No Coasting

Continuing with my Pathway, I am posting another assignment. My studying of The Book of Mormon has been one of the best learning experiences I have ever had. I have only read it once straight through, about nineteen years ago. All the other reading has been at Church here and there, and occasionally at home. Never in-depth and structured as I am doing now. I am actually seeing how it all unfolds and in exactly what order. It has been a great testimony builder for me with The Book of Mormon.
This weeks reading was Helaman 10-16. We are constantly reminded throughout the book of how mankind, in general, has a tendency to be obedient until all is well, and then fall back into sin, before being chastened by the Lord in one way or the other. As taken from the institute manual,"Helaman 12 contains one of the greatest  summaries of a basic human tendency found anywhere in the scriptures." Speaking for myself, I certainly feel we are built that way, complacent by nature. That it takes constant effort to stay righteous. If I "coast" at all in life, I run the gamble of going backwards in the Gospel. I have come to the conclusion that that is why some of the most simple and sometimes mundane commandments we are given are so important. Prayers, attending Church, and reading the scriptures all included. The statement that we are ether moving forwards or backwards in the Gospel is so true. There is no "coasting", and that takes our constant effort in living the commandments and doing those things the Church asks of use.
Another big take-a-way from this week's assignment was a talk given by Elder Dean L. Larsen,"The Lord Will Prosper The Righteous". Along with the continuing falling backwards that we see with the Nephites, we are constantly reminded that the Lord promises to bless us with prosperity if we do what is right and keep the commandments. All we are asked in return, is to recognize his hand in our success. This was another downfall of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. They would credit  there own abilities for success, and not Heavenly Father's role in their prosperity. The Lord cannot lie; he will take care of our needs if we do what we're supposed to do, and then thank Him for providing for us.
It is also interesting how people can see great miracles and rationalize them away. Satan has a way to distort anything focused on the Gospel. The signs given to them, as predicted by the Prophets, would eventually be forgotten by a lot of the people.These are great lessons to learn from, I am thankful for the teachings in Helaman. Unfortunately I can see some of these patterns in my life, maybe not to that extreme, but this week's reading has given me better insight in some things I need to do better.

Project for My PhD by Alex

Just joking! However,this post will hopefully get me a good grade in the institute class I am taking. I have recently enrolled into an institute class that is part of BYU-Idaho, that will give me college credits, and start a course to eventually get a college degree. When I made up my mind to go back to college I wasn't 100% bought in. With my wife's advice I reluctantly signed up. Then when I heard I had to take a religion class, I said great! (sarcasm) As it turns out,  this has turned out to be a life changing spiritual event. In this class it is required to read scriptures everyday, study them using several different study skills,and start personal goals to become a better disciple of Christ. It has brought me closer to the spirit than I have been in a long time.
My assignment this week in to share something I am learning. There was a video presented called "We Can Be Together Again" that has really made an impact on me. There are three families who talk about losses they have had in their lives: a girl who's mom and sister that were killed in a car crash when she was young, a Polynesian couple who lost a son and later converted to the Gospel, and a couple who lost their baby girl. They all spoke of the importance of understanding that there is so much more out there besides this life, namely, the love the savior has for us and his infinite atonement,the Resurrection, and how we can all be together again. The experiences are so heart wrenching it gets harder and harder to watch them each time. Their testimonies will be etched in mind forever and I am grateful I have heard their stories.
In 2 Nephi 9:4-6 it talks about death and how important it is in the welfare of man. Joseph Fielding Smith stated "But who would like to live forever in this mundane world,filled with pain, decay, sorrow, and tribulation,and grow old and infirm and yet have to remain with all the vicissitudes of mortality? I think all of us would come to the conclusion,if the proposition were placed before us, that we would not like to have it. We would reject it. We would not want a life of that nature. Life here in this world is short of necessity, and yet all that is required may be accomplished, but death is just as important in the plan of salvation as birth is. We have to die-it is essential-and death comes into the world 'to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator.' "
 I am thankful for this lesson and the perspective it has given me regarding our post mortal existence.  I am also thankful for the Book of Mormon and what I am learning this semester, I am gaining insights, understanding, and a stronger testimony than I have ever had.

