Pioneer Day Celebration

For Pioneer Day this year, my cousin invited us to meet up with them in American Falls for the parade and festivities held there, where her husband is from.

Unlike a lot of the big cities, parades 'round these parts definitely have a small town flare to them....

...which I think is great. And the kids enjoy any excuse to collect candy.

After the parade, we headed over to the park to see what they had there. These guys are making fresh tortillas.

This is the row for french fries.

And the smoke is from the burgers. There was also tacos, pie, ice cream, etc. And all the food was free (how's that for cool?).

Drake and Graham each took their turn at the "Kids Fish Pond".

They both caught some little toy shooter things.

By far the most entertaining thing at the park was the Live Fish Catch.

They had made a big pool with logs and black tarp.

Then filled it full of nice, clean, brown water.

Then a truck pulled up hauling about 100 trout.

The guy on the truck took net after net of flip-flopping fish...

... and just threw them...

... into the pool.

He did this over and over until all the fish were swimming around in the murky, brown water.

Then they let kids get in one group at a time (by age group --- youngest first).

They had so many minutes to try and catch a fish before it was the next group's turn.

We saw several kids catch their own fish before we left.

Thanks Brynn and Matt and Lindsay and everyone else for letting us hang out with you and your family.

And thanks be to the pioneers for blazing trails across the west; for putting up with endless persecution because of a belief in something better; for all the faithful sacrifices that were made for the gospel and for families. I'm grateful to be a part of this wonderful church and for the knowledge I have because of it.