Thanksgiving

We had family for Thanksgiving!! We haven't been with family for 5 years, so it was a lot of fun to have Crystal and Mike come over from Indiana.

We started off the feasting with a pie party on Wednesday night. We had way too much pie--it was great!







Thanksgiving we cooked and cooked all morning (well Crystal and I did while Nate and Mike played football at the church and the girls happily made messes all over the house:)
Then we ate and played all afternoon and evening.



Sadly, Crystal and Mike had to go Friday morning.
We went to St. Louis on Friday and Saturday so we could go to the temple. We also walked across the Mississippi River on a bridge that used to be old Route 66--it was amazing!

It's a Girl!!

We found out a couple weeks ago that we will be having another girl (3 for 3) in early April!!

Jessi in Italian

So, I have been swapping babysitting for voice lessons with my friend for a couple months. I really haven't been practicing enough, but I guess enough for Jessica to catch on to some of the song I have been learning.

I just busted out laughing when Jessica sang this to me yesterday. I had her sing it to Nate and he recorded her. (Please forgive his snort in the middle as he tries to hold back laughter.)

Catching Up

So, I haven't blogged in a long time... We did make it back from Vermont to Illinois at the end of the summer. We have been having a lot of fun in Illinois for our final year here.

The first of October we went on a camp out with our friends the Bairs. It was great fun, but it got COLD that night and in the morning (you may notice Emily's purple lips.)





(Spencer asking Jessica if she wants to go for a spin! Maybe someday...)





Jessi even got to try fishing for a few minutes.



Nate went to Mt. Rushmore for a conference. He decided that his face would be number 5!!









My sisters Janice and Crystal came for a very fun visit. Janice flew out from Utah and Crystal came over from Indiana. We went to Nauvoo and Chicago and played around town as well. We had a blast!

Nauvoo


A walk in Busey Woods




Willis Tower (Sears Tower--do you think the new name will ever stick?)


"The Bean" at Millenium Park, Chicago


HALLOWEEN

At the pumpkin patch


Fairy Emily (She loved carrying around her magic wand and headband, and was just a little doll about it!)


Jessica wearing a Madeline costume (not to be confused with Jessica being Madeline.) If she was asked "who are you?" she'd give the answer "Bambi" or "Belle" and I tried to get her to tack on, "but my costume is Madeline"....I guess she is only rarely Jessica although she wears Jessica clothes...


The Jack's Jack-o-lanterns (Nate's is the ship, mine the owl)

Maine

We took a trip to Maine last weekend and it is beautiful! We went to Moody Beach Saturday morning. It is a good thing our girls are early risers (they very cheerfully woke us up in the hotel at 5:45) because the beach got really crowded, but when we first got there it wasn't bad at all.

I hadn't ever been in an ocean warm/safe enough to swim in (Oregon was too cold for me last year) and it was super fun! Jessi really enjoyed being in the water with Dad.



Emily mainly enjoyed the wet sand, she filled this bucket over and over again!



Jessica found a very large seashell!



Nate swimming in the waves.



We had to try a "lobster roll" which is a big thing in New England. Basically it is lobster on bread with butter--and it is really good. Even Jessica liked lobster!



Emily really enjoyed her hotdog!



Last of all we saw Cape Neddick Lighthouse.



It was on an island so we couldn't go in or see it up close, but the island was really close and very beautiful! This is more what we pictured Maine like--big rocks down to the ocean...

Dress Up

It looks like my girls are going to like dressing up as much as my sister, Crystal and I did! Jessica wears her Snow White costume about every other day, but since that is the only costume around, they find whatever they can!



(Notice the way she buttoned it up.)



I guess Emily thought these placemats were bibs and she wasn't content until I had tucked all six of them in her shirt!

Boston

We had a very timely trip to see Boston over the 4th of July weekend, and got to see many inspiring sites of those who gave or were willing to give their lives for freedom.

But first thing we had to go see the ducklings from "Make Way for Ducklings" one of Jessica's favorite books in Boston Public Square. We also loved seeing some of the other things Robert McCloskey brought to life in this book--Beacon Hill, Louisburg Square, the state house and the pond in the public garden.



Jessica was way excited when she first saw Mrs. Mallard and her 8 ducklings that she rushed right over to them. Emily was right on her heels and climbed right on one of the ducklings.



We also got to ride on one of the swan boats! (Also in the book.)



Then we walked along "Freedom Trail" and saw many interesting sites.

The Massachusetts State House



Old City Hall



Boston Harbor



We had to take a break in the middle so we went back to the hotel so Emmy could nap and Jessi and Dad went swimming. The water was really cold and Jessica was just shivering and shivering but would not get out she was having so much fun!!



Paul Revere House



Paul Revere Statue



Old North Church



U.S.S. Constitution



Bunker Hill Monument



The next day we went to Lexington and Concord where the Revolutionary War began.

Lexington Green





I also got to tour the Louisa May Alcott home!! (Wrote "Little Women".) Thanks to Nate who watched the girls--it would've been disastrous to try to keep them from touching anything, and I was really able to listen and enjoy it--it was wonderful!!



Then we drove down to Plymoth and saw Plymoth Rock, which was MUCH smaller than I imagined. I pictured a huge rock jutting out into the ocean--not so, but it was still neat to see. (I guess it was 3 times bigger when they landed...)



We also saw a recreation of the Mayflower--Mayflower II.



Finally we just found a beach on the Atlantic Ocean so we could play. The girls LOVED it, and so did we!! When Emily sees water it means pick up rocks and throw--watch out! (She gets it from her Dad.)