Hatch again Hatch again, Jiggity Jig

Everything was quiet in Hatch, Utah, July 24 this year. It was 4:00 in the morning. A small cry broke out in the air. I knew that Kaitlyn wanted food. After feeding her, and settling her back into her cozy bouncer chair bed for the night, I looked at the clock and it was now close to 4:30. "Not bad," I thought. I could always sleep a little longer and get up for the 24th of July festivities in a couple hours after the cannons go off at 6:00 a.m. (literal CANNONS, a tradition of the town). But Alas, a half an hour later - BOOM!!!!!!!! then another BOOM!!!!!!!!! The cannons started at 5:00 a.m. for the next hour, every 15 minutes were sounded by more and more cannons as they rolled the cannon through town.

Finally, 5:45 a.m. (the last set of cannons)I thought I could finally catch a couple winks before I had to get up and get ready for the town breakfast at 7:00 a.m. WRONG AGAIN. 6:00 a.m. the town AMBULANCE was whaling all over the town with it's annoying siren on. I was beginning to wonder what I would have to do to get any sleep in this town. Again I tried to sleep but it wasn't long after that my darling 5 year old was waking me up excited to get ready for the town parade that would start at 10:00 a.m. and go until 10:10 - if that. It was a horrible start to my WONDERFUL trip to Hatch.

The 24th of July is my favorite part of our trips to Hatch. These people really know how to celebrate! First there is the town breakfast from 7-9:00 in the morning. After that, the children's parade (Danelle's favorite part because she rides around like Little Miss Hatch and throws out candy). Then they have what are called "the races." We bought Ellie a pile of tickets, and let her play some of their town carnival games. Then we all take a long break and visit until the town dinner (and what a heckova dinner it is!) at 5:00 p.m. Then they have their firework show at dark. It's times like these that I wished we lived in a community like they still have down in this sweet small town (minus the cannons and ambulance sounding from 5-6 a.m.).

This was a strange year for me in Hatch. Less ATV riding, and more laying back, visiting, and tending Kaitlyn; which I didn't mind. If you would have told me last Hatch trip in 2009 that I would bring a 2 month old with me the next year, I would have told you that you were crazy after everything we had been through to get Kaitlyn here. I was happy to bring Kaitlyn and show her off to the town and family that were down there. She seemed to be pretty content and happy about it too.

Danelle had a great time down in Hatch, as always. On the way down to Hatch, we stopped by Big Rock Candy Mountain for her first time (and bought candy rocks for the way home). She went on all but one ATV ride, and caught her very first fish with her very first set of caught night-crawlers. She was so proud to come back to Grandma and Grandpa Burrows' home after a couple hours of fishing to tell me that "she caught the big one!!!" She was so cute as she dared herself to touch the fish, and help daddy wash it out and get it ready to eat soon. Danelle also flew a kite for the first time in Hatch this year too. It's so wonderful to have one child that we can experience these exciting things with and one that is still a baby to snuggle and show and teach new things. It really is the best of both worlds. :)

We look forward to going down to Hatch next year. I already know that keeping our little 14 month old Kaitlyn out of everything will make next year "fun" but I can't wait to see her riding along in the Hatch Parade with her sister and show her every fascinating thing to her over again. If next year is like this past year, I know that a lot could change in my life by that time(hopefully for the better) but I also know one other thing; Hatch will probably stay the same.... and I like that.