Sand in the City

Each year, Omaha does Sand in the City.  It is a competition between different companies, done by amatuer sculptures, raising funds for a children's foundation.  This was our first year going and it was pretty fun.  We met up with some friends and enjoyed a rather lovely evening.  

 Horton Hears a Who

 Lightning McQueen and Mater.  I loved his 1 working light.

This train is the one that Dexter voted for

 Wizard of OZ.  

 They also had a couple of large sand piles with tons of toys for kids to go and play in.  Dexter enjoyed it immensely and came home covered in sand.

I don't know which one won, but it was nice to be out and enjoying downtown Omaha for a free family event.  Our friends continued on to the river and pedestrian bridge, but I was a bit tired from all the walking around so my boys and I went out for some ice cream.

Nauvoo

On Monday (5/30), we were up and gone by 3am to Nauvoo, IL.  Six+ hours later we arrived. We had to stop for some breakfast, and also to do a little geocaching along the way. We found the most amazing park with the coolest play equipment.  We also happened across a frog trying to cross the road.  Brett opened his door and talked to it while we were stopped at the stop light.  Ya, 6 hours was a bit long to be cooped up.  

We finally arrived in Nauvoo and stopped at the visitor's center, picked up tickets for the carriage ride, and got a map of where everything was. 

Dexter loved the horses. He was so excited to ride in a wagon behind horses. The carriage ride took us up to Inspiration Point. The missionaries talked about life there in Nauvoo and the importance of different areas. I'm sad to say that I was a bit tired and zoned out for some of it. It was very beautiful. 

We then went down to let Dexter get his wiggles out to the pioneer games. They had a little house set up with mini everything and Dexter loved playing in it. 

It took a little coaxing to get him to come out and look/do other things. The boys raced wooden bears up ropes, played with tops, and wooden animals.

 It was amazingly hot that day. I think that it hit the 90's.

We were all hot, hungry, and tired so we then made our way to the hotel. We stayed in Burlington, IA which is about 30 minutes away if you take the toll bridge (which you only have to pay to enter Illinois, not Iowa) and 45 if you go to the next bridge. We crashed there for the rest of the day. We did go buy some hats. I forgot to pack one for Dex, and Ashton and Brett were adamant that I get one too. Ash was adamant that it be a big sun hat that would provide me with lots of shade. So that's what I got.

 After our shopping trip, we went and played in the pool. Dexter showed off his mad swimming skills, and ball throwing skills.

Tues 5/31: We ate "the best breakfast, ever"--according to Brett at the hotel, and headed down to Carthage. We toured Carthage jail and for some reason, none of us took pictures of the inside. Only the outside. 

We had a wonderful time. It was raining while we were there, too. I guess I didn't know that it was a house that had rooms upstairs turned into the jail. I thought it was strictly a jail. One thing that I loved about this place, was that the floors, windows, everything was original. Granted, there were other's who lived in the house, and it was eventually turned into just a house before the church received it, but just the thought that some of those floor boards Joseph Smith and those who were with him, walked on them, looked out through those windows...it was amazing to think about, and wonder. The room where the men were in when the mob came, still have the bullet holes in them. It sent shivers down my spine seeing them and it made it all the more real to me.

After Carthage, we went back to Nauvoo. We started out on the Community of Christ (formerly RLDS) side of things. We continued on our theme of Joseph Smith. We opted to not take their tours, but just walked around ourself. We weren't able to go into the Joseph Smith mansion house or the Joseph Smith homestead, that was part of the paid tour, but we saw the outside, and that was enough for me. We also saw the Smith family cemetery where Joseph, Hyrum, Emma, Lucy, and Joseph Sr. were all buried.

We did however get to go inside the Red Brick Store. 

The first floor is actually a cute shop that you can buy things, but the upstairs was where I loved. Upstairs, you saw Joseph Smith's office with a sign above the door that read "Joseph Smith's Office. President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints" I think that I was impressed that they had that sign and that it wasn't altered by the RLDS church.

 The one room that I loved was the room where the Relief Society was organized. It felt amazing, to think that in that room, the world's greatest women's organization was established. 

As I was walking up the stairs, I kept envisioning all these elect ladies walking up those very steps in dresses and bonnets to be part of such an amazing thing.

Then we made our way back to church owned portion. 

This time, we rode the Wagon ride, which took us on a tour of the city. We learned about many of the homes, and more history of the saints and their life and journey there in Nauvoo. Both the wagon ride and carriage ride went close to the Mississippi river and both times, Ashton and Brett's allergies flared up. Ashton's were worse than Brett's, but their eyes were pretty red, and Ashton's started to swell shut. Needless to say, we steered clear of the river after that. Doing the wagon ride first was great because it 1. saved us a lot of walking time. 2. put Dex to sleep. 3. wittled down which places we really wanted to see.

