Pastries in the garden.

Skyler's school had a "parents and pastries" day Thursday morning.  They ran out of pastries but Skyler's class the day before hand dipped strawberries into chocolate for everyone.

Look how big that strawberry was!

Delicious!

Planting peas at school.

We already have our peas growing in a container on the front porch.  Skyler also got to plant some peas at school last week in a biodegradable egg carton.

He said he got to help the others in his class.  :)

Trains on the brain.

There's no turning back now!    Skyler, Grandpa, and I have been bitten by the model railroad bug!  Grandpa is working on the layout, Skyler is running the trains, and I've customized a passenger car by painting it up like the Frontrunner cars here in Utah..

He made "stations" Saturday afternoon at Grandpas.   Look at the details!

Running to Ogden!

Custom painted passenger car.  He was thrilled to see it completed last night after school.

Riding the rails to Ogden for the 150th.

Let's see if the photos I took from last week work today.

Watching a passing freight from the Frontrunner.

View of the Ogden river from the flyover bridge.

Our first glimpse of the Big Boy.

Another view.

Frontrunner in front of the 844.

Holding his hand over his heart during the National Anthem.  I didn't have to tell him to do so.

BIG BOY!

Departing on the train gave us a good look at both locomotives.

Mighty 844.

Enjoying a Spam and cheese sandwich on the way home.

THE day!

Sunday was a day 6 years in the making.  When Union Pacific announced their plans to restore a Big Boy back to operation way back in 2013, I didn't think it would actually materialize.  Boy did it!  What an amazing piece and what an amazing day!  Skyler has been telling his class all about the locomotive and even shared the video with them today.

I took yesterday's video, Mommy took all of the stills.  She did and incredible job!

He was happy!

Scoping out our vantage point.  We would be trackside for 2 hours before the train came.

Practicing his shooting location.

Here it comes!!

WOW!

We were close!

Great lighting.

Away he goes!

844.

What an amazing experience.  Note the crowd!

60 years in the making!

We got up early and staked out our spot in Echo Canyon yesterday to witness history being made.  It was incredible!!

Happy and Sad Mother's Day.

Skyler painted a lovely painting for Mommy in school.  He also made her a sign that he hung up this morning before she got up.

We headed up to Echo Canyon to see the 4014 & 844 (more to come later) and this afternoon stopped by the cemetery where Skyler placed a pinwheel he made on Grandma's grave.

He did this all on his own.

😪

A once in a lifetime event.

I took Skyler out of school yesterday to attend the Union Pacific's 150th celebration of the Transcontinental Railroad.  We picked up Grandpa and took the Frontrunner train to Ogden to view the ceremony.  Wow!

Since I can't seem to upload my photos from yesterday, enjoy this photo from Trains Magazine's Facebook page instead.  Sigh...

The game of chess.

Skyler got to play chess in class with Ollie on Tuesday!

It seems that the other kids were rather intrigued by the game of chess.

Mine tour!

A few weeks ago during Skyler's Spring break, we headed up to the Kennecott Rio Tinto Visitor's experience.  It was recently opened after the 2013 massive slide that closed the old visitors center.

(Photos not in order... Yet again!!  Thanks Google.)

Next to a dump body.

On the shuttle ride up sitting next to Grandpa.

Inside the dump body.  It can hold 380 tons.

Large Komatsu dozer.

Next to a 10,000 pound haul truck tire.

Size comparison of a shovel tooth and a nearly 8 year old.

12" drill bit used to drill blast holes.

Shuttle view.

P&H shovel bucket.

Inside the dump body.

View of the pit.  2.5 miles across and a half mile deep.

Tooth comparison.

There's still a ton of snow up top.

View of the ore facility on the way down.

Circle time in class.

Now with chairs!

Skyler talking to the new student Li from China.  :)

Model railroad update.

Skyler spent yesterday afternoon helping Grandpa secure the track to the base.  I've never seen him so happy!

Placing a nail in the nail driver.  He helped nail all of the risers down to the base.  Look at the control panel!

Return to the airway marker.

We needed to get out of the house and away from the neighborhood yesterday afternoon.  We headed out to the Tooele valley and hiked up to the airway marker we hiked to a few years ago.  Only problem this time?  Biting sand flies!!  Aka, noseeums!  Horrible!!  Bug spray doesn't work and the more hair you have, the more they bite.  I was eaten alive...

Crossing the Milford branch mainline.

The dog was delighted to go on an adventure.  Skyler was too.

West view with I-80 in the foreground.

Tooele valley.  Everything is SO green from all the moisture.

Green cliffs above.

Can you see the airway marker?

The Great Salt Lake level appeared to be higher than last year.  Note the gulls in flight.

Antelope Island.

Mommy and Skyler on the airway marker.

Tower remains.

Mommy retreating from the bugs!

Dog on a rock!

TRAIN!!

Mixed freight.

Distributed Power Unit (DPU) on the rear.