Days 8-11, June 16-19, 2010

We left Nauvoo on the morning of the 16th and drove to Council Bluff, Iowa.  What took the pioneers four months to cross took us a day.  However we did not have as easy time either.  We left at 9:35 a.m.  We originally planned to get there early enough to maybe see my mission president who is serving there currently at the temple.  It took 9 hours and we got there at 6:30 p.m.  We stayed in the Country Inn and Suites.  We were so tired we just ordered pizza and relaxed.  President and Sister Oaks was attending a play so we got there too late to see them.

It was extremely windy and we were nervous about the trailer since its hard to pull in wind so we went slower.  Also we waited too long to get gas and the light came on and we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere.  We found a gas station on the GPS so we took the exit.  The right looked more promising but we went left since it said it was on the left.  When we got to it it was burned down and no where to turn around the trailer.  We ended up on a dirt road in the middle of a cornfield running on fumes.  I finally convinced Ray to turn back towards the freeway and we made a big circle and ended up in a small town on the right of the freeway (yes if we had gone right we would have hit a gas station within a mile.) 

We had wanted to stay a little bit in the morning and see President and Sister Oaks but because we had such a bad day and the distance was just as long we decided we had to start early.  I had tried to cancel reservations and make new ones (which I did for one of the nights but couldn't for that night.) And that proved to be a smart idea to leave early.

We left at 9:15 a.m. and didn't arrive until 7 p.m. Mountain Time.  We had a time change and so it really took almost 11 hours.  We camped at Lake McConaughy, NE.  It was a white knuckle ride with lots of wind.  We finally got off the freeway and took the highway across the river (the Mormon Trail.)  While driving across Nebraska our trailer mirror on the passenger side flew off and shattered all over the road.

We stopped at a Walmart before the campground and since it was so late we just ate dinner at McDonalds.  Once we got to the campground we had to unclog our black tank with a stick.  Then we took the kids to a playground.

On the 18th we drove from Nebraska to Rawlins, WY.  We originally had planned to camp in Green River, WY but because of the bad days of driving we cancelled that reservation and made one for the KOA in Rawlins.  It took just under 8 hours of driving that day.  We left at 9:15 a.m. and arrived at 5 p.m. 

The pool was closed because of storms that had caused it to flood and they were working on getting their chemical levels back up.  So we just played at the playground.  We met another family there and Sheila and Timmy played with their daughter. 

On the 19th we had planned to drive just to Echo, UT.  It was only 3 hours from my parents but it was supposed to be a heavy drive again and a lot of mountains.  However driving over the mountains was a lot easier than we anticipated and so when we reached Echo it was only 3 p.m.  I called my parents to let them know we would be arriving that day.

The kids enjoyed a little hike up the mountain with dad at Echo.  We arrived at Rupert, Idaho at 7 p.m. We had planned to get some dinner at Snowville.  There use to be a subway there but when we got there it was closed down so we ended up eating dinner at the truck stop at the Flying J.  We just got some of the deli stuff they have there.

It was so good to finally arrive.  We got our trailer hooked up and then spent the evening with Mom and Dad and catching up.  The kids initially were scared of Freckles but they soon warmed up to her.

So I love to Sew

I use to hate to sew.  I learned how back when I was in 4H.  My grandmother taught me how to sew.  She was a beautiful seamstress but one of my only memories from the lessons is that I caught my jumper I was sewing in the serger and it cut a big whole in the strap and my grandma yelled at me while she tried to fix it.  My older sister was so much better than I.  After a couple of years I stopped sewing.

Years past.  I took up crocheting and knitting again after a long hiatus as well.  I was working as an intern at Walmart and whenever I could I would help out in the Fabrics department.  I saw these people bring in these beautiful things that they sewed and thought I could do that.  So I used my nice bonus and bought me a sewing machine and started up again.  The next year I moved in with Catherine, who was majoring in it.  She gave me so much tips and was much more patient with me than my grandma was.

I still didn't like it as much as I hoped.  If I started screaming at my sewing machine, I would know it was time to put it away.  I made my own wedding dress but still didn't know if I liked it so much.  Then this summer I sat down for two months and just sewed.  A miracle happened.  I put in a zipper and it looked good.  I put in another and it looked good.  For the first time I attempted to make bias tape, and it worked.  I use to skip parts (make the pattern simplier) if I didn't think I could do something I hadn't done before.  This time I found myself trying them and mostly I succeeded.  It made me excited.

