Our Past Week

Hi All

We hope you are all doing well!! We have had a pretty busy week. Jim is swamped with his RC-Heli magazine article stuff along with the other 2 jobs he has. I did my triannual Close to My Heart Scrapbooking Open House this week and it went well. Now that it is over we have a good weekend to look forward too except Jim will still be working one way or the other.

About our last week which is way more entertaining than this week. On Friday we took the kids to their first OREM SUMMERFEST Carnival. JO loved it! We now know we can take her to Lagoon because she is soo tall. We allowed her 8 tickets for the rides and some took 2 but she was pretty good about choosing her favorites. She loved to ride these spinning Strawberries where you twist them and the boats where you ding the bell. She was so sweet and shared her last 2 tickets to her dad so they could ride the circle ride "ferris wheel" She couldn't ride it without him but we will not tell her that. It was along line and long waite but she liked it. Jim discovered he is still afraid of heights as is JO. They had fun while they were spinning but the waiting to be unloaded was a little overwhelming. She didn't like the cart tipping forward. I hav cell phone photos but have to wait for Jim to get them off his phone at work.

We then walked the booths and did some free stuff. When it was time to go home Jo of course had to be herself and throw a fit. Kicking and screaming and wouldn't put her shoes back on after she went in a blow-up onstacle course. My parents laugh when I told them this story and say "what goes around comes around." I made her walk all the way home without shoes, needless to say her socks are now black so I dunno if it was a good thing.

As we walked home we passed several blankets, tarps and chairs saving spots for the parade. When talking to someone in the ward from Michigan he was saying only in Utah would you be able to put stuff out overnight and it be there in the morn. Then we joked about how funny it would be to pick it all up in the night and take it to a garage just for a joke.

So Saturday we all traveled south to the Nebo Airshow thast NEPHI. It was a nice petite airshow with cool stunt plane shows. Ryker hated the biplane, as it was too loud but Jo loved all the planes. Jims boss Steve at UVSC had a booth there that sold everything from keychains and hats, to puzzles and toys, to seaplane adventure packages. Jo got two new foam puzzles of helicpoters and planes of course. She loved them. It was a nice little day out.

When we arrived home Ryker and I napped and Jo and Jim played with her new puzzle and foam helicopter kit. We went to the Orem Parade and remembered why we don't go to it. ITS so lame. I so appreciate Round Up Days in Lehi the ward floats, the horse parade, the rodeo It all ROCKS!

After this we had a surprise visit from my parents. They come to say hi and we loved that usually they make an excuse eheh but we know they just wanna come see the kids.

We had to go to Reams to get groceries for Sunday and it was late. So.... Ryker was screaming hungry, tired and I had alot to do it was fun! :( After opening a loaf of bread, a box of fishies, and then giving my kids each a banana after paying $150 OUCH!, we walked out at 11:00 to one grumpy Ryker and a very tired Jo. Yeah what an experience!! I can't wait for those of you who don't have kids yet get to try and I mean TRY and shop with kids. hehehe~ Then we hadn't eaten dinner so we went to taco time and there were soo slow, I imagine it was because it was closing time but we weren't the only ones there and then the food tasted wierd. Jim says we got the bottom of the barrel.

Jim and I both enjoyed our last Sunday as sunbeam teachers WAHOO. We will miss them and their funny stories. We had a good time and gave them all foam gliders that we got at the airshow.

Sunday evening we had our monthly friend get together. I did a large Italian Sub and a Club on 2 loaves of french bread. I also made a relish tray and then the friends supplied the rest. We,

Jims highschool friends and families and us, had dinner outside and played the NIN Wii and that was our week.

