SCHOOL STARTS ALREADY?

Summer just FLEW by! In Rexburg, they have a big celebration in town for the kids the day before school starts. It's one last hurrah to say goodbye to lazy summer days and hello to homework.

My favorite part of this celebration? Everything is FREEEEEEEE! No ticket buying, no begging or hungry kids...it's "sure, you can do that!" to everything they saw!!
Here is a sampling of some of the free things they were giving away or letting you do:

Creamie bars (If you haven't tried them, they're such delicious ice cream pops!)

Popcorn

Lunch 

Rockwall climbing

Fishing for toys

Books for each kid

Bouncy house/blow up equipment

  All sorts of lawn games

Dallas and Weston were visiting with us during this event. Hyrum was driving semi the whole summer school break, and he had picked up Dallas and Weston in Eugene and brought them to Rexburg so they could hang out with me while he drove over the road. I was really glad to have their help wrangling the kids through the crowds, until...

the twins took Talea, Hyatt, and Kiersa to stand in line for the bull riding dummy, but then came back and sat by me. My kids looked around and couldn't see us, so they took off looking for us (yes, I have given them the lecture about staying put when they think they're lost and I'll come find them...SEVERAL times). I was distracted by talking to Hyrum on the phone, telling him all the fun he was missing, when suddenly I realized my kids were gone. The three of us split up in a panic and began searching the enormous, crowded park. Eventually, I spotted Talea and Hyatt (of course Hyatt was bawling, thinking he was lost forever), but I couldn't find Kiersa. A few minutes later I spotted her curls bouncing over by the basketball courts. After a scare like that, I was ready to pack up and head home.

Next year, they're going on leashes!!!