~My little beams of SUNSHINE~

Just a few cute updated pictures of the girlies!

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!