The last weekend

Because I wasn't working last weekend, we took a trip down to visit family, sort of a last hurrah before the kids go back to school.




First, Great Grandma Duce ("GG" to Ella) took us to see the play Beauty and the Beast. It was a fantastic show and I couldn't help but feel jealous that we don't have a theater program like that.

We stayed over night at GG's and even went to church with her, even went to all the meetings. It was good to have time dedicated to just visiting her and I think that she appreciated it. The old style decorating in her home made for some nice photos too.




We then moved on to The Manor. The girls found time to can pickles and beets and the guys took the kids to see the movie Wall-E.








Tanis and John hosted a breakfast and a lunch at their home, The Arbor (it needed a name too), and watched our kids while Heather and I took in a session at the Temple. Thanks guys! I flew John's airplane and even managed to land it twice (crashed four times).

On the last day we all went to Writing on Stone Provincial Park. It has been years since I was there but it was nice to see that it's just as neat as I remembered it. Heather later commented on how agile and nimble Mason was while climbing on the hoodoos. I was proud to hear it. I have been waiting to see which of the kids, if any, would display an aptitude for Ninja skills.








Finally we moved on and spent two days with Heather's mom and dad (whom I call The General). The kids got to spend time with their cousins on that side of the family and do those things that they only get to do when they visit; things like petting the next door horses and feeding them corn cobs and crab apples. Ella was in Heaven.




I took Mason out to the wood shop and got the pellet gun The General uses to protect his strawberries from birds. I gave him a lesson on safe gun handling, and an overview on how sighting worked. Before I knew it, he was knocking down the Coke-bottle target on almost every shot.

Those readers who grew up in the 80's, are aware that real Ninjas don't use guns (although, I've never been sure whether it's due to an actual prohibition, or just out of contempt for how inelegant firearms are). However, I vividly remember seeing a magazine-page poster tacked up in the locker of a fellow fourth grade student, which displayed the provocative (if inaccurate) image of a white-suited/headbanded Ninja holding an Uzi. It seemed to suggest, and perhaps rightly, that the only thing more awesome than a Ninja, would be a Ninja with a machine gun.




It was nice to spend time with the Hardy's after their trip to Disneyland and the other Hardy's after their trip to Nauvoo. We are sorry that that Crystal couldn't come down from Calgary and that Jeremy was so busy working (although he did stop by in time to play a few games of Metal Slug on Nintendo). It was awesome to see Heather's parents and sister and luckily, her daughters don't call me "Uncle Sucka'fool" like the other cousins do (although they call me "Uncle Cheesy" for some reason). In short, it was really great to see everyone and we love them all so much.





- C