Nauvoo Trip

We spent Friday and Saturday in Nauvoo, Illinois. For those who haven't been, Nauvoo is a restored town from the 1800's...with a focus on the founders and followers of the Mormon religion. You can go through restored homes and take tours of their businesses...you get a great glimpse at what life was like and, also, the sacrifice the people made just to live their religion. There are several free shows you can see, this was the first one...a musical, "High Hopes and Riverboats".
Thankfully, Riley put Tate to sleep and he did well through that show.
In July there is also an outdoor nighttime musical pageant...with several activities (before the show) for the children that replicate those from pioneer life. Our friend and her daughters had fun making a pioneer button toy.
Riley and Tennille loved their craft and played with them the rest of the weekend.
Large crowd, but we were able to sit with many friends from our ward.
I love this picture of Emma, one of my sunbeams, reading some propaganda that was handed out at the entrance. Not sure why people of another faith feel they need to hand those out, but whatever.
Jeff and Shelly.
On a carriage ride the next morning. Smooshed. Yay, Tate fell asleep! I almost had an altercation with some lady who claimed she was there before me and should get the tickets I needed for my family. Why are people such morons?! Dave just kept whispering for me to leave it alone....but I must say, she was an idiot. AND AT A CHURCH THING, TOO!! She knew I was there first....and thankfully, the man in charge agreed. With me.
Another children's show....Parker is always a clown, has to pretend to be asleep...implying how bored he is.
Bryce and Joe. I think Bryce was looking for a trash can to put him in :)
A million things to do in Nauvoo and the kids are totally content to play in the dirt.
Joe/Mike and Bryce/ Parker attempting to stick throw the other. Whoever pulls the other one over, wins.
Steve Rogers took Bryce to school. Pretty quickly.
Jeff and Steve....all of us stopped to watch...
Steve has some serious stick skills.
Riley fell in love with Austin Rogers.
The guys played forever....a game where someone uses the sticks to whip up a hoop and then the others try to catch it on their stick.
Pioneer living center. I hooked up with a couple of my sunbeams.
Bode clan.
Every year we take this picture of the kids...if front of the statues by the temple.
The kids decided they wanted their own pictures.


I swear I do not pose them.
Ride home. Just looking at the picture makes me want a Diet Coke.

Always a Generous Heart

Me to the kids: It is your dad's birthday on Monday, we should get him something.
Bryce: Just wrap up my Nike Shox and give those to him....he wears them enough.
Me: (In my most non-offensive voice as all the other kids look at me in disbelief at their brother's suggestion) But they are your.....old.....shoes.....last year's.....old.....little dirty.....old
Bryce: I love those shoes. Just give them to Dad. ..... I'll guess I'll have to get me a new pair then.

Tennille's Reasoning

I told Tennille if I saw her razor scooter abandoned in the front yard one more time, the thing was going to be in a time-out for a week. (She loves riding it to the neighbor's and back...fyi: not the crazy neighbors...the good neighbors)
Tennille: Mom! I love that scooter....so I decided that if I throw it on the rocks (she leaves it by the front door thereby assuring our title of white trash)... Mom, you know I really love that scooter, but if I leave it lying there, people will walk by and say, "now that is a crappy scooter" and no one will want to steal it.....(I was speechless and staring at her, trying to figure out how her mind works.) Mom...do you get it? It is safer for me to leave it there so people think I am, like, throwing it out and it is really crappy...but I know it is a really great scooter.

Happy Birthday, Riley!

