Virginia

Well when we finally made it to Virginia, we were so excited! It was great to see Betty and Oscar and meet my newest niece Iris. We spent a few days at Emma's and Steve before heading down to Williamsburg VA for our family vacation. By that time the rest of the gang had flown in. We spent a week in Williamsburg and did lots of hanging out and swimming. Since we went in July the heat and humidity were pretty bad. We had fun though all being together and watching the cousins play.  Olivia had a great week learning how to swim, I was SO proud of her watching her swim across the pool, takes after her mommy!  It was a great vacation and even though the drive was long to get there, I would do it again tomorrow.  I wish we lived closer to my sister Emma and her family, we love being with them!

Doing some yoga with Auntie Megs

No vacation is complete without a ride on Grandad's back!

Silly girls!

Look at her go!

Betty practicing swimming with her mommy!

Group shot, minus Steve, Oscar, Iris, me, and mom and dad

Olivia in her colonial hat

Oscar hanging out in the stroller.

Family picture outside D.C. Temple

Nauvoo, IL

Nauvoo was probably my favorite stop we did on our trip across country. The spirit in this town is amazing, and some of the stories I heard while there is something I will soon not forget. When we first arrived at Nauvoo we thought we would just spend a few hours in the town and then be on our way. After arriving there though we soon realized that we needed at least a day there to make it worthwhile. There is so much to do there in the summer months that you could easily spend 5 days there. We were lucky to actually know a Sister Missionary who is serving in there right now, she is from my dads ward. So we looked her up and she gave us a personal tour.  Some of my favorite moments from our stay there, was hearing Olivia after seeing the Nauvoo Temple for the first time exclaim how that is where she is going to get married. Going on three different wagon rides and each time Sophie would fall asleep, they were the best. Then on one wagon ride they asked if there was any Welsh decedents, which obviously we are, seeing how that is where my parents grew up, they than asked us to sing them a song, funny, good thing my dad and I have good voices, lol.  I'm so grateful we were able to stop there along our way, I left with an even greater appreciation for all that the pioneers did and sacrificed for us.

After Nauvoo we drove about 20 minutes and stopped at Carthage Jail, where Joseph Smith was martyred. It was a very spiritual, reverent place, unfortunately my children were not being so well behaved at that stop. It probably isn't the best place to take a 5 and 2 year old too. I am so very grateful for all that Joseph Smith did for us, and I'm glad that I was able to go to the jail and pay my respects.

After we left Carthage Jail we then drove for about 15 more minutes and stopped at the house of one of the missionaries who taught my parents.  I had never met him before and it was great to be able to thank him for teaching my parents the Gospel.  It was fun to hear him and my dad catch up and talk about people they both know.   
I highly recommend that if you ever get the chance you must stop in Nauvoo and do the tours.  It really is such a neat place. 

Nauvoo Temple, where Olivia wants to get married.

Olivia with Sister Miller, waiting to go on a wagon ride.

The mansion house where Joseph and his family lived.

This must have been before Sophie fell asleep, not long before though.

John Taylor's home

Statue of Joseph and his brother Hyrum outside of Carthage Jail

The window that the Prophet Joseph fell out of

The original door with the bullet holes

Carthage Jail

First tooth and First day of Kindergarten..

So far this week we have had a quite the eventful week.  On Sunday Olivia lost her first tooth and then today she started Kindergarten.  I was a nervous wreck about her starting school, more I was nervous for her to ride the bus.  True to Olivia fashion though she did great.  I repeated many times what bus she needed to get on to come home and to make sure that she sat by Reagon her neighbor friend.  She had a great time and is excited for the next day.  All day today Olivia was asking me if I was going to cry, well I was doing good until she got on the bus.  Then the tears came.  I just can't believe that she is old enough to be in school.  Now she will always be in school.  No more spontaneous road trips, everything will have to be planned around school breaks.  Today I definitely feel like a grown up.  I'm not just a young mom with young kids, I now have a kid in school!  She loves that she is old enough to go to school.  Oh and you bet after she got on the bus that I drove to the school to make sure she went to the right classroom!

Outfit all ready to go the night before!

Getting ready to go to the bus stop!

Going on the school bus!

Walking to her classroom!

Big smile for her first tooth to fall out!

Our LONG road trip across country part 1....

Well this summer we did a family vacation (on my side) to Virginia where my sister Emma and her family live.  Since Sophie can't fly on planes because of her oxygen need, I knew that I was going to have to drive.  However because there was no way that Damon could take that much time of work my dad was gracious enough to come along.  The drive there the girls did so good.  We left Friday morning and got to Virginia I think Wednesday evening.  Along the way we stopped in so many church historical sites.  It was really neat.  So for the next few days I am going to be FINALLY blogging about our trip.  Now be warned they will be very long posts.

Somewhere in Wyoming.

At a rest area but I just loved the look of the windmills in the horizon.

Blowing bubbles, a sure way to keep a toddler and five year old entertained.

At Winter Quarters visitor center in Nebraska, such a neat place and a great place to stop for a few hours. 

My pioneer children.  Olivia getting to see what it is like to pull a hand cart.

Winter Quarters temple. 

Flooding in Iowa, they had so much that part of the freeway was closed, making us get lost and spending a couple of extra hours on the road.

Look at all those sandbags along the road!

So many cornfields in Iowa, I have never seen so much corn in my life!

An Amish family! I was so EXCITED to see them.  I have never seen Amish before and thought it was really neat.  They were very nice and gave me a wave as we drove by.

  Mississippi River, was even bigger than I had imagined!

Indio, Ca

About a month ago the girls and I packed up the van and headed down to Indio, Ca. It is 30 minutes away from Palm Springs with an elevation of -13ft. The reason for the trip was to see how Sophie would do in low dry heat. It was about a 12 hour drive and I knew I couldn't do that all in one day by myself. So the first day we drove half way to Las Vegas and spent the night. Since my mom was just getting back from England, my dad arranged that she fly into Las Vegas so she could come with me to help me out. Well seeing how my dad hates to be left out of anything he then flew in the day after we got to Indio to Ontario CA which was about 90 minutes away from Indio. The girls were so excited that Nanny and Grandad got to be with us. The resort was GORGEOUS but the weather was miserable. It was SOOOO HOT there, 113 degrees for most days. To say the least we spent LOTS of time in the pool and in our air conditioned condo.

The trip was good though because we were able to see how well Sophie did in low elevation in dry heat. She did really good and was having really good numbers!  We had a fun time and wish that Damon could have been with us, but he had to work. 

Look out Sophie's red face from the heat!

Feeding the ducks that lived in the lagoons at the resort.

Breakfast on the balcony.

Olivia doing one of her many jumps into the pool.

Sophie with Grandad, floating in the pool.

It looks like Olivia is crying in this photo, but she's not, just wiping the water of her face!