a visit from grandma

A few weeks ago we were so blessed to get a visit from my mom. When my dad called and said he was going to surprise my mom with a plane ticket we couldn't have been more thrilled. It was definetely the thing we needed to get throught our last month in Iowa. She arrived on Friday July 21st and stayed through the next Wednesday. We had a blast!!

We had a certain way we wanted to tell all of our family that we are having another baby, but when we found out my mom was coming we knew we weren't going to be able to hide it from her while she was here, with my morning sickness and my already growing waistline. We had made books for our families to send to them to tell them but they weren't done yet, so we decided that we would have to tell my mom when she came and maker her swear she wouldn't tell a soul until they recieved their books the next week. (my dad wasn't very happy to find out my mom had been keeping this news from him all week, but oh well.) So I still wanted to tell my mom a fun way so when I found a big brother shirt we decided we would put that on Jack and show up to the airport with him wearing it. We arrived about 10 minutes after my mom got on the plane so she was sitting outside waiting for us. I pulled up and got Jack out so she could see the whole shirt and give my mom loves. We got her bags all in the car and I was just sitting waiting for my mom to notice. It took her a few minutes. Jack ran down the sidewalk and then ran back to us and that is when it finally clicked. She read the Big Brother and looked confused for a sec and then got so excited. It was fun. She didn't have a clue so it was a big surprise.

We went and picked Luke up from work and then grabbed a sandwich for lunch. Then Luke had to go back to work and Jack was dying to take Grandma to feed ducks. So very first thing we went to the duck pond. This has been one of our favorite spots in town. Grandma couldn't believe how many ducks and geese there were.
Our next stop after dropping my mom's stuff by our apartment was the Amana Colonies. When we first came out for Luke's job interview last November, I kept seeing all these signs for the Amana Colonies. It is a German colony with things like shops and bakeries. I thought they sounded fun so Luke and I headed out there. It was cold and Iowa wasn't very beautiful in November. We drove way out in the country and pretty much came across nothing. I think we found one little store that had hot chocolate or something, anyways it was kind of a bust. But ever since we moved here I have wanted to give it another try. Luke of course was never on board so when I told him I was going to take my mom out there he thought it was a mistake. He kept telling me, don't take her out there the first day at least, she will hate this place. But we didnt have any plans for the first day so we decided to try it out anyways. It sounded like something me and my mom would enjoy, and it was. It was actually a lot of fun. It was beautiful this time of year with all of the corn fields around and the little village was actually quite pleasant. We walked through shops like a book store, a toy store, home and antique stores. They also had a bakery and a chocolate shop. Like I said right up my mom and I's alley.
Jack loved the smiley face cookie grandma bought him.

We had a very enjoyable afternoon walking around and eating treats. We also found some cheese curd that was delicious! We went into an antique store and Jack found this little red wagon. Grandma of course spoiled Jack and bought him it, it is his new favorite toy. He loves to pull it around.

Luke kept texting me saying that he wanted to leave work and come and get him early. I think he was just really excited my mom was out that he couldn't work :) So we headed back and picked him up and headed out towards Iowa City. We stopped by Texas Roadhouse for dinner. It was delicious!!!! Thanks mom!

Another thing on our list of things to do was go downtown in Iowa City so we decided to hit up the town after dinner. There was an outdoor concert and of course Jack had to stop and play at the park.

Jack was so excited to have someone other than mom or dad to play with.

Then we came home and Jack and Grandma played all night. He loved doing his puzzle that grandma bought. It has 6 different animals and he always says he wants to choose which one. He know loves to tell me he wants to "choose" different things.

Saturday-
The next day we headed out to Nauvoo. One of the reasons we had my mom come out at that time is that we wanted to take her to the Nauvoo Pageant since we only live 2 hours away. When we got there we started to really miss my dad! We wish he would have come out with my mom and gone to Nauvoo with us, he would have loved it. Maybe next year. Jack was so excited to get there and finally see some horses.

We were a little bummed because right when we got there we went to go get tickets to go on a wagon ride and the tickets were already all gone. Jack was really looking forward to a horse ride. So we decided to go over to the oxen ride to make up for it.

Jack loved it but it was really short.

Needless to say he was NOT happy when our turn was over.

We spent the rest of the day walking around town and enjoying the activities they had going on. We went to the pioneer games and Jack had a good time. Luke and I played a stick and ring game that was fun, even though I sucked.

Jack started to get a little restless and it was getting pretty hot so we decided to let him play in a water fountain. He then was the Water Monster that chased us around and tried to bite our bums (he loves that part in Madagascar)

We went and visited the Smith family cemetary. Of course my mom insisted that Luke got a picture with Hyrum's grave. Anything to do with Hyrum is special to us since Luke is a diect descendant of him. In my mom's eyes Luke is some kind of rockstar because of this.

We went around to all of the different houses and shops. Jack is wearing his ring made from a horse shoe nail. I believe they call them praire diamonds,

Then later that night we grabbed dinner and headed to the pageant. Jack had a long day and loved snuggling with grandma.

The pageant was amazing. If you haven't been you need to go. I of course cried through the whole thing, Luke thought that was funny since I knew the whole story and I have heard what the pioneers had gone through a billion times. But I am always very touched by the spirit in Nauvoo. The saints turned it into such a beautiful place and to see how they had to walk away from it all and lose their prophet is hard to imagine. I can't imagine the faith they had.

It is so awesome at the end when they light up the temple. I can't imagine what it means to the saints that have died that the temple was built again.

