If only I had the right words...

It's been one month since we've returned from our vacation to Nauvoo and I still can't find the right words to put our time there on paper or this blog. 



But I can honestly say that it was the trip of a lifetime.

We began talking about making this trip happen three years ago.
Maddie was 13.  Davis was 9 and Cooper would have been five.
Brent has shared with me since the day we were married, that as a young 13 or 14 year old boy, he had made this trip with his family and it was the foundation of his testimony.  He said he wanted to make that trip with his own family one day and we promised each other, lots of years ago, that we would.
We set a goal that when Maddie turned 16, Davis turned 12 and Cooper turned 8 that we would take our family to walk in the footsteps of our Prophet Joseph Smith and the early Saints.

Our itinerary was packed full.
Here is a glimpse of what our days were filled with...
Day 1:
- land in KS
- visit Richmond
- visit Lexington
-eat at Strouds (fried chicken NEVER tasted so good)

Day 2:
- visit Farr West
- visit Haun's Mill
- visit Adam-ondi-ahman
- visit Liberty Jail
- play at Worlds of Fun

Day 3:
- visit the Federal Reserve Bank
- visit Independence
- visit the Truman Library
- eat at Gates Bros. (what an experience!)
- attend the Royals baseball game

Day 4:
- play at the College Basketball Experience
- meet up with the Higgins family for lunch and
- visit the Negro League Baseball Museum
- spend time with my childhood friend JoAnne and her beautiful family
- eat at Oklahoma Joe's (BBQ in a gas station - it comes highly recommended)

Day 5:
- drive to Hannibal
- experience all thing Mark Twain

Day 6:
- drive to Nauvoo
- visit Carthage Jail
- explore Nauvoo
- Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo show

Day 7:
- carriage ride (ask for Elder Shepard. His stories turned a carriage ride into a truly beautiful experience for me)
- explore homes
- Baptisms for the dead in the Nauvoo temple (Brent took Sis and D)
- Women of Nauvoo show in the RS gardens
- country fair
- Nauvoo pageant

Day 8:
- wagon tour
- explore homes
- temple session for Brent and I (I've never felt so close to my mom)
- High Hope & Riverboats show
- Sunset on the Mississippi show (lots of fun and laughter)

Day 9:
- Trail of Hope (the walk down Parley Street to where the Saints crossed the river and left Nauvoo behind)
- explore all the Joseph Smith homes and sites
- souvenir shopping : )

Day 10:
- drive back to KS
- a little more souvenir shopping
- fly back home

Our time in KS was booked pretty solid.  We enjoyed mixing up the church sites with some of the other things the area had to offer.

We slowed things down in Nauvoo.  We had time to explore, rest and get out of the heat (record breaking heat indexes back there) and explore some more, all at our own pace.  We stayed at the Zions Mercantile Hotel, which I highly recommend.  We had two rooms and a view of the temple which was only a few steps away.

These are only a few of the 500 hundred pictures I took.  One of my favorite photo subjects was the Nauvoo temple.  I never tired of trying to capture the temple in all its different light.  Depending on the time of day, where the sun was or wasn't in the sky, the clouds or lack thereof, all made for something different and extremely beautiful.
It felt like holy ground.  And it is.

But truly it was all about this...

I've never spent a more enjoyable 10 days with these people I'm blessed to call my eternal family.  At times when there could have been whining and complaining, there never was (with the exception of a minor little moment from our 8 year old red head being extremely hot and tired one morning).  There were smiles and laughter all around.

I had the kids take a few minutes and write down some of their favorite memories.
I asked specific questions and then they answered in their own words.  Here are just a few...

Cooper: "I really liked Liberty Jail because I felt the Spirit there and I was happy Joseph Smith knew Heavenly Father would protect him and nothing would happen to him."

"When we were at Carthage Jail I felt good because I knew Joseph Smith had been there but sad when I was in the room and saw the bullet hole but I know it was Jesus' plan."

Davis: "Seeing the Nauvoo temple was a highlight for me.  The feelings I had in the temple were overwhelming.  Doing baptisms for the dead in the same place that the early Saints did them was an experience I will never forget."

