All Creatures Small and Smaller

Yesterday afternoon, we had an interesting looking visitor on our porch. Graigry found it first and we all had to stop and look at it. I'd never seen a moth like that up close, so I took a picture (and to show Eric when he got home, in case it had moved, which it hadn't). Kind of pretty for a moth.It reminded me of the other visitors we've had the last two years, that I have pictures of.

Last year, in the crook of the down spout at the missionaries' house, a robin built her nest and had baby birds. It was fun to watch them grow, see her feed them and sad to see the nest empty. It's still there; I probably should knock it down.


Also, last year, we had one of the biggest spiders I've ever seen, make a home in our backyard. The kids' neglected "playhouse" along with parts of the porch and a toy kitchen where the supports for the web. She was big and beautiful. Her scientific name is: Argiope aurantia. When we found her, even the missionaries came and took pictures of her. If I remember right, the kids named her Bubblebee because of her colors.



Just two weeks ago, as we got in the car to take Eric to work, a falcon was sitting on the laundry line. Not something you see every day. I tried to take a picture with my phone, but it's not worth showing, unfortunately.

It's fun to watch nature happening around you.

First Week of School

My kids are in what the school calls, an extended year calendar. They started on the 27th and are finishing their first week. This year is new because Graigry started kindergarten.

In the chaos of the first morning, I forgot to take the used to be traditional first day of school picture, so I took one of him at his desk with my Blackberry. Not the greatest quality, but I got a picture. He looks so cute and grown up in his school uniform.

The first day was only a half day, so everyone got out at 11:30. That day was also an orientation day for teachers with their parents and, not wanting to drive home to just turn around and come back at one o'clock, I packed lunches for kids (including our neighbor Calvin, who is in Xela's grade) and we spent an hour at Ellenberger Park eating and getting dirty. You'd think they would have taken advantage of the playground equipment, run around and burn off some of that sat-in-a-desk pent up energy, but only Nate and Neta enjoyed time on the slides. Eveyone else, well, you can see in the pictures. I had to swat the dirt off some dirty butts before we loaded up to go back to the school.


Graigry seems to be enjoying kindergarten and is especially excited about his chart, which, if he fills up five more squares, he will get a prize!!! It's all about the prizes, of course. I'm excited for him to fine tune his writing skills, although I fear it will also be frustrating as well, for both parties (one party being myself). We'll just take it week by week, day by day.

Hotel in Clarksville

For those of you that have heard The Monkees song "Last Train to Clarksville" I finally know where that place is: Indiana! I got a chuckle Thursday afternoon as I made that connection.

Eric had a 15 minute presentation around 2:30 Friday afternoon so we went down as a family Thursday evening and spent the night in the Holiday Inn, which has a "lake" (if you can see all the borders of the lake, I would call that a pond) and two pools. We arrived and went to the outdoor pool, which is about as cold or a bit colder than our pool, and then after sufficiently chilling ourselves, we thawed out in the bathtub temperture indoor pool.

I was really impressed with the three littlest kids. Graigry and Neta all jumped in without being caught until their heads went underwater. Neta even told me to move away a few times. Nate learned to swim on his back and a few times, when he was on my back, I told him to plug his nose and close his eyes and we went under water. They did such a good job, especially if you consider their water intimidation levels earlier this year and moreso last year.

Eric left before the kids woke up on Friday morning so he could get some work done and put final touches on his presentation. I took the kids swimming at the indoor pool again around 9:30 and we stayed until 11. After that, we went back to the room, had lunch and baths, and while watching TV (a novelty for my kids) the youngest three (after a water filled morning and late night) all took naps.

We left the room around 2:30 (late check out). We played a little miniture golf on their small help-entertain-the-little-kids-not-very-impressive-course. Graigry said "I'm good at golf" and "I'm the king of golf" which I thought was humorous as he pushed the ball around until he finally got it in the hole. No lack of confidence in that kid.

The king of golf

Neta and Nate especially had fun with the two that had holes with tunnels.

Xela and Ro played for a little while but got bored faster. Xela wasn't feeling well so she lay down and a small ant crawled into her ear, which she said made her ear hurt. She hadn't been feeling well all morning.

After the golfing, we returned the clubs and balls, Nate thought they were souvenirs and didn't want to give them back, and then we went to feed the ducks. Neta and Nate really enjoyed themselves and had their favorite ducky friends. Graigry and Ro wanted to make sure all were included in the feeding. Xela sat and watched, again, not feeling well.

"Right there duck!"

After duck feeding we hung out in the lobby playing I Spy, bought a Fanta and then played Spin the Bottle to see who got the next turn to have two swallows (what do you think people thought as they saw us???), went down by the fitness room to "play" the arcade games and go potty and then at 5:30 Eric had finished his presentation (his presentation was the last part of the 2:30 session and then he didn't some networking when he finished) and finished the phone call he was on and we marched the kids to the car to leave.

