A New Game

Milah had been touching her toes to the other end of the tub, then she was kicking around the ducky, then she started waiting until the ducky was in between her ankles and squeezing the ducky! She did it over and over and over and over for like 15 minutes! Pretty cute -- and smart :)

Bath Time Fun

Today in the bath Milah learned she could kick the bath water for the first time and she splashed and splashed and splashed until she absolutely covered our counter and floor with water! She LOVED it! And I introduced her to Mrs. Ducky and she loved her too :) It is getting so fun to interact with her!

Can you tell what Milah learned to do?

She learned to grab anything and everything -- especially her favorite blanket!

Favorite pickies

Happy Groundhog Day

...ok it's not really groundhog day but I have my own little groundhog at home with me

Our Performing Missionary -- A Visit to Nauvoo

I got to see my sister!!!!

I loved seeing my family again! We had people from both sides; Mom, Grandpa, McKay, Nana, Bo, Savannah, Dad, and me are all pictured here. Also, Jess, Morgan, Grandma, and Gracie were here :)

It seems like it's so much longer when Milah is growing so quickly! 

Milah loves her grandma :)

 Fun girl time opening the most darling little outfit for Milah that Mom and Savannah had picked out. It is a cute little sea life hot pink outfit with the most darling skirt and sun hat! 

 McKay was experimenting with his photography skills. We sure love doting on little Milah!

 One of my favorite things about the visit was the time I got to spend with Eden. We seemed so much closer this time; as she transitions into womanhood and moves on her own, I felt her looking to me for guidance and an example and I felt a stronger bond of sisterhood than I've felt before. I was able to take some time to tell her how amazing she is at getting through her hard trials and how much the Lord loves her. We talked about the man she's looking for -- someone just like Dan of course :) Ok, so her own version of Dan who is that perfect for her. The thing she expressed that was most important to her is a man who is happy in every situation, and doesn't just have a "bad day" where they don't want to be talked to. I like that, because Dan is just that :) his day is always a great one!

These were special moments. Somehow with missionaries you miss them even more because you can't talk to them! 

 Elder Solomon (below, to the right) is such a nice guy, I especially loved his testimony here on the Trail of Hope where the Young Performing Missionaries acted out the journal entries of the early saints.

                       

           Eden loved seeing all the extended family!

          Eden loved seeing Milah again :)

And so did Savannah!!!!!

Milah said hi back and forth with my Dad about 16 times :)

 The beginning of High Hopes and Riverboats. This guy was hilarious and was holding the flowers above Eden's head and of course she is so short she was jumping up to try to reach them and he was teasing her!

At the close of High Hopes and Riverboats Performance

The Nauvoo Pageant, I thoroughly enjoyed. That is Eden on the right.

I loved this part! The guys were doing a great skit involving eggs. They did it fast, slow, kung-fu, and cheerleader style. It was so funny, our sides hurt!

Eden sang her little heart out with the biggest smile constantly throughout her 6 performances a day!

 McKay and I loved these beautiful pink flowers! I remember talking to Dan this night and how wonderful he was; reading his scriptures and fasting about his job. He is such a great spiritual leader of our family who magnifies his priesthood!

Cutie Milah was a trooper throughout the entire performances. This was the day my family and I went to the Nauvoo temple. It had a special spirit in that temple. I loved seeing the beautiful winding staircase and the beautiful interior of the temple including the early saints' special antiques. The ordinances in the temple were truly given to Joseph Smith from Heavenly Father. I know we are saved by the work and that we can also do the work for our dead. This links families together throughout eternity. How important it is to give everything we have and all of our talents to the to the church of God on earth. Heavenly Father is so loving that He wants us to return to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ, our Redeemer who truly made an atonement for me and for you. He beckons us to use this atonement to become clean and forgiven of our sins. How grateful I am that Joseph Smith restored the priesthood of God on earth. 

"I too can testify this is the Christ the Holy Son of God, our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind. This is the Christ the healer of our souls who ransomed us with purest love Divine."