We went to the family learning center, where they demonstrate many different things that the pioneers did then, that we don't do the same today. We watched a demonstration of bread making the day before, but came back after Ashton called his grandparents. They served a mission here in Nauvoo a few years ago, and even left their own mark in Nauvoo. Ashton's grandpa knows how to throw pottery on a wheel and made several bowls for the bread making. We asked to see if them and found out that they were the very ones that grandpa made and that they still use them.  The sister missionaries were excited to meet "Dr. Hansen's" grandson.  (Grandpa signed them D. R. Hansen for Dee Rulon...)

We did learn that they no longer to live demonstrations of pottery throwing. That faded out after grandpa left and those he taught how to left as well. We also watched them weave a rug, but didn't watch anything else. We stopped in at the bakery and got some yummy gingerbread cookies. One of the sister's was so sweet, she even sent some frozen ones with us for the road for Dexter. He loved it!

We stopped by the Browning home, which was originally built by Ashton's family. He signed the Bird book and we took a picture outside the cabin. 

We also hit the post office. Dex was tired of sitting in his stroller and of being quiet by then, and one of the sweet sister's in there entertained him the whole time. I thanked her, but she said she was missing her grandkids a lot lately, so she enjoyed entertaining Dex. It was very sweet to me. We also hit the cobbler shop, Brett and I got that tour, again Dex was done being confined. Then we went to the Black Smith shop. We got our prairie diamond rings and Dexter even won the mini horseshoe they make for you as a demonstration. He had the closest birthday. He loved it. It did turn his little handsblack which got spread to his face, and legs, and everywhere else he may have touched, but he was content and happy holding onto it. 

We then made our way to the brickhouse, where the elder explained how they made the bricks and he gave each family our own brick to take home. I had to change a diaper there so while I was occupied with Dex, the boys were snuck into the back and got see where they fire, mold, and pressed the little souvenier bricks. They were pretty lucky.

After that, we made our way down to the apothecary. Did you think that this pharmacist wanna-be would pass that up? We learned that the blue and red jars in the window were so people knew that it was a pharmacy without even reading the sign. The jars represented the blood. It looks blue through our skin, in the veins, but is red when we bleed. Interesting... Next to it was a little log cabin where a popular mid wife lived. I don't know if all the births were done in that cabin or not, but she is said to have delivered 3,997 babies while there in Nauvoo. That's a lot of babies!

Afterward, we walked around the temple grounds. It is a beautiful temple. 

They have benches made out of the limestone that the temple is made out of and I was surprised to find how rough and pourous a stone it is. I couldn't imagine having been a pioneer and digging out that rock to build with. Talk about a labor of love. We were hoping to stay for one of their evening shows, "Sunset" but we were exhausted, and Dex wasn't going to make it, so we left.

Wed 6/1: Our last day in Nauvoo. Brett got to eat the best breakfast again and we went back to Nauvoo. We got some names from my uncle and took them to the land and records office. We found them and the land that they lived on. Brett and I even got a picture taken on the land that belonged to Hiram Dayton. We also drove around and found the rest of the properties that belonged to family members of both Brett and I, and Ashton. That was pretty neat.

After that we went to the other side of the river and saw where the saints landed when they crossed the river after being forced out. it is also the place where the miracle of the quail happened. We drove home along the mormon pioneer auto tour and came across many cool things. We drove through Amish country, Brett was pretty ecstatic about it, but we found Garden Grove, a place where they stopped to plant crops for the people behind them. It was neat, cause you can still see impressions of where the walls of some cabins once were. 

After that we drove home. Got some chinese food and crashed.

For My Juliette

Preparing for a flood has put a damper on many of my baby preparations.  The kid's room has become our storage room to secure all of our belongings upstairs.  Dexter hasn't been able to transition into his big boy bed, I haven't been able to get her clothes as ready as I had hoped because they are stored in a box for a quick grab in case of evacuation.  The list could go on, but I'll stop.  I did get some projects finished for her though.  One of my biggest heartaches, was not having her blessing dress.  I had this scenario in my mind where we told to evacuate and I forgot to grab the pattern and supplies to make her dress.  It broke my heart!  While we were in the "risky" waiting game of the flood waters arrival,  I worked hard to get her dress completed.  I'm proud to say, that this is the first time I followed a real pattern, deciphered it, and sewed it, all on my own and it wasn't a flop!  I think it turned out beautiful.  

The front

bottom detail

 Back

 Close up of the front

Close up of the back

I have a little rose I am planning on putting on the front, top but I haven't decided where.  I love it!  It is so sweet and simple.  Ashton was quite picky about this dress, (not long, not slippery, the list goes on...)  but this made the cut :).

I also made a blanket for her.  That was finished a while ago, but I hadn't gotten around to blogging about it.  It is actually the second blanket, but I scrapped the first one because I didn't like the material I had chosen.  I found the brown material with the vining flowers on it and new it was for her.

I also hand quilted it.  I had no idea what I was doing, but I enjoyed every minute of it.  I think it turned out well.  Here is a picture of the back so you can see the quilting better.  (Dex needed to be in a picture)

And in case you didn't catch it, we are naming her Juliette.  We aren't sure of a middle name yet, but Juliette is  certain.  Ashton calls her JJ (Juliette Jenks) already and Dexter has taken to calling her Baby JJ.  It's pretty cute.

