Provo is for families: Book festival and AstroFest

If Virginia is for lovers, Provo is for families. There have been a lot of days where Rob and I look at each other and remark how great it is to be living here, especially with our young family and especially on Saturdays. There's so much to do and it's a great little-ish town to do them in. Before I share pictures from one particular family-fun-filled Saturday, here's an example that struck me when we first moved to Provo. In Kirkland, where we lived before, each library has one story time for Henry's age group. Here in Provo, there are 14 a week! (three mon-thurs and two on friday). That's just for his age group, there's just as many for babies and for preschoolers. There's just a lot of kids here (#mormons).

May 17th was one Saturday like many others where we just have a lot of fun, provided by the place we live. In the morning Henry and I went to a book festival at the library. I was so impressed with the theme and how it was executed, I was even kind of jealous of all those who were part of the event's planning and carrying out (that was a strange feeling for me - but I've been feeling a little under-utilized here in Provo, but that's an example of what's not great about living here and a topic for another day).

Henry was able to view a cool model train, use a typewriter, dance (?) around a maypole, choose a free book, go through a mouse maze, make mouse ears, listen to a dramatized book reading, watch pet mice, and enjoy a cheese and crackers snack. The best part was enjoying the event with just my boy, which happens rarely.

After we got home from the library we ate lunch then all headed to campus for BYU's annual AstroFest, a family and scouting day put on by the physics and astronomy department. So this event was arguably a lot cooler than the library event and Henry still talks about it.

Viewing the sun on the roof of the Eyring Science building, where everything took place.

 Venturing through exclusive parts of the building...

 ... to find this:

 (spying Venus)

And my proud mama/geeky former BYU portion of the day - Henry is participating in an acoustics demonstration in the very same classroom I took an acoustics class in years ago (oh, and also a New Testament class... only at BYU)!

Rocket building/snack time

About to launch his rocket. Oh man, he loved this!

And last - the trooper who did.not.sleep despite appearing very sleepy.