The Parade After Party 2025

After the parade, we head home open the backyard for a friend/family/neighborhood potluck.  

What a cool guy and Dada's motorcycle

It's wonderful to see them happy and finding their people in the world.

As Abe served the hotdogs, he made everyone answer the question, "What do you love about America?"

This scene is one of the happiest of the year

The arm wrestlers

Cannon's friends

Misty and Jon and baby Charlie

Abe and Diana Chase-his partner in the ward choir tenor section.

Riverton Parade 2025

Three cheers for Abe and his parade preparations!!!

Charlie's 1st Parade and may he grow to love the 4th of July as much as his Aunt Faith does

These two are about 2 1/2 months apart in age, and they used to be similar in height.  Not so much anymore.

George and Aliyah (cousins) are almost 15 and finally becoming friends.   

 

 

 

Because, you know, there are some ages that cannot even risk accidentally touching each other in a picture:) 

Peter and Rosalie are twinner cousins.

Chris and Marjorie and their two youngest (Jimmy and Wesley) joined the festivities.

I love this picture of Greta and Daniel

Is my niece Aliyah not the most darling girl you have ever seen?  

Greta is Daniel's favorite.

 

My favorite. 

I suppose there is a slight resemblance

She is a good mama:)

George's neighborhood buddies-- good guys

It is tradition to cheer our heads off like crazy for ward/neighborhood kids in the marching band.  They love it... or at least we love it:)

My ladies, my tribe, my friends

Book club babies

Oh look!  It's Takara-- another of my gorgeous nieces.

 

 Ben was born to be a dad!  He's a natural and such a good sport.

And speaking of awesome dads... can we take a moment to acknowledge real men who choose to step and be dads.  

More cousin fun!

May I introduce you to Faith's boyfriend, Landen.  That feels so strange to say.  Not that Landen is strange.  He's not.  He's actually very nice and hardworking and we like him a lot.  It's just that Faith has not been easily impressed before and it is strange to see her so smitten.

I don't know... somehow it seems they understand each other:)

Welcome CHARLIE!!!!!!!

At the beginning of June my baby had a baby❤️ Ben and Bethany were so happy to welcome their first baby boy— Charles (Charlie) Benjamin.  A moment to acknowledge the shirt Ben is wearing (a Christmas gift from Bethany:)

Everything went beautifully and he arrived safe and sound.  I was so happy to be invited to be there for the blessed event.  But you know how a mom doesn't like to see her child be sad or in pain or really uncomfortable? She actually feels the feelings along with them.  

And even though the mom knows it's an important part of life and the child will learn and grow and progress, it is still hard to watch.

Well, that's how I feel watching my daughters be pregnant and labor and give birth and exhaust themselves taking care of their little one.  

Ben's face in this picture melts my heart

Parenting is most definitely a job best suited to a mom and dad working together.  I'm so glad they have each other.

He weighed in at a whopping 9lbs 12 oz!  Bethany was a ROCK STAR!!

This picture of Ben with his parents and their first grandbaby.

The grandpas.  

The grandmas.  Such a happy day for us all.

Great Grandma and Grandpa Cannon

Going home

Gathering at Bethany's place for a Foxy Ladies Meeting to watch the Miss Utah Competition.  Don't judge.  It's tradition.  It's also a tradition to be harsh judges.

Blessed