Off the Beaten Trail

 We've had a few family adventures recently. In February when Alex had a rare Saturday off, we went to see the Hoover Dam from the new bypass bridge. The bridge was built to divert traffic from right next to the dam so it makes for a quicker trip over the Nevada/Arizona border. You have to park and then hike up a few flights of stairs then walk a ways, but the view from the bridge is spectacular and you can get a history/engineering lesson along the walk if you stop to read the signs.
While passing through Boulder City I noticed the sign for the Southern Nevada Railroad. It's a short train ride but it has open windows so you can see the highway. Why not take a train  ride on a sunny Saturday afternoon? It's not too fast and not too slow. There is also a railway museum you can visit, but we didn't.


Waiting to board the train.

It looks like Alex is getting "beamed up."

For spring break in April we wanted to go out of town, but not spend much money. My aunt suggested we go to our family's ranch. The ranch is fun, but would it still be fun without the cousins? Of course! Our family was the only one there except for Uncle Mick. He told us that there were some petroglyphs down the road. We explored a part of the area that I had never been to in my life, but we didn't find the petroglyphs. We rode the four wheelers into the hills and found the little cemetery where some of the original pioneer settlers were buried. I was especially touched by the graves of little children. It made me want to hug my own children and be grateful that we don't have the same trials.

 One of the days of our vacation we left the ranch and drove up towards Panaca in search of the "moon caves." There is a place called Cathedral Valley State Park and the sandstone hills have been eroded by wind and water to create these interesting formations. That was a fun little hike.

 On the way home from the ranch we pulled off the road to visit the trilobite fossil site. There's a bunch of shale and if you look closely you will see fossils in the rocks. We bought home a backpack full of fossils, but no pictures so you'll have to take my word for it.

I have been going to Boulder City and the ranch for my whole life, close to forty years and I never realized that there were such interesting things around if we just go off the beaten trail.

My Life in Six Words

I recently read in a magazine about summing up your life in just six words. Here's what my life is:
Smart girl. College. Teaching. Wife. Mother.
That's quite broad, but I could break it down into years.
1996
Graduating college. Not married. Plan B?
1998
Tall red-head. He's not my type.
1999
Yes, yes I do like him.
1999-2001
He loves me. . . or maybe not.
2001
Just bought a brand new house.
2002
Married for time and eternity-finally.
2007
Three kids in three years. Yikes!
2009
New house. New baby. Crazy time.
2012
All my dreams have come true.

Happy Birthday, Lacey!

Before I knew we were having a girl, I thought it would be a girl because she was already keeping me up at night. When I was carrying her I knew that she would be strong because it hurt when she kicked me. Lacey was due on February 26, but she came on the 12th, and now she has the same birthday as my Grandpa Haynes. I was scheduled for an induction, but I had been having contractions all day the day before. I called the hospital and they told me to come in so they could check it out. When I arrived at 10 p.m. I was dilated to a four and they admitted me. Another baby coming early! (You will get no complaints from me!) I wanted to try having this one without an epidural since I did it for the last one. However, I got to a point where I said, "Give it to me." But if I had just waited a little longer, I wouldn't have needed it. Again, my baby was in a hurry to be born. I had to stop pushing until the doctor was there,and I swear the nurse was keeping the baby in, but at least my husband was there for the birth.Lacey Sharon Pendleton was born at 4:16 a.m. 7 pounds, 2 ounces, 19 1/2 inches long. Today this five-year-old is fun, stubborn, silly,creative, and super smart. She already taught herself how to read! She can be shy at times and completely uninhibited at other times. Like when I was singing with the choir at church and she was dancing next to me. Or when I was leading the music in Relief Society and she was spinning around me. I get kind of mad, but it's also kind of funny. Recently she fractured her collar bone. She didn't let that slow her down one bit. She would just keep playing or climbing or jumping until she bumped her injury and it hurt enough for her to stop for a few seconds. She's a spitfire, but I love her!