The last van from Clarksville left the station around six o'clock. We stopped for ice cream after about 30 minutes (I told the kids we'd get some) and then had pizza after we got home. How's that for nutrious meals!

We were there longer than I expected so we didn't make it to a birthday party like I'd hoped. It was nice to get away for a little while. We're going to go to Indiana Dunes National Lake Shore in August. I can't wait for the white sands beach there. We had loads of fun there last year.

Girls Night Out

The title might make you think I went hanging out with some of my girl friends and I guess that's true, except that the majority were 18 and younger. I spent my Friday night at our Stake's Girls Camp: dinner, program, fireside, Bishop's corner, slide show and then a midnight swim. It was FUN!

Eric got home from two nights away and ten minutes later I left him with homemade pizza, six hungry kids and I was out the door. I didn't get home until 2:30 in the morning.

It was great to get out of the house and away from kids (I love them really) and feel the testimony, spirit and power of the young women of our stake. I hope I can be the kind of mom that helps produce/direct my girls to be like some of the girls I saw last night.

It was also good to laugh with the young women at our priesthood leaders as they willingly subjected themselves to singing Princess Pat in front of everyone. Here they are in all their girl camp glory. Our stake president is the tall dark haired one on the right. Please note the little tiaras on their heads. One bishop is on the hairless side so the girls used a touch of duck tape to get the tiara to stay on.



The midnight swim was very enjoyable. Even though it was chilly outside, the water was warm and it was great to swim in something deeper than four feet. I can't remember the last time I did that. They had a diving board, that didn't bounce, and again, it was something I haven't done since I was the young women's age at Cottonwood Heights Spa days. I played chicken with three of the girls from our ward, did the washing machine and shot water guns with the girls. Loads of watery goodness.

As I drove home, at 2 am, I was about to turn on the radio to have something to listen too, but then, with no one on the roads, it was kind of nice to enjoy the quietness of it all. Coming "down from the mountain" so to speak back to my reality and being able to ponder things said, my own testimony and relationship with Heavenly Father and my Savior and other seemingly important facts of life. I recommend trying to find quiet time and not just before bed (because then the pondering leads to sleeping and less effective pondering). It was great last night, but I won't be able to take 2 am drives every day, so I need to find a different quiet time in reality, that will allow me to feed my spirit. It's too easy to become physically and spiritually drained when the demands of life are thrown at you on a minute to minute basis.

Anyway, enough of that. Just wanted to jot some thoughts down as this as for all intents and purposes become my journal.

Summer Vacation part 3

Maybe, I'll get the rest of the trip done tonight. Eric was looking at it, and with the way I've been doing it, you're getting the trip in reverse order. So, you may want to find part one and read up.

Now, where was I? We'd done the Hill Cumorah and were off to the farm house. I tried to help Graigry understand that if he was reverent and listened to his feelings, he would feel Heavenly Father's love for him. He needed a few reminders as we walked around, especially in the grove.

After listening to the sister missionary at the visitor center, we went to the farm house, the replica of the one where Joseph lived when Moroni came to him. I remember the last time we went, five years ago, there was an awesome feeling in the upstairs. I hope some of the older kids got a sense for what took place there.

We were walking to the newer home, built by Alvin and Hyrum when someone asked us to take a picture of them with the temple in the background. I'm glad they asked because otherwise we would have missed that beautiful scene. I wish the picture was a little zoomed in; I need to show Alison where that button is.We went through the new home and took a picture of where Joseph hid the plates in the hearth. The bricks were original and I can't remember how much of the house was.

After that home, we headed toward the sacred grove. We went and saw the reminants of the stone wall that was the property line and wandered some more. I tried to hang back a little from the kids (I was carrying Neta most of the time) and reflect on the magnificense of what happened in the grove and how that changed the world. I remember last time we went and Eric getting down to talk to the girls and bear his testimony to them and him telling them to never forget that Daddy knows the church is true. We didn't do anything like that this time, but we did sit on some of the benches and talk a little. Hopefully when they're a little older, we'll go back and they will be able to enjoy the spirit of it all a little more fully.

"Suddenly a light descended"

After the Sacred Grove, we headed home for dinner. We stopped at a thrift store so that Robinsons could buy some jackets and blackets (it was a little colder at night than we expected) and we found a $3 sleeping bag and a $30 (Eric said it is worth about $200) camping backpack. Good deals.