Riley turned 11 last Saturday! She wanted a sleepover and we decided to go to the drive-in as a great way to keep them all busy. She has very nice friends, they seem to carry over from year to year and they have all been friends since around kindergarten.
As usual, Tate is along for the ride. He'll cooperate with most anything as long as you offer him some sort of treat.
We brought sub sandwiches, Cheetos, Sprite and Skittles...all necessities for a slumber party.
The Tonkinson's were fun to have 'next door' and Parker was pleased to add some boys to the mix.
Their conversations were fun and they were all kind enough to let Tennille join them.
Maybe I should post this one at their graduation?
Breakfast the next morning. Pancakes: I made the batter and set up a station of toppings, Dave did the flipping.
Tate loved the morning meal.
Somehow this picture is out of order, but after her guests left, Dave and I (and Tate) got to have a date with just Riley...Riley and I had several restaurants to go to, but Dave talked her into Flat Top Grille. We had a great time just enjoying her company.
I found something to do with all the blueberries we picked during the week! (The girls could choose these or chocolate chips for their pancakes, and then picked what syrup they wanted.)
We do our food too spicy for Tate to try at the Flat Top, but he loved his Cheerios.
I swear it seems we ate all day long....but it is our family tradition to go to Cold Stone Creamery whenever someone has a birthday, so we all went that night.
Parker shared his cake batter flavor with Tate, he loved...

Riley had a great day, she was celebrated and it was nice to have a day to show her our gratitude for her presence in our family.

Busy Day

Last Thursday was a crazy day...after getting Bryce off to summer school (actually, who am I kidding, he is great about getting up in the morning and gets himself off to school...but I do wake up long enough to ask if he brushed his teeth and to tell him to have a good day)...I took the girls to swimming lessons and then off to pick blueberries. Please disregard Tennille's ensemble...she is in her swimsuit coverup. We figured out to keep Tate happy, we just had to push him close enough to a bush so he could grab the leaves. The blanket (Tate's must have...his "Blue") hanging off the stroller became lost and we had to look forever... only to find it at the front office.
Parker and Riley had a competition going as to who could pick the most berries...and I am sure the farm loved Tennille...she decided it was her job to the be the inspector and would look them over and throw out any reddish ones...We ended up with four pounds that I am freezing...not really sure what for but it was a fun way to spend the morning.
Tate waiting on the girls at the pool.
Tennille looks lonely here, but she has made some friends. And what is up with the lady's pose behind her? I waited forever for her to appear more ladylike, knowing she would end up in the background, but she sat like that the whole time....to be kind, I did manage to keep her anonymous.
Getting ready for her back float.
Parker came and helped with Tate....reliving memories from when he took lessons....in fact, Dan Springer used to be a teacher/lifeguard there and my boys were younger and thought it so cool if they caught a glimpse of Dan...even cooler if he said hi to them....
Tennille was busy in the afternoon making a man cave for Tate in some old laundry basket. She stuck a couple pillows in there...among about seventeen toys....was not pleased when I had her get him out because he could barely move.
We ended the day with Parker's double header baseball game....who in the h@#@ invented double headers???!!! Do you know how long they last??? Not to mention Tate but I can't even occupy Tennille and Riley for that long....the novelty of the concession stand only goes so far. The game ended so late that nothing was open for dinner and we ended the day with a late night drive-thru at Taco Smell....

Last Day in Michigan

We found a Rainforest Cafe about 30 minutes away and decided to go. When the boys were little, we went fairly often and realized Tennille hadn't been there since she was probably 2. The atmosphere is so much fun...I guess it makes up for the meals being completely overpriced.

Even Tate loved the thunderstorms and the jungle noises.

We also had to stop by the Bass Pro Shop...not as big as Springfield, Missouri's....but always interstesting to see the taxidermy'd animals.

Our hotel is right by a Greek neighborhood and we happened by a beautiful bakery. (Must admit this was not the first time we stopped by.) Tennille has begun a love affair with cannolis....especially chocolate...but she could not resist the mammoth lollipop.

I love cultural neighborhoods and we have had fun exploring....not to mention we have had some conversations on why homeless people might be homeless...since we have had to walk around several. Tennille and Riley were thrilled when a sidewalk musician started playing children's tunes...I said, "give him a wave and keep on walking." There are also a nice number of police trolling the area so I felt relatively safe.

Goodbye Detroit.