Halloween 2011

Lacey-Witch 

Lia-Ladybug

Lance-Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Luke-Red Power Ranger

Lance and Luke and Lacey were in a Halloween Show at the mall.

Lia's Second Birthday (October 2, 2011)

Lia was not happy about the candles on her happy birthday cake.

Even though she is a toddler, Lia refers to herself as Baby, because that's what I've been calling her for the last two years. She loves to watch Dora and Yo Gabba Gabba on TV. She loves to do what the other kids do.  It's so cute to watch her try to do cartwheels when the other kids practice their tumbling.For her birthday she got a Dora purse, a Barbie trike, and some new clothes. She is a happy girl and we all love her to death!

First Day of School 2011

Luke started kindergarten and Lance started 2nd Grade. They both love school and are excited to see old friends and learn new things. This year school starts an hour earlier than last year. That will be an adjustment for all of us. Other things the boys have to look forward to are tumbling on Mondays, Desert Trackers (although that starts half an hour before school and I think it might be hard to get up even earlier), and Luke will be in soccer. Lacey will be in preschool in the afternoon on Tuesday and Thursday, because if she went in the morning my day would look like this: drop off at eight, drop off at nine, pick up at 10:40, pick up at 11:30, then pick up at 2:21. I think it's more efficient to drop off at 8, pick up at 10:40, drop off at 12:30, then pick up at 2:21, then pick up at 2:45. Lia gets to hang out with Mommy all by herself for at a least a little while during the week.

Harvest Time (October 9, 2011)

Lacey was very interested in planting seeds this year. In the spring we found seed starter packs in the dollar aisle. We started them, but I didn't expect them to grow. Then we transplanted them to a planter by the kitchen window, but I still didn't think they would make it. Then we moved them outside and they kept growing and growing. And then in the fall we found three little red tomatoes. That small bit of success has inspired me to try again! Maybe next season we'll get some tomatoes we can actually eat!

Luke and Mommy Day

Luke wanted a day with Mommy after he saw how much fun Lance had. So for Luke's day out we went to Build-A-Bear Workshop. He picked Alvin from "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked." After that we ate lunch at McDonald's in the mall food court. Then, because it was two days before Christmas, we finished up some last minute Christmas shopping. Luke is pretty content to do his own thing most of the time, but it's good to get one-on-one time with him.

Luke Turns Six (November 29)

What a big boy he is getting to be! Luke was due December 21, but I knew he would be early. I had been sleeping on our reclining couch because that was the most comfortable position. At about 4 a.m. I woke up and felt like I had to go to the bathroom. When I stood up my water broke. Another baby three weeks early! We took Lance to Grandma Susan's then went to the hospital, arriving at about 5 a.m. We checked in, got into a delivery room, got hooked up to machines, got some blood drawn, and about ten minutes to 6 Alex decided to go to the 7-11 to get something to eat. Because for sure we had hours to go, right? Wrong! Ten minutes later I felt like I had to push. There was no doctor and no husband there, only the nurse, Rose, and my mom. She told me to stop pushing but I said no way. She scrambled to get ready to deliver the baby. Luke came into the world at 6:13 a.m. and was 7 lbs 3 0z and 19 1/2 inches long. He was just anxious to get here, I guess! I held him right after he was born and when the nurse handed him to me he whacked me in the face with his slimey little hand. But holding him I thought, "Yes, here you are-right where you belong."

Luke is definitely all boy. He likes action and rowdiness. But he also has a sensitive side. He is concerned if he thinks his little sisters are in trouble. He makes friends easily with boys and girls. He was on a soccer team this year and had as much fun socializing on the sidelines as he did playing the game. He is enthusiastic about school and is doing great in kindergarten. He was student of the month in December. He is a great kid and I am blessed to be his mommy!

