Gavin DeGraw/The Script/Train Concert - Aug. 6

For Lance's birthday, he chose to attend a concert in Albuquerque.  He was going to take a friend but his friend had to back out at the last minute.  Katie took a friend of hers and our family went except for John who had to stay for scout meetings. 

 Our favorite performance was from Gavin.  He had a great voice and went into the audience while singing two songs.  We were sitting on the end of our row near the front of the stage so Leah & Lance got to see him up close.  Above is a picture of Lance taking a pic of him and Leah giving him a high five. The Script is a group from Dublin, Ireland.  They were great and so was Train.  It was a fun concert.


Leah, Lance, Emily, Katie & Kyle



You can see the huge crowd sitting up on the grass at the concert.



The lead singer for The Script

The lead singer for Train

Molly Brown's house

Heather & Ann

Ann, Katie and I went to Molly Brown's house in Hannibal.  I have read a lot about the Titanic and some about Molly Brown who survived the sinking so it was fun to read all the info about her and her childhood home.  I couldn't resist wearing this woot shirt since I knew we were going there.  My shirt is a Titanic looking ship headed toward a head of iceberg lettuce....it says "Iceberg ahead"

We all loved this china

Katie & Heather

Mark Twain Riverboat dinner cruise - Aug. 1, 2013

We took a dinner cruise on the Mark Twain Riverboat in Hannibal, Missouri.  The food was delicious and entertainment fun.  We enjoyed the beauty of a boat ride on the Mississippi River.

This gal was the entertainment and she & Lance had some fun bantering going on

The Captain gives Lance a turn at the wheel

Kyle got a turn steering the boat with the Captain

Carthage Jail - Aug. 2013

After Nauvoo we headed to Carthage Jail.  The Jail is original but the Church has restored it.  We watched a wonderful video the had a tour of the Jail by a sister missionary.  What a solemn place.  On the way to Carthage we stopped in Hamilton so I could get my crown put back on at the dentist there.  I was chewing a caramel and it pulled my crown off.  I was so happy to find a dentist that could put me back together.  Everyone hung out at a park just around the corner from the dentist until I was done.

More Nauvoo sites

The kids outside the Mansion house of Joseph & Emma

An evening shot of the Temple

Lance pretending to fall in the well.  There was a huge spider that had him climbing out real quick!

We walked the Trail of Hope at 8:00am on our last day in Nauvoo

Kyle & John at the Mississippi River at the end of Parley Street

Kyle enjoying the edge of the Mississippi River

Nauvoo trip 2013

 We spent 3 days in Nauvoo, Illinois looking at church sites, attending the Temple and pageant.  I love these statues of Joseph and his brother Hyrum on their last ride out of Nauvoo as they leave for Carthage.  The Temple is so beautiful but I wonder why they chose to put Angel Moroni on the Temple instead of the original weather vane Angel?

Justyn, Lance, Zack and Kyle just hanging out

I caught the boys on their electronics outside one of the houses in Nauvoo

Our children did baptisms in the Temple on Tues. July 30th.  Their dads went in to help while Ann & I stayed out with the 11 year old boys.  We saw a "show" and other sites in Nauvoo.  On the left from top to bottom: Kade, Kelsey & Justyn.  On the right: Lance & Katie.  We also attended a session in the Temple earlier that same morning but the new film wasn't being shown yet. 

 

Nauvoo Pageant

All the kids in front of the Temple



My favorite part of the Pageant was the end when they lit up the Temple.  "Joseph Smith" is in front in this final scene.  They played a recording of President Hinkley announcing the rebuilding of the Nauvoo Temple and saying that "Joseph's" Temple (Nauvoo)would face west to "Brigham's" Temple (Salt Lake City) facing East.  They would be like bookends.  I hadn't remembered that and it was thrilling to hear it.

Carriage ride through Old Nauvoo and areas

Zack and Kyle wanted to sit in the back

Kade, Ann & Brant

Heather & John

Christensen's in the women's garden area just outside the visitor's center

Our family.  Notice everyone but John is wearing a BYU-Idaho t-shirt. 

Trip to Independence, Far West & Adam-ondi-Ahman 2013

The sun was in our eyes, hence the squinting eyes

 This summer we took a trip to church sites in Missouri and Illinois.  Our first stop was Independence, MO where we stayed in a campground in our RV.  We attended church there-we walked since it was less than a block from our campground.  We met our friends, the Christensen's there and enjoyed a whole week of sites and fun times!

Our kids in front of the Community of Christ's Temple

Kansas City Temple

Independence Temple site

We visited the Far West Temple site and Adam-ondi-Ahman.  They were both so beautiful and had a wonderful spirit. 

The whole gang at Far West Temple site.