Nevada Day in Carson

Friday was such a beautiful day. And it was Nevada Day for our state. All the public buildings and schools were closed, so after a short day of academics, we took a little trip down to Carson City and Mill Park to check out the awesome display of aircraft.

 

 

They had helicopters and airplanes and the let you sit in the cockpit on several of them.

 

 

 

 

The kids enjoyed it and it was nice to get out of the house.

 

Later that day, we went to pick apples at Maureen's house. She is this lovely lady that I know from homeschool co-op.  She was so kind to let us come and pick apples and I was able to get several large baskets full of different kinds. I have juiced some of them, and need to preserve the rest. We love apples at our house!

 

Carson City Rendezvous

On June 9, we took the family to the Carson City Rendezvous. It was a fun little adventure for the whole family.  The Rendezvous was free and it was thoughtfully done.  The kids each got a passport where they could get stamps at the different stations, like Civil War, Native Americans, Railroad, Gunfighters, etc. There were many displays and things to do at each different area.
Here are some of the Union soldiers lining up at the Civil War camp.  There was a cannon here that they shot. BOOM!

Next to the Civil War area, was the Mountain Man stuff. It was super-cool.  They got to throw hand axes.  Even Rinar and I got in on the action.  I made all three of my axes stick into the wood.  Rinar only got one.  HA HA!  Boo-yeah.  Raef and Zach were in heaven...throwing dangerous weapons was encouraged. Where else can you do that?

At this station, it was bowie knives. Sweet.  I think these were a bit harder to stick to the wood. I wasn't about to try those and tarnish my perfect record.

There actually was a small train track set up for a hand operated train that you pump up and down. We were able to go with all the kids and they loved it.

Afterwards, we hit the food row and got a treat. Eli, Harry, and Julia were very happy.

Aside from the rotten Reno wind, it was a very fun day.  I need to remember to put this on my calendar for next year.

Oh, What a Fourth!

Yesterday was a really nice day. We started out by attending a kid's parade at our church.  Kid's parade really means you go on a walk with your kids.  We put the babies in the wagon, Raef and Zach rode their bicycles, and Eli drove his tricycle.  Did I ever mention that Reno is quite hilly? It just so happened that this particular parade involved ascending two rather large hills.  Eli insisted on riding himself. He did NOT want to be pushed.  I don't think I could even ride a tricycle uphill unassisted.  Needless to say, it did not take long before the parade left us far behind. I would sneak push him and he would keep yelling at me. We finally came to a complete standstill halfway up the second hill, in front of neighbors who were sitting out on their front lawns. Believe me, they got quite a show.

I was miraculously able to coax him up the hill somehow, and after a little shortcut, we were back in the game. Whew. What an ordeal. But I kept my cool.

After this little festivity, we headed to our neighborhood for another kid's parade. It was great. NO HILLS!  We ended at someone's house and were able to meet lots of new neighbors. I found someone to run with, the kids found some new friends, and I even have a name of another babysitter.  It was a pretty darn fruitful expedition, I must say.

Rinar and I decided to brave the crowds and cranky children and go see the fireworks.  It worked out perfectly. We went to Carson City and camped out in the church parking lot. The fireworks were right next door.  We waited for about an hour. The babies had lots of fun. They ran around us in circles. They were non-stop until the first firework ignited.  Then the fun really began.


I didn't know how they would react, but it was so perfect. Julia giggled and laughed. Harry oohed and aahed. Eli jumped for joy and did his little eagle scream.  Raef and Zach were enraptured.  They were great. It was a little long, so right before the finale, we loaded the little ones in the car. Then as soon as the finale was over, we hit the road and stayed ahead of all the traffic. We were home in 15 minutes.


It was a perfect 4th.

Happy birthday, America.  We really love this country. The best country in the world. I am so grateful that I can call myself an American.