Friday, July 10, 2009
Maggie
One of the days that we were in Nauvoo, we drove into Keokuk for a picnic lunch by the Mississippi River. It was a beautiful, warm day - so, I coaxed Maggie into letting me snap a few shots of her. She was a great sport - thanks Mags! She doesn't always give me a big cheese-ball smile, but I think she manages to look beautiful anyway! I really liked the buildings in the small downtown area for her backdrop.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
vacation...GIRLS ONLY!!! part 2
OK - so this morning we left Maggie and Gus back at the hotel room while we went to the temple!
I had a bad dream this morning about a bully hitting Tim in the head with a rock, (ever have those? - you just can't shake them?) and it made me very upset - so while I was sending up a quick prayer that Tim would be alright today, I felt like it would be a good day to go to the temple.
We just spent about an hour, but it was very nice. I love to be inside the temple feeling the spirit! We snapped a few shots outside to add to the blog, of'course - pardon the rain!
I had a bad dream this morning about a bully hitting Tim in the head with a rock, (ever have those? - you just can't shake them?) and it made me very upset - so while I was sending up a quick prayer that Tim would be alright today, I felt like it would be a good day to go to the temple.
We just spent about an hour, but it was very nice. I love to be inside the temple feeling the spirit! We snapped a few shots outside to add to the blog, of'course - pardon the rain!
Vacation...GIRLS ONLY!!!
This is part one of my Girls Only vacation blog:
Maggie went with the youth from church on a trip to Nauvoo, Illinois to see tons of church history sights. Mom and I had wanted to see the annual Nauvoo pageant, so we decided to go too. We didn't actually go with the youth, we just were there at the same time, so that we could be there to grab Maggie when the group left for home. It was so nice to spend a few days with my mom alone. I haven't done that in 20 years! We visited some of the church sights, shopped in the quaint little shops in town, and just enjoyed one anothers company!
We met and talked to lots of interesting people, including the man who made the windows for the Nauvoo temple. He struck me as a very humble man. Mom makes stained glass windows, so he went into his shop and brought her out a piece of the glass that was used in the temple windows for her to take home with her. Very nice of him! It is clear glass, and it looks almost warped because of the shaping tools that they run across it when making the glass. Very cool!
Then when the youth trip was at their last stop, we grabbed Maggie to have her stay with us for a few more days.
We still have another three days left, and we are still deciding what to do - maybe Chicago? We will see - I'm sure I'll blog about it soon!
A Sculpture of the First Vision
Maggie went with the youth from church on a trip to Nauvoo, Illinois to see tons of church history sights. Mom and I had wanted to see the annual Nauvoo pageant, so we decided to go too. We didn't actually go with the youth, we just were there at the same time, so that we could be there to grab Maggie when the group left for home. It was so nice to spend a few days with my mom alone. I haven't done that in 20 years! We visited some of the church sights, shopped in the quaint little shops in town, and just enjoyed one anothers company!
We met and talked to lots of interesting people, including the man who made the windows for the Nauvoo temple. He struck me as a very humble man. Mom makes stained glass windows, so he went into his shop and brought her out a piece of the glass that was used in the temple windows for her to take home with her. Very nice of him! It is clear glass, and it looks almost warped because of the shaping tools that they run across it when making the glass. Very cool!
Then when the youth trip was at their last stop, we grabbed Maggie to have her stay with us for a few more days.
We still have another three days left, and we are still deciding what to do - maybe Chicago? We will see - I'm sure I'll blog about it soon!
A Sculpture of the First Vision
On the morning of June 24, 1844, Joseph and his brother Hyrum Smith left their homes, families and fellow saints for the last time. Traveling on horseback, they paused on this bluff. Joseph looked admiringly at the unfinished temple and the city of Nauvoo and declared:This is the loveliest place and the best people under the heavens;
little do they know the trials that await them.
Joseph and Hyrum then continued onto Carthage, Illinois, where they faced legal charges and eventual death at the hands of a mob.
*****************************************************
The Nauvoo Temple today
*******************************************************
On friday, July 3rd, we drove down to St.Louis, Missouri to visit the Gateway Arch. Maggie and I went up inside of it - they take you up in a tiny capsule (yes, scary) and let you out to look out of the windows at the top. Everything looks miniature from up there! It is 625 feet up.
Check out the little baby helicopter over the water! In the pavillion in the middle, the Counting Crows were performing. We didn't realize until we arrived that a big state fair was going on - evidentally a big deal! We had great timing, i guess!
She works out...
Me and Mag at the top!
********************************************************Speaking of helicopters, we took a tour on one!
It was a bit rainy, but so cool to look down on the city!
Nana on the tour
Maggie videotaping part of our flight
cool pic of the arch and the capitol building from the air
SUPER HOT PILOT!!Did I mention...SUPER HOT?!!!
Look at my mom's face - she was giddy because of his hottness!