I entered the things in the fair and I got almost all blue ribbon.  I was so shocked.  However, I took a few weeks off to make cards and work on scrapbooks but today I started to get out some new patterns and material to make a few things.  I felt myself getting excited and having a lot more patience with things that use to drive me nuts.  What is first up?  A kimono inspired dress for Sheila made of red brocade with yellow flowers.  I cut the material today.  I will be putting these items in the fair next year so I making them a size too big for her.  Also up for this month, a yellow eyelot dress for Kimberly, denim shorts and a button down shirt for Timmy, and a skirt for me.  I plan to make 4-5 things a month.

I will need to get a new sewing machine soon.  Mine is almost 10 years old and I have been having trouble with the button hole feature.  Also my serger still sits in the box.  I need to just suck it up and do it and forget the yelling grandma episode because I love that she taught me something that I now love to do.

Day 7, June 15, 2010

We got to stay all day in Nauvoo that day.

We started off at the ox cart.  We were the first to arrive for the day and so we got to watch them hook up the oxen.  The kids loved it.

Then we stopped by Pionner Pasttimes and spent quite a bit of time there.  The kids loved playing all the different games. 

The kids really didn't enjoy the tours of all the buildings so we only did a few of those.  I hope to go back when they are a little older so they can see everything that they missed and maybe enjoy it.

We spent the last part of the day on two wagon rides.  We took one out into the country and had to go through a small creek.  The last one was through the streets of Nauvoo.  Kimberly cried through one whole trip and I was so ready to get off.  Our wagon masters on that one were both from my hometown of Rupert, Idaho.

And of course the temple was beautiful.  We didn't go this time but last time we came through Nauvoo (when I was moving to Florida after getting married) my parents, Ray, and I all attended and it is just as beautiful inside as it is out.  And just a little side note, one of my friends that I met while at Utah State had the opportunity to paint the temple and I still have the plate he sent me from there.

Day 6, June 14, 2010

We left our hotel in Morton at 9:15 a.m. and it took just over 3 hours to get to Nauvoo.  We camped at the Nauvoo state park.  After setting up camp and having lunch we went out to see some of the sites.  Our first stop was the brick yard.  We got the brick that they give every family after the presentation.  They actually did the presentation in a new room in the building instead of out in the brick yard.  Sheila dropped the brick later and cracked it but it did make it back to Florida.

We headed over to the Visitors Center to get some tickets for the play Rendezous that night and saw the Women's Garden.

The kids really wanted to make rope so after that we headed over to the Family Living Center.  The kids enjoyed making the rope.  We also learned about candle making, baking bread (yummy, we got a sample), and a few other pioneer activities.

We then headed back to the trailer for dinner.  The park is really nice.  The sites for the nonelectric are way nicer (and cheaper) than the electric.  The electric sites seemed to be an after thought but we got the electricity since it was so hot.  We didn't stay in the park that much anyway with so much to see and so little time.

After dinner we headed for the play.  It was a cute play with lots of singing.  The older couple missionaries put it on.  The kids did okay during it but we decided to skip the other performances the next day since the kids did get bored about half way through. Kimberly slept through it.  After that we retired for the day since we planned a full day out the next day.

Update

I have been extremely busy getting things ready to for the fair and frankly have been on the computer maybe 5-10 minutes a day for the last month, mostly to check my email.  But now I will try to get back to blogging, hopefully at least once a week, and catch up on our trip report.

The fair is over and I blew my goal out of the water (to make over $200.)  I really don't know how I am going to top that.  I entered 58 items and got all blue and red ribbons.  Most were blue actually.  2/3 of my stuff was sewing and I got mostly blue (first) on that.  I am saving most of the money for buying more material and yarn for things in the future.

Sheila is doing well in school.  She is learning to read.  Has about 10 sight words that she knows but can sound out many with help.  She also does well with math and is learning to add and subtract.  I can't believe the stuff they learn in kindergarten these days.

Timmy has shot up another inch since vacation.  He has grown 5 inches in a little over a year and almost skipped a whole size of clothes (only wore it for about three months.)  He is adjusting to being a big brother and has to be reminded several times a day not to be too rough with Kimberly.

Kimberly turned one (blog will follow hopefully soon.)  She has two teeth now and can walk.  She also can climb onto everything and has learned to push stools or other items over to where she wants up and climbs up that way.  She has said Momma, Dadda, and Sheila.  She also says yeah.  But not really talking yet.

That's what has been up mostly.  I shall blog about the big events soon.