Family fun

We are only 5 days into our 10 day trip, but I thought you might enjoy some pictures of the things we have done so far. Nathan and Shauna have arranged a good time for us and for Daniel and Connie's family, complete with huge snack bags for our trip to Nauvoo, breakfasts in their suite and lunches in the park and rooms at the hotel and programs and things to do. They have done a great job, and we really appreciate their hospitality. We are all staying in their house when we are in Omaha and the kids have moved out of their rooms and made room for us. They even set up a tent for Jonathan in Bethany's room where Daniel and Connie are sleeping.
The night before we left Mesa for Omaha and Nauvoo, the girls apent the night in the condo and were excited and eager for the trip. They took motion sickness pills the next morning and Reygan, not realizing that hers was not the chewable variety, chewed it up. "Disgusting!" she said. I don't think they realized just how long two days on the road would be, but they were real troopers and very good natured.

It was a very long trip.










We arrived in Omaha just in time to watch the lightning bugs. They put on quite a pre-4th of July show. Then, on Sunday morning we attended Nathan and Shauna's ward where Joshua was presented and approved to receive the Melchezidek Priesthood. Nathan, assisted by Dad and Daniel, as well as the bishop and some young men leaders, ordained Josh an Elder. We were very proud of him. He has also received his Eagle Scout award, but is still waiting for his court of honor.


We ate dinner, last night, at the Hotel Nauvoo. Nathan had reserved a very nice room just for our family.









On our way to the program last night, some of the fast walkers had to patiently wait for us slow walkers. They found a couple of handy benches by the Temple.

We all went to watch "Sunset on the Mississippi" a variety show put on by the senior missionaries and the performance missionaries from BYU. It was full of songs and dances and jokes and some pretty good music. The kids loved it. They clapped and whooped and sang along. Before the show, all the kids from 5-11 were invited to parade around and around. Bethany told them that if they would do something dorky she would give them candy. So, one of the performance missionaries heard her and kept jumping up in the air and yelling "Hooray for candy!" Or "Hooray for Bethany!" It was quite funny.

After the show, the girls double buckled for the short ride back to the hotel.










One of the highlights of the Nauvoo experience, so far, was the opportunity to dress up like pioneers and play pioneer games. They walked on stilts, had bear races, played toss the hoop and other pretty neat games. Aren't they cute pioneer children?

Here are some of the kids gathered around Joseph's and Hyrum's graves. They were very impressed to be standing in the spot where the prophet was buried.









We saw a musical play, put on by the BYU performance missionaries. It was so much fun and the kids especially liked seeing the actors after the play in the lobby.