No More Training Wheels

Bryson has been riding his bike all summer wishing he could ride without training wheels. This last week Eric raised the training wheels so that he didn't rely so much on them and he was doing really good. He started going over rocks and grass more, which he thought was cool and now he thinks he has a dirt bike.
Last night Bryson asked Eric to take the training wheels off and once Bryson got on the bike he was off. He is still a little wobbly and doesn't have perfect control of the bike, but he is still going over rocks and grass and up and down the sidewalk. He is so proud of himself and now all he wants to do is ride.

Lagoon

Yesterday Eric's work had a company picnic at Lagoon. Eric only had to go into work for a couple hours and then they paid for passes to lagoon and for lunch. Eric and I had never been there before. We took the kids and they had a blast.



Bryson is a major roller coaster man now and would ride whatever ride he was tall enough for.
This was his first time riding anything bigger then kiddie rides. He loved the pirate ship that swings back and forth and he loved the roller coaster called "the bat".



Carley just wanted to do whatever dad did.
This is on the roller coaster in kiddie land, what a face!

We had to distract her when dad went on the big roller coasters, but there was a ride in kiddie land called Dinosaur Drop that I thought she would be scared of, but she just held onto her dad's hand and when it was over she said she had fun but didn't want to do it ever again. She also loved the bumper cars.

She had the most fun playing in the fountain, she loves the water and it was a hot day, so it was nice to cool off.

Still dry

Completely drenched
She had so much fun that she didn't crash until about 7:30 when we were walking to another ride. Bryson keeps asking when we will go again.

Boating
One of our neighbors invited Bryson, Carley, and I to go boating and fishing today. Carley was a little nervous of the boat at first, but finally got used to it and loved it. She loved being with her little friend Izzie and they even found a place where they could lay down and talk to each other. They loved yelling at each other over the sound of the motor.


The fishing wasn't very good, but Bryson still had fun. He doesn't have the patience to sit and hold the rod so I had to help him. We did catch one fish, but it was a carp so we threw it back in the water. Carley also had to try fishing by holding the rod.
The kids loved dangling their feet of the edge of the boat

Bakersfield get together
Last Friday some of Eric's friends from high school got together and had a picnic. We met at Kiwanis Park in Provo and had a bbq and played volleyball. George and Barbie Miranda were there along with Marlice Walker (maiden name) and her family. And Chris Jackson and his family. (Sorry I can't remember everybodies names)
The kids had a fun time playing together. And the adults had a good time talking and catching up.

Chris Jackson and his family


Marlice Walker and family


Bryson and Marlice's son

playing volleyball

Water boy Bryson


The whole group

kids playing

Happy Father's Day/Bryson Day
Happy Father's Day to all the dads. Today we also celebrated Bryson day, not because it was his birthday, but because on Mother's Day he asked if he had a day when he would be treated extra special nice. We told him that is what his birthday is for. To this he replied that mom and dad also had birthdays. So Eric told him that on father's day we could also celebrate Bryson day and he could also get some treats. So in our house we celebrate bryson day the same day as father's day.

Church History Tour
Eric's Grandma decided to take all her children, grandchildren, and spouses on a church history tour. My mom came out for the week and watched Bryson and Carley. We almost took up the whole tour with about 45 people. First we flew into Omaha Nebraska and then got on a tour bus where we went to Winter Quarters. We stayed on the bus for the next week traveling to different places
We were able to see the temple and the old pioneer cemetary and visitors center in Winter Quarters.
My great-great-great grandmother Frances Turley died in winter quarters and is buried in this cemetery.
The next day we went to Council Bluffs and went to the tabernacle where Brigham Young was sustained as a prophet.
From there we went south into Missouri and visited Independence. We went to the Community of Christ (RLDS) temple and visited some sights where church members were persecuted and where they had a printing press that was burned.
Later that night we visited Liberty Jail where Joseph Smith, Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae, and Caleb Baldwin spent 5 months in the basement in freezing temperatures and where Joseph recieved revelation that is now included in the Doctrine and Covenants.
Saturday we went and visited Richmond Missouri and went to two cemeteries. One where David Whitmer is buried and the other where Oliver Cowdery is buried.
From there we went to Far West Missouri and then to Adam-Ondi-Ahmen. It then took 4 hours to finally arrive in Nauvoo late Saturday night.
Sunday morning we attended Sacrament Meeting in nauvoo with 1083 people in attendence and all received the sacrament. Following sacrament meeting we went to the old pioneer cemetery. We then went and visited some different spots in nauvoo.
Some included visiting the Mississippi River which in February 1846 froze overnight so the saints could cross. We also visited Joseph Smith's mansion and homestead.
I also got to see where my Great-great-great grandfather Theodore Turley lived next to Joseph Smith. We also visited the temple quarry,Red Brick Store, Browning Gun Shop, Post Office, Boot Shop, John Taylor's home, the printing office, and the old stone arch that Joseph and Hyrum and others built to divert the water.
We had the best weather while we were there. It wasn't too hot and muggy and the only rain we got was Sunday night and Monday morning and monday morning we spent in the nauvoo temple. View from the steps of the temple of the Mississippi River.
After the temple we went to the blacksmith and waynewright stores and then to the visitor's center and statuary garden for women. At the blacksmith store Eric won the small horseshoe that they made. We went to two plays today. One put on by the young performing missionaries and the other put on by the senior missionaries. They were funny.
Tuesday we went to the Brickyard, Lucy Mack Smith's home, Wilford Woodruff's home, Heber C Kimball's home, Brigham Young's home, and The Family Living Center where we got to see how they made rope, candles, barrels, and other things.

That afternoon we drove to Carthage and visited Carthage Jail where Joseph Smith was killed.
After dinner we went to the other side of the Mississippi River where the Saints would have landed after they crossed and looked back at Nauvoo as they were heading to Utah.
Wednesday we traveled down to St Louis with a stop in Hannibal where we took a Riverboat and visited Mark Twain's home. That night we attended a session at the St Louis temple.
Thursday we visited the St Louis Arch and then caught a plane and came back to Utah.
Wow, what a week, with a whole lot of church sites packed in. Thank goodness for digital cameras because Eric and I took roughly 1100 pictures. I am so thankful to my pioneer ancestors who sacrificed so much to come to utah and build the Church.