New Church Callings! :)

Monday afternoon I was a bit alarmed by a phone call from the Bishopric in our ward. Jim and I have been serving as the Sunbeam teachers in the ward since the first of January. It hasn't been easy with Ryker being very active, walking, squeeling and it being nap time; but it has been fun. Our sweet sunbeams want to either crawl around with Ryker, or don't want him even to touch their chairs let alone them.
We were scared we would get called to a really time consuming calling. We both have alot on our plates already. Well the evening arrived, he came, he asked, we accepted, and he left. I know you are all like "get on with it already!" ok I will.
Jim will be the 2nd counselor in the Sunday School which makes things easy and nice because he can take little Ryker with him to class and such. And if he gets to ring the bells Ryker will be delighted.
I got my all time ideal calling! I will be the new Primary Chorister! I am SO excited I love to sing, as you all know I am sure, teach singing, and the primary songs are not to difficult and so impressionable. I can't wait to get started all though I will miss the easy sunbeam lessons.

Our Trip to Nauvoo

Hi all, Leslie and I made a trip to Nauvoo this last week. We went to see her brother Jared, and his wife Jaycee, sealed in the Nauvoo temple. We only had a few days to see what we could there, but we did see much of it. Here is a small recap:

**(May 30th, 2007): On day one we started for the SLC airport with some time to spare. Two major accident scenes later and we were running very late into the airport, just like a scene from the movies. We made it to the plane with only minutes to spare and were grateful to be on our way. We landed in St Louis, MO at around 8:30 PM, picked up our rental car, and made the 3 hour trip to Keokuk, IA where we would be staying for the next three nights. Keokuk is only 20 minutes from Nauvoo, just across the Mississippi river. Rain came down in bushels for much of our drive. We made it to the hotel sometime around 1 AM.

***(May 31st): On day two we headed out early for Carthage, IL. This is the jail where Joseph and Hyrum Smith spent their last days before being martyred there. The spirit of that place is very strong and reverent. As you sit in the bedroom where the prophet was shot, you stare at the original door still showing two bullet holes and wonder how it must have been for them. Carthage was the most spiritual part of our journey, if you make it to Nauvoo it is a must do.

We then spent the rest of the day in Old Nauvoo. We had a wonderful time seeing the old homes and workshops that the early Mormons lived in. There is a great pioneer spirit throughout the entire town and it is a very peaceful place. We recommend that you give yourself at least a week so that you can visit and tour all the places that are there. We also made sure to stop by the Smith Family Cemetary while there. This is the final resting place for Joseph, Hyrum, Emma, Joseph Sr., and Lucy Smith.

Our second day ended with the "Sunset on the Mississippi" show put on by all the Nauvoo missionaries. We really enjoyed their performance and had a wonderful time.

***(June 1st): On day three we went to the Nauvoo Temple. We did a session in the morning and then went to the sealing just after. The temple is built in the same manner as it was of old, with wood floors and a plain interior by todays standards. Again, the pioneer spirit is strong there and is was a wonderful experience. The people of Nauvoo are very kind and every person in the temple was a joy to be around. It is truly a special place.

We spent the remainder of the day in Nauvoo visiting more of the sites. The sites that we feel are a "must visit" are: the Brickyard, Blacksmith, Print Shop, Cultural Hall, Seventies Hall, Gunsmith, Family Living Center, and the Brigham Young home. But, do visit them all if you get a chance.

That evening we ate at the famous "Drakes by the Riverfront" in Burlington, IA. The food was good and the building was very neat - but the two hour wait for our food was not so cool. Thank goodness for appetizers ;)

***(June 2nd): Day four was our last there. We decided to see Hannibal, MO - the hometown of Mark Twain. We took a riverboat ride and had a great time hearing the stories of the town and the river in general. BTW: The Mississippi River is VERY dirty, not very deep, and has a unique aroma...... I imagine Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer must have smelled mighty ripe after a day in the ole water hole.

With only 30 minutes to spare, we made a run to see the Gateway Arch in St Louis. We did not have time to ride the tram to the top of the arch, but did have time to walk around and marvel at the 632 foot tall stainless steel structure. I would have loved a few more hours to really tour the place, maybe next time.

We caught our plane (with no drama this time) that afternoon and headed home, excited to see our kids again. It sounds like they had just as fun a time with Grandma Innes as we did on our trip!! Nauvoo is a place we are sure to visit again in the future and we think a family reunion there would be a great experience.