"I really liked visiting Adam-ondi-ahman where we stood on Preacher's Rock.  It was cool to think about Joseph Smith standing in that same spot and teaching the early Saints."

Maddison: "Carthage was an amazing place because I was able to stand were Joseph and Hyrum stood.  I was able to put my finger in the bullet hole that went through the door and killed Hyrum.  Joseph Smith was an amazing man and prophet.  I could feel the Spirit so strongly there.  I know he died for us and for the Lord's plan to continue for the church."

"The pageant was very spiritual for me.  I even had a few tears...I felt the spirit and saw everything Joseph went through in his lifetime.  It made me so grateful for him and the man he was so that I could have the gospel in my life and not go through those same persecutions that he and the other early Saints were faced with."

And of course I have my own tender feelings about how this all came together and created a  beautiful piece of our family tapestry but I can't share all that here.  I am making a memory book of our trip to give to each of the kids for Christmas.  It will have ALL of our pictures : )  and all of their personal feelings.  Both funny and special.  And a letter from their mom and dad so they can have our testimonies in writing for generations to come.

Nauvoo is not just a random spot on the map, not just a place in our Mormon history and not just a place to visit if it works out.  Nauvoo is must for you and your children.  The day before we had to leave for AZ we were visiting the home of  Heber C. Kimball and the sweet senior missionary sister taking us through told me something I won't ever forget.  She said, "Nauvoo was not just for the early Saints.  Nauvoo was for you and for me."  I reflected on all I had heard and learned and felt over the course of our trip and tears rolled down my cheeks.  I felt the power and truth of those words and I've pondered them many times since.  Each time I am filled with such an intense witness from the Holy Ghost that yes, Nauvoo was for me and I will treasure it and hold it dear.

Nauvoo is a feeling.
And it stays with you.
It wraps warm, comforting arms around you and fills you up to overflowing.
Overflowing with peace, beauty, knowledge and gratitude.
Gratitude beyond words.
It's tangible and felt good in my hands.
You want to linger in its sweetness.
You want to bottle it and bring it home in hopes that this feeling will forever stay.
Yes, Nauvoo is a feeling.


And to my fam-a-lee...Thanks for sharing it with me!!  I love you each 17 : )

Now here's to planning our trip to the Sacred Grove!!

You'll never go back...

...to just plain 'ol rice krispy treats. 

I promise.

Let me explain.

Some months ago we had a Relief Society Enrichment activity that I don't remember anything about except for the dessert.  Now that's saying something 'cuz I was one of the guest speakers!  Okay, for real I do remember it was about being money wise with buying groceries, cleaning, budgets and home improvements.  Many wonderful ideas were shared.  On the back table were trays stacked with the budget wise/super easy treat of all time...rice krispy treats!  Clever, I thought.

I was going to leave without a taste but then a friend said, with wide-eyed wonder, "Have you tried the rice krispy treats?!?!" 

So I did.

Goodness-gracious-sakes-alive!

Simple and truly memorable.

Here is the recipe I use from Smitten Kitten:

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats
What’s different about these? Oh, just a bit more (coughdouble) butter which you toast until it’s brown and nutty and help along with some coarse salt, just minor things. But it changes everything.

Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars

4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)
Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan. I liked to use a piece of waxed or parchment paper that I’ve sprayed with oil to press it firmly and evenly into the edges and corners, though a silicon spatula works almost as well.

Let cool, cut into squares and get ready to make new friends.

Kids sure know how to keep you humble.  Just when I thought Brent and I were doing a pretty good job at teaching gospel principles to our kids and feeling like they knew the basics of the gospel well, we had this little exchange with Cooper...

Fast Sunday.

10:30 church.

I know he can't be starving.

Yet.

He leans over to me before the meeting even begins with a look of anguish and whispers,

"I'm starving!"

I reassure him that he will survive.

Then he turns to Brent and asks with a great deal of annoyance...

"Who came up with this Fast Sunday stuff anyway????"

Guess we need to go over a few basics in our next FHE: )

School rules!

Cooper is a 3rd grader who feels

nervous to learn hard multiplication facts

but excited to have a nice teacher and see his friends again.

Davis is a 7th grader who feels

nervous to find all his different classes

but excited to move around campus and play football.

