Piper's 2nd Birthday!

We are so proud of our little Princess Piper, and so grateful to have her in our family! She is a joy and a blessing...and a tornado of energy, she keeps us busy! 2nd Birthday=2 pigtails!










She picked out her own cake mix and helped make the cake, her favorite activity.
Her favorite word of her birthday, "WOW!!" and we heard it a lot, she was so easy to please. Wowing over the cake and showing the Pooh stickers she put on the cups and napkins for her party. We had a few 2 and 3 year olds over for a Winnie the Pooh party, with bee and bear crackers, Tigger tails, (Orange and black rice krispies), honey, (apple juice), watermelon, cantalope, grapes, strawberries, and carrots (for Rabbit). She loved it, it's all her favorite foods. We also send home bags with gummy bears and Winnie the Pooh suckers that I quickly made while she was asleep. (HOT!)

Piper's 2nd Birthday! Part 2

Doug made the cake (Isn't he amazing!!) and Grandma Suze sent the birthday castle...both huge hits! We were going to have a princess party until Doug pointed out that the love of her life currentl happens to be a 'silly old bear.' Duly noted, I change themes a week before the party. She has 2 VHS Winnie the Pooh tapes that get watched over and over and over...Grandma Fogelquist gave us a new DVD. Whew! Doug and Monte and I gave her 10 new Pooh books and a few Pooh toys.

Monte's First Day of First Grade

Monte started first grade on Thursday, so thrilled and missing two teeth! He's lost one on the bottom and one on the top! The other lower tooth just keeps wiggling...

He was so happy to be back with his same helper, and his new teacher seems so sweet. She's happy to have him in her class, and really wants him involved. (This is why we moved to Missouri!!!) I cried a little dropping him off...he's just a big boy now. It's actually his 5th year of school, 3 preschool, then K, but still, this is a big transition for me. Piper missed him so badly all day, we had a friend come over to play to make it a bit less lonely.

Breaking Dawn

Ok, so I went to a Midnight release party for Breaking Dawn out here, (yes, Stephenie Meyer is huge in Missouri too!) and had a great time with my friend Kristen...shopping, dining out, and laughing at the antics of the other book buyers!

Here's Edward...and us! (We opted not to stand in line and pose with him, would've taken all night!)

Gymnastics

We joined up with an autistic group for summer activities, and enjoyed bowling and gymnastics with them. We made some good friends and had a great time being involved in something new.

Nauvoo to Salt Lake City

Joseph and Hyrum leaving Nauvoo for the final time...
The Nauvoo Temple
The Salt Lake Temple In the last few weeks, I have had the priviledge of attending a session in the Salt Lake City, Utah Temple, doing Initiatories in the St. Louis Temple, and attending a session in Nauvoo. This was pretty remarkable for me, it's the most temple attendance I've had in months, since moving 5 hours away from a temple. It was wonderful to be able to do so. I was touched by many a connection...
While living in Lehi, I had the amazing opportunity to perform in the choir that recorded the music for the Nauvoo Pageant. It was a very spiritual experience, and really touched my heart and filled it with a desire to see the pageant. This year, that opportunity arose! It was incredible to watch the show with my family, being moved by the stories and music and knowing that I contributed (a very small part!) During the show, the lights are turned off at the temple, (as it is being built on stage), and after Joseph Smith and Hyrum leave Nauvoo for the final time and the temple is finished, the lights are very dramatically lit! It is an emotional and awe-inspiring moment to see all that the pioneers accomplished, and also, all that they left behind, in Faith. To hear our beloved President Hinckley's voice talking of "Joseph's Temple" and "Brigham's Temple" facing each other and the urge he felt to restore it, is so remarkable. I was so grateful that I was able to spend time in each of the temples in the last few weeks, and without a long walk or handcart journey in between!
Living in Missouri and seeing the beauty that the pioneers were forced to leave behind once, before building their beloved Nauvoo and leaving again to go to a desert....(a lovely desert, but still, only after much effort! Did you know that farmers in Illinois do not ever have to irrigate their crops?!?) This has made us so very grateful for our heritage and the testimonies of our ancestors who followed the Prophets of the Living God.
We are so blessed to be living in Missouri and to be able to have these opportunities! We are grateful for the knowledge of the restored gospel and the blessings of having a Prophet on the earth today. We urge you to continue to share your testimonies with others so that they may also find the joy that we so often take for granted...

Piper at the Nauvoo Temple

Piper was so adorable during our last few minutes at Navuoo. She walked reverently all around the temple grounds, examining flowers, walking up and down the stairs, and posing in front of doors. It was so sweet and fun to follow her around, taking pictures, imagining her thoughts and thinking of other pioneer children who probably did the same many years ago...

Fun Family Pics at Nauvoo

Nauvoo Fun!

Sack races, photo with Joseph and Hyrum Smith from the pageant! They were so amazing and wonderful on stage and off, and real brothers as well.



Piper posing on the well outside Lucy Mack Smith's house.

The Nauvoo Experience

The Nauvoo Pageant, Handcart riding, pioneer activities!