Church History Roadtrip

We have been planning this trip with my family for years, I guess you could say. We've wanted to go before now but due to everyones busy schedules it hasn't worked out until now. I'm so glad we were able to go. It was such a spiritual uplift and it was even better being able to experience it together. Historic Nauvoo was beautiful nestled on the banks of the Mississippi.

The first place we visited was the Family Living Center. There we were able to learn about all the things the pioneers had to make from scratch(quilts, rope, clay pots, barrels, candles, etc.) Elena thought this was pretty cool. Especially making rope. She got to keep some!

Next we visited Carthage Jail where Joseph, Hyrum, and others were kept until the day they were killed. The spirit was very strong, there. It was neat to see and now be able to visualize this place when we learn about Joseph's final days.

The window where Joseph was shot and fell from.

We watched the sun set on the Mississippi. The kids (including Austin:) skipped rocks and played in the water.

I love this picture of Chanle and Grandma Jacobson.

We were able to go through a beautiful session at the Nauvoo temple. It was neat to be able to see the beautiful work done inside the temple and what it supposedly looked like when it was first built.

Mom and Dad after our session at the temple.

Our next stop was the valley of Adam-Ondi-Ahman. It was a beautiful place. It's amazing to think of all the incredible things that have happened here and will take place in the near future.



This was one of our in-depth family discussions of church history at Far West. (I love these!:)

One of our final stops was at the Liberty Jail where Joseph and several others were held prisoner for several months. It was heartbreaking to see the reality of the conditions in whick they were kept.This trip was such a neat experience and definately strengthened my testimony of all the sacrafices the pioneers made for us. Especially Joseph, Emma, and their families.

Oh, and while we were there...These two got engaged!!!

Congratulations, Natalie and Seth!!!

Days of Summer

Our summer has been filled with tons of fun so far. We kicked it off with camping at San Rafael with the Daley fam. We went on lots of fun rides and visited Copper Globe Mines.

Hiking for crystals.

We had lots of fun miniature golfing in 90 degree weather. Elena thought it was a blast and did amazingly well for her first time:o)

Elena got some new pets!!! Three fish: Stewart, Stella, and Maverick. She does very well to remember to feed them everyday and keeps a good eye on them, even though Maverick seems to disappear for days at a time, we haven't seen him for quit a while now. We're not sure if he has found a really good hiding place, if he's been sucked up into the filter, or if Stewart and Stella ate him. He isn't floating though! ;o) (Update: We found Maverick. He must've been stuck under one of the decoration rocks cause when Austin picked it up we could tell he'd been there a while. Yuck! R.I.P Mav)

We enjoyed the 4th of July by celebrating Austin's 27th birthday with a party with his entire family. We also were able to watch the fireworks all over the valley. Check out that view!

Another fun neighborhood outing was to the local fire dept. The kids had a blast touring the fire house, climbing through the fire truck, listening to the sirens, and spraying the fire hose. Elena kept wondering where the Dalmation was, but the fire chief explained that they didn't have a dog at their station.

We've also been keeping cool and enjoying ourselves at the pool. Chanel LOVES the water and doesn't seem to tire of it too quickly. She constantly kicks her feet in the water and loves watching all the kids splash around her. Suprisingly, she doesn't mind getting splashed on, herself.

Elena bug is a natural born fish! She won't get out of the pool unless forced and would live in the water if she could. Same goes with bathtime:o)

We've just recently started feeding Chanel infant cereal. She was disgusted the first time. She was so mad at us for making her eat the nasty stuff! It has taken MANY attempts to convince her it isn't half bad and she is now finally getting a little down at a time.

We've spent this past weekend in Nephi and Fountain Green visiting family and enjoying our hometown celebrations. There were parades, carnivals, good food, fireworks, and a really fun rodeo. We LOVE this time of year.

Yay for Summer!