Maddison is a Junior who feels

nervous about her Spanish III class

but excited for friends, seminary and another year of Ladyhawks basketball.

I'm the mom who feels

nervous for all their worries

but excited for them to have new experiences.

I'm confident they will rise up!!

Guess who we saw on our trip to the midwest...

...the Higgins family!!
Well, a few of them anyway : )

Home teacher extraordinaire!
Relief Society President and Maddie's Young Women's leader extraordinaire!
And one of their darling daughters extraordinaire!
All of them friends extraordinaire!



We enjoyed lunch together at Jack Stack.  If you ever happen to find yourself lost in the endless and gorgeous cornfields of Kansas City, please make your way here.  You will be oh so happy!

And since we share a love of baseball, we enjoyed a meander through the NLBM together.
It was a beautiful museum.  So rich in history that it left me with a lump in my throat - in a happy sort of way.  I guess after 20 years together, Brent's tender feeling towards this sport is rubbing off on me.  I saw him wipe a tear away a few times but you didn't hear that from me : )

A gigantic WE LOVE YOU to the Higgins crew!!

It has been a lovely 20 years together...

20 reasons why I love you...

1.  Our blind date was a great success although I don't know how you remained so calm with me in my tight jeans and sweater : )

2.  You were so easy to talk to and made me laugh right from the beginning.

3.  You loved my mom the moment you met her.

4.  You looked good in a baseball uniform : )

5.  You were so supportive of my desire to serve my mission even though we knew it meant putting our plans to be together on hold.

6.  You and I agreed that if being together was right, it would be right in 18 months.

6.  I fit right under your chin then.

7.  I still do.  With your arms wrapped around me, it is the safest place I can think of.

8.  Your parents loved me and welcomed me into your family so warmly.  I'll never forget the first time I saw your mom after I got home from my mission.  It was at a Mitchell reunion and she came toward me, took both my hands in hers and smiled from ear to ear saying, "just let me look at you!"  I loved her so much right then.

9.  You respected my dad's protectiveness of his only daughter when I got home.

10.  You bear a strong and powerful testimony.  I feel the Spirit when you share those feelings.  It was those feelings that led us to take our family to Nauvoo and have such an incredible, unforgettable trip together.  I'll always be grateful for your insistence in this matter.

11.  You have a wonderful ability to make the scriptures come alive for me and our children.  I love when it's your turn to give the lesson for Family Home Evening.

12.  You honor your Priesthood and it blesses my life and our home.

13.  Having worked for and earned the rank of Eagle yourself, you are dedicated and enthusiastic about helping Davis and Cooper in their scouting goals.  When I see you interacting with our boys in this aspect it fills my heart to the brim! 

14.  You get more excited to give me something than you ever do to get something for yourself.

15.  You value our children and give yourself fully to them.  Sharing your testimony with them, teaching them correct and honest principles, encouraging them as they gain an education with endless homework support and then finding time to share the part of you that others rarely get to see but what we love the most.

16.  You work day to day to see that our family is financially provided for.  Even at the expense of choosing necessity over desire.

17.  Your passion for BYU is an enormous part of you.  I didn't realize that 20 years ago but I have come to love it.  I don't fully understand it all the time but I love it just the same.

18.  Another passion that makes up a great part of you is your love of baseball.  When I watch you coach our boys and your teams and I witness the countless hours you give to them, I see a piece of you that leaves me in awe.  You have a gift to teach.  No matter the subject.

19.  You give 100% plus when it comes to keeping our home clean, in good repair and home improvements.  From dishes, to toilets, to tile grout, to cooking, to a remodel in the backyard and new tile in the bathroom, to packing the car for a trip like a wizard - it seems you can do it all.

20.  You still make me catch my breath with your kiss.

Here's to 20 lovely years my magnificent man!

In the driver's seat...

There is a conflict of emotions whenever
my "i-just-got-my-license-i-want-to drive-everywhere" daughter takes the car keys.
On one hand it really is great to say "please go pick up a gallon of milk" and I don't have to even step out of the house.  It is also really great that she can take herself somewhere and get back without Brent or I having to drop off or pick up.  It is really great that she can drop the boys off to a practice or take the boys to get an ice cream.
It really is great.
Really.

