Summer Time

Okay, so much has happened over the summer that you will have to forgive me for such a long post. I know I should make more updates, and I have good intentions to do so, but never get around to it. So Sorry!
Unfortunately this post is not organized the way I would like it. I do apologize. I tried to fix it and make it look better, but it wasn't working. I definitely made it to long. After spending so much time on it I finally just posted it the way it is. Hope you can follow.
If any of you are wondering about the picture, above? This was one of my favorite pictures I took this summer. It is on the Nauvoo Temple. I took it from the top floor of the Cultural Hall in Nauvoo. This is were they held their dances.

Well here I go.

First: I must announce that my husband has finally graduated with his Master's degree. Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! Can you tell I am excited. He worked really hard and I am so proud of him. He did an amazing job on his capstone project. Right now we are waiting to see if it will get published.

Second: I got to enjoy my sister and her family coming to my house for the 4th of July. It was awesome. Riley loves playing with his cousins. While we were waiting for them to get to our house Riley kept asking when his brothers were going to get their. We had to explain the whole family relation thing to him. I think by the end of summer he was finally getting the hang of it. Also, I ran a 10K. Yes, I must admit I was one of the last to finish the race, but I did it. It was extremely hot, but fun. The race was to support our Veterans, and we had them on motorcycles escorting us through town. Next year I want to have the whole family do the race, but we will be riding our bikes. I was going to train to run a half-marathon. Unfortunately my knees hurt so bad after training for the 10K that I will not be running the half-marathon.


Third: For our anniversary we went camping with the kids. It was Abbie's first camping trip. She didn't like the fire at first, but by the time we went home she was helping Terry gather sticks to throw on the fire. There was a nice sand bar next to the river that the kids had fun playing in, and yes we drove into to town and went swimming at the local pool. Before we went home we drove to Multnomah Falls and hiked up to the top, which is 1.25 miles one way and about 800 ft up. Riley walked the whole way by himself.



































































Forth: We went to visit my family. Where we had a fun family reunion. I planned to take some water balloons and have a fun water fight. As we were filling the water balloons I did something to my back and could barely stand straight. So you will see from the pictures that I am nice and dry while everyone else is wet. Also, you will notice that Abbie convinced anyone she could to read books to her.





Fifth: We drove to Navuoo to Terry's family reunion. Yes I said drove. It was a long trip, and we all had our moments of grumpiness. Riley won that award, but for the most part we had an amazing trip. I must say my kids did an excellent job traveling and made the trip a lot more enjoyable because of it. We tried to see as many of the historical sites we could on the way their and back.

We started with Martins Cove in Wyoming. When we got their it was actually chilly enough for jackets. One of my friend's parents was serving a mission their so we were able to have them take us on a ride up to the cove and back. On the way back it started pouring rain on us. It was quite the experience. It made me think how cold and wet we were was nothing compared to the pioneers in the freezing snow.


















Next was Winter's Quarters in Nebraska. The kids had fun at the visitors center. They got to dress up as pioneers. Riley thought he was Indiana Jones. While we where in Omaha we went to a pedestrian bridge that spans the Missouri River and walked across it.











































Then we went to Carthage Jail, where we met up with some of Terry's family. It was sobering to actually be at the spot where the Prophet Joseph Smith was martyred.























Later that day we made it to Nauvoo. It was nice to finally be in a spot that we could stay for a couple of days. We got to share a suite with Terry's brother Rob. It was fun. There was so much to do and see their that I will just give some high lights. The Navuoo Pageant was amazing. Of course, the Temple. I am very grateful for Terry's brother Dave and his family and Terry's mother and dad for watching our kids so we could attend the Temple. The 3 mile handcart trek we got to go on with the whole family. I believe I won the award for the dirtiest at the end. One of my nieces flicked cow pie onto the bottom of my pants and shoe. Than I lost that same shoe in the mud. I did get it back though.








After having a Sunday morning devotional in Nauvoo we left for home. That day we stopped at Adam-ondi-Ahmen, Far West to see the temple site, and than Independence to visit Liberty Jail. I was really surprised that my favorite place besides the Nauvoo Temple was Liberty Jail. The spirit I felt their was amazing. Yes it was a very dismal place for the Prophet and the other men that were with him, but I had never put two and two together that this is were the Prophet received a lot of revelations. It was a very holy place.



The next morning we went to the Independence Visitors Center. I believe this was my kids favorite place. At the end of the tour they have this play room for the kids. There was a kids size log cabin and covered wagon and other toys to play with. We spent quite a bit of time their. When it was time to go they didn't want to leave.



After that we spent a day at Terry's parents house and than headed home.