Random Collection of Pics and Thoughts

Jeremy already started making comments about how our blog hasn't been updated in like a week. Doesn't he realize life just isn't that exciting around here? ;-)

So here is a pic I don't think I ever posted. It's 3 weeks ago (or so) and it was almost all the know pregnancies in our ward, in order of due dates (all between early May and August). We took it at Jamie's (far right) baby shower. (She just had her baby boy this morning! Yay!) Since then there are two other people that should be added to lineup after Rachel, our August due date. I tell you, it's going to be a crazy summer around here!

Here is a sweet picture of Jaina sleeping with her true loves: her pacifier and The Elephant. With 1 o'clock church, we usually have success putting her down around 11 or 11:30, then have to get her up at 12:30. It's not much compared to her normal 2-3 hour nap, but it still really helps her make it through our 3-hour block!

Here is an awesome picture Jeremy took at the St. George temple during his 9-day trip there and Las Vegas. Sadly, there really aren't that many pictures, and I haven't actually found one with him in it...

Instead of "Las Vegas" souvenirs (like the D.C. ones), Jeremy visited the Disney Store and a Disney outlet and brought the kids a couple shirts and things from there. They were greeted with much rejoicing, and they are still excited about them. Somehow I haven't taken any pictures of any of their stuff though. So here are pictures of the shirt he brought me and the baby. We can put one of them in his/her baby book, depending on which gender we end up with. :)

The day after Jeremy got back, he had to go to class for about an hour in the morning, then he had a several-hour break. So I decided to take the kids to the park while we waited for him. Sadly, it had rained the night before and the equipment was pretty wet, though the ground wasn't bad. I managed to entertain them for over an hour by just walking around and talking to the ducks, squirrels, and flowers, but it wasn't easy. We did see the cutest duck family, and managed to get pretty close to them. I took this pic with my phone (for my mom, though I never sent it to her) - the ducklings were literally the smallest ones I've ever seen (even though they don't look like it in the pic...)

(Last part, I promise:)
This last Monday Jeremy didn't really have any classes, so we decided to try to make it to the temple one more time before I got too big and uncomfortable to be driving that far. We both did some initiatory, then took advantage of the beautiful day and Jeremy took the kids on a "carriage ride" while I drove around a bit and visited a site or two. Here is a pic I took for my dad (with my phone) of the new "Arrival Center." It's pretty nice!

After that we realized it might be the best time we would have to visit Carthage (we hadn't ever been in the almost-3-years we've lived here; I've never felt like we would be able to keep the kids quiet enough not to disturb others on the tour, and it is another 30-ish minutes from Nauvoo. Usually we don't have time for much but the temple) so we headed down (across? I got totally disoriented) the Mississippi to check it out. It was really cool, and the kids did as well as a 2- and 3-year-old could. I enjoyed getting to see it, and I'm glad we took the time. 

By the time we got home that night (at about bedtime) we were all exhausted, but it was a good day, and I'm glad we had the chance to go!