Catching up!

It is almost the end of January and I better catch up on what has been going on!  I am glad the month has gone by fast though because it has been cold and dreary many of the days. Today it reminds me of a winter wonderland though because everything is frosted and it has stayed that way most of the day.
  Last week Caitlin got back from Hawaii and brought me this beautiful orchid leigh to wear, (we both wore them to church) It smelled wonderful and made me feel like it wasn't so wintery outside.



We celebrated Tydon's birthday and I took pictures but they are still on  my phone.  He was so excited for his birthday and I have some cute pictures of him looking, longingly at his Spiderman cake.  He loooves Spiderman!  We then celebrated Lincoln's birthday the next week, Tydon was excited about celebrating his birthday as well.

He is 2!! I can't believe it! and Tydon is 4!!

I caught Lincoln celebrating!

This is the picture I thought I took.

Even Trevor wondered what was happening with all of this celebrating.

Getting ready for the Happy Birthday singing.

He loved the cake, yes, he almost ate this whole big piece!

An appropriate gift for a little boy named Lincoln!

McKenly also celebrated her first birthday on the 27th, Happy Birthday McKenly!

Trevor.

These pictures were taken on New Year's day, (I know I am just getting around to getting them up, It is still January!)

We went snowmobiling and sledding.

Go Isaac and Mary!

Jessica and Caitlin.  and Caitlin's dogs wishing they could sled too!

Of course it was cold and the best place to warm up is here.

Jessica stayed in a little long and her hair started frosting up!

Yes, it was cold outside.

I am looking forward to February but I am not thinking spring is going to be coming any time soon!

More of Nebraska...

I have been home today and I have been thinking of this cute little face.

I miss her little smile and her nice hugs.

While we were there we went to the Church history sites and visited the place in Church history called winter quarters.

This is where the temple in Nebraska is located as well.

We got there right before dark but was able to get this picture before we went in.

They also had ginger bread house displays here as well.

Here is the biggest gingerbread house in the room!

Some one went to a lot of work making all of these houses.

Here is one made like the temple.

This is an easy and quick idea to do with some YW. I will have to remember this one for next year.

We then went upstairs and saw the exhibits that they had and was given the tour by a nice sister missionary.  Sofia does not like to wear shoes, it seems we were always getting her shoes back on.

Here is pioneer Jones looking very comfortable with his team of oxen.

The sister helped us find clothes to dress up in.  Livy was quite particular about what clothes she wore, here is what she finally ended up with.

Jaedon, looking quite rugged in his pioneer hat.

Jaedon and Olivia pulling the hand cart, it was easy until they came to the rocks under the wheels.

Sofia liked this purple apron, it looks more like a super pioneer cape to me.

Don't you love Olivia's big smile!

Jaedon and Livy were very attentive during the tour.  Sofia is a little distracted by the photographer.

What a sweet pioneer babe.

They had a contest to see who could load their wagon first, or I should say in 30 seconds.

Liv is getting right on the packing.

Jaedon waiting for the GO!

They had some replica's of the bunks that were on the ships coming to America.  3 people slept in each bunk every night, that is 3 in the top and 3 in the bottom. (now that is a tight squeeze.)

They thought it would be fun to sleep like that.

Jon is now trying his hand at the hand cart waiting for the rocks.

They made it to Salt Lake!!! Too bad the temple was not really there to greet the pioneers when they came into the valley.

Pioneer Jones taking a closer look.

It was a fun evening, I should have taken some pictures of when we went to eat at Texas Roadhouse, we waited for an hour to get in and ate lots of peanuts!!

It is good that I have pictures when I am missing these little beaners!

A trip to the zoo!

The day before we left Nebraska we made a trip to the cool zoo that they have there.  It was awesome and believe it or not the temperature that day was a balmy, sunny 52 degrees!  It was so fun!

The first area that we explored was the jungle, when you enter this area, you really feel like you are in the jungle.  Here is Jaedon in one of the camps before you get into the deep jungle!

Here we are braving the bridge across the deep ravine.

See how cool it is!

Jaedon and Olivia found a vine swing!

What is down there Mr. Jones?

There were monkeys and birds and all sorts of tropical animals.

We then went to the butterfly house.

The butterflies were all around you and beautiful.

There was even this cute bird that would let you touch it!

Sofia is not sure if she wants to touch it or not.

We then went to the aquarium. The penguins met us there.

You can really get up close and personal with the fish by stepping inside the bubble.

Here they are in the bubble.

Yes, there were sharks!

and jelly fish!

Then we went to the desert.

The temperature in here was hot and dry.

I'm not sure what they were looking at.

The cactus.

the rock bench.

Next we went down into the bayou, where we saw the creatures of the night.  It was dark so I couldn't take many pictures here, but you were in the swamps and all of the animals were very active because it was dark and they couldn't see you.

Jaedon the gorilla! 

 We probably only explored a 3rd of the zoo this day, it is a huge zoo!

We then drove to Iowa, which by the way is very close and visited the Kanesville tabernacle.

I had not known much about this site in Church history but the pioneers built this tabernacle in 3 weeks so that they could sustain the prophet Brigham Young. This is before winter quarters.

Inside the tabernacle they had some great gingerbread house displays.

I think I am going to try and make this one next year, isn't it great!

The 3 little pigs.

The polar express.

Whoville.

I loved the thatched roof on this one.

It was great and the weather was wonderful, especially because we came home to a blizzard!