A Most Perfect Day

July 3. About 6am, we woke up all four boys (Niko, Sam, Matt, Corban) to walk to the hot air balloon launch next to UVRMC. Amber & Dustin had spent the night at Bran & Ashton's for a Harry Potter night, so we experienced a little while what it would be like to add another toddler to the mix. :) I strolled Sam in the umbrella stroller and Chris wore Matt and pushed the older two. We were very happy to make it there while most of the balloons were still being blown up.

Thrilled.

Not so sure.

It's so funny to me that Niko and Corban look

more like brothers than Niko and Sam do.

It's fun that they all get along so well, though.

Boy. We look a little like our own parade.

Precious.

So fun for the boys to see them all take off.

Yes, that's my child not clearing the field.

I am so grateful for my sweet hubby.

He is such a good dad.

I'm grateful for mountains and sunrises.

On our walk home, we stopped at North Park

and enjoyed the solitude of 7am.

"Encore de montgolfliere!"

"More hot air balloons!"

This is me coming down the slide after Niko.

Tired babe.

Chris helped me load up the boys and I headed up to the Ranch for the day. I felt a little like half of "Jon & Kate Plus 8" - Genn Plus 4. :) On the way up, I met Bran, Ashton, Amber, and Bran in Park City to exchange a couple of things at the World Market. Instead of 1 adult and 3 kids (the last time I went), it was 5 adults and 4 children - so much better kid-control. :)

We were excited to spend some time with the Huefner family who was in town for the week. My Aunt JuliAnn (or "George" as we call her), Uncle Steve, and their daughters, Diana, Emmy, and Kate are a joy to be around. I hadn't planned at all on doing any horseback riding. After Sam was born, I pretty much faced the fact that I wouldn't be doing much riding until the kids were old enough to join us on rides. George insisted that I ride if I wanted to. It took me several minutes to process that it was actually a possibility, but with George offering to watch my boys, it finally clicked, so I went! Emmy and Diana are turning into very competent riders. The two of them, Jeremy, and I went on a nice ride up on the East bench. Corban enjoyed a short ride with me at the beginning.

I love our heads stacked together in this

picture (Pare, Corban, me). Amber takes

great pictures with my camera. :)

Because Kate wanted to ride as well, we did a "round 2" with George and Niko together, Steve and Sam together, Corban and me together, and Kate riding mostly by herself (sometimes she was led). It was fun to ride so much! It may sound weird to be happy to be saddle sore, but it's a welcome side effect that testifies to the fact that I did indeed spend time on a horse. :)

Big girl Kate

Grandpa maintains his "touch" with little guy.

The day was topped off with a real date with my hubby! Upon returning home from the ranch, Chris helped get the boys down and then took me out to see X-Men Origins at the dollar theater. Amber and Dustin stayed home with the sleeping babes. It's been a while since we've been able to go out by ourselves - such a treat.

I was exhausted by the end of the day, but happily so. It's a good thing I don't have "perfect days" too often - I need to time to recover. ;) I really couldn't have designed a more enjoyable day. It was so lovely to experience so many simple pleasures in one day and to spend time with happy, positive family. Looking back on this day, I am grateful that I was able to exercise my freedom so fully. I'm free to adore my sweetheart. I'm free to rear my family in righteousness. I'm free to drive my gas-guzzling SUV. I'm free to ride horses on our extended family's private property that has been passed down five generations. I'm free to choose frugality and hit the dollar theatre instead of the new-release one. I hope this great country can maintain the freedoms and principles of choice, ownership, capitalism, respect, marriage, family, and personal responsibility in the days to come.