The 4th Festivities 2012!

This year for the 4th of July, my sister-in-law, Sam, had this amazing idea to do our own hide race.  I mean, we have the horses, the access to an arena, and several acres full of misc. junk that surely we would be able to construct our own 'hide'.  Well, construct we did!!!

Paul pulling off slabs of wood from a crate:

My dad screwing those slabs to a giant piece of old carpet (seriously it's the same carpet from when the carpet was laid in that house...about 17 years ago): 

Asher and Samantha taking a ride on our hide, testing it out: 

Our baby!!!! 

And this is my other baby...my favoritest one :)  Looks like such a little boy sitting there on that step and not an almost 11-month old infant.  My, how fast they grow.:

At the arena putting on the gear!  We grabbed my dad's grease monkey suits, snow goggles, bandannas, and leather gloves.: 

Samantha:

Paul (I don't know why my brother only shot one video of Paul..and that's of him, eating dirt):

Gaven swallowing dirt:

My last and best run...of course:

This was us at the end, when I took my turn and Gav switched me spots on the horse.  Halfway through we had to do some creative thinking to help with the slicing of the rope past my hip bone when I carried those heavier guys.  The solution was chaps and a jean jacket rolled up and tucked inside the waistband of the chaps for padding against my hip. Here, Gaven is demonstrating the fashion: 

This was BUTTLOADS OF FUN!!! We can't wait to do it again!  Afterwards we headed back home and grabbed the food off the grill, grubbed down on some excellent bbq and Sam's patriotic berries and fruit kabobs!:

and then sat on the grass and enjoyed the fireworks from across the entire valley.  Riverton's was the closest and  so it was the best but I have always loved watching the night sky being lit up by color and sound all the way down to Sugarhouse.  We were also visited by some small creatures.  Having these guys hop through the grasses and bushes that surrounded us can be quite unnerving until you figure what it is.  When one finally popped out, it scared the crap out of me.  I haven't touched a toad since we moved into that house...I am just not a fan of the feel of them and plus they pee on you almost instantly, which was the case with this person.  NO. THANK YOU.

A great holiday spent with family and reflecting on our freedoms made possible by so many others.