Oddiments

Did you know you can cook biscuits in a microwave?  It's true.  Put one in on defrost for 30 seconds or so.  I am learning interesting things from cooking in a hotel room with only a microwave. 
Who ever thought you could come back to the hotel room, prepare dinner for 6 from an icebox and microwave, and get every kid to write something neat in their journal?  It works!

My camera card is getting full.  I am going to have to buy another one! Yikes!

Ryanne is a mosquito magnet.  We all have five or six bites from the days past.  She has about twenty!  And she scratches them until they are massive, bleeding welts. 

It is rainy and humid here.  The rain comes and goes; sprinkles and pours.  It doesn't slow us down much.  It isn't cold, but a warm rain that leaves the ground sweltering.  We are always wet, either from rain or sweat, or both!

Vacation Feedback

You know that your family is having fun when they forget meals . . . they forget snacks . . . . they realize it's 8pm and they haven't eaten since 1pm! Ahh--sweet successful planning--ode to family memories and late-night dinners scarfed on the run amidst laughter and jangling conversation!

Holes

My sister, Aurora, suggested my kids read the book "Holes" by author Louis Sachar.   So she loaned it to me before we left on our trip and I have been reading it to the kids in the car as we drive.  We are all enjoying it very much.  Elias gets a little agitated when we are reading about scary spotted lizards or death.  He doesn't like thinking about pain, suffering, or blood--it freaks him out.  The rest of the kids like to throw out their guesses of how the story will turn out.  Ryanne is great at analyzing theme and meanings from stories.  I love to read to the kids as we drive, it is the best thing to do in the car.  Sometimes I will read for two hours, or until my throat is so raspy I can no longer go on! Long live the library and great authors!

Our new Friends

Once in Nauvoo, our children hoped to find the DeForest family whom we had previously met in Independence and Adam-Ondi-Amen. We did. Tom and Hannah had their four daughters at the play, "Just Plain Anna-Amanda" at the same time as we had our  four children there.  It was here that Mckay left our family to sit by Lilly.  The kids enjoyed each other so much and Wes and I really enjoyed and appreciated Hannah and Tom. What great people!

Wes and I had been to the temple already, so we agreed to babysit Tom and Hannah's girls so that they could go to a session. We played at the park where it was sultry and rainy.  After that became intolerable, we took all eight kids swimming at the hotel pool. It was really fun; only two of the children were novice swimmers, so Wes and I each helped them. I liked to play with little Lucy. She is such a doll with her sweet head of golden curls. I just wanted to keep her! Wes helped Grace swim. 
Mckay was quite smitten with the oldest daughter, Lilly. I don't think I have ever seen him so smitten before. He wanted to talk to her every chance he got. She is a cute, smart, and very polite young lady. Even now as I write this (almost a year later), Mckay and Lilly are still pen-pals. As Lilly says, "You never know what could happen!"

Leah played with Kate. And Elias played with Grace. Ryanne, on the older end, and Lucy, on the younger end, didn't match up age-wise, but still had fun.

On Saturday night we did 4th of July sparklers together. Elias was running around in the dark and ran into a metal electrical box on a post. He smacked hard. Usually he says, "I'm okay, I'm okay!" And he is. That night I asked him if he was okay and he yelled, "NO!" But he refused to cry in front of his little girlfriends. I knew he was pretty hurt--sure enough, he had a huge goose-egg on his head later (but no lasting damage).

Mckay, having just finished the Harry Potter series of books, was completely obsessed with spells and ran around with his "wand" "casting spells" on all the girls. I had to ban all use of "unforgiveable" curses.

As we chatted with Tom and Hannah, we found out that Tom was a newly sustained Bishop in one of the Provo wards--"By their fruits shall ye know them". What a great couple! Hannah home schools her girls, something I envy but couldn't do!

When we finally got back to Utah after our long drive home, we got to visit the DeForests at their home in Provo. Hannah made us a lovely dinner. I felt very honored to have a Bishop's time and his wife's cooking. I know that a Bishop's time, and a Bishop's Wife's energy are precious commodoties. 

As a parting gift, Tom and Hannad gave us a little tin nightlight from the Nauvoo Tin Smith Shop. We will always remember them because of the light they shared with us.  Love you guys!



It was hot, so Lucy played in a puddle.

Leah and Kate at the stick-pull.

Lilly and Mckay at the stick-pull.

Lucy and Grace at the stick-pull.

Lilly and Mckay climbing a tree.

Cute little Grace and Elias.

