June 2014 Pat's Nauvoo Trip

So here is the rare post with Pat narrating!  I was called to be the secretary in the Young Men's Presidency and each year our priests get free train tickets because they clean the train station in Provo once a month.  I helped do this several times and was asked if I wanted to come on this year's Priest quorum train trip to Nauvoo! This was a chance I didn't want to pass up, so off we went! 

 Here is some of the boys (Kenny, Sam, Wesley, and Michael) on the interminable train ride (30 hours there and 33 on the way back not to mention the time spent waiting for the train to show up to even get on)

We made it out and on our first night there we went to an all you can eat buffet for dinner. This is the whole group. On the left starting in the back is Jeff Woerner, Matt Nelson, Nate Melton, Steve Hannant, Connor Goodnight, Alex Woener, Kenny White, and Sam Fjersted.  The other side is Bishop Roger Tuckett, Me, Steve Blanthorn, Jacen Blanthorn, Wesley Cope (the last two you can't see their faces) and Michael Lowe. 

This is the house we rented which was just down the street, a five minute walk from the temple.

We went and did baptisms in the temple which was an incredible experience. Here is a cool view.

Here is me out front.

Here is the whole group out front.

We went with some of the missionaries and did a service project digging post 

holes for trail markers for the handcart trail in the forested area around the temple.

This is the thorniest tree ever. The thorns on this were so massive. 

They said the pioneers had some frustration with this crazy local tree.

We went to Carthage where Joseph Smith was killed. 

This is Kenny White through the hole in the door made by a bullet of the assassins.

This is the window that the prophet fell through after being shot.

This is the outside, the top window is the same window front the above picture.

Then we did a handcart trek.  

You can see Nate Melton in the back, we took a shortcut and finished long before everyone else!

Breanne's Aunt Bonnie was serving her mission here and so I 

stopped at the home she was serving at and visited with her.

These are the headstones of Joseph, Hyrum and Emma.

Here is a group picture at night on the banks of the Mississippi River.

Here are some of the boys on the banks.

And me.

 

Here is one during the day.

This picture was from Jeff Woerner's phone. 

One night we rode down to the temple and got some cool looking pictures.

Here is one, Sunday after church down on the bank of the river. 

This is where the pioneers crossed when they left Nauvoo.

Here is me under the first bridge built in Nauvoo.

Another picture of the temple. 

There you have it!

June 2014 The Week Without Dad

This is how we do hair on Sunday mornings!

In trying to sell Grandma Joan's house, we went to clean up the flowerbeds and plant new flowers.

Dad entertained Melody while we worked.

What a cutie pie! And look at those chubby little legs!!!

Then we tested out the sprinklers!!

The first week of June, Pat went with the Young Men in the ward on a train trip to Nauvoo, so it was just me and the kids for a week. We started off the week by taking a walk then playing at the school playground.

I love the picture of these 3.

We spent another day at the Springville splash pad with Lisa and kids. 

I just stayed under our umbrella with Melody and let the kids play.

We also had a water fight with the hose and water guns. 

Our city started a new program called Play Unplugged. During the summer the kids can do a variety of activities that get them away from electronics.  When they do these things, we go to businesses around town to redeem our Brag Badges (we call them brag tags) and they put them on a lanyard to keep track of them.

This one was to take a picture with a flower!

We had to take pictures to send to daddy while he was away.

I guess we were playing so hard that Jaina just conked.

I love how she was holding her hands.

Melody is getting bigger, so I have to enjoy the moments when I have her sleeping in my arms, or on my chest.

This day I must have been in the mood for stripes, because I accidentally made us match!

Xander earned is Webelos badge in Cub Scouts!!

Last September, right after our trip to Colorado, the AC on our Van died. Because we were going into fall we waited to have it fixed. Now that it was getting warmer, we finally got it fixed by a friend of a friend. I had to take the van to and from Springville, so I enlisted the help of mom and Karri. In our transfer of kids to mom's car, Melody was very cranky and would not calm down until Karri played music on her phone. She put it on repeat and placed it on her. Only then did Melody calm down to fall asleep.

With the whole van excitement, we had to take it to the guys work to make sure that it was fixed properly. So we got up early on a Saturday, and sat at a car repair shop for almost an hour.  By this time, I was proud of myself that I was surviving without Pat, but I wanted him home.

After our van was all ready to go, I took the kids to Liza's house to be watched while Mara and I went to see Peter Pan at the Hale Center Theater in Orem.

The set and costumes were in a Steam Punk theme and it was amazing! I have seen this performed many many times (because I love it) but this was by far the BEST I had seen!  I wish that I could have a recording of it. The flying was beautiful, Peter and his shadow just wowed me, the pirates and lost boys were so funny, Hook was perfect, Peter and Wendy were endearing, etc

I JUST LOVED LOVED LOVED IT!!!!

We went with these guys and had a FANTASTIC time.

Sunday after church, we headed to Mana's so the kids could have a change of scenery.

This little one is just adorable and is really starting to play with toys!

I love being able to rock her to sleep and hold her in my arms, 

even when it makes me stuck on the couch for who knows how long.

We had fun with all the girls in the backyard.

I love this picture!!!!

Finley and Jaina had to swing with their popsicles. 

I love having an iPhone because I can take selfies with my kids.  

I don't have many pictures of me when my babies were little, so I love that I can get them with Melody.

We also spent an evening with Mana and Karri at one of our favorite restaurants: Taco Amigo!

Xander made a tower out of fry sauce while we waited for our food.

He also played with his dominoes a lot.

Finally, dad was on his way home, so we made a banner for him.

This was the only letter that Jaina wanted to color. 

She has a short attention span when it comes to art.

All ready for dad to be home!

He came home after midnight, so the kids saw him the next morning.