Sunday in the Sacred Grove/Hill Cumorah

Our first real stop was the Sacred Grove.  First, you get to take a tour of Joseph's boyhood house.

We did a lot of listening on this trip.

Then after the tour you get to walk into the Sacred Grove...  Brody was reenacting a scene he saw in a church movie where Joseph Smith jumped over the fence and falls.

For some reason everyone was obsessed with the dandelions.

One of my favorite moments was from Carly.  We were literally standing in the sacred grove and Carly says, "When are we going to the sacred grove?"  Um, you are in it....ohhhhh!!!!!

We let everyone go find a spot to pray.  That didn't last long...the mosquitoes were so bad that is what the kids say they will remember the most.  Great....we try to create a spiritual moment for them and they remember the insects.  That bugs!

Scott said the darkness Joseph felt right before the vision must have been the mosquitoes surrounding him.

The temple is within walking distance.

As we left, we forced Brody to put down the caterpillar he found in the grove.  He started to cry to have to part ways with his little critter.  To help ease him into the car, we told him to name him and set him free.  What was the name he gave it?  "Sacred"  For the rest of the trip, every butterfly we saw, we shouted, "Look, there's Sacred!"

That same day we drove a few miles down to Hill Cumorah.  In the Visitors Center they had copies of the Book of Mormon in many different languages from around the world.  We had the kids close their eyes and walk around the table and grab the Book of Mormon that they would use on their mission.  It was so neat to see all the translations.

This is a view from on top of the hill.

It was one of the best Sundays we have ever had.  At the end of the day, Brody asked where we were going next.  We told him we were going to some more Church History sites.  His response..."Enough with all of this Joseph Smith stuff!"  Brody, don't you worry.  This is just Day 1 of all this "Joseph Smith stuff".

Working Girl

I am supposed to be blogging our summer vacations but I keep putting it off.  So, in the meantime, I don't want to get behind on normal life.

Carly has her first paying job at 13.  She is so cute in her soccer referee outfit.  I went to her first game to take photos of her.  How embarrassing for her that her mom is taking pictures of her first day on the job!  She did great and is looking forward to being a bank to her sisters.  After her first day of being paid...she was already hit up by Taylor to borrow some money.  

How could anyone yell at this ref?  Scott still would...

Nauvoo

If you are good Mormon parents you have to take your kids at least once in their life to Nauvoo and other church history sites.  Scott and I have now checked that box and our kids forever have to say we are good parents.  It is kind of hard to sell your kids on this being a fun vacation...so what are we going to do?  Bring another family who they love and we love to lessen the complaining.  It worked!!  It was a great vacation with great attitudes.  It was a 9-day trip with a plane ride and 2,500 miles in the RV...so I am going to make a few blog posts about it. 

We flew from LA to Chicago the day after school got out.  It was going to be the best flight ever.  Parents in first class with the kids in coach.  Of course, we got the "so unfair"...blah...blah...blah.  It was all working out so well until I saw a flight attendant run through first class to grab a medical chemical kit and dart to the back.  In my mind I thought "someone must be sick...that sucks."  Then I got a tap on the arm..."Ma'am, do you have a daughter in coach?"  Crap...it is one of my kids.  So, to make a gross story short, I went back to coach with the cattle and Sydney came up front to first class.

We got 2 RVs  so we could have some space...These are our drivers that drove all 2,500 miles.  

I thought I would take a "before" photo of 7 happy kids.  We told them we would have devotionals along the way.  For our first devotional, Scott dressed up like Joseph Smith with a hat.  The kids gave us the "are you serious" look complete with eye rolls.  Nope, just messing with you!

See, we look happy and ready to start our adventure...We loved the dog photo in the window.  Let the games begin.

Back to School 2014

I had to do a throw back to 2008...5th, 2nd and Kinder.

11th...first time she doesn't have enough fingers to show her grade.

 8th Grade

 We normally take a photo of everyone together but since we started different days and different schools...these are the only two left in elementary...1st and 6th

Loves posing...refer back to 2008 photo:)

Don't know what a Karate Kid pose has to do with a school photo?

 We are ready for 2014 and I have the house all to myself 'til 3:00.

Love you Grandpa/Graduate

 Kinder Graduate!!!

Rushing to be an awesome Mom I went to the store and bought a graduate balloon.  I thought it said "Love you, Graduate!"...Nope.  It said, "Love you Grandpa".  Too late.  Now i just have to go with it.

He was so excited I brought him a balloon...since that is not like me to do that.  He was so happy and smiley.  Then his sister decided to help him read the balloon a bit more closely.

Then I got the tears and the breakdown.  Just so you know Brody, when you graduate from high school, I will bring you another grandpa balloon.  :)

#2's and Soccer

Syd is always #2 but Brody and Carly were also #2 this season.

My favorite was watching Carly be Brody's coach this season.  She did it as a YW project and all the boys loved her.

Favorite moment of the season...he went to see Captain America the night before.  When he scored a goal he yelled "Freedom is Ours"!  ...a quote from the movie.

Carly was back to back champs--her friend Sophia and she make an awesome scoring machine.  And she got another header goal again this year.