Family Reunion Photos

I know, I know...it's been a good three months and here I am jumping right back into blogging with no explanation...except that I am working on my Personal Progress, which involves completing more of it than my Young Women because I'm a teeny bit competitive, and one of my projects is to get and keep our family journals updated, darn it!  So, I will move forward and if I can fix my computer or phone so that the two recognize each other I may even go back and fill you in on the last few months of our crazy lives.  Yes, you....Bueller, Bueller?

 As soon as school got out in June, we headed off on a whirlwind vacation.  The kids and I drove to Seattle, where we visited family and friends.  From Seattle, we flew to Buffalo, NY (Luke met us there--after a long and drawn out process that involved missing his flight, losing his luggage, and trying to take a conference call in a teeny, tiny bathroom) to embark on a Church history tour.  We started in Palmyra (Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah), went to Kirtland, Ohio, then on to Nauvoo, Illinois, and finally Adam-Ondi-Ahman, Liberty Jail, Carthage Jail, and Winter Quarters.  We had 47 family members on a chartered bus for 10 days...with only had 5 pukers and one threat of death to the next boy who peed all over the bathroom (actually, the threat was that any girl who saw pee anywhere in the bathroom got to choose a boy cousin to clean it up.  I am not sure if the threat worked because frankly, I would rather have wet my pants than go in that bathroom.  But I digress)...

It turns out that our saintly bus driver was also a bit of a photographer, so here are some of the photos that she sent...taken on the last leg of our journey.  I am glad to have these to share because, again, my phone and my computer hate each other so I am having a hard time pulling my own photos...ugh...

The first picture is the Nauvoo Temple by sunset.  The sunset over the Mississippi was the most amazing that I think I have ever seen!  Likewise, the Nauvoo Temple was the highlight of the trip for me, and EmJ would agree to that point.  She has decided that she is going to be married there.

 Family photo on the steps of the Nauvoo Temple.  Super cute, but I won't save it for Christmas because our Christmas card should contain one more tiny person...we call it Seven.

 Luke's parents, organizers of the chaos...or creators...Thank you!!!

 There were quite a few pictures of Sam...she is kind of in the middle of everything all the time.  Here she is climbing a tree...shocker!

 Joshua, Carter, Olivia

 Not sure what Benjamin was pouting about, but I am glad she snapped the picture anyway.

 Again.

 The whole family in front of the Nauvoo Temple.  I picked this one instead of the nice family pictures because of Benjamin...can you see him?

 Our attempt to take a family picture in front of our "fun bus" was temporarily foiled by a snake.  I loved this action shot of Rachel as she sprinted to catch the snake (she's in her third trimester, people...awesome!)

And once again, there is Sam, right in the middle of everything.  Her puke ate through her shoes, but she wouldn't stay down long!

After our dream vacation (I forgot to mention, we also went to Cooperstown!!  Woot!), we flew back to Seattle, then drove to Utah to visit Lindsey and co (pictures to come?!) and finally drove home exactly 4 weeks after we started our crazy adventure.  I've heard that the 'hood was quiet without us!

It was a wonderful trip, full of memories and good times visiting with most of both our families and again, so many dear friends.  We are happy to be back, though, getting in to the routine of our summer (wake up, do a little schoolwork, go to the pool, eat dinner, sleep, repeat).  I fear that too soon it will be over!