Time well spent

the view from my parents' living room--The Mississippi River

I think a mark of a good vacation is tired feet.  We have been busy.  We are taking a short breather and then we'll get back to the business of vacationing.

I keep feeling happy that my sisters are going to bring their families here to spend time with my parents too.  I wish we could all be here together (but imagine the line for the bathroom).

Here's what we've been up to (this is where I warn you that a lot of pictures are to follow):

We took a carriage ride yesterday.  My dad was the narrator and another teamster did the driving.

Oh yeah, and we took Horace with us.

My dad:  telling us about the area's history.  That's my crazy hair off to the side.  Blame the humidity.

The nice (and really tall) horses.  My dad is 6'6".

We went to a show:

Young Performing Missionaries presented a puppet show and a play.

very talented kids

The children got to sit in the front row and Mark loved it:

They had us all stand up and sing Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree.  Even though it was a roomful of strangers from all over, we all knew the same song.  :)

We took a tour in the print shop where my mom was working.  She taught us about how they made the newspaper in old Nauvoo.

We also toured the John Taylor home with her.  Since we knew the tour guide, we were able to slip Horace in for a photo op.

This horse belonged to John Taylor's little boy.  When they left Nauvoo, it was left behind.  A few days later, John Taylor came back for it because his little boy cried for it.  Very sweet.  Horace thought so too.

I loved spending time with my mom.

My mom made each of the kids a hat.  Emma is sporting hers in this picture.

 We were able to take Braeden and Emma to the temple to do proxy baptisms.  It was a wonderful experience.  I may have cried.

Last night we went to a performance of Sunset on the Mississippi, which my parents are a part of also. 

Before, there was a children's parade:

My dad carried a flag when they honored the armed forces:

My parents, the performers...

Today we went on a wagon ride.  My mom was the narrator and my dad drove the team.

Horace, the Percheron horses that pulled us along and my dad's leg...

My parents, after the wagon ride...my mom is holding Horace.  (She is a good sport.)

My mom took us on a tour of a schoolhouse. 

Mark and I brushed up a little on his math.

Here we are outside of the school.  It looks like we carefully orchestrated our clothes to match.  We didn't.  This is what happened to be clean and at the top of everyone's suitcases.  Sometimes things just turn out nicely.