Easter in Thermopolis

This year, we drove up to Thermopolis, WY to spend Easter weekend with London, Alissa, and Orion. We did our usual up and gone by 3 am thing and took the less traveled highway there. It was beautiful. I love driving on those roads. You saw some beautiful country, discussed whether or not we could live and have Ashton be their pharmacist, laughed at the city that had a population of 1 but also had a hotel, post office, and gas station in it. That is one busy person, heehee! We made it there and bombarded Lond and Lou's weekend. Alissa had just gotten back the day before from a trip to Idaho and London got home that evening from his Google trip to Australia.

It was fun getting to hang out with them. The boys definitely had a blast together. Dexter loved Orion and still talks about getting to play with him. We went to the park, threw rocks over the bridge, went bowling, did a drive by of the house they are buying, and out to lunch. We also did Easter baskets for the boys and they of course did and Easter Egg Hunt. We wouldn't be Jenks if we didn't!!! I did a pretty good job training Dex up for it. He was pretty competitive and would grab the egg that O was going for. I, however, didn't train Daddy how to help keep him focused on getting eggs, which proved to be our downfall. Orion won the egg hunt. Needless to say, they both had a blast.

Sunday was fun. I played the piano for their primary. Alissa is the Primary President and need a pianist and I was more than happy to help. I didn't know a couple of the "new" songs so things were kinda rough, but we all made it through.

London, Alissa, and Orion, thanks again for letting us bombard your weekend. It was fun to get to come play!

Uncle "Bett"

WE HAD COMPANY!!! Uncle Brett came to play with us for 10 whole days, and boy did we have fun!

Thu 5/26: He flew in that afternoon, we treated him to yummy pizza at Sam and Louie's and then he watched Dexter for us while we went to see "Wicked". (That will be another post, and yes we saw it again, and yes I was 7 months pregnant again). The lucky guy even got to change his first messy diaper. ha!

Fri 5/27: We went to the zoo. We even rode the train, which Dexter loved. When we got back, we were all tuckered out and crashed during Dexter's naptime.

Sat 5/28: Up early to go to Omaha's farmer's market so we could be done in time for Dexter's last swimming lesson. While Dex and I were swimming, Brett and Ashton went thrift store hopping looking for ties. They picked us up and we continued thrift store hopping. I found some cute clothes for baby girl, and a nice sweater for church this fall for Dex. Best of all, it was buy one get one free, so everything came to be about 50 cents a piece. Can't beat that!

Then we used one of our groupons and took Brett to another pizza joint--Pitch. It was the fanciest pizza place with the fanciest pizza and foods. It was AMAZING to say the least. We tried 2 little pizza's, 2 salads, brussell sprouts, and truffle fries. All of it was fantastic!

That evening, they had a guys night out, and Ashton, Brett, and our friend Kevin went to see the Missouri Valley Conference Championship game. We tried to get Brett a Creighton shirt, but the book store was closed because it was Memorial weekend.

Sun 5/29: Just a nice relaxing Sunday. Brett came to church with us and everyone was really excited to see him. They hoped that he was a new member. One brother even told him he should move here, but Brett said his fiance probably wouldn't like that very much. (FIANCE! Have I mentioned he is engaged?! AHHHH!)

That evening we packed up the car so we were ready for our 3am drive to Nauvoo, IL.

5/30-6/1: We went to Nauvoo. It will be a post all on it's own.

Funny note, Brett went to bed at 8:30 and didn't wake up till about 8. He slept a ton here for being such a night owl!

Thu 6/2: I had an early Doctor's appointment and then we finished off our church history tour with Brett by taking him to the stuff around here. In the morning we went to the Kanesville Tabernacle and then back home for lunch. Dex needed a nap so Ashton stayed home with him while I took Brett to the Trail Center and cemetery.

Fri 6/3: We picked up some Creighton shirts for Brett and McKenzie and then Brett and I went and did a temple session.

Sat 6/4: Up and gone by 6:30am to take Brett to the airport. I cried. I still cry. I didn't realize how much I needed my brother here. Well, any family here, but it was really special to have Brett here.

Thanks for coming Brett! We loved every minute of it, and thank you McKenzie for letting him come play with us.

Flood Update

I thought it was time to show some pictures of some of the flooding going on around us. I picked a couple of them, the first is a view of the plain north of us, and the airport in Omaha. The little bit of I-29 in the corner that is above water is normally a bridge over a small river. On the second picture I drew in some of the highlights of the picture, our house is in the yellow area, behind a 41 foot levee.

This is the worker statue on the Lewis and Clark Landing in Omaha on a normal day, the river is usually a few feet below the deck that you walk on.

This is the right bottom part of the above picture now. Also, the pedestrian bridge is in the background. This was taken a few days ago, the river is actually about 2 feet higher now, you can only see the top parts of their heads

We are currently safe, the levee is holding the water back, but any prayers would be helpful, The river is going to be at least this high for a couple of months.