July Baby!!

July 2011 for our family was a fun one. We always love the 4th of July, so we decided to invite a few people from our ward over. There are so many people that we don't know who had moved in after we moved away to NC that we wanted to get to know people. We had a BBQ and then did fireworks. We didn't get very many good pictures but below are a few that did turn out.




I also celebrated my 31st birthday this year. Dusty and the kids were very sweet and walked all the way to the bank downtown to withdraw money from the ATM and then walked all the way to the grocery store to buy a cake mix and frosting. Then they walked home. Even though we live in a small town it was a real sacrifice for Dusty as he was not feeling well at all. When I got home there was a cake and a card sitting on the table. They also stopped on their way home and got me a gift certificate to the book store here in town. They were all very cute about making me feel special.

June 2011

June for our family was filled with swim lessons, Alexis' birthday, a trip to Utah for Dusty and the kids, lots of storms and shooting at the range.

Emma swimming on her back

Jacob swimming

Happy Birthday Alexis



Emma under the foutain at Lagoon

Super HuGe corndogs

The Salt Lake City Temple

Crazy storm near Dalton, Nebraska (this is where we lived when we lived here before. Dusty pulled off the highway to take pictures of this beauty)



This is my front porch and flower bed filled with hail...my poor little flowers

Jacob at the range shooting

Misc. Pictures from May

It's crazy what pictures you find when you download your camera images to your computer. Below are some of the fun pictures our kids took during the month of May 2011.



Alexis' new sandals


Our kids packing up the NC house



Our cat Athena


Alexis taking a picture of herself in the mirror


This is the crazy Olive Garden waiter. We had to sneak to get a picture of him. Salad for 2 anyone?

Nauvoo, IL Memorial Weekend 2011

Nauvoo, IL Temple






At the visitor's center:

Rug Making


Rope Making


Jake gives it a try


The girls give it a try


Jake ties off one end


And Emma ties off the other


Look at our finished product



Outside there were pioneer games set up. The kids had a ball trying on clothes and playing with everything.

Winter Quarters Temple Visit - Memorial Weekend 2011

These pictures are of our visit to Winter Quarters. Our camera is not the best so some of them are blurry.

We got to dress up in pioneer clothing and tour the visitor's center.

Dusty helping the kids try to push a handcart


The kids got to try and fill their wagons with all of the needed supplies. The blocks were labeled with different items like flour and sugar and then they had to fit it all in the toy wagon. It was quite difficult to get it all to fit.


Me and the kids in front of the temple




The glass on the temple is just so beautiful!


I took this picture from a room in the visitor's center that is focused on teaching about our belief in Christ and his sacrifice for us. It shows artwork that tells the story of the many pioneers who died along the way. And then as you got to the other side of the room you see a picture of Christ. The Sister Missionary spoke with us about the Atonement and why the Saints were willing to suffer. It was a very spiritual experience for me to listen to her and to then look out this huge glass wall and see the temple and to know that families are forever and that the pioneers did not die in vain.


On the temple grounds is a graveyard where many pioneers were buried. It is so peaceful and quiet. There are some statues with plaques on them and a few caught my eye.

This one says "Dry up the unvailing tear. Repress the selfish sigh. Know that the spirit ransomed here yet lives, and never shall die."


This one says "That the struggles, the sacrifices, and the sufferings of the faithful pioneers and cause they represented shall never be forgotten. This monument is gratefully erected and dedicated by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints"


I just thought this sign was funny. It is a newspaper ad that was placed to advertise for dentistry. Notice how is says "with the least pain possible". How lucky we are now that we can be put to sleep if needed for a dental procedure. I'm not sure how I would do if my dentist today told me he would do a procedure with the least pain possible. I don't want to feel ANYTHING!