Broken Collar Bone

Lacey was running around at my mom's house and she ran into the door jamb of the pantry and fractured her collar bone. I wasn't there when that happened, but when I got there Lacey was wimpering and wouldn't let me touch her, but she kept touching her shoulder. I thought she might have dislocated it. I called our pediatrician's office and they said she would need an x-ray to make sure. I decided to go to the quick care, but just as I was getting Lacey in the car, the pediatrician called back and said they had called a pediatric bone doctor and to go there. We went there, waited an hour, and then they had her lay on a table to x-ray. This was all very frightening for Lacey so I held her hand and offered comforting words so she would be still. When the doctor put up the x-ray I could see right where the fracture was. He said no contact sports or outside play at school for six weeks, but dance was okay. I bought a sling so she could keep her arm still, but she would not wear it. Later that night we went to a New Year's Eve party at my brother's house. All the kids were playing Just Dance on the Wii, which is where you have to copy the dance moves on the screen. Lacey kept up but every so often she would wince in pain. In her words, "Boooo!"

Mommy and Lance Day

Lance wanted to have a special day all by himself with Mommy. After dropping off the other kids at Grandma Sharon's, we went on a little adventure. First we went to the Scout office to get Lance a new Cub Scout uniform-blue shirt, yellow handkerchief, and other accessories. Next, we went looking for a place to have hot chocolate. We decided on IHOP. We had hot chocolate and a funny face pancake. Lance got a balloon sword there. Next we went to Toys R Us. Lance bought a stuffed panda. He used his own money and he named it Pandy. Next we went to Wal-Mart to look for a gingerbread house kit, but they didn't have one. Last we sang Christmas carols in the car on the way to pick up the other kids. Both Mommy and Lance had a great time.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Call me crazy, but I kind of like the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season. I like the parties and the programs and the lights and the anticipation. It makes for some fun memories. Also, Alex usually takes at least a week off so we can spend some quality time as a family.

We like to go to Mt. Charleston and go sledding at least once in December. This time we stopped at the Mt. Charleston lodge for hot chocolate after sledding. It's as close as we come to a "white Christmas."

I love the oohs and aahs of Christmas morning. That's actually the best present I could get.

Sometimes for a quick little vacation we go to St. George. This year the day after Christmas we went there. We explored the local church history sites such as Brigham Young's winter home, Jacob Hamblin's home, and of course, the beautiful St. George temple. The temple is all lit up for Christmas and has a lovely nativity outside.

We were just going to stay for one day, but then decided to stay for two. We were able to visit my Grandma Haynes who stays in St. George for the winter. We were also able to visit with my Grandpa Herschel. He is almost 93 years old. His body is getting weaker, but his mind is still sharp. We had a great visit with him.

Our trip to St. George would not be complete without eating at Cracker Barrel. I like it because I feel like I'm eating good homemade food that I  would not make at home. The kids like it because they find unique goodies at the country store.

Lance's Baptism

It was a day to remember for more reasons than one! Lance's baptism was scheduled for December 10, 2011 at 3 p.m. We sent out nice invitations to all the friends and family. It was going to be a tight squeeze in scheduling because the kids had a dance and tumbling show at one. But I thought they would be first then we would have plenty of time to get there. However, Wednesday the 7th I was informed that due to the annual Henderson Christmas Parade being changed to an evening light parade, the baptism would have to be rescheduled. The problem was that since our stake center is right on the parade route, parade entries such as school marching bands would be lining up and practicing right at the same time as the baptism. The stake leaders decided to avoid that commotion by moving the time up to one. That presented a problem for us because of the tumbling show and also  because Alex wasn't getting off work until 2.  So we could either reschedule for another day or find a different chapel so Lance could have his own baptism. After calling around I was able to get the Palo Verde chapel, which happens to be the building of our previous ward. Then we had to call everyone and tell them that the place had changed. So the day comes and I thought we should take our things so we could go right to the church when the kids were done. But then I thought we would have enough time to go home and change. As it happened, the kids were last on the program and we had to rush home and change. So we didn't arrive quite on time but good thing we weren't the last ones there. Lance asked Grandma Susan and Grandma Sharon to give talks about baptism and the Holy Ghost. All of the cousins sang "I Know that My Savior Loves Me." It was really personal for Lance because he was the only one getting  baptised.