Everyone cooked their dinner and ended up in our area to roast marshmellows and ended up singing Primary songs and then going to bed. Michelle, Matt, Robinsons, Eric and Mike Sorenson stayed up talking until around 11, then Robinsons went to bed. At midnight Mike and Matt called it quits. Eric went to bed somewhere in between that and then ended coming back out around 12:30ish. It was good to have time just to talk about the trip, life and whatever else came up. We went to bed around 1:30 because Myran started crying. Eric and I stayed up until probably after two talking in the tent, after going for a moonlit walk around the campground loop.

Friday morning we all took it slow, had breakfast and then headed to Cayuga Lake to swim around 11 o'clock. I prefer the White Sands beach at Indiana Dunes, but this was fun for the kids and wasn't very deep.

After an hour or two (I didn't have a watch) we went up for lunch. After eating and cleaning up, we headed for Palmyra, via the Whitmer Farm, to await the pageant.

The sister missionary leading the tour was from Argentina and she said she needed a companion because her companion was leading a different tour. Xela immediately raised her hand and was chosen to be the companion. As we got to the home, the sister asked "her companion" to bear her testimony. It was hard to hear, but I was proud of her for doing it. It was the second time during our trip that she'd been asked and responded without hesitation. For me, it was neat to see where it all started and where the last of the translation took place. We didn't see the whitmer farm last time we visited Palmyra.

We left the sleeping kids in the car with Alison Robinson, who stayed to write in her journal. They dropped me off at the pagaent to reserve some lawn and then they went to the printing press. They took pictures on the outside because there were a lot of people on the inside touring before the pagaent. I love the shot of Nate.

We had a few hours before the pageant started so the kids played soccer and football with the Dads, there were various trips to the bathroom, we had sack dinners and talked with cast members that were walking around. I got a picture last time of Xela and Ro with cast members, so of course I had to do it again. Julia Robinson also stepped in for the shot.

The pageant was wonderful. I was tired near the end, so I missed the last maybe 5-10 minutes. What I loved was that Nate and Graigry got all excited when Jesus descended; it's my favorite part too and I made sure they were all watching for it to come. When we got home and we were talking about the pagaent, Nate interrupted and said "And Jesus come down!" I thought it was cool that he remembered that part. I hope he keeps that little piece of testimony tucked in his heart for future reference.

Neta fell asleep near the beginning so I held her the whole time (should have brought a stroller) and boy was my tail sore after it was done. We got out sooner than I thought we would, but still late. We transfered all the kids to the tent and went to sleep ourselves. No late night fires on Friday.

Saturday, it was breakfast, pack and head out. Our van load was the last ones out. We all headed to Niagra Falls, seeing as we were in the neighborhood. We had talked about just seeing what we didn't have to pay for and getting back on the road, but we changed our minds when we got there and Dunahee's were with us.

Speaking of Dunahee's with us, we ended up catching up with them as they stopped to go up the Hill Cumorah (it was closed Friday night when they tried). Ali was navigating in our van and we played a little leap frog in route to Niagra Falls.

We also decided it would be fun to make faces at each other and with laughter as a distraction and Ali showing me the geography of the "Twilight" series on her Oregon map, we ended up missing our exit and coming within steps of Canada. We had to back up and turn around before paying tolls through customs to cross the border. Matt gave Eric a dirty look and then he lead us out and back on the freeway. I GPS'd it and we finally ended up safely at our destination. We had a parking lot lunch and then headed to Maid of the Mist boat tour.

If you ever are in that part of America, pay for the tour because the boats take you right up to Horseshoe Falls, which you can't see from the American side unless you are on the boat tour. It was amazing!! They provide you with ponchos because you will get wet. I took some pictures, but trying to get my camera out from under the poncho and not get it too wet became annoying.

On the observation deck

Neta got so wet, as we walked up the trail next to the falls after the tour (which I thought was an out) that she was DONE. She just cried until we went into the bathroom and dried her off a little with the automatic hand dryer. Poor girl was soaked. Eric, on the other had, went as close as he could to the falls on the observation trail, took off his poncho and let the water drench him. It was kind of a favor to those that had to ride with him as he STUNK! Had we had a bar of soap, he could have suds himself up a little too. Again, that creation of God's was amazing!

Graigry on the boat tour, enjoying his shower

Eric in the Mist

After our soaking, we loaded everyone into the van and started the 7-8 hour journey home. I'm glad Alison had brought a box of activities to keep the kids entertained otherwise we would have driven each other crazy. I need to remember that for next time (things like bendable straws, popsicle sticks, tin foil, pipe cleaner anything where they would be creative and keep their hands busy).

We got home around one am and to bed around two. It was a long drive, but an enjoyable journey. I was glad I was able to participate and spend time with my ward family. Even though there were some frustrating moments, it was a trip I will always remember.

I can't believe that last week at this time we were sitting in a hotel near Kirtland. Time goes by way to quickly. We need to be careful to enjoy every moment of it.

