Little Tidbits

I'm sorry it has been so long since I last posted.  Time just gets away from me sometimes. 
We are continuing to adjust out here.  Marc is enjoying work and learning more and more.  He has been to two conferences this month.  He was in New Jersey for a couple of days and then has just returned home from Arizona where he was for a few days.  Luckily the next traveling he does will be done with the whole family when we return to Utah for Christmas. 

Coleman is doing very well in school.  He is learning a lot and quickly making new friends.  He is reading well and has become a little math wiz.  Coleman is also becoming known at the library for his lego creations during Lego Club.  He takes after his father there.  He has been incredibly helpful with his little brother and sister.  Most mornings he has started getting everyone their breakfast before I even get out to the kitchen.

Campbell had a bit of a rough start with preschool.  We were so anxious to get him into one that we chose poorly and he ended up in more of a daycare type situation than a preschool.  Thankfully, our prayers were answered and there was an opening in a very good school which is still free.  He LOVES his new school and has made new friends and is incredibly excited to go to school everyday.

Campbell has taught himself to read by watching his older brother and now reads to us each night from The Berenstain Bear books or Dick and Jane books.  It is fun to watch the boys reading together.

Addison has developed quite a personality.  She is equal parts angel and devil.  She went from refusing to talk to talking non-stop and when she doesn't think she's being heard - she yells.  And boy does that girl have a set of lungs.  It's not too bad at home but my heavens in public, it can be a nightmare.  She loves to follow in her brothers footsteps.  She wants to do whatever they are doing, to play whatever they are playing.  They are pretty patient with her thankfully.  Addison has discovered that she loves puzzles as much as her brothers but any sort of coloring, painting, stamping, creating is her passion.  Most days her entire body is covered in color.  She's like a little moving rainbow.

 

My time is up - we have to run to church.  Coleman is giving a talk today in Primary.  It is amazing.  Just a few months ago, back home in Utah when he spoke in primary, he needed someone to help him read his talk.  Now, he can just stand up there and read it.  It is great.  I treasure these little moments that are making up our journey out here. 

Miss you all.  See most of you soon! 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

Halloween

Coleman's school had a Halloween Party.  Campbell's school had a Halloween Party.  We went to a neighborhood Halloween Party.  We were kind of partied out by the time it got around to Trick-or-Treating.  Because we had the different parties we had a couple of different costumes.  Coleman went as Spiderman and as a wizard.  Campbell went as Spiderman and a purple dragon.  Addison went as a fairy princess and as a butterfly.  Marc and I went as a pair of dice.

 I love the look on Addie's face with this one.

And now some of the whole family....

 

Most important lesson learned from Halloween 2009 -

STAY AWAY FROM THE WITCHES BREW!!

Our First Few Days

We settled in a bit trying to unpack everything.  Here are a couple of pics taken about the house.  Now looking at them it is obvious we need to take some more so y'all can see our home.

This is a shot looking into the master bedroom.  The front door is just off the the left.

This was the lovely queen size airbed that all 5 of us attempted to sleep on the first couple of nights.

Coleman in his new bunk bed.

Campbell on his new bed.

Coleman's first day at his new school.

The dry bar has become our makeshift computer area.  The kids love to play their little games and actually take turns.  Just not enough seats.

More pictures to come......

Odd Things Along the Way

After Nauvoo we didn't have any place or anyone in particular to visit.  So we looked for odd things along the way to get out and stretch our legs for a bit and to take the pictures of course!

The St. Louis Missouri Temple

Some crazy cat statue

Notice we are all doing our "Psycho Eyes"

Marc with the weight of the world - no wait - the weight of a gigantic eyeball on his shoulders.

Campbell holding that little eyeball in the palm of his hand.

The famous St. Louis Arch - on the go - but it looks really cool.

We came across Metropolis, Illinois, home of Superman, by accident.  We really just needed to pee and lo and behold - Dum Da Da Dum - SUPERMAN!  It was definitely a hit with the kids!

Practicing the correct superhero pose

Our very own Superman!

Don't we look good?

Superman Coleman

Superman Campbell

Supergirl Addison

The pouting begins - but ends quickly.

Lousy phone booth - doesn't even close so that you could pretend to be Clark Kent becoming Superman.

The White House

You know, the one in Atlanta, that someone has created to be a near exact replica of the real thing.

 The only drawback to the Atlanta White House was being attacked by swarms of mosquitos.  We were itching for days.

Shortly after this picture was taken, we made our way into Florida - and that's when the real adventure started.

Nauvoo

We made it to Nauvoo and got to go on a wagon ride.  We were the last ones to hop on and had to squeeze the 5 of us onto a seat meant for 2.  It was nice and cozy though since it was quite chilly.

We were able to visit The Sandstroms, family friends who are on their mission in Nauvoo.  Sister Judy Sandstrom showed us the lovely print shop.

Brother John Sandstrom showed us the Brickyard, where each child got their own Nauvoo brick, and Brother Sandstrom showed off his raccoon - his own special, personal project.

 

Our ever studious children loved spending time in the old schoolhouse.

 

 

 The covered wagon ride was a lot of fun.  We compared our trip across the country to the pioneers heading west and asked the kids how they would feel about stuffing all of our belongings into this small covered wagon instead of our huge moving van and having to travel in the walking and in the wagon.  They weren't thrilled with the idea of walking but they were sure gung-ho to trade in the mini-van and moving truck for the covered wagon.  They thought "It was AWESOME!"

 

Nauvoo had so much to offer and we wish we had more time to spend there.  We are definitely looking forward to returning and spending more time to explore it all and it will help for the kids to be just a tad older.  But so grateful for all that we were able to do in the short time we had.

The Great Mississippi - River That Is

We made it to the Mississippi River and had another opportunity to let the kids just run wild and free.  It was incredibly windy but so very nice to stretch our legs!

We made it for the very last tour of The Carthage Jail.

The hole in the door from the bullet that killed Hyrum Smith.  And the window that Joseph Smith fell from.

 The Carthage Jail and two brothers holding hands supporting one another just like Hyrum and Joseph.

We then played in some of the corn fields pretending we were in Field of Dreams just in Illinois instead of Iowa.

After another crazy night trying to sleep we were ready to head out to spend the day in Nauvoo!

So far the road trip has actually been quite fun!