But on the other hand it's really scary.
Maddison is a great driver.  She is cautious, careful, attentive and can even correct my 28 year old driving skills that need polishing.  Bottom line is I trust her.  But that doesn't stop my worring.  I worry about the other people on the road making crazy decisions.  I worry about her and a car full of chatty-singing to the radio-laughing girls not seeing a stop sign.  I did that once.  I know the outcome.  I worry about others not seeing them.  I worry about her getting caught in a blinding dust storm or a haulting monsoon.  I worry about cell phones, texting and even though we have strict rules concerning them, I still worry.  Have you seen the Subaru commercial where the dad is leaning in the car window telling his little daughter all the rules before she pulls out of the driveway and then when he hands the keys over it is to his teenage daughter?  I get choked up every time.
It really is scary.
Really.
 
Ready or not.
Here she comes.
Or should I say
There she goes.

Be safe my beautiful girl.

Happenings in Utah...

1.  Watching the boys play catch under the Y (the real one on the mountain didn't show up well in the picture so I put one on myself) while we waited for the fireworks.

2.  Watching the Stadium of Fire fireworks.

3.  I love fireworks.

4.  Spending time with John and Kristin and their darling family.

5.  Kristin's yummy chicken and beef kabobs and "i can't get enough of this" corn and avacado salad.

6.  Laughing, chatting, catching up and being so grateful for lasting friendships.

7.  Listening to Brent get his fill of all things Jimmer Fredette.

8.  Taking Maddison and her friend, Miranda, over to the BYU campus and checking them in for EFY.

9. Driving away and missing her already.

10.  Stopping by Sammy's in downtown Provo for lunch.  YUM!!

11.  Brent and the boys taking their traditional drive to Evanston, WY to feed the boyhood dreams of firecrackers and much, much more.

12.  The boys putting on our own 4th of July firework display that was quite spectacular.

13.  Putting flowers on mom and Joyce's graves. 

14.  Loving them and missing them still.

15.  Going to see "17 Miracles" and feeling so grateful for my pioneer heritage.

16.  James G. Willie, the captian of this handcart company, is my not-so-far off Grandfather.

17.  While visiting my mom's grave in Mendon, we stopped at the Willie home.

18.  It feels so good to remind our kids what great examples of unwavering faith and  dedicated service they come from.

19.  Large shoes to fill.

20.  Stopping at Maddox in Brigham City for our comsumption of fluffy rolls, raspberry butter and melt in your mouth beef, shrimp, fried chicken and whatever else we were craving.

21.  Spending an evening with my brother Jim and his family.

22.  I don't realize how much I miss them until I have them all right there in the same room with me.

23.  Goodness.  Now I have a lump in my throat.

24.  Enjoying lunch with two wonderful childhood friends.

25.  Being grateful for friendships that span the years.

26.  Returning to BYU at the end of the week and being reunited with my sweet girl.

27.  Filling the cash drawers in the BYU bookstore with our fair share of change.

28.  Savoring a Carmel Cashew ice cream cone at the Creamery on 9th.

29.  Now we can head back home.

30.  Driving through Orderville and seeing a herd of elk that were impressive to say the least.


31.  There are sand dunes off the side of the road behind a barbwire fence just south of Page.

32.  In the gillions of times we've drove past these dunes I've thought how fun it would be to stop one time and feel the powder between my toes.

33. Spontaneously stopping at the sand dunes just south of Page.

34. Truly giddy that Brent stopped.

35.  Stopping to capture a dessert flower.

36.  Finally making it home and realizing just how amazing my husband really is : )

I love trips to Utah and the 4th of July is my favorite time to do it!

Last time I checked...

Last time I checked I was primping with Maddison's hair.

Unrolling the pink sponge curlers that she had slept on.

Last time I checked I was adding a little flip to her hair.

So that the black velvet hat sat just so.

Last time I checked I was straightening her already straight hair.

This time she added the sparkling barrette and shell necklace.

Last time I checked we were shopping together for her baptismal dress.

This time she picked out the one with the petite flowers at the waist band.

Last time I checked she was a babe in my arms.

The little girl I prayed we would have but dared not say because I knew how much Brent wanted a boy.

