August

Every time we go to the farm store the kids always beg for overalls. Knowing they don't have enough pants for winter finally made me cave.

We went on an 8 mile bike ride in Manhattan a few weeks ago. The weather was nice due to the rain the night before, but that also meant mud and muddy puddles too tempting for a five and seven year old.

Camilla and Mary Emma and I went to the library's American Girl Tea Party. We had a good time.

This past Tuesday we went into Topeka to visit some museums. First stop was the art museum to see the Lego exhibit. We took a picture of the traffic light just for grandpa.

Next we went to the Brown vs. Board of Education National Historic Site for a couple more Junior Ranger Badges. I am always amazed when I go there how evil people can truly be, and how braves others are in the face of discrimination.

What's Your Name?

Jacob taught Mary Emma to say her full name. She says it with such gusto we had to take a video of it for you all to see.

Enjoying Kansas

We only have four more months here in Kansas and so we are planning and making lists of all the things we want to do before we leave. With a nice long prairie bike ride out of the question this past weekend due to the terrible heat, I suggested we take a day trip to Western Kansas to see some of the things we have been wanting to see. En route we came upon this bus/truck. Jacob turned the van around just to get a picture. Some of the things people have done with buses around here still amazes us.

The first stop was Pawnee Rock, a historic landmark along the Santa Fe Trail.

Here's a better view.

Next we headed to Ft. Larned National Historic Site. Where we had a Hansel and Gretel moment with Hyrum in the huge oven. Mary Emma was very worried about there being spiders in there.

Next we attached the boy to the old ball and chain.

Camilla in the schoolroom/church working on her Junior Ranger Booklet.

Here's a better view of the Fort from the cemetery. One thing we found interesting about the fort is that all of the soldiers were there on assignment from Ft. Riley.

As part of the historic site are wagon ruts on the Santa Fe trail. The children and I are standing in the ruts.

I read an article a couple of years ago about this grain elevator anomaly near Kinsley, KS. Most towns have grain elevators and several have the old wooden ones from the early 1900s but this ghost town has two within about a hundred feet from each other right off the track of the Attichson, Topeka, and the Santa Fe rail line. I have always wanted to see them and finally had my chance.

What Kinsley can claim.

We had fun and can now check a few more things off our list.

Down on the Farm

This month we had the opportunity to pretend we were country folk. It all started with the Junction City Annual Rodeo.

Let me preface this. When I was four or five years old my brother packed me into his car to take me to see a rodeo. I was so excited, but when we got there he had gotten the date wrong. Although I forgave him, I have also longed to attend a rodeo ever since. So the other day when we were driving around town and I saw a sign advertising the rodeo the very next night I couldn't help but try to convince a very unenthused husband to take us. However, he loves me and so we went.

The kids got into the swing of things too and ran out to participate with the other kids in one of the events. They were supposed to run after a calf and pull a ribbon off it's tail to win. They didn't win but they had a good time.

Camilla has been mesmerized by the rodeo queens and other female rodeo contenders and now has a dream of riding in the rodeo. In this terrible heat wave we have had out here in the midwest, the girl invariably comes upstairs in long sleeves and long pants wearing the hat Jacob had on trek so she can look like a cowgirl. We have had a lot of tears lately as we make her go change into shorts and a t-shirt.

But as for my unenthused husband. . . he had a really good time too.

The next day some friends of ours were killing off most of their chickens and we were invited to come and participate and take home our kill.

Jacob the executioner was really intrigued by this part. Seeing a chicken killed was the whole reason he wanted to go.

Plucking the chicken. I compartmentalized this ordeal the entire time or I would never have gotten through it.

Camilla is a country girl.

Jacob gutting the chicken. Now that the ordeal is over and they are in my freezer, I simply cannot bear the thought of them. Perhaps Jacob will have to cook them too.

A Busy Summer

In May we took a trip down to Arkansas to visit Hot Springs National Monument.

We were pretty excited about the possibility of seeing an alligator, but unfortunately we only heard them.

At Hot Springs in the old men's bathhouse.

Junior Ranger Badges.

We had planned to do a great deal of hiking in the Ozarks, but it just kept raining, and I got really sick. We never got to hike down to a waterfall, but we did see this double rainbow.

In June we went to a bi-plane show in Junction City.

Camilla was miserable, but Hyrum was in heaven.

In June we also had our annual fondue night. Camilla now wants fondue instead of a birthday cake.

In June Jacob was able to participate as an uncle in the stake youth trek in Oklahoma.

In June we also bought me a new bike, a recumbent. I no longer am in almost constant pain while I ride, and now I have to watch to make sure I don't leave the rest of the family in the dust! With me getting my picture taken, though, everyone else felt they needed equal recognition.

Hyrum in his fourth of July shorts I made for him.

I love, love, love, love, love, love, love, my bike!!!!!!

Mary Emma's fourth of July skirt I made.

Camilla's fourth of July skirt I made.

Notice Mary's finger.

July 1st Jacob was promoted to Captain, and on the 5th of July we had the ceremony.

The Cake

A better view of the skirts I made.

Look at the railroad tracks (captain bars) on Jacob's chest. Isn't he hadsome!

Bugs, Birds, Nutcrackers, Teeth, Easter Dresses, and The Declaration of Independance

Here is what we have been up to for the last couple of months.

In March we went to the Insect Zoo at K State.

I took this one for you Jeanette.

Also in March, we went to Nebraska to see the annual migration of the Sand Hill Cranes. I was really excited but it turned out kind of lame. We were misinformed and missed being able to see the cranes up close, and we didn't bring binoculars either.

We did see some cool things though, like this beaver.

Mom, when we stopped to get gas on the way home from the temple a couple of weeks ago, we had to stop and take a picture. The midwest sure can be interesting.

It finally happened, Hyrum lost his first tooth. I told Jacob to not take his picture in front of the bathtub, but as you can see Barbie made it into the picture too.

Easter Dresses! For all the headache Mary Emma's dress gave me and the minor issues with Camilla's dress, they both turned out really cute. Hyrum is dashing in his new suit too.

We took a quick trip this week to President Eisenhower's Museum in Abilene to see The Declaration of Independence. It obviously wasn't the original copy, but was one of the first 200 copies made . You might remember the story of the guy who found it behind a painting he bought at the thrift store. This was that copy. It was really cool and was only here for a couple of days so we rushed over to see it after school this week. We couldn't take a picture of it, and so after the kids declared their independence on the wall outside (we all wrote our names on the posters they are standing by) we took a picture of that.

A Little Snow to Last for a Few Years

We have made a decision. We are moving back to Phoenix and Jacob will pursue an RN. Thus, when it snowed this weekend, we decided to take full advantage, using two days to make a snow fort. We will miss the snow, but look forward to being with family again.