Maggie's new BFF - also Super Cute! He and another cute worker guy argued over who was going to get to help Maggie get strapped in to the helicopter - really great for her ego!Friday, June 26, 2009
Just Funny
This is nothing really noteworthy - but it was very funny at the time!
Tim was asked to go get a new roll of paper towels out of the cabinets in the garage - he took longer than he should have to return, so I went out to find the problem.
This is what I found:
"Watch this mom!"
"Magic flying cups!"
It really was funny to see the cups take off like hovercrafts! (Tim's dream car, by the way!)
Tim was asked to go get a new roll of paper towels out of the cabinets in the garage - he took longer than he should have to return, so I went out to find the problem.
This is what I found:
He turned the fan to face upward so that it could blast him in the face!
"Watch this mom!"
"Magic flying cups!"
It really was funny to see the cups take off like hovercrafts! (Tim's dream car, by the way!)It took a little bit, but we finally got those paper towels - Thanks Tim!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Ms. Mulder
This is Linda Mulder. She was my high school choir teacher for four years. She was hard-core talented, super smart and crazy funny! She didn't mess around when it was time for practices, but she would treat you like her best friend otherwise. She is someone that I dream about regularly - I guess that means that she had a lasting impact on my life. I hope she knew. I told her sometime after I was married, but I don't know if she realized what an influence she was on me. She taught me so many things besides music. She made me understand that I was talented, that being on time and prepared was important (and being late and unprepared would have consequences - thus the dreaming of her...maybe its really stress nightmares!), that it was ok to be myself and do what I loved, and that Wendy's chili and crackers was the best meal EVER!! She was kind and patient and professional and made the best silly faces. I hated her some days, was scared of her on other days, admired her most days and loved her always. I pray that my children will be blessed with teachers as wonderful as Ms Mulder.
She was killed in a car accident and will be laid to rest tomorrow. She was 60 years old. I cannot attend, and that is sad. It's funny - it's been almost 20 years since I have seen her - and I can see her in my minds eye as if it were yesterday. I am surprised at how easy it is to cry over someone so far in my past. I guess those monthly dreams that have never stopped have kept her close! Ms. Mulder - you will be missed by thousands of choir nerds - I'm sure that their singing at your service will make you smile! All of their voices united will be something incredible to see - I'm sorry that I won't be part of that.
I will continue to dream about you and I promise to never forget you.
Ms.Mulder on a bus - i'm sure taking us to some competition! circa 1988 -thanks for the pics Krista 
Ms. Mulder in action! That is me in the front row, second from the left
Happy Fathers Day, Tommy!
Every year on Fathers Day, one of Tommy's gifts is a t-shirt with the kids' hand print on it. This year was no exception!
Maggie wanted to see how it all started, so we took a little trip down memory lane - here are a few of the shirts:
Maggie wanted to see how it all started, so we took a little trip down memory lane - here are a few of the shirts:
Katie was Tommy's girl, long before Maggie. Tommy is most definitely not an animal person, but he loved Kate as if she were his daughter. This was her paw print!
Maggie's hand print. (about 2 years old - can't find her first hand print)
Welcome to the family, Tim! Maggie's print here is at almost 6 years old and Tim was about 3 months old!
Todays hand prints at 14 and 9. Yep, they sure have grown! This year they added Charlie's paw print. 
My family!
Tommy, we love and appreciate you more than we can tell or show you. We are grateful to be yours eternally, and we all thank our Heavenly Father daily for blessing us with such a strong, hard working, worthy, Priesthood holder. We miss you each day when you leave for work and are glad to have you return home to us at night. We appreciate that you get up at 4:30 each day and work until you can work no more, all for the benefit of our family and we are amazed that you typically do it with a smile on your face. We realize that you must be the most tolerant person alive to put up with us! You are a kind man. You are a generous man. You are a patient man. You are an honorable man. Your integrity is inspiring. I pray that Tim will be - and that Maggie will find - a man as great as you. We love you so much - me and the kids
Friday, June 19, 2009
Beavers Bend/Camp
So, it may seem a little strange, but Maggie is almost 15 years old and she has never been away from me for more than one night! We are not sure how we managed that - but that was our situation. This year I was unable to go with her to girls camp (yes, i had mixed emotions about that, as I LOVE CAMP!) so she was off to Beavers Bend alone! She did great, but I cried like a crazy baby! I missed her so much before she was even out of town!
This was her 4th year - which meant that she was an Indian Princess! The parents of the princesses are invited to drive up on Wednesday evening to watch the girls perform the Lord's prayer in sign language. It is really nice - the stage is set up on the banks of the river at dusk - the water is cold and the air is hot, so it creates a nice rolling fog on the water. Then the other camp girls arrive chanting and singing a haunting Indian song, while the 3rd year girls light the way and line the audience with torches. The story of the Indian princess is told and acted out and then the girls are spotlighted, followed by the dance. Maggie most definitely did NOT want to participate, but once she had done it, she was glad that she did! Nana made her cute dress for her.
