Tyler is graduating!!!

For anyone who checks in...Tyler will be graduating from ASU Thursday, December 18th at 10 A.M. If you plan on attending, call and ask for more details.

We sure are proud of you Tyler!!!!

We are in Amarillo, TX tonight. We will be home tomorrow afternoon!!!!!!! It has been a fun wonderful trip. We'll try to get an album put up with all our pictures in it soon.

Branson

Having dinner on the Showboat

Branson

We decided that we were so close to Branson we just had to go!

The hole in the door is from the shot that killed Hyrum.

This is where the mob came up to the room where Joseph & Hyrum were killed.

After we left Nauvoo, we went to Carthage. They have a really nice visitor center & give tours of the jail.

Beautiful Nauvoo

Raymond is getting to be quite the photographer.

Leaving Nauvoo

This spot is at the end of Parley street where the Saints gathered to cross the Mississippi.

Joseph, Emma, & Hyrum's graves

We didn't have any internet access while we were in Nauvoo, so I'm trying to catch up. We are in Branson right now. Yesterday we went on the Showboat Branson Belle & also went to watch SIX. They're the Knudsen brother's. Their show was lots of fun! This morning were going to Silver Dollar City, then we'll head home tomorrow.

Nauvoo Pageant

This had to be the coolest scene in the pageant. They built this set piece throughout the pageant, and then had it fall down while they were talking about leaving Nauvoo. Then they lit up the real temple on the hill above & had President Hinkley's voice talking about how the Nauvoo temple & the Salt Lake temple face eachother. It was amazing!

Like I said, everything looks like it's right out of a postcard. That is all of us walking in front of the building. The postoffice is connected to John Taylor's home. They restored the front of the buildings & the back was made into missionary housing.

Shumways

We ran into Lenn & Carmen Shumway while we were in Nauvoo. Their daughter Brenda & her family were in the pageant.

Pioneer Games

The game that Logan is doing is a race game, kind of like the ones at the carnival where you shot water into a hole to blow up a balloon or something like that. You have to get the bear to climb to the top of the rope.

Pioneer Games

They had a little area set up for the kids to play all sorts of pioneer games including dress-up. This little cabin is a play-house set up with a kitchen & dishes & dolls & more

Webb Blacksmith Shop

They showed us a demonstration on how they made a horseshoe, they each of us got a prairie diamond ring.

Family Togetherness

This carriage took us around to different places in Nauvoo. The scenes that we've seen here look like they're right out of a postcard.

Horse-drawn carriage ride

Nauvoo Temple

Crossing the Mississippi River

Crazy Bus

This bus/motorhome camped next to us in Indiana. It's a Mercedes. There were at least 20 people sleeping in it. They are all from Germany. We think they bought the RV in Germany, drove to Russia, and then ferried it across to Alaska. It had Alaska and European plates on it. The back part is all bunkbeds & on the other side a full-sized kitchen pops out. We've seen a lot of different kinds of campers, but nothing like this!

We are on our way to Nauvoo. We are staying at a KOA in South Bend, Indiana. We'll get up early in the morning & hopefully get to Nauvoo by afternoon. We have tickets to the pageant for tomorrow night.

Logan feeding the squirrells

T-Rex

Mo was so excited to see the bones, but I just couldn't get her near this one!

Museum of Natural History

These are giant sloths. They were not really dangerous, but their bones look quite scary. Mo was afraid to get near them so I had to hold her to get her in the picture.

Delsy's new boyfriend

He's very handsome, although he doesn't say much. I'm worried about him - he looks a little pale! He works at the Air & Space museum.

Apollo 4, 5, or 6?

We can't remember which Apollo this was, but it is the actual capsule. It doesn't seem big enough for a full sized man to fit into.

Smithsonian Institute

We never had time to go inside, but the outside is pretty amazing. We are at the bottom left of the picture under the tree.

Sorry I haven't posted much the last two days. I'm trying to catch up while Dad & Raymond pack up the camper. We're headed off towards Nauvoo. We'll spend the day driving & probably stay in Dayton, Ohio tonight.

Lincoln Memorial

This monument is amazing! It has the Gettysburg Address & the Imancipation Proclamation engraved on the side walls and even the ceiling is intricately carved.

Tired of walking

Walking & Walking

Riding the Metro

We made it to the capitol!

Liberty Bell

We had an interesting time watching the John Adams movie while we were on our way to Philadelphia.

Independence Hall in Philadelphia

We headed out to the Capitol this morning and stopped in Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. It was quite a long drive. One word of advice to future travelers - don't take an RV into downtown Philadelphia! Raymond had to drive around town while we went in to see the Liberty Bell.

Teenagers Getting Along

Sorry this picture is so blurry, but when you see a phenomenon like this you have to act fast!

Niagra Falls

After we got drenched at the Sacred Grove, we drove up to the falls on Sunday afternoon.

Rain in the Grove

We found a great spot to take pictures just as it started POURING rain.

Family Pictures at the Sacred Grove

On Sunday, we went to take family pictures after we picked Rayla up from the pageant.

Canadaigua KOA

This is the campsite we stayed in near Palmayra. It was so pretty on their pond. Just after I took this picture, Logan jumped in & the manager warned me that there was a BIG turtle that bites in the water. The boys found him lurking near the dock.

Rayla is a Believer!

Rayla is right in the middle of the picture, just below the man.

Lehi's Dream

This is one of the coolest scene's in the pageant. They used water as the background.

The Sacred Grove

Raymond took this picture. It is so amazingly beautiful - Breathtaking! We spent a while here walking the trails.

Palmayra Temple

This is the view of the temple from the Smith farm. It is just tucked nicely into the hillside.

Rayla & her friend Sydney in their costumes

This was much more of a missionary experience than she thought it would be.