It Never Gets Old

Warning: This post is a picture overload!  I loved looking back through these as I did this post!  Joe and I got to go home for the 4th of July, and it was probably one of the most fun trips home we've had!  We packed our days with family and fun activities.  One of my favorite days was the 4th of July!  Growing up, the 4th of July was one of my favorite holidays,  I think it's because of the traditions we had.  I always knew when the 4th rolled around, that we would have a fun filled day from sunrise to sunset.  I love traditions, and for our family, the 4th is full of them.  We did pretty much the same thing every year, and it never got old!  The traditions still carry on now that my siblings have all had kids, and I'm sure as the years go by it will become one of their favorite holidays too.  I loved that I didn't have to miss out this year, and that Joe got to experience the 4th "Griffin Style."

We start the day off going to the Provo Parade.  My parents both went to BYU, so they lived in Provo when Joseph and I were little, and I guess that's where the tradition started.  We pack up a bunch of food, blankets, and chairs, and head down to Provo.  Every year there are a bunch of hot air balloons flying around before the parade starts and we can always spot them while we're driving down the freeway. We get everything set up, and then we just chill until the parade starts.  

 Aunt Trudy and Uncle Bob came down this year, and Josh and Jocelyn were there too!  A big family event!=)

 Sometimes we take naps, and miss half of the parade!=)  It's okay though, it's the atmosphere that matters!=)

My favorite part of the parade has always been seeing the missionaries walking in the parade.  Where else on earth do you get to see LDS Missionaries walking in a parade!?

 After the parade we walked down the street to a little fair that they always have going on.  There are a bunch of different tents with vendors selling all sorts of things, and lots of different kinds of food too.  This year it was super hot, so we didn't spend much time at the fair.

 Little Braden was tuckered out after all of the fun festivities!=)

Next we headed over to Seven Peaks WaterPark!!!! We LOVE this place!  There's nothing better than spending a hot summer day at a water park.  We all had a blast, and we even got my dad to go down the slides with us!!!  He's such a good sport!  They have a fun kids area that Korv, Tate, and Braden loved too!!

After we got changed, we all headed over to the Lily Pads to watch the boys battle it out and see who could get across first.  No matter how old they are, they will always be little boys deep down!  I actually love that about them!  The video was too long to upload on here, but here's a link if you want to watch it!  So funny!   Sorry for my annoying voice, but I had not idea what they were planning on doing when they told me to record it.  

here's the link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E90P69n1OKc&feature=plcp

Gotta love the wave pool!

Tate is adorable!!  Britt was so sweet to help all the boys go down the slide!

This boy loves water!!

         

 

Look at these fun grandparents!!!

Cutest Pregnant Girl!

Such a fun mommy!

Cute Korv with his life jacket on!  Love this boy!

This is a new slide, and it was easily one of our favorites!!  It was so fun to be able to go down with so many of us at a time.  Dad was even a good sport and went with us a couple of times!!!!

Little Tate has no fear!  He loved going down this slide with Dal!

Is this not the cutest picture?  Braden looks like a little stud with his sunglasses!

Dal on the rope swing!  Pretty impressive!=)

Joe and Dad went down a slide together on the tube.  I think my dad almost wet himself!=)  He was telling Joe they were going to fast, and he was afraid they were going to tip over.  Look at that big smile though, when it was all over!  So funny!  I love that my dad isn't afraid to do things with us!

That night we went to dinner at Los Hermanos with the Fasts.  We celebrated Daniels birthday, and the 4th of July all in one!=)

Braden loved walking around on the grass while we waited for the fireworks to start.  

 After Dinner Tiff, Michael, Braden, and Joe and I went and sat outside the Stadium of Fire to watch the Fireworks.  It ended up being really cool.......once it started.  The fireworks didn't start until around 11 I think!  We decided next time we'll either go into the Stadium of Fire, or just go to Sugarhouse or something.  We still had fun, and the fact that Tiff and Michael stayed with us was so sweet and made it so much more fun.

 Joe was irritated that the big parking lot lights came on.  He felt the need to wear sunglasses after that!=)  Funny thing is Braden and Joe both fell asleep during the fireworks, and were rudely awakened when the finale started!=)  Pretty funny if you ask me!

This was for sure one of, if not our favorite days!  I felt such a sense of gratitude that day that we could be there with everyone and we didn't have to miss out.  This is still my favorite holiday, and I hope one day if we have kids, they will also get to experience the fun that is the "Griffin 4th of July!"

3 Little Monkeys

On Tuesday Tiff and Braden were with us at my mom and dad's house and we were watching Korver while Joseph and Britt were at work.  We wanted to do something fun with the kids, and after a lot of talking about what we could do, we decided to see if Tate and Britt could come.  Britt was really busy that day but she let us steal Tate, and her car!=) (Thanks Britt)  We decided the zoo would be fun!  Looking back, if I could do it again, we should have made plans earlier that day so it wasn't so hot by the time we got to the zoo.  However, we still had a lot of fun and we got some pretty cute pictures!  It was so great to be able to take our sweet nephews to do something that we don't normally get to do since we aren't there.

Tiff and I wanted to see what type of gorilla we measure up to!=)

We each took a kid and a stroller! Pretty funny if you ask me!  It was pretty easy to keep our eyes on the kids when it was man on man defense!=)

 This lion is one of Tiff's favorite things at the zoo!  Korv was too scared to put his head in to get a drink, but Tate, Braden, and Tiff were all for it!

We decided to see if the boys would sit on this rhino. 

 I love the expressions on the boys' faces.  They go from serious to smiling.  

This picture is one of my favorites!  These two are best little buddies.  They even had their arms around each other.  So SWEET!!!

Tiff and the boys in the nest!  They lasted for about 2 seconds in there

Watching the Seals and the Polar bear with Unca Joe (as Tate and Korver say)

This was definitely the highlight.  The polar bear was swimming back and forth pretty much the entire time we were there.  It's so amazing to watch such a huge animal swim=)

 Cute little Braden kills me!  I just want to kiss those cheeks nonstop!  He is at such a fun stage!

 Best little buddies!

 Is this not the cutest picture ever?!  Look at those sweet boys with their hands on the glass, mesmerized by the huge white bear.  I just love these three SO much!

 Uncle Joe getting in on the excitement!  I think they could have stayed here watching the bear all day!

 Next was the brown bear.  Tate was riding on Joe's shoulders and when we got to the bear he took him off and set him down right next to it.  I think it startled him at first, but then after he realized there was glass there he was ok.  He just stood there and stared at him.  Such a sweetie pie!

 Korv wasn't too interested in the real bear, he like the ones on the fence!=)

 Our last stop was the giraffes.  They kept rubbing their tongues on the brick of that building.  Kinda weird.  =)

It was so fun for us to be able to go with Tiff and spend the day with all 3 boys.  It was so much fun to be able to take them to the zoo and experience that with them.  Right now, there's nothing better than being an aunt.  =)