Since we had to drive up to Oklahoma anyway, we decided to rent a cabin and stay until Maggie was finished with camp. We ended up going canoeing with the girls - Tommy, Tim and I had a bit of an accident that scared us all (we flipped and due to a crazy fast current and deep waters, lost our boat and came out battered and bruised and not excited about canoeing again!), and Maggie had to climb a tree to save herself after a canoe fiasco of her own!
We played in a creek with Tim, explored a bit and really just enjoyed the great outdoors! Well, I'm not sure how much Tommy enjoyed it - On the morning we were set to leave, I caught him on the front steps of the cabin checking news on his iphone and yelling "SHUT UP!" to the hawks in the trees above! Very Funny!
maggie - pre-show. Do you like how you can see her dark clothes underneath? all of the girls had to use the same fabric...it was see through!
angelia, mariah, maggie
my favorite move!
maggie and tim
maggie, mariah, dani, amber, carlie - in their tent after the show
making a quick retreat out of the tent just as the thunderstorm hit - all of the fourth years stay in tents by the river - they all had to move to the mess hall to sleep!
good thing daddy was there to help everyone move their stuff!
Tim in a creek bed
hunting baby frogs, minnows and crawfish
our cabin living room - not bad for the woods, huh?
our cabin
tommy beating us in a game of Sorry Sliders
Brooke, Angelia, Maggie, Carlie before hitting the unusualy high water
tim the canoe-er (before the near fatal crash!)
carlie and maggie - they started off pretending to be Pocahontas, but -because she is Maggie - she had to dance a little bit! Your not surprised are you?
Mariah and Amber Dodging the treacherous trees - they were our downfall!
After we were rescued by President Kimball! Someone had finally caught our boat too - thank goodness! You can't tell by the pic that Tim was freaked out - me too actually! You also can't yet see the MULTIPLE bruises that were forming!
Maggie didn't like the idea of Tim walking back to the bus with no shoes on - they were lost to the raging waters of death! They have met a dark watery grave, i'm sure. No, i'm not dramatic.
This was her 4th year - which meant that she was an Indian Princess! The parents of the princesses are invited to drive up on Wednesday evening to watch the girls perform the Lord's prayer in sign language. It is really nice - the stage is set up on the banks of the river at dusk - the water is cold and the air is hot, so it creates a nice rolling fog on the water. Then the other camp girls arrive chanting and singing a haunting Indian song, while the 3rd year girls light the way and line the audience with torches. The story of the Indian princess is told and acted out and then the girls are spotlighted, followed by the dance. Maggie most definitely did NOT want to participate, but once she had done it, she was glad that she did! Nana made her cute dress for her.
Since we had to drive up to Oklahoma anyway, we decided to rent a cabin and stay until Maggie was finished with camp. We ended up going canoeing with the girls - Tommy, Tim and I had a bit of an accident that scared us all (we flipped and due to a crazy fast current and deep waters, lost our boat and came out battered and bruised and not excited about canoeing again!), and Maggie had to climb a tree to save herself after a canoe fiasco of her own!
We played in a creek with Tim, explored a bit and really just enjoyed the great outdoors! Well, I'm not sure how much Tommy enjoyed it - On the morning we were set to leave, I caught him on the front steps of the cabin checking news on his iphone and yelling "SHUT UP!" to the hawks in the trees above! Very Funny!
waiting for the show to start
maggie - pre-show. Do you like how you can see her dark clothes underneath? all of the girls had to use the same fabric...it was see through!
angelia, mariah, maggie
my favorite move!
maggie and tim
maggie, mariah, dani, amber, carlie - in their tent after the show
making a quick retreat out of the tent just as the thunderstorm hit - all of the fourth years stay in tents by the river - they all had to move to the mess hall to sleep!
good thing daddy was there to help everyone move their stuff!
Tim in a creek bed
hunting baby frogs, minnows and crawfish
our cabin living room - not bad for the woods, huh?
our cabin
tommy beating us in a game of Sorry Sliders
Brooke, Angelia, Maggie, Carlie before hitting the unusualy high water
tim the canoe-er (before the near fatal crash!)
carlie and maggie - they started off pretending to be Pocahontas, but -because she is Maggie - she had to dance a little bit! Your not surprised are you?
Mariah and Amber Dodging the treacherous trees - they were our downfall!
After we were rescued by President Kimball! Someone had finally caught our boat too - thank goodness! You can't tell by the pic that Tim was freaked out - me too actually! You also can't yet see the MULTIPLE bruises that were forming!
Maggie didn't like the idea of Tim walking back to the bus with no shoes on - they were lost to the raging waters of death! They have met a dark watery grave, i'm sure. No, i'm not dramatic.
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