Last time I checked Maddison won him over.

And over and over : )

But somewhere between the last time I checked and now,

she celebrated turning 16!

Maddison and Miranda share a birthday just two days apart so we had a SWEET 16 party for two!

A big thank you to our friend Wylene for making the darling cake.  The girls picked rice krispy treat for the bottom layer and vanilla cake for the top two layers.  We added sparklers instead of candles and then the crowd of friends sang a loud and heartfelt HAPPY BIRTHDAY song to them.

Between the swimming, the cotton candy machine, the popcorn machine, the outdoor movie on the big screen and other snacks galore, I think the party was lots of fun. 

Of course thanking the fabulous Patti and Warren for turning over their home for the event can never be expressed with just words.  They are two of the best people I know.  Being friends with them is a blessing : ) 

Happy 16th Maddie Joy!

Last time I checked I loved you 17 : )

Still do!

A boy and his brother...

This morning, just as I was about to get out of bed, in came a darling red head with a sweet grin. He was carrying a tray with two Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a glass of milk. He sat the tray down next to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. He asked if there was anything else I needed. 

Although KK doughnuts are a no no for my stomach first thing in the morning - I enjoyed every bite while my little guy sat beside me and chatted up a storm about pending firework purchases.

He's doing a good job learning to be thoughtful and kind just like his big brother.


photo taken 12/09

Today I took Davis to his ortho appointment to find a very busy office. All the seats were filled and so we stood. Soon a few chairs emptied and we took them. A women got up and went to the front desk to take care of something and when she was done, someone else had taken the seat. The woman sat on the ground against a wall just a arm’s length away from Davis. After a moment Davis turned to the woman and offered her his seat. He got up and asked her to please take it. She said “no thank you. I am fine really” and expressed her thanks to him. She said, “what a kind young man.” Another woman who saw and heard the exchange said as well, “what a sweet young man.” I just grinned from ear to ear and silently thanked my Heavenly Father for blessing me with such a good boy. It makes my heart so happy to see him make good choices, act upon the things he has been taught and set a strong, solid example for his little brother.

photo taken 12/01

For the love of the game...

Little League season is long over but I couldn't leave this out of the end of the school year wrap up.

Cooper's team went undefeated the entire season.

They played in the All Stars game and won that as well.

They did have a pretty great coach that carried them on his shoulders--if it were possible to physically carry a team on your shoulders.

If it could be done then Brent would be the man to do it.

He puts everything into this game.

He expects a lot from his boys, no matter they were only 7 and 8 years old this season.

But he teaches and gives every part of him right back to them.

His time, his knowledge, his experience but more than anything his love for the game.

And when you are done playing for Coach Brent you go away feeling like you learned a bunch, you played hard, if you made a mistake he taught you how to fix it, and you feel like a champion--no matter the score at the end of the game.

Best of all for Cooper, he gets to bring the coach home and just call him Dad : )

School's out.

I realize school has been out for a month now but I wanted to acknowledge

my children for their excellent efforts at yet another school year of

 addition,

 subtraction,

 multiplication,

 division,

 reading,

writing

 and beyond.

  Like WAY beyond.

 
 

Both of the boys were blessed with extraordinary teachers. 
Thank you Mrs. Bray and Miss Fischer for giving your all to my kids.
Although you will never be compensated appropriately enough monetarily for what you do,
please know the amount of gratitude that comes with the insufficient words
THANK YOU!!

In keeping with the educational theme, here is an Acrostic poem for each of my kiddos...

Diligent
Amicable
Valiant
Imaginative
Steadfast

Competitive
One of a kind
Obliging
Peppery
Exuberant
Remarkable

Maddison is no longer a "lower classman".

She joyfully exclaimed the minute her last final of her sophmore year was complete "I'm an upper classman!"

I don't like thinking about what that really means because I'm pretty sure I'm not ready for it.

But besides that, Maddison had a great year.  Anything she touches turns out pretty darn stinkin' fantastic!

But that's just her mother's humble opinion : )

Mindful
Attentive
Dedicated
Darling
Influential
Smiley
Organized (although this does not hold true when it comes to her bedroom)
Nice (such a tiny word that means so much)