Sunday, July 5, 2009

A Fourth of July to Remember

We had been talking to Lincoln for days about going to see the fireworks on July 4th.  The city puts on a little fair and fireworks show at the fairgrounds.  Our day started off nicely as we attended the local town parade.  We enjoyed the homemade floats, the patriotic music and BEAUTIFUL sunny weather.  It's not often that I say Pocatello's weather is beautiful.  After going to lunch, shopping and a nap, we made our way to the fairgrounds.  The first thing we did when we arrived was purchase tickets for Lincoln to ride the few kiddie rides and to play a go fish game.  After one motorcycle ride and one game of fishing it started to rain.  We were literally there for all of 15 minutes.  We hadn't even made it over to the band and dinner booths.  We pulled out our jackets and umbrella took cover next to a candy cotton wagon.  I guessed we thought it would pass as quickly as it came. Well, it didn't....it got worse!  Within about 5 minutes it was hailing marbles size (or bigger) chunks of hail...in July!! I couldn't believe it.  Snow in July!?!?! What kind of place do we live in??  It was suddenly freezing, wet and miserable.  The fairgrounds turned into chaos and pandemonium as people were running to find protection, parents were screaming to find their lost children, and the entire time we were being pelted by hail.  A potentially great day was ruined. After realizing that it was not letting up, we jumped into a game booth (I don't even know what game they were originally playing because all of the booths were overrun with people) but it got us out of the freezing rain for a little while.  After poor Lincoln started to shiver we sent Rick to go get the truck, which was about a 10 minute walk away.  Driving back to pick us up he saw roads that were washed out from flash floods, cars that had rolled on their sides from roads giving way and just an all around mess.  Lincoln did get a little money from the carnie guy running the booth.  I think he realized that Lincoln was such a trooper through it all. When Rick pulled into the closest parking lot Lincoln and I made a break for it.  I covered his stroller in a blanket trying to protect him from the inevitably painful hail hitting him and I ran ...flip flops, pregnant and all. My feet froze for a minute.  My toes wouldn't bend.  I'm sure that's the closest to frostbite that I've ever had.  After standing in the rain for about 30 - 45 minutes by the time we ran to the car it appeared that we had jumped into a swimming pool with our clothes on.  We were soaked. We drove straight home to get warm clothes on. So much for Lincoln getting to ride the rides, enjoying cotton candy or getting to watch fireworks.  Did I mention that this is July!?!?!  We couldn't be moving to Phoenix soon enough.  I will take the sun any day over snow in July. Needless to say, once we got home, dried off and ate dinner we were ready for bed.  It was definitely a 4th of July to remember.  Too bad it couldn't have just been one to remember because of a great non eventful day. 
I still love fourth of July.  Besides Christmas, it's one of my favorite holidays.  I grew up being taught to love our country and to feel blessed for living here.  I'm excited to teach that to my children.  Regardless of your political party, views on war (or other political issues) and with an understanding that things can be better, I feel very strongly that every person should feel proud and blessed to live here. Luckily my patriotism isn't based on a rained out fireworks show. 

Enjoying the small hometown parade.
Don (left) with Grandma and Grandpa Tutu.
Lincoln loved the fire truck!
Lincoln's favorite ride is was the motorcycle (vroom vroom as he calls it) but it was also the only ride he got to go on before the rain/hail hit.
This picture was taken just a few minutes after the rain started.  I didn't take more pictures because my camera was getting soaked.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

This is a late post but for Father's Day Rick got to go ride on the Miller Motor Sports Park Motorcycle track in Tooele, Utah.  It's called track day and you can sign up to ride around the track (at ridiculously fast speeds) and he's wanted to do it for a long time.  It's one of the same tracks that the professional riders ride on so it made it even better.  When Rick got home Lincoln wanted to sit on his bike.  I think he loves it as much as his dad.  Every time he sees a motorcycle he immediately stops, points at it, and makes a vroom vroom noise.  Considering Rick's been riding since he was 16 it's going to be hard to tell Lincoln he can't ride a street bike anytime soon.  I imagine since we'll be living in the desert that we'll be stating on little 50 cc dirt bike soon enough. 

He's making the vroom vroom noise.  

Isn't he the cutest!?!?!  I love my little guy.


My Little Fireman

Lincoln has become obsessed with motorcycles, race cars, tractor and fire trucks.  All things boy! We live right around the corner from a fire station so every time we drive by his makes the noise the sirens of a fire engine would make, including the horn.  It's absolutely adorable.  Before we even get to the street the station is on he starts pointing and making the siren sound.  He knows exactly where it is.  When we drive by the station we point and wave and they've invited us to stop in for a closer look.  We decided to take Lincoln there on Saturday afternoon for a visit.  He loved it!  He did get a little shy around the firemen but they were so nice, eventually he warmed up.  Lincoln sure wasn't shy about wanting to climb on the trucks.  He wanted to touch anything he could get his little fingers on.  I was nervous he was going to break something but the fireman was pretty confident he couldn't break anything and said not to worry, let him play with it.  We spent about 30-45 minutes there.  The fireman showed us several different types of trucks and lots of hoses and tools.  I was surprised they were willing to spend so much time with us.  They even gave Lincoln a little fireman hat and a sticker of a fireman's badge.  He thought he was pretty special, especially when they let him sit in the driver's seat and play with the steering wheel.  Thanks to the Pocatello Fire Department!

Fireman Lincoln!
He couldn't wait to get into the trucks.
Knobs, levers - he loved it all.
Who knows...maybe he'll be a firefighter one day!
This ladder truck saved a building from burning down across the street from us just a couple weekends before.
I can only imagine what Lincoln was thinking about driving. 
This firefighter was our tour guide.  He opened up ever door on every truck for us.