For mom

We're in the throes of the chaos, but the electric is done and we're on to the drywall. Here's photo evidence.








-- Post From My iPhone

In my car right now

I'm glad Bryce is driving while we get a little nap in.


-- Post From My iPhone

Baptism

I know I am one month late, but better late than never! Michael was baptized last month after turning 8. I can't believe my baby is 8! Several months ago Michael decided he wanted to be baptized by his Grandpa Hutchings, so we made plans to help make that a reality for him. Michael also decided to read the entire Book of Mormon before he was baptized. He finished a few days before. I was very impressed by his goal and his determination to finish. He is growing up so quickly! It was a great experience and a day we will always remember. We're very proud of Michael and the decision he made.

Family Vacation Day Three

After surviving the rain we took down camp, ate some pancakes and eggs and headed to Palmyra. We took the tour of the farms and really enjoyed being in those sacred places. After taking the tours in Kirtland the boys got bored of answering the same questions over and over but they still did it. The log cabin is always one of my favorites; the spirit is so strong upstairs where Moroni came to visit Joseph.

Unfortunately, I think the boys enjoyed their umbrellas more than anything else on the tour.

They also loved looking at nature, especially the chipmunks!

After finishing the tour we headed into the sacred grove. After walking for a bit Joshua looked over and said 'I think that is where the first vision took place.' I don't know if he was right or not but I do not discount anything he says, so it would not surprise me if that was the place. It was really neat to be in that sacred place as a family.

After visiting the farm we drove by the temple and peaked in the window at the print shop. We enjoyed a little ice cream cone--pretty impressive ice cream for soft serve!

Then, we headed to the Hill Cumorah. We drove up the hill and talked about how difficult it would be to find just the right rock to look under and how he never would have found it without the help of Moroni. We then enjoyed walking around the monument and watching them set up the towers for the pageant. That is definitely one of the largest cranes I have ever seen! The boys loved it!

Afterwards we jumped in the car and headed to Grandma and Grandpa Hutchings house. Everyone was exhausted by the end but it was worth every minute!

Family Vacation Day Two

After leaving Kirtland we headed to upstate New York for some more fun. Our next stop was Niagra Falls . . . Wow! Wow! Wow! I just have to say that if you are looking for a great place to go I suggest Niagra Falls. We first headed to 'Cave of the Winds' where we got to down to the bottom of the falls. They even gave us special sandals to wear down, so we didn't ruin our shoes.

We took an elevator down to a series of wooden decks that they have to rebuild each year. These decks lead you right up into the falls to what they call the 'Hurricane Deck' and let me just tell you that the name says it all. The boys loved it!

Then, we took the trolly around to take a boat ride on the Maid of the Mist.

I thought it was just going to be a nice little boat ride to get a great view of the falls, and it was but that was not good enough.

They took us right into the horseshoe falls for an up close and personal experience. And let me just say that it was AWESOME! It was hard to get a picture because of all the water but I think this one turned out nicely!

We realized later that we can now say that we went into Canada on this trip. It may have been on the boat ride but it was Canada nonetheless!

After our great boat ride we enjoyed a little movie on Niagra Falls, and we headed out to our campsite. It was a little ways away, so we had to work really hard to keep Jacob awake on our short drive. We then had fun setting up our camp and eating a little dinner including a fun treat of Timbits from Tim Horton's, a doughnut shop that James enjoyed while serving his mission.

It then began to rain, so we just stayed in the tent for the remainder of the evening. The boys enjoyed a movie during which two of them fell asleep!

They seemed to sleep well because Michael looked nice and refreshed in the morning! We were even still dry which was impressive considering the amount of rain we enjoyed during the night. It was our first camping experience as a family and I believe it was a success!

Family Vacation Day One

We planned a pretty exciting vacation this year which includes visiting family, seeing church history sites, camping and much more! Day one began around 2:30 in the morning when James and I got up and finished loading the car. We woke the boys up and were on the road just after 3 AM! We were headed to Kirtland, Ohio where James grandparents are serving a mission at the Kirtland church history sites. We arrived just after noon and relaxed for a bit until Grandma and Grandpa were free. We headed to the Kirtland Temple where we enjoyed the tour and looking through the temple.

Then, we headed out to the Morley Farm where grandma and grandpa took us on a little tour and told us some of the history of the area. We learned tons and enjoyed hearing their testimonies and feeling of the spirit at the farm.

Afterwards we headed to the quarry where we could see where some of the stones used to build the temple came from.

Afterwards we went to the main tour where we got to watch the movie and see the Whitney farm and house. We didn't quite make it to the mill that night but were sure to come back in the morning to finish the tour! It was incredible to learn of the important events that took place in that humble little town and to be in the same space that they took place. The spirit was very strong making a very incredible experience.

Our Butterfly Emerged

About a month ago the boys took a butterfly class from a local homeschooler who was teaching the class for a Boy Scout requirement. As part of the class the boys got to take home a painted lady caterpillar in a little cup with caterpillar food. We took him home and watched him eat and grow at an amazing rate! As he got larger we put him in a larger container where he crawled to the top and wrapped himself in his chrysalis. We then waited as patiently as we could for him to emerge. He finally did right before we left of vacation. Phew . . . that was close. We then watched him spread his wings, let them dry and straighten out and then when he was ready to fly on his own we let him go. It was an incredible experience and we all learned tons about caterpillars and butterflies!