What a perfect night to be outside! The temperature was perfect, the mosquitoes were gone, no wind, just perfect. We had our family home evening in our backyard. In fact, we had dinner there too! But before any of the fun stuff we had to clean the yard, make it presentable. We had invited a couple friends to join us for the campfire and marshmallows portion of the evening. The boys had to do their part to help clean up.
Mommy made some minor details corrections to the boy's finished product.
Everything was just so beautiful that we decided to have our dinner out on the patio. After all, you've just got to enjoy the beautiful weather while we have it. Our boys didn't think dinner was such a great idea (if we ignore it will it go away)?
One of our friends, Mark, made an immediate impression! No, he isn't trying to get David's dinner! They are just enjoying a friendly game of tag. Mark has the natural ability to entertain all our boys. For 2 hours we didn't hear a complaint out of our boys (now Donovan fell down a couple of times and wasn't too happy but he was back in the game in no time).
David and Mark worked together to start the campfire. Amazingly efficient, it only took 7 matches to start this tinderbox to blazing.
(Maybe it's just me but these flames seem just a little higher than 3 feet - the maximum flame height allowed by Provo City ordinance.)
And then I saw something that I never thought I would see in this lifetime! A Petersen who actually burnt a marshmallow! This has been one of my deep-seated fears joining the Petersen family. The expectation of marshmallow roasting perfection is just assumed and there is substantial, albeit unspoken, peer pressure to roast a perfect marshmallow that is golden brown and melted through the middle. But right there, in front of my own eyes, was a marshmallow flame! It only takes a second, a lapse in concentration, and the perfect marshmallow is no more!
Mark thought that burnt marshmallows are the only way to go and was thrilled to burn at least a half dozen which he consumed with delight.
But that started a craze with out boys. The thought of burning a marshmallow had never entered their minds, at least it hadn't before tonight. Now, it was a local pastime. (However, I think that Michael over-burnt this marshmallow by accident--it was ash with a gooey center.) 
Donovan was still trying for marshmallow perfection.
Mommy had to step in with a little coaching.
It was a perfect night and we enjoyed the company of Carol Goldsberry, our long-time friend. We also had Greg Goldsberry and Leah Wood join us and the company of these three wonderful individuals made a perfect evening.