Splash Pad...

My favorite aunt, Alyson, called and invited us to enjoy a leisurely Monday afternoon at my cousin Mike's condo.  His daughter, McKell, was here for the weekend and they had just got a cute new puppy.  So we were officially joining a puppy/pool party and we were glad to go. The kids had a blast playing in the water, and I was really grateful for something to do.  Alyson, Cassandra, Niki, and I hung out and enjoyed each other's company while the kids played on the splash pad.  The invitation couldn't have come at a more perfect time as the mercury showed about 96* and we were not in the mood to stay inside, yet we didn't want to cook in Utah's dry heat either.  Here are the kids waiting for the water to dump on them from the overhead buckets:

Here is a picture of the whole crew.  Sierra and Jake are in the front with Jaycie, Torey and Taylor in the middle.  Kinzie and McKell are in the back.  They play really well together and are close in age so that makes it fun.
Perhaps the high point of the entire day, and I think you will all agree, was when it was time for lunch.  Aunt Alyson had so generously provided pizza and crazy sticks and the kids ate like they hadn't been fed in weeks.
And there we were, eating and talking, talking and eating, sharing stories and laughing at funny anecdotes when all of the sudden...
I ask "What's a honey bucket?"  And then we became very aware of what exactly a "honey bucket" was.  As we were enjoying the delicate mix of tomato, basil, and oregano another flavor presented itself.  An unwelcome flavor, and yet a very distinct flavor permeated through our pavilion and melded together with the pizza to create an unforgettable dining experience.  It wasn't as if the scent, or flavor, presented itself and then wafted away on a gentle breeze.  No, this flavor camped on our table, invaded our space really, as it moved through many subtle and not so subtle scents.  It seems that the "honey bucket" was designed specifically for emptying the "honey bucket" traveling latrine.  We kept waiting for the bucket to finish it's job, but the bucketeer was obviously not in any hurry to do so, thus we were able to enjoy the scent for quite some time.  I will never look at honey quite the same way.
Regardless of this one small experience we had a fantastic time and wanted to thank Alyson and McKell for inviting us, and Mike for moving to such a great condo complex.  Your home is beautiful, can't wait to see it again at the Christmas party!!!