Easter Pictures 2014

Easter Egg Hunt

It's that time of year again!  I feel like I just barely put all the Easter baskets away and now it's time to pull them out again!  We had a blast doing the annual Mower family Easter Egg hunt last Saturday.  We always do this big egg hunt with all the grandchildren the day before Easter.  The kids loved it.  The weather was amazing.  You couldn't have ordered a better forecast.  Beautiful sunny, and warm.  I don't think I can remember a more pleasant Easter.  Many times in Utah Easter can be down right cold.  There were plenty of eggs for the kids to find, then after wards Grandma Mower had all the kids draw a number.  They started with 1 and had each kid go into the laundry room were there was a stash of toys.  They had fun picking something out.  Everyone got something different, but everybody was happy!  I made the kids wear their family picture shirts.  They made the perfect Easter Egg hunt clothes.  So bright and pretty.  I just love spring.  Everything is in bloom right now in our yard.  I really should take a picture.  The tulips look gorgeous, and our trees that line our drive way are in their gorgeous pink splendor.  Dan only likes those trees in the spring when they have their blossoms.  I won't let him pull them out because I LOVE them in the spring.  Even if the blossoms only last a week or two, they are so staying!  

Temple Square Photography

Kirk and I went to go and get his Baptism pictures done on Temple Square last night.  It was a fun night for us.  We don't get an opportunity to be just one on one very often.  Kirk was such a great sport and we shot for over and hour.  Temple Square was breathtaking.  All the spring bulbs and blossoms were in bloom.  We had an interesting experience.  I usually carry a camera case, but it can be cumbersome to carry while shooting.  I set down the case and was shooting pictures of Kirk.  When we finished in our spot, I looked around and the case was gone.  I was sick.  I new it wasn't coming back, I figured sombody walking past just stole it.  Kirk felt so bad he almost started to cry, and insisted on saying a prayer to find it.  I told him that it had been stolen and a prayer probably wouldn't help.  He didn't care he said I'm going to say one right now.  Right then on the spot he bowed his head and said in a whisper a sweet pleading sincere prayer to find it.  He wanted to continue to look, but I told him that we might as well finsh shooting.  Luckily my key's, and phone were in my pockets.  I was still sad, I could replace the case for my birthday or something, but I knew that I wouldn't be replacing the portrait lens that was in the camera case. The next morning I looked at my voicemail and I had a message from the Conference Center.  They stated that someone had turned in my camera case to the lost and found, and had it!  I was in shock.  Clearly God is aware of this faithful eight year old little boy, and answered his prayer! 

Ben's Be-lated Birthday Party

Today we finally got a chance to celebrate Benjamin's birthday.  As you know we were in Nauvoo when he turned five.  With all the crazziness for the wedding, the trip, and on top of it all sick kids, we finally had a chance to do a party.  I decided to make it easier on myself and have it at the fun zone.  Ben invited a few of his friends and we went during the day time when it wasn't crowded.  When I say not crowded I mean completely empty.  I've been to the fun zone quite a bit, and it's usually not to busy during the day when school is in session, but we were to only ones in the entire place.  We had the whole thing to ourselves.  It was really fun.  I brought some cupcakes, we sang and opened presents.  It was fun.  I think Ben had a great time.  Some of the activites they did were aracade games, jump houses, and pirate's cove.  I can't believe that Ben is five years old.  Some of his favorite things are chicken nuggets, fries, ninja turtles, legos, and playing with friends.  Ben is very social and is always up for making new friends.     

St. Louis Museum

The last day we were in St. Louis we went to the City Museum.  This is the most unique museum I've ever been to. I imagine that it was made by a bunch of hippie's who are into art, welding, recycling, and tunnel's and mazes.  There were mosaic's everywhere from floor to ceiling.  Everything inside the museum is recycled from old item's from the city.  There were so many tunnel's that it was almost a little unerving as a parent.  Kate crawled up one and then we didn't see her again for 20 min.  The tunnel's lead all over the place.

Here is Jence inside a ball pit. 