Milling around the Tourist Shops in Nauvoo

The one (and only) main street in Nauvoo has some quaint little shops and some statues along it.  We all enjoyed browsing.  We went to Zion's Mercantile and the Allen House.  We went to the Fudge Shop and the Bakery.  The kids had fun picking out souvenirs.  Elias and Leah are quick to spend their money while Ryanne and Mckay are hesitant and more thoughtfully pondered their souvenir choices. 

In the end, Elias bought a little metal cannon and some carved wooden balls and barrels and a little carved rock statue of a wolf.  These were a good choice for him; he still plays with them.  Leah chose  two horses and a carved stone cat.  Mckay purchased a very fine CTR ring. This choice surprised and delighted me.  We had to give him a little extra money, but thought it a worthy cause.  Ryanne decided on a replica of the Liberty Jail Key (and later a little statue of Mt. Rushmore).  Wes bought me a tapestry of Nauvoo and several books for himself.  With him, it's always books (it is endearing).  I bought a cute salt and pepper shaker for myself and a spoon for Wes' mom--she collects spoons.  I was excited to buy a beautiful painting of the Nauvoo temple.  Wes and I also picked out a painting of Carthage Jail for Ryanne.  We saw her keep going back over to gaze at it in the shop. 

We don't usually do much by way of souvenirs on vacations, but this trip was definitely an exception!

 Posing for a handcart picture.

 I liked this clock. 

 Elias really wanted to buy the coonskin cap, pistol,

and leather pouch, but he didn't have enough money. 

 The kids also tried on pioneer caps.   

So Posh!

 I liked this idea for teaching the Plan of Salvation.

 Some other things the kids really liked were these little wooden wagons,

 the wooden ox yokes, and the brass wagons and boats. 

 One of the places we shopped was the Red Brick Store,

once owned and operated by Joseph Smith,

now owned and operated by the re-organized church. 

 We bought Rootbeer; no, Leah is not drunk.

We went to the only little (very, very little) grocery store in Nauvoo because Wes was too tired to drive out of town to a more reasonable store.  The Grocery store is called "Duck's."  Do not go there unless you want to ransom your only child for a loaf of bread.  We went when we found out our MRE's weren't any good.  We didn't buy much--even though we did have four kids we could have ransomed.  I bought enough food to last us three days for about 60 dollars.  Ouch.  Still, less than the price of 3 meals eaten out.  We should have driven out of town, but I couldn't convince Wes to get back in the car. 

Question: Why is Elias always, always holding a stick in each hand?!  He is a stick magnet.  

Nauvoo Vacation

One of the other things we did our first full day in Nauvoo included Exploring the Visitor's Center and the Women's Garden. I took a lot of pictures of the beautiful statues in the Women's garden.  Leah wanted a picture with every statue (that got old quick)!  I have discovered that I really like to study artwork.  I enjoy contemplating expressions, colors, lighting, and meaning of artwork.  I turn inward when viewing a piece of art and ponder the feelings such work brings to my heart and what intriguing thought it might bring to my mind. 
Here are the pictures from the Vistor's Center and Women's Garden:

Christus Statue

and Leah age 8.

Christus Statue
and Mckay age 10.

 Me with the plaque dedicated to the

 organization of the Relief Society.

 Leah stands with Joseph and Emma Smith Statues.

 Elias looks so tiny looking up at this pioneer woman.

 Contemplative prayer.

 Pioneer Statue with Visitors Center in the background. 

 Pondering.

 Reaching out to others.

Elias: "May I have this dance?"

 This is Leah thinking about her future dates with boys. 

 This is dad thinking about buying a gun for Leah's future dates.

 Leah's favorite statue.  I think she is excited to be a mother.

 This statue is titled, "Containing Elias."

 A proud mother with her priesthood son. 

 Very Proud of such a great young man!

Here is another future priesthood bearer.

 Leah has to be in on it too.

 Another one of Leah's favorites. 

 I like Elias' face in this one. 

 This was Mckay's favorite statue.

 He wants to have fun.

 Let us learn from the scriptures together.

 "Mom, can you read this book to me?"

 Leah: " I want to play the violin.  Maybe this is a statue of me."

 Grandmothers are dear to our hearts.

 

 I love you Grandmother.

 More twirling.

 "Come on little one, you can do it, we will help you."

 The only picture Ryanne would let me take of her that day. 

This was her favorite statue.

 Elias: "I like Joseph Smiff."

 "My mom knows a song about Emma Smith.  She sings it pretty."

 One of the original Sunstones from the Nauvoo Temple. 

 "It makes me happy."

 Wes really liked the Sunstones.

Bye-bye for now!