Happy Birthday Abby!!

Yesterday was Abby's 10th birthday. We have started having family birthday parties on the even years (as opposed to friend parties). So we all went bowling (I forgot the camera!!!) and then we let Abby choose a restaurant. She choose Applebees. We had a nice dinner as a family but Ben wouldn't let us tell them it was for her birthday because he didn't want the clapping and the singing even if it wasn't for him. She got a bike from us and then pooled the rest of her birthday money from us and both grandmas and bought an ipod shuffle. So she didn't get a whole lot but what she did get was expensive! Happy birthday Abby!

Back Home

I said good bye to these little guys and headed back home.

When my plane landed I called Ben to see if they were on their way. They were almost there but Abby had run into a piece of playground equipment at Meg's soccer game and had a small gash in her head. We really should have taken her to get a couple of stitches but opted to try to butterfly it instead. After shaving a small patch of hair we were able to get it to stay together. The scar would have been smaller if we had taken her in, but one day after the hair grows back you won't even notice it!

Every one had fun at the talent show. Jordan and a friend got up their and jump roped their little hearts out while the whole school clapped for them. Abby's mp3 cd didn't work in the school sound system so they had to use a small boom box, but she still sang with confidence and sounded great! Now we are madly doing end of year school reports, taking field trips and preparing for the kids to get out of school all while I am tring to get started back up at school for summer semester!

Day Six

Today was our relaxing day at home. We ran around the yard with Ryan in the morning. This is their house and a few pics of Ryan. I brought Ryan a Thomas the Train micro kite. He begged and begged to go fly it he really wanted someone else to do it so he could run through the tails! Then when he went to school we dressed the baby and fed the baby and burped the baby. When the baby fell asleep we made Beverly a Facebook account. Then Beverly and I took pictures of each other and edited them for our Facebook profiles. This is the best I could do about a picture with Ryan. I'll have to try again tomorrow before I get on the plane.

I love you and I'll see you Thursday night.

Love, Mom

Day Five

So after my root canal we all headed out to Palmyra. Which, by the way, Tom and his assistant did a really nice job on my tooth. He did say it was the hardest one he'd ever done, but I already like it better than the first two root canals and crowns I have had done. I have a temporary crown in right now and you wouldn't even know it. So if you are ever in Syracuse and need some work done give him a call. (Or you could always just fly out for a dentist appt too!)

First we went to the Smith Family Farm. Notice the happy stroller baby. Cameron really has done well with us dragging him every where!!


Here is me and Greta.

This is us standing in the Sacred Grove.

We went to the Hill Cumorah next.

This is a view of New York from the top of the hill.

On the top of the hill there was this random cat. He was just hanging out. He didn't have a collar or tags but he certainly wasn't scared of us. Maybe a little annoyed at our presence, but not scared.

Last we went by the print shop that published the first book of Mormon. It was all very interesting, they take you through and show you exactly what went into publishing a book back then.

Almost every where we went Ryan found something that looked like a crane. (He loves Thomas the Train and they have a crane named Cranky that he loves.) At the Smith Farm it was the water pumps for the wells. At the Book of Mormon museum it was the contraption that lifted the printing presses and paper to the third floor. (The contraption has a name I just don't remember it.) The crane Ryan loved most was "the one at the Book of Norman." There was so much else to see, so much else to do. There is just so little time and babies to feed! We will just all have to come visit soon.

Tomorrow we will be relaxing and packing for the trip back home. My goal is to get pictures with me holding the baby and me with Ryan. I don't know if he will let me hold him, he is a big boy you know. They might be of me tackling Ryan just to get a picture with him or then again maybe he will be tackling me. He does love to do that!

Love you, Mom

Day Four

Today we went to see Tom's office. He wanted to clean and check my teeth for me. I had 1 tooth that had just started to bug me and sure enough, Tom found a crack in it! He tried to just do a crown prep to save the tooth, but after the anesthesia wore off it became clear that a root canal really needs to be done. So the root canal will be done tomorrow and I will have to fly back in a few weeks when the crown is ready. The good news is the cost of the plane ticket is less than my out of pocket cost for a root canal at my dentist in Tooele and I will get to see them all again! This is the office. It is in a cute old house that will be extra cute once they get it all fixed up how they want it. (You know in their spare time that they might have if they hadn't just had a baby and opened up a new practice all in one week!)

I love you and I miss you!!!

Love, Mom

Day Three

Today we just hung out. Here are some pics of the cousins playing. Oh, and look at Aunt Audrey pinch Greta's baby cheeks!!





Baby Greta does not hold still for a second so I had to get tricky to catch her on film looking at me!!

Brian talked to me today about learning to play the guitar so now I have stuff to show Abby. She will have to get practicing so she will be ready to sit down with Brian next time he gets out to Utah.

I hope all is going well, I miss you kids!

Love, Mom

Day Two

Saturday we went to Niagra Falls. It was pretty rainy, but we went anyway. When we got there it was pretty misty and foggy and we couldn't really see anything. But as the day went on the fog lifted and we were able to see more. It wasn't until we were in the car at 6:00 that we could see the whole thing!!! So my pictures are limited but we had fun. We will definately need to bring the kids to see it and Ben would find the stories and history of it all fascinating.

This is Ryan and Cameron in the car.

This is the bridge over the Niagra River.

Here is Niagra River and the US/Canadian border (from the car).

You can get right up close to the river (behind a railing) so this is a pic of the river right before the falls. They have all sorts of flowers growing, it's a pretty place.

This is looking up the river, its a pretty big river.

And here is the drop off and pics of some of the falls.

Ryan's favorite part was jumping in the puddles.

Here we are outside all wet. . .

and here we are inside trying to dry off.

We almost gave up and left but then decide to do the Journey Beneath the Falls (the part Ben would like). I question the safety and sanity of digging tunnels under such large falls, but we lived though the experience. There is an elevator that takes you 175 down almost to the base of the falls. Then you can look through openings to watch the waterfall from the inside.

There is also a place where you can stand by the side of the waterfall and watch it fall down at you.

Standing out there you get pretty wet.

And finally I was able to get a shot of the Maid of the Mist. It was pretty foggy though. This boat takes you pretty close to the falls.

Today was a long day so tomorrow will be full of relaxation and Greta. Brian and Audrey are driving up to hang out for a few days.

Love you guys, Mom