Utah Part One

Steve and I were able to head to Utah for my mom's birthday/Pioneer Day! Pioneer Day is serious business in Utah. It's an official holiday! The celebrations are pretty much like the Fourth of July except not really. We arrived late on Piorneer Day Eve and woke up early the next morning for the big day!

Behold! The Pioneer Day Parade in Ogden, UT!
To be honest, most of the parade was this kind of stuff...tractors, horses, square dancers, high school marching bands.
Then out of nowhere...BAM! The Ogden Democrat Coalition complete with freaky Obama float! There were about 10 democrats walking with the float. Pretty sure they're looking for more members.The majority of my family who had gathered at my parents for the long weekend couldn't drag themselves out of bed for the early-morning parade festivities but my dad, Steve, my mom, Emma and I were hardcore.

Later that afternoon we celebrated my mom's birthday with a delicious BBQ and presents! During presents my mom was modeling Emma's Hannah Montana style hat. All the rage in the 8-year old girl circuit.

Here's Jake modeling the Hannah Montana style hat. Not quite as popular in the 10 year old boy circuit.
And Steve modeling the Hannah Montana style hat. Very popular in the 36 year old husband circuit.
I also had a fun afternoon with Allie, Sophie & Emma doing Pioneer style braids.

A couple of days later we were lucky enough to go wakeboarding with my sister Suzy's friend Ryan who's a sponsored wakeboarder. What a fantastic day on the lake!

Ryan had borrowed a board from his friend who has a young son so Jake was able to try too!
Steve did pretty well...another time I'll have to post the video blooper reel.
I don't have any pictures of Suzy or I doing our thing...we were all about video footage so I'll have to figure out how to upload our awesomeness (we really were pretty good although we've both been before...Steve and Jake were first-timers). Until then...we can enjoy Ryan's awesomeness.
He also showed us this crazing wake-surfing business...he starts out holding onto that rope...we all get in one corner of the boat so the wake on that side is really big and then he surfs it...literally throws the rope into the boat and surfs. Not strapped into the board or anything.

Thanks family for such a great time and thanks Ryan and Ryan's parents for taking us wakeboarding!

Next post....Pizzeria 712 (complete with pictures of Suzy, Jen, Joe and everyone!)