We're back

We have been to the pool, to Lagoon, to Lake Powell, to Manti, and back to the pool. Here is what you missed...

Mason at the Manti pool with his Keisel cousins. Notice the Manti temple in the background.

"Mister Lake Powell" catching some rays.

Mason loves wheels, so he was thrilled to see this big round thing on the top of the boat.

Bath time with cousin Caleb.

A Weekend of Firsts

The fourth of July weekend was all about "firsts" for Mason (we are still keeping in line with The Summer of Mason). For the first time...

1. Mason was extremely pleasant with my family all day long. Apparently he has a lot of respect for our country's independence. He was outside all day and missed a nap, but still showed great personality and enthusiasm for the days activities. Our temperamental child surprised us all by being so pleasant.

2. Mason rode a horse. During the day we went downtown to Heritage Park. They had a ton of activities to do including a pony ride. Mason was not quite sure about the big horse at first, but by the end I think he really enjoyed himself.

3. Mason went to a petting zoo. He absolutely loved the animals and would squeal with delight whenever they got close to him. I did feel bad for the animals though because Mason was extremely rough with them. Often hitting them and pulling their hair.

4. Mason discovered a glow stick. It entertained him for hours while we waited for the fireworks to start. It was such a great babysitter, we even took it to church with us yesterday.

5. Mason went boating. He absolutely hated wearing his life jacket, but he loved the lulling bounces of the boat that eventually put him to sleep. His favorite part however, was when we were loading the boat. He would stand on the bow and yell as if he were the captain.

What a great weekend! I am excited for many more like it the rest of the summer.

The Summer of Mason

"I'm really going to do something with these three months... This is gonna be my time. Time to taste the fruits and let the juices drip down my chin. I proclaim this: The Summer of George!"

George Costanza

In the Keisel household, this is the "Summer of Mason." We are all about activities that Mason might enjoy like swimming, Popsicles, walks around the neighborhood, parades, etc. I used the phrase "might enjoy" because Mason is very particular about what things he likes. For the most part, he doesn't like the sun, the grass, the heat, loud noises, church, or people. Despite his dislikes we are still forging ahead with The Summer of Mason. And, he really isn't that particular... well, not all of the time.

Lately we have been enjoying living in good ol' Lehi and all of the festivities that they have for this time of year. Friday night my sister Kendra, who lives about 1 minute from me, called to see if Mason and I wanted to go to the Lehi parade with her and her kids. We had such a great time. Both of our husbands were working late and if she hadn't called I would have sat home all night wishing that Kurt was home. Here are some pictures from the night.

The next day, Mason and I went to the Grand Parade with Kurt. The entire first half was the exact same parade we saw Friday night, which I really didn't need to see again. So for next year we will probably just attend only one of the Lehi parades. Saturday night we also attended the Rodeo with some friends. It didn't even start until 8:00pm, so Mason was not too excited about it. He did however last over an hour before we had to pack up and head home.

All in all, I would say that The Summer of Mason is in full swing!