Ben riding the train

Kate spent most of her time making arts and crafts in the art area

Kirk and Kate in front of a mosaic.  There were lot's a mirrors, tiles, and tunnels and tree's.  Imagine being in a crowded alice in wonderland movie.  The kids loved every second of it.  They even had a really great circus, and also a kind of ecclectic museum with unsual things like snakes, insects, door knobs, ect....  There was an outside portion with lot's of slides and rope bridges. This was probably the highlight of the trip for the kids, but it almost gave me a ulcer since I worried about the kid's getting kidnapped in a huge crowded museum with mazes in a large city like St. Louis. We had to watch them really closely. 

 Below gives you an idea about one of the tunnel's.  This one was good because you could actually see your child climb through it, but most of the tunnel's were not see through, so you don't know where they lead, or where they are going.  Fortunately there was a six year and younger play area, that was enclosed so a parent could stand  at the door way and know that the child wouldn't be able to escape.  The kids were exahusted afterwards.  They went to bed early, and slept really well that night.  That was great since we had to be on a 6:30 am flight home the next morning. 

Independance Missouri

We drove to Independence Missouri and went to the visitor center there.  It was so cute.  They had a little covered wagon for the kids to play on, and also a little cabin, and well.  The kids learned about how the saints were driven out of the state, and also about the extermination order on the Mormons given by Govenor Boggs.  We also visited Liberty Jail, and took pictures outside of the Kansas City Temple.    

Here we are in front of the reconstructed Liberty Jail.  Joseph Smith was sent there based on a conflict between two militia's.  They charged Joseph Smith with anything that any Morman ever did against the law.  He along with three other men we sent to the jail in winter for month's.  The jail was freezing with no way of heating it.  This time was a dark period for the LDS church.  Govenor Boggs issued an extermination order against all Mormans. They were to flew the state or be killed.  Emma Joseph Smith's wife had to flee without he husband.  Inspite of how tremdendously difficult this time was for the prophet, he recieved some very important revelations found in the Doctorine and Covenants 121. 

Monday March 31st Historic Nauvoo

Monday March 31st was Benjamin's Birthday.  He had a hard time understanding why he didn't get the lego set he wanted.  I didn't think a lego set would have survived the trip, so I tried to explain that he would get it when we got home.  We started the day off with a carriage ride.  It was one of the more spiritual parts of the trip for me.  The driver of the carriage had some really inspirational experiences.  He took us out into the woods of Nauvoo, and it was very peaceful.  One story he told was about Lucy Mack Smith.  She lost Alvin, Joseph, Hyrum, and Samuel (he past away shortly after Joseph and Hyrum were killed).  He talked about how even through all of her loss.  Her loss of her children, the loss of her home and property.  Through it all she never waivered in her testimony that her son was a prophet of God.  She knew that Joseph Smith was called to bring forth the gospel of Christ on the earth today. 

 Here are the three musketeer's.  Bryston, Jence, and Brigham.  These guys are always getting into trouble.  The rest of the day we spent touring the little town the church has restored.  Most of the buildings where not still standing.  Some of the brick one's though survived.  The church restored them and you can go and visit the little houses.  The tours were given by senior missionaries.  Some of the ones we visited were the Shoe makers shop, the school, the brick yard, the black smith, Lucy Mack Smith's home, Brigham Young's home, the tin shop, gun shop, and the bakery. 

Here is Kate standing in front of Lucy Mack Smith's bed.

Ben is showing the Nauvoo brick he got from the brickyard (that's where they teach you how they made bricks back then).  Also the cookie he got from the bakery. 

Here Kirk is standing in front of Lucy Mack Smith's kitchen.

Here we are eating lunch.  Saryta Brodie's fiance and Amarah joined us for the day.

Here are all the kids posing on the trail of Hope.  This is the trail the pioneers took as the fled Nauvoo.  Facing an uncertain future in the middle of winter with very little to sustain them, they left with complete faith that God would pave a way for them.  It was February and the Mississippi river was frozen over.  They took this opportunity to get out as the mobs were forcing them to leave their homes and property.  I'm sure that the pioneers looked back over their shoulder's and looked at their beloved temple one last time.  They had worked so hard to complete it with such great sacrifice.

Here is Kirk and Ben, and Jence standing in front of the Joseph Smith and Brigham Young statue at the end of the trail right in front of the Mississippi river.

Kate and Sarah on the carriage ride

Ben got from grandma a special birthday chocolate egg with his name on it