quick family trip to nauvoo

duben and i recently took a quick weekend trip up to nauvoo. i've never been to any of the church sites, so was really excited to see everything.

our first stop was carthage jail.

carthage jail was a really cool experience. it was such a great experience to be there and hear the stories and feel the spirit that was there.

did i mention it was hot? so hot. hot. hot. hot. its hot in arkansas, but it was really hot and humid there.

next we headed up to nauvoo. first stop was the temple. its amazing. it is such a beautiful temple. the view from the temple it gorgeous, i just loved being there.

we stopped at 'our' visitor center next. to look around, and cool off. it was hot.

outside they had one of the original stones from the nauvoo temple.

after that we hit the town and went to all the shops and homes that were there. it was so cool to see all the missionaries dressed up and telling the stories and bearing their testimonies. i can't image enduring the struggles and hardships they faced then. i couldn't even deal with the heat!

i'm so grateful for the sacrifices made by such faithful people. it was such a great experience, there was such a wonderful spirit that was there.

we didn't make it to the pageant. we weren't sure if ainsley, or us, would make it that long (it started at 8:45) so we ended up going to our hotel and swimming then relaxing in our cold room.

all in all a great trip. maybe next time we'll go when its a little cooler.

9 months

i still can't believe how quickly time has gone by. ainsley is 9 months old already! what an incredibly blessing she is to us. she's always so happy and playful. she's definitely going to keep me busy with all her energy.

ainsley is just shy of 22 lbs (75% for her age)
29" tall (90% for her age)

ainsley is still crawling like a pro. she's so fast now, she'll disappear into another room without me noticing. she's walking along the couch and her crib, so who knows when walking will come. i still think she's unsure of the idea of not holding on to anything, so i think it will be a while.

we noticed another tooth is coming in...which makes 8!

she is still very social, but is at that stage where mom or dad need to be within sight.

she loves animals, especially dogs. she doesn't need to touch them, but when she sees them her whole body gets excited. its the cutest thing.

she's a great eater. anything that mom and dad are eating she wants to try.

she's mastered drinking from a straw now, which is adorable, and very helpful.

i love watching her grow and figure things out. i especially love seeing how excited she gets when duben comes home. she just adores him. she wont leave his side for at least 30 minutes once he's home. i am so blessed to have such a wonderful family.

fabulous friends at home

i love going home for the obvious reasons - good food, the beach, the awesome weather - but also to see great friends.

sadly i didn't get to see everyone - i needed another week! but i was able to visit with some great friends. i was SO glad i got to see emily while i was home. i can't believe i haven't seen her since my wedding! i am so sad we didn't get a picture to capture the wonderful event. i love emily. even though we hadn't seen each other in forever and dont get to talk as often as i'd like, we picked up like it had only been weeks.

we definitely can't wait another 5 years.

another fun visit was with robin and laurie. we all went out one night after the kids were in bed. it was fun to get out and relax with old friends. its amazing to remember back when we were all growing up and now seeing everyone with families of their own.

it was a great night.

(it was even more fun watching robin eat all that chocolate cake!)

home sweet home

i love to travel and see new places, but there's just something special about being home.

i love california. love. love. love it.

i love the ocean.

i have so many wonderful memories of beach days with family and bon fires with amazing friends.

i love all the yummy food i always get when i go home. i especially love all the great food my mother bakes up while we're home. amazing.

it was so great getting to take ainsley home. i loved seeing her experience the beach and getting to show her off to family and friends.

luckily we kept busy. we checked out the aquarium, cannery row, santa cruz, carmel, and spent many hours relaxing out front with grandpa and grandma...and uncle chuny.

i can't wait to go back.