there for about 10 minutes before they blew the whistle to do a water test.  In that time that we were in the pool, Maddie didn't want to leave my side.  I made her go with Kenzie down the orange slide in the kiddie area.  She did just fine.  Kenzie is not afraid of the water, and was going under the water most of the time.  I got Maddie to put her head completely under without freaking out.  She let me dunk her too, without freaking out.  That is progress.

When the whistle was blown to get out of the pool we went back to our towels.  Ate some licorice, talked for a bit, and then they blew the whistle again to be able to go back into the pool.  We headed back over to the pool the girls and I.  My Mom decided to wait for a bit.  Kenzie wanted to go to the deeper part of the pool.  She practiced jumping into the pool.  Maddie got scared, but tried.  Then we headed back to the kiddie area.  My Mom came into the pool and found us.  We were able to sit and talk while the girls played. Kenzie had fun carrying Maddie in her arms and on her back in the water.  Then my Mom was ready to get out again.

The girls and I played for a little bit, and then they were complaining that they were cold.  I was trying to make it to when the whistle was blown to get out of the pool before we actually did get out of the pool.  I kept them distracted.  Then I asked Kenzie is she wanted to go down the big water slide.  She said yes.  I had to make sure she was tall enough.  I asked the lifeguard.  She said she didn't know how tall they had to be, but they had to be at least 6 years old to go down the slide.  We all could have gone down the slide together, but not at the same time.  Maddie is so not ready to go down a water slide like that by herself yet.  I didn't want to leave Maddie by herself.  I asked Kenzie if she was okay to walk up the stairs to the top of the water slide by herself.  She was kind of hesitant, but then she said she could do it.  I told her I would watch while she climbed up the stairs.  I could see her from the stairs in the pool.

Maddie and I sat there and waited for her to come down.  We waited, and waited, and waited some more.  I swear at least 15 kids came down when I started to freak out more than I already was.  Maddie and I started to go to the stairs of the water slide to see if we could see Kenzie at the top.  We couldn't.  So we walked back over to the stairs of the pool, and lo and behold Kenzie had just come down the slide and was looking for us.  She looked scared that we weren't on the stairs.  I was so relieved that she was okay, but mad that I had missed her coming out at the bottom.  I yelled her name and we got back into the pool.  She swam over to meet us.  I asked her if she wanted to go down it again with me.  She said yes, so I told her to stay put on these stairs and not move while I took Maddie over to my Mom.

When I got Maddie to my Mom they blew the whistle to get out of the pool.  Darn it!  I had to hurry back to Kenzie.  What an obedient girl I have.  She waited on those stairs just like I told her too.  She was looking confused of what she should be doing.  I know in her head that she was thinking that she needed to get out of the pool like other people were, but she didn't want to disobey me.  When I saw her I also saw that a lifeguard was going to say something to her.  I quickly yelled her name, so he wouldn't have to tell her to get out of the pool.  I asked her if she was ready to leave and go back to Grandma's house.  She was so cold and shivery she said yes.

When we got back to our area I told my Mom that the girls were ready to leave.  So we dried off, and walked back to my mom's house.  So the weather was so hot at my mom's house, not so much at the pool.  It's crazy how that works out.  We dried off more in my mom's backyard.  Matt  had gotten ready for work and came to eat and hang out until he had to go to work.  After drying off we got  the rest of dinner made.  We had our sloppy joes, chips, fruit salad, green salad, and corn on the cob.  It was good!


After eating we went downstairs to watch Big Miracle.  It's based on a true story. Set in Cold War-era 1988, Big Miracle tells the true story of a small-town news reporter (John Krasinski) and a Greenpeace volunteer (Drew Barrymore) who enlist the help of rival superpowers to save three majestic gray whales trapped under the ice of the Arctic Circle.  Very good movie, it's a must see.  Matt had to leave before it ended, so he missed the ending.   We will have to borrow it from my mom.  


I checked my phone for messages after we got done watching the movie.  One of my friends called.  She was wondering if we were going to go see the Sugarhouse fireworks.  I didn't want to drive around in all of the confusion.  I decided it would be better if we didn't.  We were going to shoot fireworks on the 8th with Quinn.  Matt wouldn't be going to work either.  It was our 4th of July celebration with some family.  It's hard having most of my family live out of the state, and Matt's family living further away in the state.  I feel like my family is slipping away from each other.  It sucks!  I've got to do all that I can do to stay in touch with my side and Matt's side.

We left my Mom's house around 9 p.m.  She was so tired.  We were tired too.  We went home.  I got the rest of the lawn watered, and the girls watched another movie while I finished sorting my pictures from Nauvoo getting them ready to put in the blog post.  Both Kenzie and Maddie got sunburned.  Poor things, I put aloe vera on their backs and then we all went to bed.  We had a very good day, wish we could have spent it with more family though.  I'm so grateful for our country, for those fighting for it.  I'm so grateful to be an american and have freedom.