Iowa Trip #5...... On the way home

On the way home we decided to stop and see some more great church sites. We got to eat lunch at Adam-ondi-Ahman, it was beautiful.  

We also stopped at the LDS Visitors center in Independence Mo.  The kids were kind of done at this point, so the only part we really got to enjoy was the kids room.  It was fun though.

We also were priviladged to stay a day with Aunt Marche and play with cousins.  We had a blast playing at the Aquarium. Being with the Zepf family was a great way to end our trip. 

Turtles

Petting Stingrays

Happy Cousins

Iowa Trip Part #4: Random Good Times

I tell you what.... my parent's spoiled us while we stayed with them.

My mom took me on a birthday lunch to this amazing Falafel house, where I was not expecting the one person combo  that I ordered to include all of this!!!! It was so good.  We also went to see the movie, Now you see me which I highly recommend, it had some great twists. 

P.s.  My husband spoils me too, the necklace and earings I am wearing in this picture are a birthday present from him.

We got to be there to celebrate my Dad's birthday.  We went to Texas Roadhouse... my first time eating there.  Good Stuff. 

Aftyn was a pain in the rear end at this Dinner, doesn't she look cranky?

My kids sure miss Uncle Brad and Boogie.  We loved taking walks and had a great time.

Iowa Trip Part #3..... Nauvoo!

We love LOVE that our families happen to live near such wonderful LDS church sites.  It was wonderful to show the kids Nauvoo.  We got to take a tour of Joseph Smith's house and the store etc.  It really puts things in perspective when you get to see the places where things went down.  I think my favorite part was seeing the Oxen, and taking a ride in a covered wagon that they pulled. We got to learn how to make our very own rope, and how to make barrels, and candles.  We really have it so easy when it comes to manual labor, it's insane. 

Pioneer Peeps.

Our Pioneer family

Hello Oxen friends!

Petting an Ox

  

In the covered wagon

Maiya spinning the rope

Q and M making rope

Daddy spinning the rope

So buff

Learning about pottery making.

Aftyn playing with our rope that we made.

Maiya on stilts!

playing pioneer games, this was a race to get the bear to the top.

Aftyn and Grandma

Q on stilts

In the pioneer house

Pioneer gals

Pioneer boy

Walking to Joseph Smith's grave stone

We got to hear a traveling band.

The First Vision Statue at the Nauvoo Visitor's Center

This sweet little moment was not staged.

Love at Home. :) (even when we are not at home).

Iowa Trip Part 2: Children's Museum

We remembered how much fun we had a couple of years ago when we went to the Childrens Museum, and decided to do it again.  The kids had so much fun.  We were so surprised at how fast the time went by.  My mom had a hurt ankle and still managed to come along. We are glad she did, because it wouldn't have been as much fun without her, (unfortunately, I don't think we helped her ankle's healing process any.)

Aftyn loved taking all of the fruit and putting them in her basket and then putting them back on the shelf, and repeat.  It kept her entertained for about 20 min, I would say.  It was fun to watch her.

Quincey was serving all of the other kids ('customers') at the seafood counter. 

Then we took a pizza break. 

All that shopping and pizza making made us wanna play some music.

And dance

And then of course we needed to stage our own play.

Maiya had a blast 'painting' with shaving cream.

Then it was airplane time.

All in all a very nice and fun day.  We had to end the day with my favorite..... bubble gum ice cream at the ice cream shop next to the museum.