indepedence day

the fourth of july...

we spent the whole weekend down in fairview...the culhane family has nothing over on the hunter and godwin families, when it comes to hangin' out! NOTHIN' ~ but total relaxation! i even finished reading the book i was reading ~ the ice castle, and got some reading in about my "winters" ancestors. i can't help but be grateful to them for the hardships they endured so that i can enjoy some of the freedoms that i have today. we are sooo blessed!

maybe... my love for fairview is inherited from my ancestors who were some of the first settlers of mt. pleasant and fairview. hiram winters and his son, william were both, two of the first physicians in mt. pleasant. hiram was a brother to my great grandfather, oscar winters. a sister, rebecca winters, married amasa tucker. in 1872, orson hyde appointed amasa the second mayor of fairview. he also served as bishop over the fairview ward for 23 years and rebecca served in the relief society presidency, acting as either president or counselor for 36 consecutive years, from 1874 to 1908. (i think i would have shot myself, first, NO! i know i would have!). they lived in a house at 190 s. state street in fairview. they are both buried in the fairview cemetery.

okay, back to the mountain... chet, tiff and the kids were already down there when we got there. it's always more fun when at least some of the grand kids are there to spoil!

we watched and played with all kinds of critters. :) "harny toads" (per kendyl), fuzzy caterpillars, chipmunks stealing cereal from godwin's deck (kendyl was sure it was 'alvin'), we watched starlings attacking the chipmunks, all kinds of crawly and fliey thingies. mosquitos - and i have the bites to prove it, but the funnest was that we put a hummingbird feeder in the tree, right out the window of the trailer and once they found it, the hummingbirds frequented it quite often.

chet and tiff had some of their friends from their ward come down. the hayes. they have 3 girls and a little boy. with all of us, and all of the godwin clan, we had quite a fun little wienie roast for the fourth. after dinner the kids jumped on the wheelers and went out on the side hill to watch the fireworks. in one place, they watched the fireworks in 3 different towns. manti, mt. pleasant, and fairview. i got to stay back at the trailer, ryker was asleep and i really didn't care whether i got to see the fireworks or not. when the kids got back, we sat around the fire pit, made s'mores. and looked at the sky. it was filled with stars and boy was it beautiful!

we did go on a few 4-wheeler rides and i think don even played nine wii holes of golf with the godwin guys.

this is carson playing in the rocks.

and this is tatun swingin' on my swing.

(just picture me, sitting on it?!)

it's always the pitts to have to come home to reality. but life is as life does............................