Silver Dollar City

I lived in Springfield from around age 5 until I went to college at 18 and then a few summers afterward, but I had never been to Silver Dollar City until this week.

We weren't planning on making a trip to MO this year with Noelle being so young, but when we found out that Jeff was bringing his two youngest to visit we decided that just me and the boys would make the trip.

Beau and Carter (both 8) and Pierce, Cash, and Clarie (all 6) had a blast together. This was enough fun it may have to become an annual trip.

Nauvoo

The last time I was in Nauvoo was on a Youth Conference when I was probably 13. It has changed a lot since then. We ended our cross-country trek with a couple days taking in the pageant and exploring the old city.

It's really amazing what the early saints accomplished despite the many trials they endured. Brigham Young (who's home we're visiting in picture #2) said that after we pass to the other side if we want to visit places that once existed and see how the people lived he thinks we'll be permitted to do it (Journal of Discourses, 4:231). Add Nauvoo in the 1840s to my list of places I'll go to see.

Dickerson Park Zoo

One of the must-do's on every trip to Springfield is the zoo.

With the petting zoo and being able to feed the giraffes this zoo lets you get much more up close and personal with the animals than our zoo in Salt Lake. Not to mention all the space and trees it feels like these animals actually have a little wilderness.

New Cousin Cora

We got to meet Cora this week as Marta's sister and brother in-law came into town and had Cora's baby blessing in Orem. Noelle is just a few weeks older so it was fun to see these two little girls side-by-side.

It's pretty amazing that on Marta's side of the family we all had 7 boys in a row. Then this year the trend was broken and a new one has begun - 3 girls in a row.