Pioneer Day

Friday, July 24th, was Pioneer Day in Utah. I love that Utah has a Pioneer Day because it is one extra holiday for those of us living in Utah. David was able to have the day off, so we had all day to lounge around the house and relax. We didn't really do much during the day other than watch movies - Cool Runnings, play games (David played with Legos forever in the afternoon), and read books. It was nice to have a day to relax. Then at night we were invited to go to the Salt Lake Bees Baseball game with my old roommate, Courtney; her boyfriend, Spencer; her brothers, Alex and Ryan; Alex's girlfriend, Morgan; and one of Ryan's friends. David and I had never been to a Salt Lake Bees game - they are just a minor league team - Utah doesn't have a major league team.

Before the game, we went out to dinner with Spencer and Courtney to a well known restaurant in the area called The Pie. It is a little pizza place right near the University of Utah campus. They have really good pizza. The best part was, the workers told us that since we had to wait so long for our pizza, we got a free pizza! We had the barbeque chicken pizza, which was delicious!

After dinner we headed to the game. We just bought general admission tickets, so we sat just behind the outfield on blankets. I actually enjoyed sitting out on blankets better than sitting in seats - probably because I find baseball boring so getting to lay down made it better. The opposing team cancelled the game due to illness so instead the Salt Lake Bees held a homerun derby and then an 18 and under all star game. The home run derby was fun. David brought his glove since we were behind the outfield and attempted to catch a few of the home runs. The winner of the derby was a 16 year old high school student from Las Vegas. He hit so many home runs. He was really good! And only 16! He beat all the Bees players that were in the home run derby! Apparently he is the best hitter in high school in the world right now; rumor has it, the boy hit a 560 foot home run in Florida.

The all star game was pretty lame - no one was really watching. We waited through it though for the best part of the night - Pioneer Day Fireworks! After the all star game, they let everyone go down on the field. We got to lay our blanket out in the outfield and watch the fireworks. It was so cool because we were really close to the fireworks. In fact, we could feel ashes falling on us during the show. The show was really good. I would even say it was the best fireworks show I have ever been to. They had a lot of cool fireworks. It was a lot of fun to get to go out with Courtney and her brothers and Spencer. We had a really good Pioneer Day. It will be sad when one day we don't live in Utah and will have to work through the 24th of July. :( Until then, Happy Pioneer Day!

Manti Miracle Pageant

The very last weekend in June, David and I decided we wanted to go to the Miracle Pageant down in Manti, UT.  Since my mom was in town we invited her.  We also invited David's sisters and mom as well as Adam and Carlee.  This was David, Carlee, and David's mom's first time to go to the pageant.  I hadn't been in about ten years so I really didn't remember much of the pageant.  David, his sisters - Kathryn and Kelli, his mom - Lauri, and I all drove down early to save seat for us.  Here is when we first arrived.  It was really, really bright outside.  How gorgeous is the Manti Temple in the background!

After we claimed our spot at the pageant, we walked down Main Street in Manti to find some dinner.  Here we are eating our hot dogs and hamburgers in the grass.  And of course David is making a face. :)

David and his sisters, waiting for the pageant to start.
David and I in front of the Manti Temple.  I forgot how big the Manti Temple is!  It really was so gorgeous.

Everyone at the pageant - minus Adam who took the picture and minus Jack who was running around pulling grass up.

One last shot of the temple in the sunlight.

The temple at night time - still waiting for the pageant to start.

For those who have never been, the Manti Pageant is a play that all the Mormons put on down in Manti.  The play is performed right in front of the temple, on the grassy hill just below the temple.  The play is about how the LDS church began and the early church members' journey across the plains on their way to Utah.  The play was good.  There were the occasional cheesy lines  - "the arrow...so swift" (as one guy said after he was shot by an arrow, right before he died) - but overall I enjoyed the play.  The end was really great with music playing from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  The only drawback to the pageant was how late it was.  The pageant didn't even start until after 9:30 pm.  It ended around 11:15 pm and then we had to drive back to Provo.  After dropping David's sisters and mom off at their house, David and I finally got to my grandma's house around 2:15 am.  I was so tired the next day.  I hate staying up late.  Marriage is so nice - David and I go to bed at 10 pm.  We almost never stay up past midnight - not even on the weekends.  We enjoyed it but probably won't be seeing it again in the near future.  I think I can wait another ten years or so before I go back. :)