It's Great to be Eight!

I can't believe he's eight already. Lance's due date was December 13, and I had planned on getting all my lessons ready for when I was on maternity leave over the Thanksgiving weekend. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving I was in the office at school and felt some leaking. Later at my regularly scheduled doctor's appointment I mentioned that small detail. The doctor checked and much to my surprise she told me that I needed to check into the hospital. Three weeks early! What!? I was not even ready at school for the next day, let alone for the next few months. But there was no stopping. I checked into the hospital at about 4 p.m. on Tuesday and at 4:10 a.m. (after only about twenty minutes of pushing) on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, I brought forth my first born son. Six pounds, ten ounces, 19 inches long, the spitting image of his father. I was overwhelmed with happiness when they put him in my arms, sobbing actually. I was a mother, and he was my beautiful baby boy.

Now he is eight years old. Still sweet, still beautiful. I love his personality and his sense of humor. He's smart and friendly and a good boy 95% of the time. He wants to be an author and illustrator someday, but I think he could be great at anything. He likes to try new things and has done baseball, basketball, tennis, tumbling and a few piano lessons. I feel so blessed to be the mother of this wonderful child.

NIne is Fine

So it's been nine years since we got married. August 30, 2002. This year to mark the occasion we are listing nine things that we love about each other. That's right: I said WE. Alex is making his debut contribution to this blog. He asked me what I wanted and I told him this was it. I may just die of shock!
Here's nine things I love about Alex, in no particular order.

1. Alex incorporates the kids' words into his own vocabulary. We remember some of what the kids said when they first started talking because Alex still uses those words. For instance, Lance used to say bok for milk and oofs for shoes. Alex still says bok and oofs. One day when Luke was little Alex was in the bathroom when Luke knocked on the door. Alex said, "Who is it?" and Luke said, "It's the Kook kook." Every day Alex says, "Who is it? It's the Kook kook." Lacey for a short time added an extra syllable to her words ("watch-a my show") and now Alex adds an extra syllable to his words: "It's time to get in the big-a bed-a." It's annoying and endearing at the same time.

2. He tries to to his best at everything he does. Whether it's being a manager or riding his bike he does everything he can to be the best.

3.He admits I'm right by saying it was his idea. Like when we were in Salt Lake for our vacation: I wanted to go to the Blue Lemon right across the street from Temple Square, but he didn't see any other families there so we went to another place down the street. The kids started to whine about eating there so I said we should go back to the Blue Lemon. After eating a fabulous meal, Alex said, "I told you we should have come here in the first place."

4.He tries to make wrong things right. Recently some friends of ours bought tires from Alex but there was some trouble and they had to take time out of their vacation out of state to have the problem fixed. Alex offered them some free tires for their trouble which they declined. But always trying to make the customer happy, Alex offered to take them out to dinner, which they accepted.

5.He goes out of his way to help people. A guy in our ward brought his bike to Alex to see if he could fix it. Alex doesn't really fix bikes, but he paid for it to get fixed.

6. He's not handy, but he makes enough money to pay people to be handy for us.

7. He is genuine; he does not try to be something he's not. When he's happy, he's happy. When he's mad, he's mad. What you see is what you get. But this quality makes me trust him one-hundred percent.

8. He makes up silly songs for the kids.

9. You wouldn't guess that he's going to be 45 this year. All that bike riding is good for something.

Here's what Alex loves about me in his own words:

1. beautiful

2. understanding

3.support me

4.comfort me

5.love and teach our kids

6.righteous

7.same girl i feel in love with!