Spiral Staircase

Where the early presidents of the church spoke to the people

 We loved spending time with Eden in during this Sunset on the Mississipi performance and did it every single night because we got to talk to her the most when the little kids were called up to march with the performers in the band -- I always joined in, of course! I can pass for a 16 year old if it means I get sister time!


A BIG thanks to Mom and Dad for providing the glorious home where we all got our own comfy beds, food for all of us (most of which Mom brought all the way from good 'ol Wyo because there wasn't much in Nauvoo), and for paying for me to fly out! I am so so grateful I didn't miss this blessed experience!

Traveling to Nauvoo

On the way out, we got three of these huge seats to ourselves! I was so glad because Milah spit up about 2/3 cup, covering the diaper bag, handle, seat, her clothes, my shirt, and the floor. I felt so badly it almost made me cry because it was coming out of her nose. Other than that it was an amazing flight! She only cried for a few minutes of flight #3 out of 4, and that was when her ears hurt from the altitude. Everyone loved her and I had some great missionary experiences on the flights. On one of the flights, there was a 17 year old young man and he was very into his religion and was a guitar player for his worship group. On the 2.5 hour flight we talked the entire flight about miracles he's seen in his life and that I've seen and when he's felt inspired by the spirit to say something comforting to someone else. We quoted scripture and I told him I was speaking on "All things work together for our good" Sunday and he gave me great ideas!

This is how we traveled :) 

I noticed a man staring at me and I wondered if he was LDS because of his funny look on his face. He turned out to be the man I rode next to on flight #3. He told me he had been feeling immense guilt that he made his wife go through this and he just kept marveling how I traveled like this in such an organized manner. He wanted to do ANYTHING he could to help. He carried that little blue backpack for me and wanted to walk with me to my last destination. In the end, I invited him to come to dinner and a Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert with Dan and me when he is in Park City in August. I really would like Dan to meet this kind man so I hope he takes me up on it! 

Carthage

On the car ride to Carthage it began raining and by the time we entered Carthage it was absolutely pouring! Grandma, Milah, and I waited it out in the car and then bolted to the visitors center and in that short run across the street we were soaked!

Outside near the well where Joseph fell. The statue as a tribute to Joseph and Hyrum.

This is the window where Joseph fell out of the jail. A very sad, hallowed place. I felt heavy, claustrophobic, like I couldn't breathe in the jail. Joseph lived great, he died great! How grateful I am for this man and his and Emma's marvelous sacrifice to bring me the gospel that saves me!

A/C

We LOVE this thing! It saves us on the hot days! 

Milah is 3 Months Old!!!!!

A few MILESTONES of note as Milah turns 3 Months Old.

Milah loves her Grandma LaLa!

She LOVES shiny things. Anything shiny is her favorite! She still can't get over the brass light fixtures, she smiles and gooes at it.

The other day she was looking at herself in the mirror and when she would smile and make the sucking-in-air high pitched giggly squeal it would make her do it more and more until she would cough. Oh man it made me laugh!

She is SO intent on looking at this yellow flower pattern on the quilt. She LOVES it! Especially one day this week it seemed like she just noticed that specific pattern. It would draw her into a trance from across the room and all she wanted to do was sit there and study it...while I nursed, over my shoulder, sitting in her boppy. Get this, then she started TALKING to it in her baby words. Milah, that's what you do with me! Not with a blanket! It made me laugh so hard because she has this specific turtle face that she makes. It looks just like this: 

 

You are hilarious my little one! 

Today was a big MILESTONE, Milah learned to grab objects! We were sitting there in church and I was wearing a big, shiny necklace. Milah noticed it, fixed her eyes on it, and went for it. She learned a few days ago that her hand was her own, but we saw her for the first time jerkily move her  right hand (the left is not so developed so that one took a while) towards my necklace and touch it. Then she wrapped her fingers around the necklace and it was all hers! She could move it, shake it around etc. She was so focused and intent! We loved it!