Independence Day 2010

We had a wonderful Independence Day weekend. After I finished my 20 page research paper and other homework for my Comparative and International Education class, I was free to spend some time with our family. Hooray that my class is over! (I really enjoyed it, but I'm glad I finished!) Seth's sister Kristina Magleby and her family drove out from Baltimore to spend the weekend with us, Grandma, and the Brimhall's (Seth's sister Angie's family). We missed Ricky, Sarah, Jacob, and the Hacking's. Wish you could've come too!

On Saturday we had a great picnic dinner in the backyard (Thanks Jeena for always feeding us great food, and for working so hard!), and then Seth and I hung out with the Magleby's while the rest went to perform in "This is Kirtland" play.

Sunday we really enjoyed our meetings at church. It was fast Sunday, so we had a testimony meeting. I shared my testimony about true freedom, the freedom which Jesus Christ so dearly paid for us. Many other wonderful testimonies were shared. Seth spoke of how he knows that Jesus Christ is real. He is there for us and knows us individually. He said that he knows that what Joseph Smith has told us of the First Vision is true and Christ's true gospel has been restored. I also know this is true. We are so blessed to live in the United States of America. We have so many rights and freedoms that are scarce in the rest of the world. A friend of ours, Amy Tippets, who is British, shared her testimony that she knows this is a blessed and promised land, and that 'America taught the world to be free.' I believe this is true. I am so thankful to live in the nation which God prepared so that the gospel could be restored and preached and so that temples could be built. Our Bishop said "Freedom is not free." It comes at a price. We must pay that price and fight for freedom. We have been given the freedom to choose by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and we must choose the right.

On Sunday, we also had a picnic dinner in the backyard.

Eva and Felicity Magleby
On Saturday, some of us went on the trampoline and got in the sprinkler. This is a favorite activity. Hyrum said to Aunt Kristina, "I'm SO gross! I can't believe how much fun I'm having!!"
:) That was a line to remember.

Eva LOVES to push her little stroller around and take care of her baby doll. Felicity does too.
We went to the fireworks in Shaker Heights too. (On a personal note. I think fireworks are pretty great and all, but I'm not a fan of big crowds, and walking for what seems like a very long time, when you are all tired at the end of the show.) A nice worker gave all the kids a glow stick, and after that they seemed to care more about those than the fireworks! But I remember Hyrum did say "Woah!!! Did you SEE that HUGE one!!? That was AWESOME!" So I'm glad we went.

Goin' to the fireworks!
Grandma Jeena and McKay

Me, Seth and Hadley

The Magleby's (minus McKay): Kristina, Curt, Felicity and Eva
The Brimhall's and some Wagner's and Magleby's: Hadley, Jeff, Angie, Hyrum, Jeena, and McKay
Me and McKay
"Bounce us higher!" they would say.
Cousins having fun together


McKay tried to sleep despite the heatHyrum on the very hot slide

Nieces and nephewsHyrum had me follow him around the park for a Hyrum photo shoot "Aunt Emily, take a picture of me going down the slide, and standing on the balance beam, and hanging from the monkey bars!" He's an enthusiastic model.
Eva and Hadley
Eva the explorer
Grandma was a trooper; she played soccer with the kids, and broke up the squabbles. She said "It's funny that they only want the ball when someone else is playing with it. But when the other kid shares with them, they aren't interested in it anymore. It has to be a competition."

Hyrum hanging around
Wagner Wimbeldon - Kris, Curt, Angie, Jeff, and Seth played tennis despite the sweltering heat. They had a lot of fun. Seth and Curt even stayed after to play 12 more games!

Angie serving it up
Seth even wore his sweat bands
A memorable set was when Jeff and Angie were beating Seth and Kristina: Kristina said "Seth, we've got to do better! We're getting beaten by a pregnant lady!"
McKay is such a cutie! He really loved Grandma Jeena, she was making him laugh. (Hadley sure gave Grandma a lot of grief if she ever held McKay, "Grandma, you have held him a lot more that I have. It's my turn!")
Because it was about a gazillion degrees out (Ok, well, it was only about 100 with the humidity factor), we got on our swim suits and got in the sprinkler. Jeff even helped the people who weren't planning on getting wet to cool off; well, mostly he just sprayed and sprayed Angie and Kristina who were trying to have a conversation in the shade. It was fun to jump on the tramp and get wet to cool off!
Kristina and Eva (Eva is so hot and tired, she just wants to rest).


Happy Independence Day!