8.awesome family

9.(edited for the purposes of this blog-TMI!)

A Song is a Wonderful Kind of Thing

I have been in many church callings in my life, but by far my favorite has been being Primary chorister. I have never felt the Spirit like I have each week singing those Primary songs. They are simple yet powerful. They teach the doctrines of the restored Gospel. My heart is touched each week as those sweet children sing so beautifully, and the Holy Ghost witnesses that what we are singing about is true, absolutely true. One Sunday I was teaching the hymn "Praise to the Man" and I told them a little bit about the life of Joseph Smith. Tears were pouring out of my eyes as I gave my testimony of that prophet and restorer of the true church of Jesus Christ. The children sat in rapt attention and I knew that they were also feeling the Holy Ghost in their hearts. A few weeks later my own son gave the family home evening lesson and repeated, almost word for word, what I had said. If he learned that important bit of information, I'm sure others did.

So it is with great sadness and reluctance that today I had to give up that calling to accept another calling. I tried to talk them into letting me keep it until the Primary program in October, but they didn't think it was a good idea. Sad, sad, sad. However, my new calling also has to do with music. I am the new ward music chairperson. That means I coordinate the Sacrament Meeting hymns, schedule musical numbers and supervise the ward choir, among other things. The first and second counselor in the bishopric reminded me that the Lord calls people He need for particular callings at particular times, and I always try to be where I'm supposed to be and do what the Lord wants me to do. But I will certainly miss Primary.

July 2011

It's been a while since I made a slide show so I decided to make one of our events in July. From Luke working on getting his first tooth out to Family Reunion at the ranch (which included Minute to Win It, Family Fun Run) to more pictures of our Utah Vacation, July for us was what summer is all about.

Super-Dooper Utah Vacation

We recently spent six days traveling through various parts of Utah as a family. That was certainly our longest family vacation, and definitely our funnest. Here are some of the highlights:

Capitol Reef  National Park

Of course we couldn't have a vacation without a bike race, but at least it gave us the excuse to visit a new place. Capitol Reef National Park is located in south central Utah and we passed through several small towns (including Circleville, boyhood home of Butch Cassidy) to get to Bicknell where we stayed at the Sunglow Motel. We arrived on Thursday, and Alex did two races on Friday. While he was racing we explored the town and went into the National Park. I thought it was a good history lesson due to the fact that all the little towns were originally pioneer settlements and before Capitol Reef was a national park, there was a pioneer settlement named Fruita near where the park visitors' center is now. The orchards those settlers planted are still there as well as one of the original homesteads. It was called the Eden of Wayne County. Saturday Alex did an 80-mile race and we arrived at the finish line just in time to see him cross. Here is some of what we saw on the first leg of our trip (Lance was the photographer that day.)

At the Capitol Reef Visitors' Center

One of the herd of buffalo we saw on the way to Capitol Reef

Lovely scenery

Rock formations in the National Park

Provo/Orem
For the first three days the kids kept asking when we were going to the hotel pool. So when we arrived at the Travelodge in Provo on Saturday, all they wanted to do was swim in the pool. I think if all they had done for the whole vacation was swim in the hotel pool with their new life vests, they would have thought it was the best vacation ever. It was a good idea to get the vests, actually, because wearing the vests made the kids more confident in the water. But before we let them into the pool we went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant called Gloria's that had an accordion player who played Disney songs to keep the kids entertained. Bless him!

Sunday we had a quick but fun visit with Aunt Mary Lou and Uncle Jeff. Then we went to Provo Canyon for a picnic in Vivian Park. I have been to Provo Canyon before, but this time it took my breath away with how beautiful it was; so green, so inviting. The only thing that dampened our great day was that Luke got stung by a bee while he was playing on the playground. He said through his tears, "It's not fair that a bee could sting me for no reason! I was just minding my own business and the bee stung me." But he forgot all about it when we got back to the hotel pool. We had dinner at the Los Tres Amigos restaurant right by our hotel, and we were lucky that my brother Austin could join us for a little bit.

