Hill Cumorah Pageant

Last Thursday we took a last minute trip with our friends the Wadleys to Palmyra, NY for the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Every year in July, they put on a huge performance reinacting several events from the Book of Mormon. I've wanted to go for years, so this was the perfect opportunity to tag along with friends and do it together. It was really hot and humid during the day, but the kids were all such troopers and I think we all enjoyed seeing these historic and sacred places. We saw the house that Joseph Smith lived in and it was so small, it was hard to imagine how a family with nine children could've fit inside. No one knows exactly where the Sacred Grove was, so there is a set of trails and pathways throughout the wooded area around Joseph Smith's home and we wandered through just thinking about the miraculous event that once took place there. We also visited the printing press where the Book of Mormon was first printed and learned that it took 7 months to print one Book of Mormon. Two men worked around the clock to create the metal template for each page and then ink and press, over and over. After the long day, we got some pizza (Mandi and I agreed it was the best we've ever eaten!) at Mark's Pizza and then headed over to sit and wait for the pageant to start. The kids ran around while the adults just sat and were able to relax. Once it got dark the show started and it was phenomenal! We will definitely go back when the kids are older and can appreciate it a bit more, but Jeremy and I really got a lot out of it all.

Niagra Falls

After our trip to Palmyra we headed west to the Canadian side of Niagra Falls. None of us had ever been to Canada so it was neat to be able to cross a bridge and all of a sudden be in another country. The falls were magestic and we walked all along the observation path admiring both the American and Canadian falls. The drop off is so instantaneous and steep between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, it was a bit scary to be so close. Mandi and I took Sara and Cameron to a 4-D experience where you stand in a circular room and they play a movie all around you. you get snowed and rained on, the floor moves and water flows all around you like a waterfall. I thought Cameron would be fine with it so I ignored the warning that it may not be suitable for kids under seven. I was wrong. Cameron was absolutely petrified and I ended up having to hold him during most of it while he cried and his little heart pounded a mile a minute. Sara seemed to do just fine... Needless to say, Cameron was less than excited to go on our next stop, the Maid of the Mist boat ride that takes you right up to the falls. We all donned our brightest blue rain ponchos and climbed aboard. It was quite a ride! The water was choppy and the spray and wind got us all soaked. But it was an experience I don't think any of us will forget. We probably could've spent several days there with all of the fun activities and places to visit, but we hit the road the next morning and returned home. This was our first long road trip with the boys and I could not believe how well they did. I kept asking Jeremy in the car whose kids we had back there because they were so good and quiet and we didn't even have to use the DVD player very much. All in all, it was such a fun trip and we were so grateful that we invited ourselves along with Mike, Mandi, Sara and Luke. We are lucky to have such a great friends.

Do they look the same?

A.

B.C. So can you guess who's who? I was pretty suprised when I put them side by side how similar my boys all look. These are pics of each of them when they were about 3 months old.

See Ya Sista'

Becky and I
Casey and Gavin
Cam, Casey, Dylan, and Gavs
Best Buds- Cameron and Dylan
Cam, Megan, Dylan, Gavin, and Casey (Sean and Ryan weren't there at the time)

Last Thursday my sister and her family moved to Bogota, Colombia. In the weeks leading up to their departure, we tried to spend as much time with them as their busy schedules would allow. After they packed out, they stayed in a Residence Inn and the day before they left we spent the afternoon and evening there at the pool. The next day we saw them off at the airport and had a tear-filled goodbye. We miss them already and can't wait until they come for a visit next summer. Hopefully we will also be able to plan a visit down there in the next three years.

Great Country Farms Slideshow

GREAT Country Farms

Today we went blueberry picking at one of our favorite spots- Great Country Farms. Not only can you pick several different fruits and vegetables there, but it is a great place to take the kids. They have homemade slides and swings, mazes, a giant "corn box," a big air pillow which is a moon bounce type thing without the walls, and a petting zoo. We tried to get there early and took the tractor ride out to the blueberries. It was hot, so we only lasted a little while, but managed to pick about a pint, even though Cameron dropped his carton a couple of times. Then we went exploring and pet the animals, played tractors in the corn and chased each other on the pedal tractor speedway. By then we were drenched in sweat and had to head home. It would've been nicer on a cooler day, but we made the most of it and had a great time!

The Very Hungry Caterpillars...

Ever since Cameron studied the butterfly life cycle in preschool, he has been fascinated with caterpillars and butterflies. Twice we have caught the ugly, woolly caterpillars that are common around our house and watched them change into ugly, fat moths, which thouroughly captivated our little entomologist. So after a string of good behavior warranting a reward of some kind, I purchased a butterfly habitat for Cam and we sent off for five painted lady caterpillars. They arrived in a small container with caterpillar food and started out as very small black creatures. Within a few days they were very plump and soon after they all formed their cocoons at the top of the jar. We anxiously waited and watched and one morning found that three of them had emerged. During the day the other two followed suit and it was incredible to see what they became. We fed them watermelon which they swarmed around and uncurled their straw-like tongues to suck up the juice. Cameron would just sit and watch them in amazement. Well now that we have had them a few days, we decided it was time to release them and thought that my moms butterfly bush would be the perfect place. Four of the five flew away instantly, but one lingered on the bush and we even got to see it stick it's tongue into the flowers. In the end, I think I was more fascinated than Cameron, but our whole family really enjoyed watching this incredible cycle take place.