Summer Adventures Part 2- New York

It's here, it's finally here!! After three attempts I finally got my computer to cooperate and I get to tell you all about our trip to Upstate New York. We got invited to come and see the Hill Cummorah Pageant and help out my sisters kids come home early. The kids and I(Ryan had to stay home and work) left on a very early Friday morning and started out on our 8 hour drive after a 6 hour lay over somewhere in Pennsylvania to get the master cylinder fixed on the suburban we were on our way (again). We got to spend a lot of time with my sister's family, see the pageant two nights in a row and get to see lots of church history sites.

One of my all time favorite sites is the Sacred Grove. I just love it there. It is so peaceful and serene.

View of the field next to the Sacred Grove

While we were walking on the trail in the Sacred Grove we would occasionally see a bench or other landmark and of course the kids had to stop at each one we saw and then pose for pictures so here are some of those

Bailey

Peyton

Sarah

Nathan

Peyton and I

Crossing the creek from the Joseph Smith Home to the Sacred Grove

Spencer even stopped in the middle of the trail

Peyton outside of the visitors center on the Sacred Grove/Joseph Smith Home site. We had to do a lot of waiting for the tours and it was tricky trying to get her to not pick all of the flowers

Joseph Smith Family Log Home

In the second story room of the Joseph Smith Home where Moroni appeared

Sarah got to be the Sister Missionaries companion during the tour of the Grandin Print Shop

Palmyra Temple

The Peter Whitmer Home

We got to spend time with my sister and her family before the pageant started. Their costumes were amazing

Suzette and Jaque

Hannah and Spencer

Bryce

Joy

Caleb and Spencer

Courtney

Jake and his friend

Craig and Mara(Craigs beard looked so real I almost didn't recognize him)

Here is the stage at the top of the hill

here is the stage at the bottom of the hill

And here is the stage during the opening number

Here we are in front of the Hill Cummorah Monument

We spent our last day of vacation at Suzette's while Alexis got ready to fly back to Utah. We admired their huge garden

I know this picture does not do this zucchini justice but it was more than a foot long.

We caught little frogs
Swung on their big tree swing

Happy 3rd Birthday Peyton!

Grandma and Grandpa sent a Hawaiian themed birthday package. We had so much fun dressing up in flowers and decorating the house. Everyone took turns dressing up with Peytons grass skirt.

Even Sophie got to dress up

A few words of advice

1. When you hear noises coming from your fireplace don't just assume it's birds on top of the roof.

2. When the noises stop don't just assume the birds have flown away.

3. Remember there could be something else trying to find it's way into your house.

4. Check to see if something has fallen down and died in the wall behind your fireplace before the smell starts to overwhelm your whole house.

5. Don't wait you'll be sorry :(

We found a dead squirrel in the wall behind our old fashioned fireplace. One of the most disgusting things I have ever smelled in my entire life.

Summer adventures Part 1

We began our summer by celebrating Nathan's 10th Birthday. He got to celebrate with some of his cousins from Pennsylvania.

His Grandma and Grandpa Young sent him a birthday party in a box. What a cute idea this is. There were decorations, party hats, treats, and party favors.

We had fun dressing up in the pirate party hats they sent.

Nathan got to attend the week long cub scout day camp. He had a blast.

Watching the sun through a NASA telescope.

We spent the fourth of July at a place called Allens Pond Park. We had a lot of time before it got dark to watch the fireworks so we fed the ducks

we ate snacksthe kids played on the toys

they were silly

they watched a movie on the ipodand some even took a nap


The kids and I went down to Dc and saw the American History Museum, the Washington and Lincoln Memorials and the WWII and Korean War memorials
In front of the new WWII memorial. These stars represent all the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.
This is at the Korean War Memorial. It says "Freedom Is Not Free. Going to see these memorials really helps us to remember that there are so many men and women who have and are fighting so that we can be a free nation.Enjoying the peaceful feeling at the Korean War Memorial
The lincoln Memorial is so huge. The walk to the memorial is even longer.We decided to rest at the top of the Lincoln Memorial entrance.
This was our view.

We took the kids to Fort Mchenry, where the Battle of Baltimore took place in 1814. This was the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner.
We got to see how large the canons are. Spencer kept calling them "Canyons" He's a funny kid.The kids learned how to sword fight.We got to go into an underground bomb proof shelter.We watched the soldiers march around the fort
On the very top of the fort there is an amazing view of the ocean.

We celebrated Bailey's 6th BirthdayShe also got a birthday party box. Here she is enjoying one of the party games.
Grandma and Grandpa Young sent her a target and dairy queen gift card.

But her favorite gift was her very own pack of mints to go in her new purse. Who Knew!