Since we did so many things on the trip, I thought it would be fun to have everyone list their favorite parts of the vacation so you can hear what we each liked the most. This post will tell about the kids' favorite things. It is funny to hear them recall the things they loved best. Some answers we already knew - others were a total surprise.
Tommy (via Mommy):
1. The train yard in Nebraska. He loved watching the cars move and hearing the sounds of the trains.
2. The Family Living Center in Nauvoo - he got to help make yarn from wool, eat pioneer bread, and help make a rope. The rope making machine had Bubba totally entertained. And he really loved the bread.
3. Old fashioned root beer from the Red Brick Store. He was determined to hold the bottle himself and fit the whole bottle inside his mouth. I think half the bottle ended up on his shirt!
4. As many suckers, toys, and Cheetos as he could get his hands on during the drive home. Mommy had given up all hopes of nutritious snacks for the return trip and let Tommy have anything he wanted to keep him happy.
5. Cousins! Tommy was the only baby on this trip so he was surrounded by attentive and loving cousins. It was overwhelming at times, but he mostly enjoyed all the adoration and buddies to play with. Look at all those crazy kids.....totally fun!
6. Swimming in the hotel pool with Daddy in Ogallala, Nebraska. Tommy was all smiles. The pool was a bit chilly so we had to quit after Bubba's lips started turning purple from the cold. But it felt so good to be cool after a hot day in the car. And he loved being with Daddy.
7. First square ice cream cone in Swan Valley. Huckleberry cheesecake ice cream? Yes, please! Yum!
Annie:
1. Getting a prairie diamond ring and a custom miniature horseshoe from the Blacksmith shop. All the kids were given a ring before leaving the shop, but the blacksmith only gave away one horseshoe to our tour group. Annie was sitting so quietly during his demonstration - and we think he loved her red hair - so he gave it to her once his demonstration was finished. It is one of her treasures.
2. Watching the show "Just Plain Anna Amanda". It was a fun show for little ones and the family sang the title song with a slight change "Just Plain Annie Bannanie" to Annie the rest of the week. She loved it. Annie also bonded with her older cousin Amanda; so when the two of them were together we'd call them "Annie-Amanda".
3. Wagon rides and getting to pet the horses. She loves animals so much. Getting to take two different rides, plus getting to pet the horses was a dream for her.
4. Dressing up, playing school, and having tea parties at Pioneer Pastimes. She never wanted to leave this place. We stopped here once every day while in Nauvoo. There were two small log cabins for kids to play in, tons of clothes and games, and lots of cousins to imagine with. Annie really got into the imagination zone setting up the cabin and hosting tea parties. And we had at least half a dozen costume changes in just one day.
5. Eating mulberries. I don't have Annie in any of these mulberry pictures but she said this was one of her highlights. We happened on the berries by accident. We were looking at the quarry where stone was found to build the temple in Nauvoo. Around the quarry were all sorts of berry trees. We asked a missionary what sort of fruit it was and if they were safe to eat. He told us they were mulberries and we could eat as many as we wanted. They tasted like a bland blackberry - but our berry loving Annie really thought they were neat.
6. Seeing a bobcat at the Cabela's headquarters in Sidney, Nebraska. You can see it just over her shoulder in the photo below. She also loved the elephant, but we never got a picture of that. This stop was day one of our trip. She thought the animals were so cool that it was the first thing she told me she liked about the trip after we got home.
7. Sleeping in a hotel, eating pizza, and swimming in Ogallala, Nebraska. I think we could avoid travel and make our kids really happy by just staying in town and getting a room at a hotel with a pool once or twice a year. Annie was happy to swim and sleep at a hotel. She loves the good life.
Lily:
1. Pioneer Pastimes! This was her absolute favorite place in Nauvoo. She wanted to go every day - sometimes twice in one day. She loved playing house, holding school, and learning how to wash clothes and cook like a pioneer. All the dress up clothes were a big hit. Multiple costume changes were required daily.
2. Getting to make a hat and march in the pioneer parade. They were supposed to wear the hats for the parade, but Lily's kept blowing off and Annie didn't like the way hers turned out. The girls were so excited to hold up their flags and march. And Lily and Annie both learned about saluting the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance.
3. Madilyn! These two love to see each other during family vacations. Boy do we wish they lived closer! They were hugging and holding hands all the time. They are like two peas in a pod.
4. Staying up late with Mom and Dad for a special program and getting to see her first firefly! Sunday night we walked the Trail of Hope - the road the pioneers traveled to leave Nauvoo and ferry across the Mississippi River. At different spots along the road, actors told stories from some of the pioneers who left Nauvoo. Lily was most interested in seeing fireflies that night. We had tried to find some bugs all week but it must have been too early in the season for them. It was exciting to see a few that night. Grammy and Grampy were able to come with us, which made the night more special. Lily said she liked getting to stay up way past bedtime and that the pioneer stories gave her a warm feeling in her heart.
5. Watermelon candy from Grammy at the Red Brick Store! Tommy loved the root beer but Lily and Annie were thrilled to get a huge piece of old fashioned candy from Grammy. Their tongues were bright pink for a whole day.
6. Square ice cream cones in Swan Valley. We were nearly home, but after two days and nearly 24 hours of driving, we needed a break. This ice cream stop helped our last 45 minutes of a two-day driving trip pass pleasantly. And it was super delicious! Lily said it was totally worth the ice cream head ache. Too bad we forgot to get a picture of the square cones before any of us ate them. We'll have to go back.
7. The Nauvoo Temple. Lily was amazed by its size and beautiful grounds. She liked the red stars in the windows. All month prior to this trip in Primary Lily learned "I Love to See the Temple" in sign language. She got to do it for the family one night and was excited to show her cousins.
That's it for the kids! More from Mommy and Daddy to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment