Teed Trip

The kids and I drove to visit our good friends the Teeds. It was well worth the drive.  We stopped at Katies in-laws the first night and went to Nauvoo for pioneer day (didn't even plan it that way).  Here we are in the upper room of the Smith's general store.  It was an overwhelming feeling to think this is the room where the Relief Society was organized, Sister's who had a desire to serve and give everything.  I wanted to have a quite moment to myself and I could have blubbered, but with five kids running around it wasn't gonna happen.  I will say that it was alot larger than I had expected.

As with everything we did this summer it was hot and humid it felt as if it was 100* out.  Holly loved this place she loves playing home.

Aren't  they cute.

Yeah, I am glad I wasn't born in the pioneer times, I have no idea how they were not fainting all the time without ac and with so many layers on.  In the winter it might have been nice, but in the summer torcher.

Here they're learning to make twine.  This was a really fun spot in Nauvoo.  They had several demostrations that the kids really got into.  Josh liked the candle making and twine making.  Learning about how they baked bread in their bundle ovens was fasinating and did you know they made cloth out of reed.  They soaked them until they were soft and then brushed them and through a process made cloth.  Everything they did then was so time consuming, we have so many conviances.  We want cloth we go to a fabric store. Or better yet a sweater we hit some buttons on a computer and 2 days later Amazon sends it to our house.  It took them 2 years to make a wool coat from start (shearing the lamb) to finish. I should never think that I do not have enough time, I should think I need to better prioritize my time.

This was one of the best parts of the day.  Josh just wanted to be with the Christus.  He said mom I don't want to leave him.  I was able to take my kids a side and bear my testimony to them and let them know that I know that Jesus is my Savior and that he loved both of the kids, that he died for them that they may live again with their Heavenly Father.  It was a precious moment.

The temple was beautiful.

Later that week we went to the lake with the kids.  It was perfect.  The depth was not too deep and they had a great time.  It wasn't too this day and Katie and I just sat in the shallow water talking and watching our children play.

 The kids so desperatly wanted to make a sand castle.  It had rained the night before and the sand was really wet and didn't want to hold shape.  Luckily someone had made this big hole.  Holly filled the middle with sand and wah-la a sand castle.

Don't have a picture of this, but on one of the days I was there we thought where is Faye ( the littlest one)  Katie found her outside on the hammock with all the other kids (Josh 8, Holly and Mabel 5, Charlie 3 and Faye almost 2).  Josh was reading them the Bible and the kids were just sitting there listening.  Wish I could have gotten a picture.

 

I really miss Katie.  She is a friend I could just turn up at her house for no reason at all and just hang out.  Our kids get along really well and we can play Skip-bo for hours, actually we can play any game for hours as our kids play in the background.  She is funny, sweet, down to earth, and spiritual, some day I hope to be like her.  I really hope the sisters in her ward know how lucky they are to have her.

On the road again

Here are some pictures at a rest stop on the way home. The kids are doing their superhero poses. I think that Josh is being Buzz Lightyear and Holly is Princess Pea, flying.

I did this picture using our timer. I think that I should have zoomed in a bit.

Over the river and throught the woods to Grandma's house we go....

For the fourth of July we headed off to Mississippi to go see Grandma and Grandpa (Don's parents) and Uncle Pat.

Here the kids are trying to do a thumb war on the way there. Don and I enjoyed the quite as the kids watched our DVD player with headsets on. I read a Tennis Shoes Among the Nephities book as he drived.



We had lots of fun at Grandma and Grandpa's house. The kids went on a tractor ride. We all played crocket (I won, sorry Dad). The kids played in the sprinklers. Don and his dad hooked up a computer and made a few trips to the store. I got to watch fun videos with Mom. Holly and Don played Don's old mandolin. And we got to shoot fireworks off in the front yard (they live in the country and have 3 acres). We all enjoyed ourselves and hoped we didn't wear Grandma and Grandpa out. They are true spoilers and sent us home with many goodies.

Trip to California, in Spring

Eating out, eating out, and eating out some more!

Oma trying to teach Josh how to whistle with his fingers.

Holly building houses and towers with domino's. She is wearing the princess outfit, including the cape and purple shoes, the only thing that is missing the crown. All got from Tu-tu. She took us to a toy store that my uncle works at and bought Josh and Holly outfits. Josh is a knight including; shield, sword, cape, mail, and hat thingy (not a crown).

Swimming at the indoor pool at Oma's hotel (sorry the pictures aren't the best).

Tu-tu and I playing gin. ( I think she let me win).

We also got to see 2 of my uncles on my moms side and my aunts of course that was fun. When my Uncle Rob (or as Holly calls him Uncle Roc) he was surprised at how much she weighs. Holly looked at him and wanted to know what was that under his nose, he has a mustache. Uncle George and Aunt Denise were surprised to see us and my kids ran all over their house looking at everything. They have a lot of really cool art. We also saw a family that we were friends with when I lived in San Mateo. Their little boy I used to baby sit is now a police man with the San Diego Police Department and now sports a mustache.

All in all it was a good trip, we saw a lot of family, My youngest cousin is now taller and she is going to college. We were all really spoiled by family, grandparents (my parents came down) and great-grandparents. The kids loved having a tv in their room and pretty free to be loud ( my grandma is losing her hearing). Thank you Tu-tu for the trip, All my relatives that ate with us and spoiled us, my mom for being with us the whole week and my dad for driving down so many times, it was great!