Last pageant trip

 This past weekend the Dr and I --with Robin and Rue of course-- made a trip to Nauvoo to see the pageant one last time and go to the temple. The pageant is always held in July and we try to go every year, but this time next year--we will not live in Iowa!!!! (Excuse my enthusiasm. I actually really like Iowa for many reasons, but I can't help but be excited about the prospect of Ryan being DONE with school after 12 years of marriage AND we are hoping to move West--home!)  

 

This temple trip didn't go quite as smoothly as planned.  Ryan missed his session.  When we got to the Mississippi toll bridge, it was up, and we waited in a line of traffic for awhile,  while a big freight barge floated past.  It was really cool to see it and now I wish I had thought to take pictures, but at that moment in time we were trying to figure out a Plan B.

 

 

 

So here is Plan B--a little Nauvoo tree hugging

and kissing.  

 

Actually --Plan B was for Ryan to be the fun parent and entertain the kids--while I did a session.  

 

 

I was done around 5:00PM. We then had dinner and checked into our hotel.  The pageant starts at 8:30PM and the Pioneer Carnival starts at 7:00PM. Christopher Robin loves this carnival.  We went last year, and I never blogged about it.  This year, Gracie was old enough to have a good time as well. 

 

 

Jace's three favorite things to do are one: the handcart pull.  He was so proud of the fact that he could pull it all by himself this year. 

 

I was happy about that too! 

 

 

On our way to Jace's second favorite thing--Gracie saw this button necklace booth and wanted one so we stopped to make one.

 

Here she is proudly wearing her wooden button necklace.

 

 

And this is Christopher Robin participating in his second favorite thing--the tug rope. 

 

He loves, loves, it and did it for awhile. 

 

His team won a few times and lost a few times. 

 

While Jace was tugging a few yards away, Miss Gracie Rue was busy doing art work.

 

 

 She was very intently gluing and coloring and cutting

 

and gluing some more.  The little boy running this booth actually came and took away her glue and told her she had enough.  I think she was a little crushed.  

 

Christopher Robin's 3rd and last event was this saw pull.  Ryan graciously offered to me the chance to saw this log with Jace, but I happily declined.

 

 

I will just say it looks fairly easy but it is hard.  It took them about 4-5 minutes to cut through this log.  The Missionary running the booth told us that this is how the pioneers built their log cabins.  Aren't we grateful for power tools?

 

But they kept at it and 

 

 

at it.  

 

They were still sawing when the end of the carnival was signaled by this bagpipe band.  The band starts playing and marching across the lawn to where the pageant parade begins.  

 

The pageant parade consists of  cast members holding these billowing flags while marching into the amphitheater to the music of the bagpipe band. All the children line up and follow them in. It's great!

So here are my munchkins waiting to march.  The colors (US flag) were presented, then The Star Spangled Banner was sung--then the marching began.     

 

 

Here we are marching in.  Gracie loved this part, she has always wanted to be in a parade but she was also miserable and sick the whole trip with a cold--poor girl.  She was asleep in my arms about 30 minutes into the 90 minute production.  Ryan and I both agreed that this year was the best pageant we had seen.  In years past, we liked it, but didn't love it--but this year they had changed it a bit and the Dr even shed a few tears during the production.  He said he hates when he gets his emotions manipulated!!  I was mostly counting the minutes until it was over because holding Gracie on my lap was killing my back.  And I have to say that this year--it was cold.  We wrapped in blankets and wore jackets.

 

 

 

The next day--Sunday--was shiny but cool.  The Dr took 90% of the pictures I am posting.  I took this picture.  Not too good, but I wanted you to see the boat that the Pioneers used to cross the Mississippi River. They loaded on their wagon and crossed.  It would have been scary I think.  The Mississippi River is big.

It was just a few yards from the river bank.  On the plaque it said that 70,000 Latter Day Saints crossed this point between 1840-1860. Most were immigrants coming from Europe to get to Zion.  Such faith. 

 

 

 My darlings at the banks of the Mississippi.

 

 

 Gracie of course got right in

and found a nice mossy treasure.  It was some big seed thing. 

 

 Christopher Robin was enthralled watching this train clear across the river.

