Fire Department Open House!

(the spacing on this post is crazy, so it's staying crazy and I'm not fixing it or I'll go crazy.)

Thanks to a friend we became aware of a completely awesome and totally free family "field trip" opportunity. We spent a little of our evening at our local fire station. They offered demonstrations and hands on learning activities for everyone.

Rulon's favorite was the "smokey escape", a demo on how to feel for heat behind a door and how to crawl through a smokey area to safety.

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The kids got to go inside an ambulance and see the kinds of things that are used to help save lives on the way to the hospital

Rulon was eager to try CPR since he wants to be a paramedic when he grows up, "but not the kind that rides in
an ambulance, the kind that DRIVES the ambulance".

The coolest thing for Mads was getting to spray the fire hose, look at his super excited little face, priceless!

There was also an extrication demo where they actually showed how they cut the doors and roofs off of wrecked cars in order to get people out of the vehicle!

I picked up my friend Taunya's kids so they could see the cool stuff with us. They were just hanging out at home while Taunya was a parent teacher conf., so it was great for them and for me... they helped me keep track of Mads :)

It was fun to take pictures on the bumpers of the big emergency vehicles, the kids loved it.

I loved that my boys looked small again wearing the big Fire Fighter's coats. Mads wanted to leave his on, I probably should have let him, it would have slowed him down a bit!

There was a big fire fighting demonstration! It was amazingly HOT even from our safe distance!! The boys backed up super quickly and were astonished at the heat! They followed up this fire hose demo with the big huge water cannon from atop the fire truck ladder. Soooo cooool!

Mina was a good sport strapped to me in the baby bjorn, she only cried once, when Mads shrieked with excitement at manning the fire hose!

Cornbellys

Thanks to another one of Melissa'a FUN ideas, we took the kiddos to Cornbellys at Thanksgiving Point (a while ago but who's keeping track?) It was amazing how many things there were to do there, it was kid heaven. Somehow Melissa picked the day and time that was perfect, sunny and not too cool, and practically no one else was there, it was crazy!

These things were awesome, the kids could jump or slide on them!! I need one in my back yard.
Such a serious driver!!

Such a serious motor :)

Rulon had all his ducks in a row, a nice straight one - who's his mother anyway??

Tired Mads?

Hiking in the Chill of the Canyon.

Is anyone excited to go hiking??? RULON IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK, Mads is too!

We went up Provo canyon to Aspen Grove and then to Sundance to do a little hiking around. Rulon was excited to try out his "new" hiking boots from Aunt Peggy and to use his pocket knife to "skin a tree". It was chilly that's for sure but it was beautiful and the air was so fresh and nice.

A day at the zoo.

With so many appointment in Salt Lake, we decided to make one of the trips fun and head across the street (literally) to the Hogle Zoo. Rulon had never been there before and was so excited to see Alex the lion (that's the lion in one of his fav movies) Well, who knew the Hogle Zoo's lion died a while ago and there is no replacement... oh well, he loved all the other animals and the carousel too!!