Just got home

** Don't forget to enter the $100 Best Buy Giveaway here**

And yes, Cannon packed all those "friends", along with a favorite blankee, and several hotwheels in his little backpack that he insisted wearing everywhere!

We just got home from a wonderful family vacation to Historic Nauvoo, IL.

 " In 1839, early members of  the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—called “Mormons”(our faith)—established this place of peace and beauty on a great bend in the Mississippi. And then they were forced to leave.

Today, Nauvoo is one of America’s premier historic communities. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark District. Many of the early homes, shops and public buildings have been restored or rebuilt and are open for guided tours. Horse-drawn wagons carry visitors along the tree-shaded streets. Children’s plays, musicals and nightly shows fill the days with family entertainment."  

We had so much fun!!  My heart was touched over and over again by the industry and faith of these people.  I left inspired to work harder, and to be more faithful and committed in dedicating my life to God.  I took lots of pictures that I will share soon!   

Slice of the South...more HIlton Head :)

I was going thru my pictures and came across this wonderful day of bike riding in Hilton Head that I never posted. I have to say that I really love the South...even the beaches here are dreamy. I am a bit homesick lately for Utah and my family, so it is good thing for me to think about the beauty around of the South. I really do love it here, I just wish I had some family around. Am I convincing any of you to join me out here in the South yet??


The entrance to the public beach....pretty huh? On each side were big porch swings and wooden adirondack chairs just begging to be enjoyed. I loved it.

Bridger loved this tandem bike with his Daddy! Although most of the time he would forget to pedal and was just along for the ride.

Cannon loved his little seat on the back of my bike.
He was so fun to have right there all day. I could hear his cute little chatter about everything we passed. Going one direction on the beach was bliss, but when we turned around and were going against the wind...phew that was kind of hard. My legs were burning at one point and I remember Cannon telling me that he was tired!

I was thinking really--lets trade places:)!

Coleman


TJ


After a long ride on the beach we cruised around the island and Brad treated us to a cool drink and pastry at a coffee shop.
I loved the big trees drenched in spanish moss.


There were some crazy trees.
I wished my Dad was there to tell me what they all were. He knows that kind of stuff!

Connor

This was a seriously beautiful place.

I can't wait to go back!

The Best and the {worst} of Vacation

THE BEST:

It fills me with JOY to look out the kitchen window to this happy scene... My boys were having so much fun jumping with Grandma and Grandpa and several of their cousins the other evening. When I went out to snap these pictures, Cannon came running up to me saying "Dis is sooo fun!" while punching his chubby little fist in the air with exclamation!


Inside Coleman and several of his Aunts and Uncles were gathered around Logan while he ate his jar of sweet potatoes.
It made my heart ache just little that this wasn't a normal everyday occurence to be surrounded by lots of family that love you so much! Just hanging out together, kissing each others babies and laughing at all our' littles' running around.

Sweet, and then..

THE WORST:

When out of no where your perfectly sweet children turn into serious stinkpots for no real reason. Ugh I would like to blame those embarrassing melt down and moody moments on the excitement of being here, and the lack of sleep from staying up too late having fun.

What is it about vacation that brings out the worst behaviors?

Maybe they do the same thing at home, but there it just seems normal and they get those lovely timeouts or the behavior gets ignored and chalked up to being a kid. When you are visiting people that you only see once a year, I think I expect my children to be perfect little angels ALL THE TIME.

Uh, yeah, I think my expectations are maybe a bit too high.

Oh well, that's life -the best and the worst-and I'll take it!

Hopefully we will all remember {please}the happiness and not the tantrums:)

On the Road Again

Road trip 2010

A three day trek across the country from Tennessee to Utah.

I am typing from a Fairfield Inn somewhere in Nebraska while my little boys watch Disney, my big boys are still asleep in their own room and Brad is in the exercise room. He started his training for a Half Marathon he is running this Fall. Pretty soon the 7 of us will descend upon the breakfast area and then hit the road again for our final leg! We will be at Grandma's and Grandpas tonight!!

Some of our highlights from "ROAD TRIP 2010" so far:

Listening to our road trip CD--songs included "Hit the Road Jack", "On the Road Again", "Another one Bites the Dust"

Ice cream cones and Redbox rentals at McDonalds

Car Bingo (from here, laminated and using washable markers)

Looking for license plates (Dad pays $2 for Alaska spotting, and $5 for Hawaii)

5 Ipods, 1 DS, and lots of books, Sports Illustarteds and Friends being circulated

and the BEST accommodations on the first night at our timeshare in

Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri...

what a BEAUTIFUL view of the lake off our back deck...

and our own personal hot tub to enjoy under the stars!

(by the way--Cannon was not in trouble--he was crying because he is mad that the "pool" is so hot!)

We have all decided that we are definitely going back there for a vacation!

It has been fun so far and the boys have been really great, but I am so happy that we are almost done!! I have been reading "The Lost Symbol". Have you read that? What did you think? I am sure I will finish it today on our last leg. Last leg--yeah!

(Sorry about no menu monday again--it will be back again someday!)