Last year when Chris went to Africa he brought home elephant souvenirs.  Four cute little black elephants that were actually made in Africa.  Small note, the souvenirs from Paris were made in China.  Anyway, since that was probalby the only time in his life he will be going, not so easily replaced.  Needless to say, Aftin loves taking them off the shelf and playing with them.  She has been told more than a lot not to play with them because they are slowly breaking.  The other day, I said they had to stay on the shelf.  Then I found her...

She found "boxes" that she could climb up to reach the elephants and play with them on the shelf.  I guess at that moment I didn't tell her not to play with them, they just had to stay on the self.  I guess she obeyed and kept them on the shelf...

just another day's work

When I hear Aftin say "mom, the babies made a mess" it cannot be a good thing.  So I brought the camera and found this.

caught in the act and the attempted get away

 trying to play the innocent bystander just stacking her cans



notice, once caught, laci tries to put the cereal back

This was the first time Laci and Paige reached and pulled something off the tabel.  This is the last time I left breakfast out.  Seriously, just another day's work!

So what is the right age for a Barbie?

This is exactly what it looks like, a TWO year old with a barbie doll.  Her very first and her very own.  What isn't exactly as clear is the smug little smirk on this little girl's face.  I have a feeling she knew from the very beginning what she was doing.  After many, many trips to the toy department, she had it picked out, planned out, and soon to be carried out.  She knew mom and dad always veered her in the opposite direction down Barbie Doll Aisle, she knew that 2 year olds don't get Barbie Dolls and 3 isn't old enough either, maybe not even 4 or 5 at our house, but little did mom and dad know...

There is a beginning to the story, a very long beginning, which will be skipped. Just know, potty training and Aftin and mom not a good subject and will hopefully one day be erased from memory.  We were finally able to settle on a beautiful, pink potty.  We had it down.  It was down so good that loading it up in the Sienna for excursions was all too convenient and NORMAL!  No, that's not normal.  It shouldn't be anyway.  I have to say it, I have a little too much patience for Aftin.  One day, that patience ended.  Basically imagine the worst thing that could happen did happen, and don't settle on a small incident.  It was huge!  So huge that the beautiful, pink potty was retired for an equally beautiful Dora Toilet seat and a new battle ensued.  Battle?  Excuse me, Raging Battle.  I was yelled at, beat up and greatly disliked because pink potty was no longer available.  Aftin HAD to sit on the Big potty.  And she didn't.  Pink potty came out of retiremnt.  She was winning.  All too vivid memories kept me determined.  One day Aftin and I found ourselves once again in the toy department and there it was.  The most beautiful cupcake Barbie we had ever seen.  So beautiful it left Aftin speechless and motionless.  She had to have it.  I had to have her sit on the big toilet.  "Aftin, if you go home and go potty on the big toilet we will come right back and buy this Barbie for you."  This little girl, who I could NOT bribe with ANYTHING marched right out the store, went right home, and sat on the big toilet and did her business.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!  So we got back in the car, drove right back to the store and bought the Barbie.

Nauvoo Excursion -a short novel

Question:  What do you get when you put 30+ people, 6 cars, A garmin, the state of Missouri, and a FedEx truck together in the very hot, very humid month of July?

Answer:  If you guessed 30+ ornery people, 4 cars because 2 bailed, an "OOPS" accident with the garmin, several damp towels and a surprise package along the way, you are wrong.

So the real answer?  Will soon be revealed in the pictures below.  A note about the FedEx truck before we begin.  Quite an innocent bystander actually on the WAY backroads of Missouri.  Just in a slight state of shock seeing so many cars at one time, when I am sure seeing a single tractor a day our for a jaunt is a rarity.

And as for the garmin, well, that little guy is just lucky that he made the right (it was actually left) turn when paved road became gravel.

Let's begin already!  In early July my (kerra) family met up in Nauvoo for a reunion of sorts.  One week of family fun.  And cousins!  We made camp in these little darlings

a stylish victorian

and this cute little bungalow

And then we were off.  What a better way to see the city of Nauvoo then horse and wagon style!  Yippee!

                                         

But with a few drawbacks...

Watch where you step miss Aftin

We saw brick buildings

And log buildings 

And a modern day yellow house (???) 

Follow that with a horses and A LOT of green

And of course the Nauvoo Temple

Leaving us plum tuckered out.

A short drive over a town or two is the town of Carthage, in which we visited the Carthage jail, where the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum were martyred.

Fun moment pics from Nauvoo

laci's trademark smile

henry and paige

outside games

if there's a simon, there's a skateboard (or longboard?), endless entertainment

looks like bethani is getting "the talk"

baby Carson

baby Jaelynn

humidity + beautiful red heair= beautiful limp hair

who can pass this picture up!

"so you see the leg behind me?" asks the little guy in blue "it thinks i am gonna stay right next to it and not go see what's over that edge"

hmmmm...who could be under the blanket giggling?

After Nauvoo, we started the caravan down through Missouri.  The members were the Outlook, the Pacifica, the Expedition, the (actual) Caravan, the Sienna, and the Exterra.  The plan included Adam Ondi Ahman, Far West, and an end in Independence with a few extra unscheduled beaks along the way.  Enter the garmin and the Fed Ex truck.  In the lead car, the Outlook, was Grandpa and Grandma and the garmin, which I think was being manned (or girled) by Miriah.  The Toyota Sienna a.k.a. Swagger Wagon was somewhere between car #3 and #5 and where this story's view comes.  The day started out with a few road closures and detours.  Awesome.  Not to worry, we have the Garmin, but bless those little souls that remembered to bring their paper maps!  Detours over, let's get on our way, already.  Ok, really there's not much memory to this part of the story besides, you have got to be kidding me!  We kept turning on to smaller, bumperier, curvier, hillier, dizzing roads.  The Sienna quite frankly is a little irritated by the wear the tires are taking and wondering, should we be trusting this little piece of technology that really might just have a mind of it's own, especially in very rural Missouri! Take a deep breath, to quote a popular phrase "be calm, carry on."  You are NEVER lost with a Garmin.  It will always take you where you want to go.  And what of the FedEx truck anyway (Fed Ex or FedEx?).  This is when the Sienna regained it's hope.  On one of the many, many, rickety old one lane bridges we crossed, we happened on a FedEx truck.  This could only mean one thing, it came from civilization, we were headed in the direction is came from.  There would be an end.

And this was it.  Adam Ondi Ahman (and lunch!).  It was raining and apparently too slippery for the camera to make it's way to the valley.  The back drop of these pictures should be hints of the greenness below.

Then Far West.

This is the site where the conerstones for the temple were laid.  Two of them can be seen up at the bas of the trees.

Then on to Independence (and dinner).  While in Indepenencde we visited a Church Museum, but oddly the only picture was:

the steeple (of fire) in the sky.  go figure.

Then on to Branson, MO.  Ever heard of Branson?  Ever been to Branson?  The little Las Vegas of the Midwest (key word Midwest).  What an adventure was Branson!  Remember the garmin?  Enter garmin.  Again.  Long story made short?  One hour car ride, traffic backed up for MILES, through the mountains (yes, mountains in Missouri) only to lead us back to...do I dare say it...a block away from our motel and the heaven sent water park.  And here are the only pics that camera came out for.  Just too busy soaking up the sun!

Good times!  Sunday morning, everyone left their separate ways.  Upon arriving home the first words out of Aftin's mouth "can we go on a trip to Nauvoo to see Granma and Kaia?!"  

Total round trip mileage count for the Sienna according to MapQuest: 2200.