Fire, Fire, Fire....

Again we are fortunate to have yet another fire start due to gun fire.  This happened yesterday at some point but by the time night time rolled around it looked as if the fire was contained.  It was very far north of us closer to Eagle Mountain.  On my way home from work I did see some fire glowing still on the mountain but like I said way away from us.

Well the next morning I looked out of my window and what did I see?.....Lots of black smoke billowing just north of our neighborhood.  It definitely looks a lot closer than it was.  The smoke drifted pretty far.  But it also has moved quite a bit south from where it was the night before.  I guess overnight the winds kicked up and so the fire got out of containment and headed towards us.

 As the day continued on we kept getting news updates, facebook updates, etc.  Still heading south.  Several different neighborhoods were now on alert.  A few have had mandatory evacuations.  The smoke continues to grow blacker and blacker.  They shut down Redwood Road both North and South as far South as Eureka.  If you leave the neighborhood you can't get back in.  This happened to a few of our neighbors.  Jon was at work so I kept him updated and we decided if he was unable to get back into the neighborhood I would meet him somewhere.  I also got the night off from work because I didn't know what was going to happen. (The roads did eventually open back up and Jon brought home pizza for dinner).

Our niece Karen and her family live in Eagle Mountain and although I can't remember their street or exact neighborhood name they are on volunteer evacuation.  So since she is packed up she decides to take the kids to her parents in Riverton.

In the meantime I have packed up a bunch of our stuff because we were told to be ready just in case we get the notification.  Amazing how when it comes down to it you see how organized or unorganized you really are.  I couldn't find an insurance paper that I was trying to find.  Eventually did.  But made me think that I need to have things in a more central location. It would also be nice to make a list and post it somewhere so when it comes down to it and you do have some time to gather things (or don't) you have something more organized and thought out as to what you should take.

I had the kids pack their bags with some clothes and a few toys.  It is funny to see what they find important in a time like this.  Brittany wanted her piggy bank (so of course Kylee wanted hers too). Both girls also wanted to take their water noodle things they just got.  Had to say no to that.

Towards later afternoon I finally started seeing the flames coming up over our ridge.  So I could tell it was still travelling south and getting closer.

You can see how close the flames did actually get to some houses and neighborhoods.  This was further North of us.

The cool helicopter that picked up the water and dropped it (can't remember what it is called now).

Behind a church further north of us.

 Dropping the fire retardant next to some homes.

This is a view earlier in the day when the winds were dying down.  At the entrance to our neighborhood.  You can see the smoke heading toward the radio towers at the top of the mountain.  Firefighters were trying hard to keep the fire away from those.

 This is behind our neighborhood as the flames came up and over the ridge and headed closer to our neighborhood.  We were fortunate and didn't have to evacuate. We were on alert.  The neighborhood just north to us near the school had some evacuations going on. Later we were told some of them were just eager neighbors telling people to evacuate not the actual authorities.  But basically if you feel threatened it is a good idea to just get out so you feel safer.

Today I was going to have the girls play in our pool.  But since the fire was around and we were on alert I didn't want to pull the pool out and then try to get the kids ready if we did have to leave.  So I set up the sprinkler so they could run through it and play in it.  Kept them preoccupied and happy while I gathered stuff up.  They even made a make shift pool in the sand box.  They formed ledges all around the sand box and put the sprinkler/hose inside and filled it up.  They had fun!!

The same niece who lives in Eagle Mountain has a husband who is a firefighter.  He sent me a text earlier this evening and said our neighborhood was going to be ok because they were really hitting it hard to get it contained.  He also ended up having to out to fight this fire soon after his text.

As nighttime came the smoke looked pretty cool with the setting sun.

The helicopter in the distance still dropping water.  Kind of nice we have such a large water source right next to us so the helicopters don't have to travel far to get to it.

Some of the night shots of the flames still on our mountainside.

I think this is the next morning behind our neighborhood.  You can see see the hots pots and the burn spots.  But we didn't have any other issues after yesterday.  

They called this fire the "Dump Fire".  Kind of a funny name since their isn't a dump there.  Someone told me that people just dump garbage/litter in that area so that is why it was called that.  Should have been called something a little better like the Eagle Mountain Fire.  People keep asking me about a dump now.

Daddy Daughter Hoedown!!!

Somehow I missed the Daddy Daughter Activity Day pictures so this will now be out of order.

Brittany was way excited to go on her first Daddy Daughter Activity (June 6, 2012).  It was hoedown with dinner and dancing.  She made little badges for the two of them and the things that go on your cowboy boots to get the horses moving.  We had to go to dollar store to find hats.  We found straw hats that would work.  She even found some bandanas to put around their necks.  As you can see from the pictures she was beyond excited to go.

