Maid of the Mist and Baseball Hall of Fame

We also went on the Maid of the Mist boat to the center of the Canadian side of Niagra Falls. This was AMAZING! Shawn said he could have stood on the boat for hours just looking around him at the falls. This is one area that Canada definitely has the U.S. The American side of the falls is okay, not super spectatcular, but the horseshoe rind of the Canadian side is incredible.

We also stopped in Cooperstown at the Baseball Hall of Fame. This was an other really neat adventure. We saw Babe Ruth's shot calling bat, Cy Young's jersey, Jackie Robinson's awards jersey, everthing. It was fun to see the early 20th century baseball memoribilia especially. One of my favorite things was a case that contained the bat guitar that John Fogerty used, as well as the lyrics to the song he wrote paying homeage to baseball called Centerfield. I love this song!

We had a great trip and loved traveling with Julie, Kelly, and Jake. They always make our trips so much fun, there is never a dull moment and the kids take full advantage of having Grandma and Grandpa with them. Thanks for making the trip out you guys... we had a ball!

Being Serenaded by the MoTab in the Sacred Grove...Priceless

We had the great opportunity to have Shawn's mom and dad, and brother Jake out to visit us this past week; and taking advantage of our location decided to visit Palmyra (home of Joseph Smith, Jr.), Niagra Falls, and the Baseball Hall of Fame. We started off at the Sacred Grove, the weather was beautiful and sunny, and we were soaking up all the beauty of the trees there, and within 10 minutes of being there, the heaven's opened and poured HEAPING drops of rain on us. It seriously was like standing underneath a running facet. Our pour kids were getting soaked and I took off with Lyv in the stroller trying to find cover. In the end were were soaked to the bone and had to change clothes.

Before:After:After the Homestead and Sacred Grove, we hit the Grandin Press where the first copies of the Book of Mormon were printed. The entire story of the printing is amazing, and such a testimony of God's hand in this work.

After the press, we went to the Hill Cumorah and it was pouring rain again, but we had heard that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir just happened to be traveling through this area and would be performing at the Sacred Grove. They were on their Eastern Tour and some of the group had never been to the Sacred Grove or Hill Cumorah, so they decided to make an impromptu stop. We were priveledged to be able to hear this wonderful choir sing "Joseph's First Prayer" at the Sacred Grove. It was amazing and was such a wonderful testimony on top of all the other things we had seen that day. It still gives me chills to think about it. We finished our Palmyra experience with a stop at Peter Whitmer's Farm were the first meeting of the restored gospel was held on April 6, 1830.

Shawn couldn't be prouder...

This little beauty has been with Shawn since his mission to Venezuala. We have carted it around to Utah, Idaho, Iowa, and now New York... finally it has a place, and Shawn couldn't be more proud. He sat pondering in the trees a few weeks ago, and noticed that two of the trees were perfectly placed to hang up the beloved hammock. After a quick trip to Home Depot and a few minutes outside, Shawn was lounging lazily in his hammock, inviting the kids in to play. All we need is a nice sandy beach, and an ocean breeze.Lyv has found THE TOY! She loves this computer and thinks she is a pretty big girl when she plays it. I found her the other day getting pretty serious with the mouse.
I took this picture of Lyv in the Sacred Grove and I loved how it captured her essence. She is such a cutie.

Pet Cemetery and Other Wild Encounters

To save you from gagging I didn't post any pictures of our recent pet cemetery dealings. I went to sweep the steps from the top of the garage on Friday, and came face to face with the head and bones of a NASTY, nasty, nasty rabbit carcass that became the main course of some wild animal. Earlier that morning I had swept off the front step covered in what I thought was bird feathers and dirt... which I finally clued together as rabbit hair and dried blood. We found small paw prints around that as well. It was a little scary, but mostly just really gross and Shawn had the privilege of cleaning up the remains. Then this morning the kids and I went out side and found a dead bird on the driveway. In an apparent suicide mission, the bird decided to join the rabbit in the dumpster. Country living right?

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Mallard -

we've had a these two ducks become frequent visitors at our creek and I have a new gained respect for ducks. The male watches over the female in such a protective, loving way while she eats. I never knew that they were such good guardians. The kids love having them there too, but the ducks don't seem to reciprocate the sentiment yet!

These wild men have found a favorite spot - the mud hole. They get covered from head to toe in the stickiest mud you've ever seen. They love it.

This wild creature needs to find bottoms that cover her bottom.... I couldn't resist taking a picture of her hanging out of her shorts. She has no hope!!

Finally Sammy boy finished Tee-ball last week and has added another trophy to his dresser, a beloved treasure.

For Papa Rick

As a Hill daughter, I grew up knowing that there was only one team that mattered in Baseball - that is the Yankees. Call them what you will, they are the greatest team in the history of baseball, and I feel like I had a rite of passage on Saturday. We went to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx - the new stadium and watched them play and beat the Cleveland Indians in 9 innings.

The boys were super excited to go, because we recieved free hats and we each got a shirt. Sam was especially happy about this so that Grandpa Rick won't tease him anymore (he wore his Boston Red Sox apparell home on our last visit and recieved a quick reprimand from Grandpa!) I have to say that there is nothing quite like watching a live baseball game, the atmosphere there is unique. I love the oneness you feel with the crowd, the smell of fatty food and sweets, and singing Take Me Out to the Ball game at the 7th inning stretch. It was a great day.

Welcome To Summersville

Welcome one and all... this is a chalk town complete with all the essentials: #1 McDonald's, followed by a zoo, park, library, post office, swimming pool, church, mall, and of course The DOLLAR STORE (curse you Grandma Julianne!) The kids loved this idea, they loved it so much that Lyv started to sob uncontrollably when it was time to go in for lunch. I'm so mean, but I thought her crying face was so funny - so dramatic! Our Memorial Weekend was pretty low key, but super fun. We cooked up a dutch oven Raspberry Cheesecake cobbler, slept out on the trampoline (got rained out at 5 a.m.), had a battleship tournament, and played a major game of softball at the ward picnic. Yesterday I woke up and realized that I'm getting old... why did this realization come? I couldn't move my body, I was so sore! All because I ran some bases? Really that is so sad.

Summer is fully upon us, and we love it - there is nothing better than icecream or a popcicle, or Lyv's case both. Jack is making progress, I won't say mastered yet, but progress in potty training. Mostly due to the fact that he loves, and I mean loves to go pee outside and be naked. Seriously this child was born in the wrong time, to the wrong mom because it drives me crazy. However, I will let him strip down to go potty outside in hopes that this will make the whole potty training complete. (this is the second picture of Jack's naked back side, and hopefully the last, its just so funny!)

Traditionally my family immediate and extended gathers together to celebrate Memorial Weekend camping in Island Park. We have dutch oven food all weekend long, lots of games, golf, fishing, and laughs. This reunion still occurs (even without ME! what?) and we've missed it so several years. Last year we hurried home after Shawn's graduation to be there and I'm so glad we did... it was the last family picture that we have with my entire family in it (minus Christine). Everyone was there. It was also the last time I saw my brother Ryan, as we moved out to New York a week later. Ryan loved this tradition, and he never missed it. He loved the outdoors, loved camping and fishing. He encompassed the ideal of camping - it was natural, it was part of him. So that being said, this holiday and tradition though they are still celebrated and loved, have a little piece of wonderful missing. There is one less fisherman, one less muddy dirtbike, and one less smile at the campfire. I love and miss you Ryan.