Can it be?!

Is it really so? Is it ...dare I say...SPRING?! It seems that everything just woke up from a far too long hibernation today, including all the neighbors! My tulips bloomed, my trees had leaves and the beginnings of pink flower buds, and the grass was perfectly green. Everyone was out working, playing or just enjoying the miraculous 60 degree weather. Hey, dont knock it...its a far cry from 40 below! And it felt wonderful! I think we may have reached 63 degrees. It was the perfect weather, and just enough sun to earn Ryan his first sunburn of the year. So what did we do?

We pulled weeds...

Ryan and Zack mowed the lawn...

ate Popsicle's...

jumped and played soccer...

and finally got to enjoy the swing set. (that Heather put together mostly on her own. Ryan helped when he was available...he just wanst available much. Yes... the WOMAN did it! I know I promised some of you pictures, so here it is!) Notice it wasnt completely functional due to the small flood surrounding the bottom. We're hoping to get the wood chips put in this year. The kids put together a little bridge to cross the mud.

On top of that, we also cleaned out the garage, Ryan cleaned his car, and we finally fixed our leaky kitchen sink (we hope). We also enjoyed some bbq out on the grill for dinner. It was a busy day that we happily embraced. Lets hope Mother Nature doesnt use this as another joke to introduce us back into 40 degree weather this week! She does that around here.

Brylee's First Foods

Here is Brylee having her first baby food experience. She wasnt quite sure what to think of the rice cereal at first. I made sure that she was hungry enough to want to try it......but she couldnt figure out how to keep her tongue from pushing it out of her mouth.
By the time we had finished the small bowel, she had had it! This was too much work for a little bit of strange food!
"Just gimme my milk already for crying out loud!"
After a week of figuring out the cereal, we decided to try some peas. She has now learned to grab the spoon ever time it goes in her mouth. I dont know if this is to try and take it out, or to help put it in, but her motives may be because it makes a huge mess!

I know its hard to tell, but she has made great strides in figuring out how the whole tongue thing works together with the swallowing.

Surprisingly, I think she gave the peas a thumbs up! She ate almost the whole jar in a record time.

Next week: squash!

Nauvoo

*WARNING: contains lots of pictures!*

Our family was lucky enough to get to go to Nauvoo with some great friends of ours, the Wilsons, this weekend. It was a long ride there...2 hours longer than google maps said, since someone in the van had to go to the bathroom every half hour! No Joke! Then we took a wrong turn once leading us another half hour out of our way taking the back road. We've decided that Illinois is the worst at naming interstates with things like 90 west, when it really goes east! You have to remember to take the exit that is posted opposite the direction you are trying to go. They have it all backwards! Anyway, we finally made it to Nauvoo by around 4:00 Thursday afternoon. But by the time we got there, checked into the condo and unpacked, everything to see was closed. So we just took a stroll around the temple. It was such an amazing sight to see it re-built again. We could really feel the spirit there. It was great.

Here are all the kids on the front steps of the Temple. Ryan did a good job at making them laugh for the picture.

Here is our family the next day. As you can see, it was much warmer. A perfect 75 degrees. We couldnt get our picture on Thursday because Katelin fell, and skinned her knee and was so not in the mood for pictures after that.

This is the statue across from the temple. Zack knew right away what it was and surprised us by pointing at it and saying "prophet!" continually. (This is after Katelin skinned her knee. Notice how she is standing funny and not looking so happy.)

After the temple, we drove down to the Mississippi River where the pioneers crossed. The kids all absolutely loved it there. They enjoyed seeing how big it was, and throwing rocks and sticks into the water. The sun cast a perfect reflection on the water.

Then we decided to walk back up the "Trail of Hope", where the pioneers took their last steps out of Nauvoo. The kids had fun running and watching the oxen in the field next to the path.

Brylee seemed to enjoy the ride in the stroller.

saying hello to the ox.

Madi, Sydney, McKenzie, Katelin, Courtney, and Alissa

Katelin on the trail.

We ended our walk here at the Blacksmiths shop, where we would pick up tomorrow.

Friday morning, we made our way back to the blacksmiths. Of course, Zack enjoyed the fire and banging of the hammer the blacksmith used to make a horseshoe. Afterwards, all the kids got a nail ring, and each family got a mini horseshoe to take home.

The next stop was at the Wainwright's shop, where there was this replica of an old wagon. By this point, (yes it was still early) Zack was too busy screaming or crawling under the ropes to places he wasnt supposed to be, to play with things he wasnt supposed to touch. And Alissa started asking when we were going to get to Nauvoo for the fun to start. They didnt like listening to the lectures so much. She repeatedly told me she had learned enough throughout the trip. Obviously, she came outside with Zack and I. Poor Courtney got sick and stayed back at the condo for a while. Heres who was left for the moment.

Brandon, Sydney, Katelin, Madi and McKenzie

Okay, onto the fun...just for Alissa and Zack. It was time for a horse drawn carriage ride. The kids couldnt get enough of the horses. They were very calm and friendly.

All ready to go! Courtney was feeling a little better so she even came along, but stayed close to Mom just in case.

Coming up on what Joseph Smith called "Inspiration Point".

After lunch, we went to the family living center, where they demonstrate how to make things like candles, bread, rope and rugs. Here I am helping to secure the rope.

And Ryan too...

Zack found this sheep fun to sit on. Of course he was running around everywhere! Note to us: Nauvoo is best for ages 5 and up!

Zack trying to blow the homemade candle, which he calls "fire". (Even though it wasnt actually lit)

The next stop was the brick yard which I failed to get pictures of thanks to escaping children. Afterwards, Ryan and the girls went into Lucy Mack Smiths home. This was the girls favorite stop because of the narrow, steep stairs. I didnt think Lucy would want her fine china broken, so I took Zack for a walk outside...again.

Of course he began to run away from me immediately...

Across the yard he spotted a tractor, cool from a distance...

Not so cool when it starts to get close! Run Zack, Run!

After he returned to me, we saw this bunny and decided to follow it for a while instead.

Sadly, the last day came. We wanted to try to get in a few more things, so before we left we went to the printing press...

where McKenzie and Madi got to help prepare the newspaper.

Next door was also John Taylors house. This was the actual rocking horse his son had, that the family donated back to the church.

We saved the best for last. The kids most anticipated event was riding the oxen pulled wagon. Heres Zack petting the ox.

And here we all are, ready to leave Nauvoo just like the Saints.

Scott, Barb, Brandon, Courtney, Katelin, Alissa, Sydney, Madison, McKenzie,

Ryan, Zack, Heather, and Brylee

We stopped at Carthage Jail on the way home.

In the room where Joseph and Hyrum were shot. Notice the actual bullet holes in the door.

Again, I had to take Zack out for a walk. Here are the girls next to the window that Joseph fell out of (on the left).

That concluded our trip. It will be a memorable one, which we hope to take again when all the kids are all old enough to appriciate it. Thanks for enduring the long post and many pictures!