State fair

Oh yah, I forgot. Last weekend we trucked on over to the state fair! Thanks to mom's efforts, we had free tickets for the kids (a summer reading program) AND they each got a free drink and a free ride.
They all chose this one, and no one threw up! Mom enjoyed seeing the animals, Ashley loved the chickens, and every one enjoyed the baby goats.

Michael

Sometimes I think Michael gets a little bored with all of us (well especially this week because it was our first Sunday as the 'bishop's family' and we were all alone until 6:30 - which is fine)
So while he baked, he got a little dressed up.

Cookies

Oh gentle reader, it was a great day when I took Ellie over to the recipe shelf and showed her the recipes I cut out of old magazines for seventh grade home ec! She wanted to copy down the good ones, so she has been working on that. She specifically wanted to make Monster Cookies, which surprisingly I really don't remember making. But we did it and they were yummy! Hey John, ask Ellie for some cookies!

Women's Conference

I got (maybe because now I know somebody!) tickets to Women's Conference with weekend and we invited Emma and Aunt Heather to go with us!
We met up early to shop/look around City Creek - but it was CRAZY - parking, walking around, etc. It was the last day of ComicCon and there were plenty of costumes around too.

Fortunately we all got to eat (after some pretty long lines and a literal sprint across Temple Square)
Only to discover......there was now security, it was raining and the metal detectors stopped working. So apparently there was a line for people with no purses, so I loaded up all the purses and sent everyone else ahead. Then I waited, and got rained on.

Anyway....after not as much time as you think, we finally all met up - miraculously because I think we just had tickets for a section, not a row or seats. Anyway, Ashley totally  loved it. Ellie did Soduko puzzles the whole time (she is VERY much a kinestic learner - she remembered all the talks). We all sang all the four verses of "True to the Faith" in about .15 seconds.

After a semi-short trudge to our cars (we happened to meet up and park together- very nice) Heather and Emma popped on home and we went out for ice cream and then came home. Our new car is nice - quiet and smooth. After about 500 tries Heather did get some pictures to immortalize the events.

Bishop

Josh was called as the bishop of the Tooele Third Ward on Sunday.
I am so proud of him. The ward was very supporting. The old bishopric has left big shoes to fill.
Here is Josh and his counselors, Chas Walgamott and Tsmeu Mamo.

Chicks

Some of you may remember that we have a broody hen - Midnight. That means she wants to sit on eggs and have babies. Well, we got some fertilized eggs from our Lego-friend Celeste and I marked 21 days later on the calendar. Which was today. And when Ashley RAN inside this morning while Michael and I were eating our eggs yelling "There is a CHICK" it was like God had rained manna from heaven.
We all RAN out and sure enough, there under a VERY poofy (she poofs out to better provide warmth for the chicks/eggs) was a little grey wet chick. I think Ashley peed her pants.
I can't believe she went off to school, but she did. Since then I have been out and ANOTHER chick is hatching. Midnight is doing a good job- pushing the eggs around and giving a motherly peck on the emerging chick. I am SURE more information will follow.

Ashley's passion project

So to get to know each other in Fifth grade, you do a small presentation at the beginning telling about something you are passionate about - guess what Ashley picked!
Some pictures from her power point presentation.

Eclipse

Then, Monday, was the actual eclipse.
Here are a TON of pics - is was SO cool. I think I teared up a bit. I would DEFINATELY travel to another one, and the seven hour drive home was worth it. I am just glad we really had packed a lot of extra food and water.