Doubt

There are days were I feel I am the luckiest person in the world. Days when I feel like there isn't possibly anything more I could want from life. I have a beautiful family, two girls who adore each other, adapt easily to anything and everything, are very independant, and are very well mannered (most of the time). I have a husband who is very attentive, treats me like a queen, and is very patient and understanding of my needs and the needs of our children. We are all healthy and doing pretty well for ourselves in several areas of life. There are those individulas that I have to look to for guidance and support who are always there for me, even when it isn't convenient. I get to be a stay at home mom, which is something I now many women would kill for...Then there are days when I feel like I'm not even myself. Like I've completely forgotten who I am. Sometimes I feel as if motherhood is the only thing that has defined me. After a particularly frustrating day, my fortune from the fortune cookie read " It is never too late to change your path in life" When I read this to Austin, he laughed and said, "What would your path be if you could change it?" I honestly couldn't answer. The only thing I could think about was what I needed to accomplish today; baths, cleanup, bedtime, the constant attention my 4 month old insists on demanding lately...I realized that is how I run my life, getting through one day at a time. Rarely finding a moment for myself and not realizing it until the day is done and there is no time left and I'm getting in bed. This is why my blogging is usually done after ten. My baby is nursing this very moment as I type. I am not jotting this down for sypmathy or regret, just simply for self realization. I may even regret posting this later. But I feel that if I just write my feelings on paper, I'll eventually just throw the paper away as if these feelings never existed. I don't keep a journal. Blogging is the closest thing I have to one. Therefore, my thoughts and feelings end up here. I don't doubt myself as a mother. I'm very comfortable in this role. My children are happy, healthy, and thiriving with every new day. I just need a new challenge, something to keep me on my toes and help me be able to mentally keep up with life. Something to help me feel like I'm contributing to this world. What I really should be doing is throwing myself into service and doing things for others. I need a new hobby, find something I'm good at. Truth is, I'm scared to death. I feel like I've been doing the same thing for so long that whatever I attempt to do, I would completely fail. Since I've become a mother I've realized I never do anything without being fairly confident about it first. When Austin and I were dating, he could ask me to go skateboarding with him and I'd do it in a heartbeat even though I'd never been on one. He knows better than to ask now. I wouldn't even come close to doing something so wreckless. What has happened to the young, vivacious, glamorous woman I used to be? I really don't believe being a mom is the complete contributing factor. I am to blame for this loss. I allow myself to be completely overcome by the demands of motherhood that I am no longer who I wanted to be. But I'm the only one that can change that. I am truly grateful for EVERYTHING Heavenly Father has given me. I do have an amazing life. I do, however, hope to become the women I alway thought I'd be. A women who gladly accepts any challenge without self-doubt and conquers all she can. Hopefully this post will help me realize it's in my own hands to find joy in all things, make the changes that need to be made, and accept the things that can't be changed.

June Update

(Note: All of the following pics were taken with my camera phone...Not the highest quality)

Soccer is over now. Elena's team (the Tiger Sharks:) played their last game saturday. They scored three points, two of which Elena scored!!! She did so good and really got the hang of it. We are so proud of her! She got a medal and some cool team pictures.

We have been going on summer fun activities with all the moms and kids in our neighborhood each week. Last week we went to Wheeler Farm. The kids had fun feeding the ducks, petting the animals, and going on a wagon ride.

We spent a rainy weekend in Park City with my family doing some shopping and having dinner downtown. Elena met a new friend. (She makes friends with just about anyone and anything these days)

We ate at the Blue Iguana where Austin ordered the Burrito Grande...it was the biggest burrito I've ever seen. If you finished it dessert was free! Unfortunately the burrito won and we didn't get dessert, although Austin did put up a pretty good fight:o)



Elena LOVES to play the ukulele we brought her from Hawaii. She's never taken much interest into it until recently. Now she makes up her own songs to play and sing and puts a show on for us several times day.

For Father's Day weekend we went to my grandparents for a BBQ. It was fun to see all the family and watch everyone fuss over the girls. Then Sunday morning, Elena and I made Daddy breakfast in bed.

Monday was my birthday. I turned 24. Nona and Boompa joined us for dinner at the Cheescake Factory. It was sooo good! I got lots of really great gifts. Thanks everyone!

Fragile Mom

Elena likes to rub lotion on my arms when I'm reading or on the computer. Well, today she came in and wanted to put lotion on me, so I helpled put some in her hands and away she went... a few seconds later I noticed she had paused and had a worried look on her face...this is how the next few seconds went:
E: "Uh, Mom?"
M: " What's wrong?"
E: "I think there's a crack in your arm"
I look down and it was just a long hair that she had rubbed over with lotion so it looked like it was part of my arm. I pulled it off and she laughed. I'm glad she knows I'm not starting to fall apart. :o)