So there you have it, in three parts, our trip to Palmyra. We're going to trip to do another camping trip before summer is over. Kids start school July 27, so maybe squeeze something in before then and some things in after on weekends. We'll have to see how it works out.

Gotta get the kids in bed, an hour after I thought I wanted them in bed. I kept telling them, "One more picture and then we'll read scriptures." I'm finally out of pictures, so time to read scriptures!

Summer Vacation part 2

Here are the pictures from Kirtland that Matt took. I thought they turned out well. You'll notice the modern tools in the background. They were putting in a new porch floor.

The Kirtland Temple

So, after a pancake breakfast, we headed out to Palmyra. Our van ended up hitting the visitor center first and the Dunahees, Turners, and Sorensons hit the farm homes first. It was good we got split up because with the homes being so small, we'd never be able to fit everyone in one tour.

We listened to the sister missionary then watched "The Restoration" video. After the video, the kids played with the interactived Joseph Smith and Book of Mormon things on the other side of the little theater. We soon decided we would hike up to the Moroni monument. We went up the footpath, which was good because Robinsons had a stroller and because we couldn't find the other path that we went on last time (we went down the other more mountainous footpath).

The kids were acting a little childish, so Eric talked to Graigry about not running around as if on a playground and then we took a few pictures.

We had lunch on the lawn nearest the pageant seating. They were rehearsing one part of the pageant and the kids liked watching that. It got them excited to see the real thing.

After lunch, we packed people in the car and headed to the farm house and sacred grove.

I think I'm going to have to make this three parts because if I don't get my kids settled down, I'm going to rearrange their happy faces. They are so happy, which is good that they are laughing and having fun with each other, but it is 10:30 at night. Naps are good things, right?

Summer Vacation part 1

We spent the last five days with four other families from our ward on a church history trip. It was absolutely wonderful.

The Sorenson family owns a 12 passenger van and was willing to let us use it so the Robinson family and us could go together. Robinsons currently don't have a car that functions, and renting a van for us to travel together was just too expensive. We left Tuesday around four o'clock in the afternoon, as soon as Eric could get off work. We had the van packed the night before and had to keep kids out while we waited for Eric (they were as excited as we were). Finally they were allowed to crawl into their places and we were off to Kirtland, Ohio. The hotel was in Willoughby, but close enough. We got to the hotel around 10 pm and the kids were excited to watch Disney channel while the rest of us rested from our travels.

We were up until around 2 am and then were up and out the door to Kirtland, about a ten minute drive, between nine and ten. We went to the Visitor Center first, listened and watched visited the different sites: Newel K Whitney Store, the Whitney home, the sawmill, the ashery and the school house (per Aurora's request). In the School of the Prophets room, Eric and Michelle were able to bear their testimonies about the atonement, which was enjoyable to hear, for me and the kids. When we went downstairs the sister missionary asked the kids to sing "I Love to See the Temple" and that was really neat to hear.

At the sawmill in front of pulpits for the temple.

At the ashery

In front of the sawmill

About to sing "I Love to See the Temple"

The sister missionary who gave us a tour was from Hawaii and was great with the kids, asking the kids questions and getting them to think about things. It made it more enjoyable for them I think.

There is a picture of Neta crying because I wouldn't let her play with the pioneer doll on the other side of the rope. Poor girl was ready for a nap.

We then met with the other families and ate lunch on the lawn next to the school house and let the kids run around. It was fun to play tag, for a little while. My camera went dead after the Whitney home, so I have to wait for Matt Dunahee to email me the picture of us in front of the Whitney store.

After lunch, we packed up the crew and went to the Kirtland Temple (again I'll have to update the blog after I get pictures from his cell). It was interesting the difference in feeling between the two places. It would have been amazing to have been in Kirtland during that time period of the church. Yes there would have been persecution, but the blessings that were poured out upon them, the visions and things that occured during that time period. WOW. As the song says, "Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven." The early saints made many sacrifices, more than I'm sure I can imagine or could probably endure myself, but how great the blessings that were poured down on them as a reward for their sacrifices. Faith and endurance, they had those attributes or qualities perfected.

After Kirtland, we drove another four and a half hours to our campsite at Cayuga Lake State Park, in New York. We were there until Saturday morning. Here are a few snapshots of the kids at our site. Matt made pancakes for the group Thursday morning and everyone came to eat at our site, which was next to Dunahees. I shared a pancake with Neta and they were tasty!

So far I've taken you to Thursday morning of the trip. I will finish the rest tomorrow, maybe. Or Tuesday. I have a lot of laundry to do tomorrow and right now I'm going to sign off because we got home at 1 am and I'm REALLY tired.