 

 

 Our last stop before heading back to Iowa was visiting the temple grounds.  We had every intention of attending church in Nauvoo, but we didn't make it.  We really tried though. I think that counts for something.

 

 

The temple grounds there are wonderful. They are no matter what temple you go to.

 

 

Jace was wrapped up in having his paper airplane fly through the sprinklers.

 

 

I love these head shots Ryan took of him.   

 

 

Here I am looking at Jace and listening to his funny dialogue about the plane crashing and falling to pieces. I think some passengers even died or got hurt pretty bad. Glad I wasn't on that plane 

 

 

And the last picture of the trip on the SIM card--me.  In all my 26 week glory.  My Mom has been asking me in the last few conversations we have had if I am like all the other girls she sees wearing tight T-shirts.  She thinks they look awful.  I reassured her I wasn't.  But in looking at these pictures I have realized that my stomach -and a few other places on my body have "filled out very nicely"--as the Dr puts it!

 

 

This picture that Christopher Robin took of me and the Dr-- proves my point!

 

 

 But all in all it was a very good trip. We felt quite reminiscent about the fact that indeed, this was our last pageant trip at least for a long while.  Nauvoo is a special place and it has been a treat to live in the temple district here.  We will miss you Nauvoo.

 

 

 

While I've been gestating...

 

Life here in Iowa has been going on while I have been able to do nothing really- except gestate.

 

 

Here you see the Dr and his work crew at Walmart.  Every weekend the Dr has been taking on a house project.  February --selling time--is coming quick! This past Saturday he loaded 2 dump trucks, a bike and helmet, 2 kids, and a pregnant wife in his van.  When he got to Wal-Mart he patiently loaded pavers into Christopher Robin's dump trucks, then waited for this "worker" to drive them over to the van, then he unloaded them into the van.

 

 

 

 As you can imagine, this process easily took 2x as long to get about 30 stones, but for  the Dr, it is all about the journey, not the destination. Isn't he a good man?

 

 When we got home, they went to work.  They were re-doing our front tree outline.  It was surround by old, crumbling bricks.

 

Jace hauled all the old bricks to the back yard. 

 

 

And a few hours later, this is what the Dr had accomplished--with me and his work crew helping him out immensely!!   

 

Other accomplishments--Christopher Robin made this transformer.  He is very proud of it! Here he is in robot mode. 

 

But in just a few seconds he can slip right into truck mode...

without his head even showing. 

 

 

I made bread for the first time in about 20 years.  I don't even remember the last time I made bread--if I even have.  But look--this turned out great--moist and delicious!  Jen R. has a great and easy recipe if you want one!

 

 

 

I/we spend any spare moment we have on hot days floating around our pool.  The Dr took this photo just before 10:00PM last week! 

He said it was time for bed!  So he drug us out 

 

and covered it.  Isn't it pretty with the light on at night??  We LOVE our pool.  It is seriously the best investment we have made as a family!  Even the Dr agrees!  If only there were more then a few hot evenings in Iowa...sigh.  That is the only night so far that we have been able to swim late.  It usually cools off too much in the evening which makes for a miserable swim.  

 

 

 

Last but not least-- our painting crew.  The upstairs bathroom is in the middle of a face lift as well. 

Jace wouldn't stop working to smile at me!   It is still an on-going project. 

 

The Dr was ill and finally collapsed on the couch.  He is taking meds for a few weeks that don't agree with him. He gets severe headaches and stomach cramps with them, but of course he doesn't complain about it too much.  He just takes his Motrin and goes on.

 

 

Jace--took this picture of himself after he took the above photo of the Dr.  

 

 

And me, like I said I can't really do much except gestate-and grow hair on my legs.  This baby is starting to take everything out of me.  I know it is age related, but frustrating. 

 

So here I am in all my pregnant glory at 25 weeks and one day.  My 24 week appointment last week went great.  I saw my high risk doctor.  His name is Dr.  Hunter.  At my 20 week ultra sound they had seen a  thick placenta band on my placenta and I wanted him to check it out.  He said it was nothing to worry about.  He also said everything looks great.  Exercising seems to really be helping me.  I wish I felt like it was....but I have to brag that I only gained 4 lbs this month.  That has never happened to me in the history of all my pregnancies.  So here is to 15 more weeks!!