After the dinner it was time to go outside to learn square dancing.  Apparently it was quite cool outside and Brittany was ready to leave so she and Jon went to Arctic Circle and got icecream.  Just the two of them.  Brittany was loving it.

Kylee got to go to a friends house until the activity was over because I had to work.

Kylee wanted into the pictures as well.  She was disappointed that she didn't get to attend but I told her when she turns 8 she will get to start going to the activities as well.

I Spy....

This is the I Spy quilt mom made for our family.  The girls love it and like to use it for their popcorn blanket when we have popcorn and movies.  I love how bright the colors are and all the cute little pictures there are on it.  Thanks mom!!!

Father's Day

Father's Day has come and gone.  We got Jon a DVD for Father's Day.  The new Sherlock  Holmes DVD. The girls wanted to get him a cake as well so they saw this cute little outdoor cake that said Dad on it and of course had to have it for him.  They both wanted the little tree off of it too.  

Happy Father's Day!!!!

Library Cards

We now officially have a library card for our little city of Saratoga Springs Utah.  Both girls now have their own and so they use theirs to check out their own books.  

Kindergarten Graduation Celebration

Of course this year the district no longer allows Kindergarten Graduations at the schools.  Kylee remembered Brittany having one so she was a little disappointed that she wouldn't receive a diploma or have a ceremony.

So I searched online and found a blank diploma and printed it out with Kylee's information.  Made her a cake.  She wanted chocolate with "Happy Graduation Kylee" written on it.   We had our own little celebration and she seemed content with that. As you can see the words on the cake sure don't look very professional.  Apparently I bought cookie frosting in the tube and it was so runny and wouldn't set up.  But it still tasted good.

Yea Kylee you have graduated from Kindergarten and now you get to go all day next year and have lunch in the lunchroom (highlight of the all day thing I guess).  Glad you made so many friends in your class.  Hope you see them again next year.  

Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum

This last year the 1st grade went to the Bean Museum during a field trip.  Brittany was in 2nd grade so she didn't get to go.  They were supposed to go when she was in 1st grade but for some reason it got cancelled. Kylee will not be able to go this year when she is in 1st grade because the museum is closing for I think it was 1 1/2 years for expansion.  So we decided to take the girls before it closed.  Thought they would find it interesting.  Which of course they did.  They like seeing all the different animals.  

There was one I wished I had a picture of.  It was of a huge bear standing on its hind legs.  Kylee didn't notice it when she walked into one of the rooms but when she did finally notice, she screamed and said it was scary and wanted to leave.  Kept trying to remind her it was not real anymore.  They of course posed in front of the displays they thought were cool.  Brittany wouldn't let me take many pictures of her so I had to do snapshots when she wasn't expecting them.

Brittany thought the butterfly picture made out of
all the different butterflies were really cool!!

Kylee liked the little baby animal all curled up.

Explaining to daddy what she just read.

Schools out...let start swimming lessons

The first Monday after school is out and swimming lessons have begun at Lehi Legacy Center.  We are going to try to fit in two sessions this year.  One now and one towards the end of summer.  Kylee wanted to pose out front by the outside pool and the slide that goes from inside to outside back to inside.  Brittany didn't want to.  She wanted to have her picture inside the building.  Kylee's classes are first.  She is at 10:30 and then we will go home for lunch and come back again at 1:00 for Brittany's class.  Hopefully for the next session I can get Brittany's class around 9:00 or 9:30 and Kylee's class at 10:00 so I don't have to make two trips.

Kylee has done extremely well this session.  She has passed off almost all the requirements for this level.  We will be taking this one again so she can get more comfortable in the water. But she has loved it.  You will see from  most of the pictures she is talking.  She is very social so we are constantly having to remind her to listen to the teacher.  Her little friends name is Amora, she met her on the first day of class.  I sat by her great grandma and visited most of the lesson time.  

Kylee will go until the following Thursday for her class but Brittany’s last class was June 8^th.  She is in private lessons so with the one-on-one time (and due to cost per class) we were only able to do 5 days right now.  But She does so well one-on-one that it has benefited her and we will continue to give her the private lessons.

Ready for class!!

The biggest change/improvement I have noticed this session was Brittany.  She has loved trying everything her teacher has had her do. Her teacher's name is Morgan.  She works really well for Brittany. She got so comfortable this time in the water and was doing what she calls the penguin swim where swims under water.  They both have goggles so they like to see under the water.  She is doing great with swimming on her stomach and has even done well with swimming on her back. She has come a long way from not wanting her head or face in the water to always wanting to swim under the water.

There are tons of pictures of the girls in their classes that are there mostly for my purpose.  Some are fuzzy and some are not!

The fun water dump station that will go during
public hours or last 10 minutes of the last class.

Ready for her class!!