American Heritage Festival

OK- this was the coolest thing!! One of the mom's from our home school class organized a field trip to the American Heritage Festival. It was so much fun. Everyone there was dressed in a time period costume. There were little tents set up all over where someone (i.e., Daniel Boone, Pocahontas, George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, Lincoln) would be sitting and would answer all kinds of questions about that time period. They also had booths where people had different trades (rifle making, doll making, spinning wool, medicine making) and would explain how they made it. All the people there were so knowledgeable and so in character you almost felt like they could have been the real deal. President Lincoln-kinda creepy he looks so much like him. They also had mock battles. It was a great day.

Flagstaff

A couple days after I got back from England, we took the kids to Flagstaff. It was a chance to take advantage of Greg having 2 whole weeks off! There is a military facility there that has some cabins, so we stayed there. The kids played out back and explore the whole time. Someone had built several forts out of logs, so that made it even better. Joshua is very into building clubhouses out of anything he can get together-including our big nasty trash can outside one time. Boys. It was so nice to have a couple days together as a family-not worrying about all the normal things you have to do on a daily basis at home and especially when you get home from a trip. We were able to get together with some of our closest friends who live there too. Their boys are in one of the pics.

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Daddy Time

I just have to say that Greg gets the Daddy of the year award from the sweeties. While I was gone he took them camping in the back yard..smores and all, bowling, hiking and best of all (according to them) took them to Circle K where they got Coke with Vanilla syrup in it and bought gum. The Circle K part was the first thing Brennan told me on the phone when I got to talk to him. They had soooo much fun! I don't even know that they cared so much about me getting home.

Happy Birthday Landon!

Today is our sweet nephew's 3rd birthday! Happy Birthday Landon!

Video of Church Bells Ringing

I wanted to get a little video of the church where my cousin was married. I think this church is a few hundred years old. It is right down the street from the house he grew up in. It is also right next to the school he went to. All the children there were looking over the wall waving, clapping and yelling, because they were so excited there was going to be a wedding. It was so cute. The bell ringers ran the bells for about an hour before the wedding started.

October Update-England

I am finally finally starting to get this thing updated. England was great. As most of you know I fly standby. Out there-great! No problem. Coming home..not so much. Took me 3 days to get home...but it was worth it. I missed Greg and the kids horribly...but I had an amazing time and the kids had a blast with Daddy. I am so thankful to have a husband that treated me to something so special and took the time to make the kid's week so much fun. Anyways, I will start with the pics bottom to top..

1. Lunch with cousin's just a few hours after I got to London. It was great to see them. I hadn't seen Daniel for several years and Emma for I don't even remember the last time I saw her. We had lunch at this asian restaraunt with a really crazy name. I think it was Wagamama's or something.

2. Right after lunch Daniel walked us over to the Tower of London. Amazing! The history there is just incredible. I could have stayed there for days!

3. Of course you have to take this pic.

4.Parents standing by Parliament

5. Big Ben

6.Me and Mom in front of Westminster Abby. Gorgeous. I can't even explain how beautiful this place is. It makes me think how much more beautiful heaven will be! The history there is incredible as well. I saw people's tombs whom Lauren and I had just studied about at the end of last year's history.

7.Parthenon ruins at the British museum

8. Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace..people were just jammed on the streets to watch this.

9.Cleopatra's mummy! British museum

10.Standing with my cousin in front of the golf course where he volunteers.

11. The incredibly gorgeous golf course ( I knew Greg would love this pic)

12.Tower of London

13.Scheffield Park-seriously one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. That castle in the back?...people rent out rooms as apartments I guess...I can't even imagine.

14.My Sweet little cousins

15.The church where my cousin got married and where his Mom is buried.

16. Daniel and Vanessa

17. Vanessa with my cousins

18. Sweet little cousins again