At the end of the pageant they quoted President Hinckley, this quote really stuck out to us,"Today, facing west, on the high bluff overlooking the city of Nauvoo, thence across the Mississippi, and over the plains of Iowa, there stands Joseph’s temple, a magnificent house of God. Here in the Salt Lake Valley, facing east to that beautiful temple in Nauvoo, stands Brigham’s temple, the Salt Lake Temple. They look toward one another as bookends between which there are volumes that speak of the suffering, the sorrow, the sacrifice, even the deaths of thousands who made the long journey from the Mississippi River to the valley of the Great Salt Lake."

We are so grateful for the sacrifices that the saints went through.

Sunday-
We were so glad we decided to stay the night on Saturday. We still had a lot we wanted to see in Nauvoo. So Sunday we got up and went to church. My mom's cousin lives in Carthridge and we went to her ward in Nauvoo. Afterwards we did some more exploring around Nauvoo.

We went and saw the Mississippi River. Luke and Jack loved throwing rocks in the river.

Of course Jack had to fall on his bum and get it all wet.

My aunt sent my mom with a couple names from our family that she has been working on to find out more information. They were both buried in Nauvoo. So my mom and I went and researched a little and actually found out some good information about one of them. We then went to the Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds to see his name on the plaque. It is hard to know exctly where they are buried because most of the headstones are destroyed. the burial grounds were really neat. They have tried to restore what they could of most of the headstones. Our last stop in Nauvoo was of course the temple.

It is stunning.

Then we headed to Carthridge and took the tour of the jail.

We came to Nauvoo and Carthridge 2 years ago with my parents and the picture with Luke and Jack and Hyrum and Joseph has always been one of my favorites. So of course we had to get another. I had to compare the 2, where did our baby Jack go!

It was great to get to go visit Nauvoo again. It has been such a blessing over the last couple years to live close enough to go visit.

Monday-

I was the worst and forgot my camera wherever we went. But we took Jack out to the mall and the children's museum. Jack had a good time showing Grandma all the fun things to do there. Then we had lunch and did a little shopping. I got my first pair of maternity pants with this baby, I am still holding out to wear them though. Thanks mom! Then Monday night I was insistent that my mom helped me make her homeade baked beans and potato salad. I feel like we haven't experienced Summer because we have missed all the good barbecue food. It was delicious and I enjoyed all of the leftovers for the next week. then we went and picked Luke up and we went to the movies. My mom took Jack to a children's movie so Luke and I could go to an adult one. It was so nice to be able to go see a movie! We saw the Proposal. We loved it. Jack is all of a sudden terrified of the big movies, so he cried when we got there and held onto my mom the whole movie. My mom had to feed him popcorn the whole time, he wouldnt eat it himself. He watched the movie and acted like he liked it afterwards but he still doesnt ever want to go back. He tells me the big movies are all done.

Tuesday-

One of the main things we wanted to take my mom to do is go out to Lake Mcbride. We love that lake. So we went and got sub sandwiches and some snacks and headed out. Mymom loved the lake too. We rented a paddle boat and paddled over to a shaddy area and ate lunch. We then paddled around and admired the houses again. Then we went and let Jack play on the beach. He loved when Grandma pretended to make him fly through the water and loved ruining all the bigger boys sand castles. I could live out by Lake Mcbride, it is just so peaceful. Jack also showed grandma how fast he could run, she had to chase him clear around the lake to the dock. I just sat and laughed as she chased him. It was nice to have it be someone else chasing him.

Then that night we went and ate at Chili's. Then my mom had been wanting us to take her around to the flood areas. I will have to go around and take pictures before we leave. It is pretty amazing how much damage was done here in Cedar Rapids. I don't think people really realized the multitude of the flood. It has been more than a year after and there is still so much that hasn't been restored. Then went on a hunt for fireflies. My mom had never seen them. We passed a park on our way home from looking at the flood areas and there was a bunch of fireflies that we could see. It was very cool to see them flying everywhere. I thought that it would be a better idea to go over to a park by our house but by the time we got there it was very dark and it was hard to see them anymore. We went down by the river and caught glimpses of them but with it being so dark you would only see them for the second that they would light up. So we didn't really get to catch any or see them flying around but it was still fun. You really have to go when it is dusk to see them best.

Wednesday-

We woke up and got my mom's things ready to go and then we decided to go find somehting to do before my mom left at 4. It was pretty funny, because we had done everything on my list of things I had wanted to take my mom and do and I really couldn't think of a thing to do. It was pretty sad, I told my mom good thing she wasn't staying later because we would have nothing to do. So we finally decided to go to a neighboring town and try to find a cute little place to eat. We actually found a little cafe that was pretty good.

Then we hit the chocolate shop that was close by and got some treats.

Then we ran to target so my mom could get her a magazine for the plane and then Jack showed Grandma really how fast he could run. She chased him pretty much all around the store. Then we had to head out to the airport. Jack feel asleep on the way out there, but woke up to give Grandma a sleepy kiss and hug.

I told myself I could cry for the 15 minutes it took to get home and then I had to stop, but when my dad called to check on me an hour later I was still crying so hard I couldn't even talk to him. (give me a break I am pregnant and stuck in Iowa :) ) But really I miss my mom so much and it was so good to have her come out. I miss being able to go to lunch with her or shopping or just watching her spend time with Jack. It was so nice to have a mom to take care of me, especially when I was sick in the mornings, it was heaven to have someone bring me breakfast while I laid on the couch! Jack really grew attached to her this time. She loved that she was the only one out here so Jack loved her the most. Jack wouldn't let Luke & I do anything, Grandma had to. He wanted her to lay down by him every night and he usually ended up sleeping in the bed with her.
So thanks mom for coming out and thanks dad for sending her! We of course were supposed to spoil my mom but of course she spoiled us. We were so thankful for the good time we had! We love you guys so much and really treasure the times we get to see you!