More Pictures of Memorial Day Trip

We left Friday at 1:30pm from Utah in our car and by Saturday around 7:30pm we had not been to our hotel room yet. We are both going on about 5 hours of sleep combined. Considering all that, these first two pictures turned out alright. The Nauvoo Temple is worth seeing in person!








We spent other parts of our time touring Nauvoo and Carthage Jail. The first picture below is the coolest picture of the trip. The Missionary giving tours through the carthage jail gave us his "patented shot." Which is, literally, a picture through the gun shot hole of the carthage jail door to which Hyrum was killed. That is us, and Mike and Jessica, standing by the window sill and window where Joseph was shot and leapt from.





The second picture is with us and Jannelle (Maegan's Cousin) and her Husband (also named Brian) who we just happened to see at the Carthage Jail tour! Very, very random. Small world. The window just above Jannelle and her Husband is the outside of the window in first picture. It is the window Joseph Smith jumped from and died just below there.





The third picture is of us by the grave of the Prophet Joseph. This is in Nauvoo and just near the Mansion and Summer house of Joseph and Emma.








These pictures are of the Lovely Maegan and our little baby Reagan who made the trip with us. Just Beautiful!








Here is Brian, Mike, Katie and their Dad at the funeral of Doris Eleanor Duryea.

Memorial Day Weekend Pictures

Here are some scenic pictures we took on our trip to Canton, Nauvoo and Carthage, Illinois.



Brian's favorite is third one down. That tree was amazing. It is just outside the cemetery where his grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great grandparents are buried. Brian's initials come from B.F Duryea (his grandfather) who was named after his grandfather as well (B.F. Duryea). Those two and their wives are in this cemetery. Its in a perfect little country cemetery in Canton, Illinois.



Maegan's favorite is the very last one. Its at the end of Parley street in Nauvoo, Illinois. Parley street (or the end of it) goes right into the Mississippi River and was the street many of the Saints took in the beginning of the trek westward. The statue is some 40 to 50 feet away from the River and depicts Joseph showing Brigham Young the way.



There is something else that we learned is in the 6th and 7th picture down. This is a replica of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in front of the Nauvoo Temple on their way to Carthage Jail. The Temple face points Westward towards the Mississippi just like it did in the original. The only difference to the outward structure of the temple today when compared to the earlier temple is that now Moroni is on the top instead of a weather vein. It is also the only Moroni on all of the temples to face west instead of east. President Hinckley asked that the Moroni here and the one on the Salt Lake Temple (which faces east) work like book ends to the Saints' trek. We thought that was very interesting and very appropriate.

Zip 'N Hit Fun.

Here is a toy that Truman got for his birthday. As you can tell it is family fun.

Post Bath Giggles

Are You Ready

I love this video of Truman prepping for the big kickoff.

Shhhhh...Mmmm...

Thought this was a cute moment.

From 4-29-09

From 4-29-09

I like to bake, so I have been trying new recipes for FHE treats. This was rocky road brownie. We have done fudge and macaroons, just something more original than our usual chocolate chip cookie trend.

From 4-29-09

American Idol Auditions continued

One more vocal by Lincoln showing off his upper register.





Truman is a much more shy contestant and I think if he could let his personality really show through in his performance he could be a star.

American Idol Auditions

We have some avid American Idol fans. Lincoln hopes to one day try out. I don't think he is quite ready, but a few more years and performances like this under his belt and who knows! By the way, this lyric is an original by him, so no pirating! (Notice Truman in timeout in the background.) The next video is the rock version of a song we hear sung by JJ nearly every day. McKinley has an even cuter version of her own that sounds like this, "Bama knee! Bama knee! Bama knee!"



INSTRUMENTS ROCK! by Lincoln





OH SUSANNAH! by Jefferson

Jose and Luke

I say "No way, Jose!" to Jefferson a lot and the other day he finally asked me "Mom, are all kids Joses?"



So Libbi told me the funniest joke I have heard in a while a few weeks ago that she heard from one of her kindergartners. It goes like this...



Why did Darth Vader go to the bakery?

To get a cooo - kieee (said as if you were imitating Darth Vader's breathing)



Well, the boys thought it was funny but they don't really get it having seen very little Star Wars, so now we get to listen to endless Darth Vader jokes that make no sense at all:



Why did Darth Vader go to the bakery?

To get some dooo - nutsss (said in a throaty breathing voice, of course)



Why did Darth Vader cross the street?

To go to schooo - oool



and so on... Well, the other night at dinner we were enjoying a few more variations on this theme when Brian interrupted them and said,


"If Darth Vader was a dad, what would he say to his kids?"

Truman - "Gooo tooo beeed"

which made Brian laugh cause he was going to say, be quiet and eat your dinner. Lincoln laughed politely and then looked at Brian like he was a little crazy and said, "But Dad, Darth Vader is already a father."

The Elusive Ice Cream Man

From 4-29-09

Two or three years ago the ice cream man drove by and we missed him. He has not returned since...until a few days ago! I was trying a new recipe and dinner was almost ready when we hear the magical tinkling sound of his truck coming down the street. Throwing caution into the wind, I sent the kids out to flag him down and I ran for their piggy bank (really a bottle full of change that ends up spread across the house once a week).



Outside the kids stood next to the truck, mouths watering, eyes popping with excitement at the pictures of ice cream treats they had never dreamed existed.
As for me, the truck and treats and song could have driven right out of my childhood memories. The prices, on the other hand...let's just say had I known what they were I would have brought bills instead of change. I am glad for the spontaneous fun and I will not be mad if the truck continues to come by once every two or three years:)