Temple Square

Monday we went up to Salt Lake City to visit Temple Square. We first went to the South Visitor's Center and saw displays about how the temple was built. Then the kids threw pennies in the fountain and made wishes.

Lance said,"I know I can't go inside the actual temple, but can I just go in the lobby?" I said I wasn't sure but we could go over and see what they say. When we got to the entrance of the lobby a greeter said that we could go to a certain point, but then a gentleman at the check in desk waved us in to the lobby. He gave each of the kids a silver token and said, "Now you have proof that you have been in the Salt Lake Temple." They all had smiles from ear to ear.

Luke, Lacey, Lia, and Lance on the steps of the Salt Lake Temple

After that we went into the tabernacle, and it's true: you can hear a pin drop from the podium and it also looks bigger on TV than in real life. From there we went to the Assembly Hall for a quick peek inside. The Seagull Monument is in front of the Assembly Hall and I told Lance about how the pioneers were about to lose their crops to a cricket infestation, but then miraculously the seagulls came and ate up all the crickets. Lance was impressed.

We then went to the North Visitors' Center where there are a whole bunch of paintings depicting scenes from the scriptures. But the best part was seeing The Christus statue. Of that Lance said, "I feel like I'm in Heaven," and Luke said, "This is like being in space!"

Church History Museum
After a yummy lunch at Blue Lemon, we went to the Church History Museum. I could spend a day on each floor there if I were all by myself. The bottom floor had an exhibit of childrens' art. They also had a station where kids could color or draw their own pictures and they would be shown on the "wall." 

The main floor has an exhibit of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints from it's early beginnings to the settlement of Utah into the modern age. I wanted to read every detail about every display, but we had to keep moving to keep the kids engaged.

This was a great place to visit the week before Pioneer Day.

The top floor of the museum has an exhibit dedicated to all the prophets since the restoration from Joseph Smith to Thomas S. Monson. I went to the bathroom and Lance looked at the exhibit but the other kids were starting to get restless. Alex thought we should call it a day, but I knew the best was yet to come: the quilting exhibit! Just kidding. There was a quilting exhibit but we passed it up to go to the childrens' Book of Mormon exhibit. This area was very child-friendly: interactive displays in English and Spanish that told a story from the Book of Mormon and a related story about a child's real life. The first display was Mexican dancing. A how-to video showed the children what steps to do and they could dress up in skirts or vests and follow the video. Well, my little dancer, Lacey,spent the whole time doing that. She was in heaven with the twirly skirt and the dancing. I had as much fun watching her as she had doing the actual dancing.

The boys and Lia tried the dancing for a little bit but they went to other displays also. There was the one with the boat that had to do with the journey to the promised land. Lia got in the little truck which had to do with the family who picked up people for church in their truck.

We had to drag the kids away when it was time to go.

Our final stops of the day were at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building and Deseret Book. Lance wanted to stay longer but the baby was getting cranky.

Seven Peaks Waterpark

Tuesday we went to Seven Peaks Waterpark in Provo. It has big water slides and a lazy river, and a wave pool. I thought the kids would be too scared to go in anything but the "tadpole" area, but with their life jackets the boys had enough courage to go on the big slides and Lacey and Lia went in the wave pool and lazy river several times. We rented a cabana and were able to stay the whole day without getting burnt to a crisp. So.Much.Fun!!

We left the waterpark and drove to Beaver to stay the night. We have discovered that it's not a fun trip if you have a crying baby for more than an hour or so. So the last leg of our trip from Beaver to Henderson was about three and a half hours and just about right to prevent a major toddler meltdown. After we got home Alex said, "We should do that more often." To which I thought "It took you nine years to figure that out, but better late than never!"