Vacation Part 2: NEW YORK Bound

This vacation was SUPER. After our short but amazing time with family in Utah we journeyed to the East coast. NYC!  We went with Daniel's entire Family. ALL 31 of us.  It was fabulous from start to finish.  It's amazing to me how many people are in that city.  Our mode of transportation in the city was the Subway. The blank stares and looks we got as all 31 one of us walked the streets of New York was priceless.  It's as if they had never seen a family before....

I loved the city life but I could never live there...  I guess I could for a couple years but only now or when my children were all grown up. 

While we were there we saw --

Cinderella!! AMAZING. I am so happy I watched the movie Cinderella with Brandy and Whitney Houston so I could sing right along.

Enjoyed and relaxed at a Mets Game on the Fourth of July. We were true patriotics that day. 

Dan and I snuck up on our hotel's roof to watch the amazing Fireworks.  

Toured the 9/11 Memorial. The new Tower is 1776 ft tall and is called the Freedom Tower. Pretty cool.

Times Square was as happening as ever with it's random street characters.  It poured quite a bit while we were there and got stuck in stores for quite some time. but at least it was the Lego store.

Next destination was the susquehanna river where the priesthood was restored and the gravesites.  Becuase of the heavy rainstorms the path to the river was pretty muddy so we had 3 or 4 kids covered in mud.  hehe. 

It rained so hard that we to stop because we couldn't see anything, literally I couldnt see within a few inches of us

Next we stopped in Palmyra.  I love this town. I could live there. I want to live there.  It is so peaceful and absolutely Breathtaking beautiful.  Upstate New York is absolutely gorgeous.  I love the farm towns and how extremely green it is.
the toads and the funny tooting noise they made. Baptisms in the temple was special experience.  

We saw Niagra Falls. Calvin kept asking to touch the water. 

Thank goodness for cousins who adored and adored Calvin who helped make car rides  much more bearable because of their entertaining him each time he started to cry. 

Kirtland was our last stop and it was my favorite part of the whole trip. It brougt back memories when I was in High School when we went with my Family. I still remember the special spirtitual experiences I felt and received in those most sacred places.  I again felt those same feelings but this time I paid even extra more attention to what the missionaries and our tour guide Karl Anderson said. I had a really neat opportunity and very spiritual expereince in the Kirtland Temple. I was having a hard time because Calvin was at his wits end. He had not slept all day and was in exhaustion mode and would not sit quietly. So i had to take him out quite a bit during our tours ( i also had help from others who I am so grateful and appreciative of their kindness). So many times I just wanted to bawl. While we were in the temple, since Karl gave us the tour he talked in depth about what happened here and the spirit was so Strong because he had the Spirit and was reading from teh scriptures and talked about the Savior as before the community of christ only gave a quick history.  I didn't get to hear much of what was being said and  I couldn't help but cry because calvin being hard and I so badly wanted to hear what was being said. It was then When we were closing up when I was asked if I would lead the music. He told me to stand next to the pulpit and lead the music as we Sang the Spirit of God as a family. I will never forget the feeling I felt! My heart was filled with gratitude to my Savior and Lord. Such a tender mercy for me.  

The trip was great. It was very much needed in so many different ways.  My testimony of the prophet and the gospel increased, my love for my family grew so much more and my love for others and the desire to bring others to Christ were leaps and bounds.

Here is our picture overload. 

 I asked him to go stand next to the temple. He obeyed and gave me the Greatest CHEESE. yes that's a cheesy face not I'm ready to cry face.

 I love how simple their homes are. I love everything about them.  Down to the silver ware. I want it all in my house. 

 Wow I am I lucky or What? Look at these good looking Boys.

 Chips.... pure joy

 Michael LOVED -- I mean LOVED Calvin. He took such good care of him and did everything with him. 

The  video was at the baseball game Calvin thinks he's pretty funny... well which he is.

Vacations Vacations part 1

I have quite a bit of catching up to do. But here is part 1 of our Vacation. Went to Utah for Tanner's Wedding. Everything about it was Beautiful. The Bride. The Groom. The weather. The decorations. The kiddos and mamas and pappas downing Fro Yo and lots and lots of giggles (ew Yuck Yuck. Buzz Barf your girlfriend)!!!  It was such a special treat to be with my brother and his new wife in celebrating their Special Day.  We loved being home with the family and having almost everybody there.  Being with cousins is the best and watching them play together is the best thing.  It's so hard saying goodbye and leaving the giggles and playtimes. 

Calvin loves Shae. We were headed to the temple and in quite hurry when I looked back to see Calvin stop and say Shae Shae and then runs and grabs her hand.  Two angels in my life.  I'm so blessed. It was a quick reminder for me to slow down, love more and find those that are in need. Thanks for teaching me a great Lesson Calvin.  I know there will be many to come. 

Calvin and his other cousins watching Nemo.

This is what Daniel did while we were there on Monday. Pretty sure I got one Talented Mr. He helped his brother put in all these cabinets. I bet you didn't know that He's handy man and has done a lot of construction in his time.  Man am i lucky. 

I loved watching these two interact with one another. They became quite the buddies They were so cute and had a lot of fun.  calvin would follow Daxton around and Daxton would ask Calvin to come play with him. Both mammas I think were pretty happy. :D  

It's bubble TIME! Now this was pure entertainment watching the kiddos try to catch the bubbles.

I really wanted to take Calvin on the Ferris wheel at Scheels while we were in Utah but since we had so much going on we barely made it to Scheel's before it closed.  Lex Parks and I went in and asked where we could get tickets for the ride. We were informed that it was closed, but I told them we came all this way to ride it and if there was anyway we could get on still. The lady called her manager, who then came over to ask what the problem was. I told her and she said she'd give us vouchers for next time but I told her I was leaving back to Houston soon. which changed her mind and said ok we'll squeeze you in. But She said how tall is your son. I guess he had to be a certain height to ride it which he wasn't. I told well never mind that's the whole reason we came was to take him. She felt really bad and offered us free ice cream to make up for it.  Now you know us anything with Free and Icecream in it is Awesome and we got both which was doubley Awesome. Still disheartened that we couldn't ride the ferris wheel but the icecream made up for it a little ;) And of course we couldn't leave go old Abe out of the party. 

Calvin finally warmed up to everyone well for the most part which made me so happy.  It breaks my heart when he didn't before. Thanks for getting married Tanner.