Missouri and Nauvoo trip April 2013

 The day before Easter I flew out to Missouri and left Shaun and the kids for a whole week!  Alisa and her family and my parents were at Angela's house and were planning on taking a tour of Carthage and Nauvoo while they were there.  It was so different to be without my kids!  I missed my little family so much after the first day, but there was plenty to do and see, including my brand new neice, Eliza!

 Here's all the kids getting ready for an Easter egg hunt.  Wow, Angela's got the PERFECT yard for that.  We hid about 300 eggs and the kids had a great time hunting for them. 

 They've got 18 acres, so Brady drove his lawn mower down the hill to help haul kids back when they were done. :)

 Alisa loves chickens!

 Here we are at Carthage.  You can't get lost in this group! Carthage was one of my favorite parts of the trip.  Amazing. 

 Here's the statue across the street from the Nauvoo temple.  It's of Joseph and Hyrum when they decided to turn themselves in and go to Carthage. 

 So beautiful!

 These lights are hanging inside the alcove of the temple.  I love them.

 Here's the view from the front steps looking over into the Missouri river

 This walk was another one of my favorite parts of the trip.  It's called the trail of hope.  The Mormons walked along this road and into the Missouri river when they were driven out.  It is lined with plaques that tell some of the people's stories. 

 If you look closely, you can see two eagles.  I really wanted to get a much better shot, but they flew away right after I took this picture. 

 Here's a statue right at the end of the Trail of Hope.  It represents Joseph passing on the calling to Brigham Young.  I took my kids to This Is The Place Monument last week and realized that the same statue in on the top of that.  Very fitting.

 Can you imagine fitting a team and wagon  AND your family and crossing on this?  I can only imagine the things that they experienced and endured.

 This picture was taken a the Nauvoo cementary.  It was so quiet and peaceful there. 

 This was taken only a few hours before I headed back to the airport to go back home.  We spent 2 days in Nauvoo and the rest of the time at Angela's.  We had a fire on night, did and Easter Egg hunt, and I even got a day on my own with Angela while the rest of them went to Liberty jail.  It was a great trip, one I'll remember for a long time!

March 2013

 March was such a fun time!  I took the kids one Friday to see Disney on Ice.  Lila got to wear her Belle dress there and she loved the performance.  She kept waving to all her favorite Princesses and was so sure they could see her and were waving right back. 

It seems like every spring I get a little paint crazy.  I wish that I had taken a "before" picture of my bedroom.  I first painted it about a year after we moved in.  I let Shaun pick the colors and as soon as I started, I knew I was going to hate it.  My bedroom was so dark and was the color of peanut butter and brown red.  I hated it every day!  Anyway, I decided something had to be done.  Here's my finished work!  I'm working on some awesome wall hanging so they're not in the pictures, but I love it!  It's so bright and reminds me of a sunny beach house.

 Lila loves her dress up!  Here's one of her more exciting ones. 

 We got a trampoline in the ground!!!  I love, love, love it.  Maybe even more than the kids! And yes, I have relearned how to do a back flip.  Love it!

 Here's Isaak on his way to Kindergarten orientation.  Does he really start in July?!  It's freaking me out!! (one of Isaak's favorite phrases.)

 I think I have a billion pictures of Lila with Rusty.  I don't know how she'll handle it when he goes..... it will probably be hardest on her.

 Easter Eggs!

 Lila and Arianna.  They are three years apart but great friends. 

 Isaak's very best friend Cameron!  We're hoping we get them in the same kindergarten class.

 Easter Egg hunt with Connor!