Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Re -finished Chair

 I bought this chair at a thrift store many years ago. It had been chewed on by our dog Beauty - over ten years ago. It had been used just as we bought it used for a long time. I finally took it apart and refinished it.
When I took the old covering off the cushion, I was disgusted by what was under it. Yucky! I put it right into the garbage. I can't believe we were sitting on that dirty thing.
I made straps for the seat because I didn't know where to buy new ones.
The back of the chair.
The front:
I learned that it is a lot of work to refinish furniture. I still need to re-do my entire dining room set. I better get to it.

This is the Place - Heritage Park part 2

Yesterday was my 10th anniversary, so I didn't have time to post all the pictures from our trip to This is the Place Heritage Park. I am back tonight to show what else the park has to offer.

On the way to the pony rides, we stopped by an old school house. The kids learned how to write their names using the Deseret Alphabet. The teacher told the kids that if they got in trouble at school, they would get in trouble at home. The boys sat on one side of the room and the girls sat on the other side - this helped keep teasing in check. I wondered how similar this one room school house was to the one my Grandmother taught in back in the 1920s.
All three of the older kids loved riding the ponies. Real ponies are even better than a merry-go-round.

Kayana and Callie were really well behaved. They are the sweetest babies.
Kayana:
Callie:
The older kids learned how to do laundry the old-fashioned way.
The babies were as cute as ever - all day long.
Kayana:
Callie:
We found some sheep and the kids fed leaves and apples to them.
We ended the day with candlemaking because it was hot and the candles needed to be taken right home.
We enjoyed our visit to the park. We will go back again. It was well worth the cost of admission.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

This is the Place - Heritage Park

On Monday, Angie, Isaac, Callie, Aliese, Caitie, Kayana, Matthew, and I went to This is the Place Heritage Park. Although it was hot, we had a lot of fun. Aliese said, "This is a fun day." We all agreed with her.

Isaac was impressed even before we made it through the gates - did you know they have rocks in the parking lot?
I packed a picnic lunch and after we ate, I thought I'd try to get some group pictures. I decided to try with the three older kids. It is quite a feat to get three children to look at me at the same time while they smile.
We almost had it - almost. Two out of three isn't bad.
Then we decided to add the babies. If I couldn't get three out of three, I don't know what made me think I could get five out of five.
I almost had them all - Isaac is even smiling - a rare accomplishment in a photograph.

We waited for the train. Matt and Aliese made sharp sticks on the concrete.
Matt lost his stick under the seat of the train. Sharpened sticks are pretty easy to come by. He soon forgot about it.

Isaac was very happy to be on the train. I think this was one of his favorite things of the day.
Aliese and Grandma Catherine on the train.

Isaac pans for gold (Iron Pyrite).
Isaac is very focused when he pans for gold. He is determined to find some.
We climbed aboard a ship for our journey to America. The kids climbed into the hard bunks. We were surprised at how small and hard these bunks were. I think the pioneers were made of much tougher stuff than we are.
Aliese is making the best of her hard bunk.
I don't think Isaac likes this bed at all.
Matthew has gone to sleep.
We visited some hogans and teepees, and the kids made arrowhead necklaces.
The babies were adorable. Angie and Caitie were with us. The picture I took of them has disappeared. I will download it again tomorrow.


I will finish posting the rest of the pictures tomorrow. I am out of time today.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Discovery Gateway

Angie invited Matthew and me to join her at Discovery Gateway. Surprisingly, Matthew didn't want to go. He normally loves the Children's Museum, so I made him go anyway. When we got to the exit, he asked, "Where are we?"

"In Salt Lake," I answered.

"Oh," he groaned, "we still have a long way to go."

"Matt, the museum is in Salt Lake."

"Oh, I thought we had to drive all the way to Ogden. I like this museum."

It wasn't that he didn't want to go to Discovery Gateway - he just didn't want to drive all the way to Ogden.

Here are some pictures of the kids having fun.
Matthew and Isaac love watching the pennies go into this contraption next to the entrance of the museum. Isaac nearly smiled in this picture :)
Isaac letting me know that he bumped his head in the ball bin:

A closeup of my brown-eyed grandson:

Sweet little Callie:Callie playing in the water feature for a minute: Isaac didn't want to worry about pictures; he just wanted to play:
Matthew with the wonderful job of stocker:After lunch, we walked over to the outside water feature at Gateway. The kids played for a while, and then the dancing water show started. The music was fun and powerful. The water was at times quite ferocious. When the music ended and the water was once again calm, Isaac began to cry. He said, "I want to be in the parade." Even though he was shivering, he didn't want to get dry because he wanted to go back and be in the water parade again. He was so sad. I asked, "Isaac, do you want to see the pictures of you in the parade?" Seeing the pictures calmed him down, but then his little cousin, Tyler, wanted to know where he was in the parade, so I had him go back into the fountain, and I took his picture.Matthew is in this picture - I promise:
Tyler making sure he was represented in the Water Parade:
Angie and her crew went to get icecream and then they headed home, but Matthew wanted to stay at the museum. We stayed until they closed. We had a wonderful day. Thank you, Angie for inviting us to join you.