And walked...

Grandma works in the sewing room a lot and so we were able to visit her there and even try on some of the clothing.


These are some of the bonnets and shawls that they made in the sewing room. Not only do they make the costumes there but they also store clothing there that have been used in past performances. It is quite the sewing room!


The girls in there "formal" pioneer gear.


Pioneer games...there was a "Pioneer Pastime" area that had games that they might have played in the early 1800s. It was fun for Matt to try and get the girls to walk on these stilts.


The girls were also able to play dress up.

And walked.

We were able to go to many performances while we were there. They were all very enjoyable and told different accounts of what the pioneers felt as they lived in Nauvoo and how they felt when they were told that they had to leave.


The girls loved the play "Anna Amanda" which was a performance geared towards the kids. It started with a short puppet show and then was an awesome show with a lot of dancing and singing that kept the girls entertained!


Before "Sunset on the Mississippi" they had a parade that the kids got to march and play an instrument. It got us all in the mood for the hoedown that followed!


Grandpa in full hoedown mode. It was great to see Grandma and Grandpa Clark in action!


It was a great evening and wonderful entertainment! They had a lot of fun songs and skits that were so fun to watch!


On our final night we went to "Rendezvous" where Grandpa Clark made his debut as the editor (here he is making an announcement to the relief society). He was nervous but he made it through the performance and he did a great job! This was a play about the love that everyone had for Nauvoo and the sadness that they felt when they had to leave. It was an awesome play that we all loved.

Overall Nauvoo was a wonderful expierience. We learned so much and felt such a great spirit. We are so blessed to have Grandma and Grandpa Clark serving their mission there. What an awesome opportunity for them and what wonderful blessings our family recieves from their service! I am excited for the rest of my family to go and visit to be able to feel the spirit and enjoy Nauvoo!

Smiling Happy People

Thomas has started smiling on a pretty regular basis. Annalie has been quick to get the camera and zoom in on him to try and get him in action, hence the close-ups. I am glad to be able to scatter sunshine and share a smile (or two) with you!

Oh what do you do in the Summertime?

I have kind of been slacking as to the things that we have been doing this summer. I have put together a photo blog entry to show the things that we have been doing!

We have a new baby brother Thomas who is growing, growing, growing! He sure is handsome!




We had a Happy Fourth of July...dang we are patriotic! :)



We went to the zoo!





We went down to Garden of the Gods and saw all of the rock formations!

Family picture!


Malorie showing us her muscles!



Matt got this picture right as a bird was flying through the rocks! Pretty great shot!




If you look close you can see there is a man on the ledge in the middle of this formation.



And to show that Thomas was there with us...



We still have a lot of summer in front of us and a lot of pictures to post so stay tuned!

Stages

I have come to learn that kids go through stages. Some are good, some are not. from my last few postings you can see that Malorie is going through a funny stage. She cracks us up on a daily basis. This doesn't mean that she doesn't give us a run for our money, but even on those days she is pretty cute. This also doesn't mean that Annalie and Thomas aren't cute, I just don't have video of them. :)

Annalie has been the BEST big sister for Thomas and she has been a HUGE help for me. Thomas will calm down for only two people, Mom and Annalie.




I love watching these two interact and it is so precious to see Thomas watch Annalie as she comes into the room. He sure is lucky to have a great big sister!

Horton's Who?

Malorie memorized a line from 'Horton Hears a Who'. If you can't understand her, she is saying, "You're finished in this town, you boob!" Although I don't condone my kids calling others a 'boob' it is so cute I couldn't resist posting it. Enjoy!

That's what I am talking about.

I have been able to stay home with the kids since having Thomas and it has been so much fun. It has been quite the adjustment to being the entertainer again but for the most part I am entertained by the kids. Malorie is at the stage where she is a sponge for things that are said. For example we saw an infomercial for a product called 'Smooth Away' and now she has a pretend 'Smooth Away' that she helps us remove unwanted hair with.

Another favorite saying of Malorie's is, "That's what I am talkin' about." This is said when we see something that she likes or it is used when trying to clarify something she says.

I love having Malorie as our "middle child". She is a great playmate for Annalie and she will be a great competitor for Thomas. :) Thus ending my ode to Malorie.