Pioneer Day

We are so lucky to live in Utah, where July 24th is one of the biggest holidays of the year. For those of you non-utahites July 24th is Pioneer Day. Doesn't sound exciting? Well, imagine you are 5 and the day invoves a big parade, all kinds of cool pioneer activities and the loudest biggest fireworks of the summer! Get the picture?

There is so much to do it is really hard to choose. We started our day at Liberty Park watching all the floats from the parade make their last circle.There were so many cool ones, but this is the only one that stopped long enough that I could snap a picture with the boys.

Then we walked across the park to the aviary (free that day) and checked out all our feathered friends. Michael was the navigator...

The boys had a ball. They laughed at all the different birds and we stood in front of each cage FOREVER before I could pursuade them to move on. One can only stare at a vulture or a magpie for so long! The whole time Daniel kept saying, "Nonner Titten!" Which translated means, "Another chicken," I tried to stimulate his 2 year old brain by telling him all the birds names, but he would have none of it. They were ALL chickens!

I am not sure who was more interested, the boys or....

the birds... these little cuckoos stared at the boys for a long time, following them as far as they could along the fence.

It was so hot, but we had a good time. Then it was off to the house for a yummy lunch and a lesson in pioneer candy-making. The boys wanted to make taffy. I have never made candy before, but last year I got a candy thermometer and was excited to figure it out. How hard could it be?! HARD! It looked so shiny and pretty in the pot that I thought I was on a roll. This part was too hot for tiny fingers so I had to do it.

Then after it cooled a little it was time for a good old-fashioned taffy pull. The candy was still pretty hot and Michael was the only one brave enough to touch it. I think his favorite part was rubbing slimy butter in between his fingers.

I wanted to snap a pic of the actual pulling, but it happened so fast and my fingers were too sticky so this is the best you get.

The neighbor boys came over right as we were finishing up so we gave them a taste. They said thank you, but I'm not so sure they liked it.

My sugar-monsters LOVED it.

It didn't turn out like taffy, though. It was hard and tasted more like butterscotch candy. Oh well.

After our pioneer "treat" we packed up and headed back to the park for a picnic and fireworks.

I didn't get any pics of the fireworks, but here are the kids trying to set the record for the world's longest glowstick chain.

Now aren't you wishing you lived in Utah?