July 2025

After we returned from the Church History trip, July had a lot going on. We got together with the Hsiao and Hurst families for food and pickleball at the Stake Center. 

And we hung out with the Hsiao family at Alice's.

Looks like we also had hot pot at our house with some Hsiao family.

Sunny bleached Timmy's hair. It was fun to see the progression!

I enjoyed having a kid with the same hair color as myself!

Brian packed up and left on an HXP trip to Cambodia for two and a half weeks. Maybe I will do a Cambodia post for him.

The Salisbury's did a big birthday party for Ben's birthday. Ben always loved big birthday parties. It was a nice way to honor and remember Ben.

I learned in July that my allergy symptoms are coming from Pip. I am allergic to dogs. What a bummer.

Brian was in Cambodia and Timmy went to BYU for a week of tennis camp. So we went out for an adults lunch.

I went up to the ranch to visit my family.  

When Timmy got back from tennis camp, Mark took him fly fishing up on the Weber River. 

I took him to get his learner permit.

Not pictured in July 2025

-AP Scores in for both boys. They did great! Most were 4s. Timmy got a 5 in AP Human Geography.

-Jenny teaches Relief Society

-Endowed for Life meeting for Brian

-Timmy Sports Mall Tennis Academy and BYU Tennis Camp

-Jenny Doctor

-Timmy to Baptisms for Ben and Stake YM Campout

-Hosting bishopric dinners

-Work at school for Jenny

-Timmy climbing with the YM

-High school new admin meet and greet

 

Nauvoo and Winter Quarters - Church History Trip: July 2025

Sadly the Brigham Young Home was under construction so I couldn't take the boys in to see their ancestor's house, but we stopped to see the outside.

We were able to visit the Taylor home and printshop.

Another ancestor, George Q. Cannon stayed here as a teenager with his uncle, John Taylor, and helped in the printing shop. The missionaries let the boys pretend to be George Q. Cannon at the printing press.

I think the Hsiao guy's favorite visit was the Browning Gun shop

They found a gun just like Dad's.

We watched the Nauvoo brass band.

And we went to the Blacksmith and Farrier demonstration.

We went down the Trail of Hope and liked this quote by George Q. Cannon.

One morning, Alice and I walked to the temple while the boys slept in. It was one of my favorite experiences of the trip. I was so touched during the endowment with the thought of so many of my ancestors sacrificing so much to be endowed in Nauvoo. The power of the priesthood has been passed down from generation to generation to me. I am so grateful.

We were lucky that our last night in Nauvoo was the opening night for the British Pageant about the  Saints from Great Britain that came to Nauvoo. 

It is pretty spectacular with the temple behind the stage on one side and the sunset behind on the other.

The show was incredible and it was all about my great great grandfather, George Q. Cannon and his family. He was just a teenager and his mother died on the ship coming over.

Our last day in Nauvoo was fabulous. We went on an ox cart ride and learned all about oxen.

We went to Heber C. Kimball's home.

And we ended with baptisms in the temple.  We did names from Alice's family. It was a very special experience. 

Then it was time to say goodbye to Nauvoo and head West.

We stopped at Winter Quarters for one last Church History experience. 

The museum has things that went across the plains. This night stand was packed across the plains in Charles C. Rich's wagon. He is another 3rd great grandfather of mine

We looked across at the temple and the pioneer cemetery.

And learned all about the difficult winter in Winter Quarters for the saints. 

That was the end of the Church History stops. We stopped in Cheyenne for some Chinese food. We planned to go to Martin's Cove, but the wind picked up and restrictions for high profile vehicles were up all along I-80 and it only looked to be getting worse. There was a possibility of being stuck in Wyoming for days, so Mark drove through the wind and crazy thunderstorm all the way home. We arrived home at about 3:00 AM.

What a special trip this was for me. It will be something I will cherish for all my life. I have so many ancestors that were part of the early years of restoring The Gospel of Jesus Christ back onto the earth. They knew that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church. They knew Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, they knew the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and they knew how important the temple is. Because of them I know the same and I will do all I can to pass that knowledge on for generations to come.

Carthage and Nauvoo - Church History Trip: July 2025

 

When I was a Sophomore at BYU, they were offering semester studies at Nauvoo. I have always loved Church History and jumped at the chance. It was one of the greatest few months of my life. I hadn't been back there since and I was so excited. I enjoyed the time even more than I anticipated. I love Nauvoo.

We stayed at Nauvoo State Park because it was so close to Old Nauvoo. When we got there, Mark grilled us some good chicken for dinner.  

Timmy worked on whittling a stick.

And I went for a lovely walk to the little lake in the state park and then around the big block.

My heart was full to be back there. 

The next morning was Sunday. We went to church. Memories of my time in that building came flooding back. The boys helped with the Sacrament and it was a lovely meeting.

After church we headed over to Carthage to visit the jail. We arrived before it opened, but had some food and I enjoyed the outside while no one was there.  Visiting Carthage gives me a deep gratitude for the Prophet Joseph Smith and his sacrifice to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth.

After Carthage we went to the Nauvoo Visitor's Center.

I loved looking at the model of the Nauvoo temple. 

As I was looking up my ancestors in the visitor center, I learned that so many received their endowments in the last week possible before leaving the city. They cared so much to have that endowment of power before they had to leave. We were able to find a few places they lived on the map.

Then we went up to the old Pioneer Cemetery. We found my 3rd Great Grandfather, Edward Partridge's burial marker. He gave so much to building up the Church, especially in Missouri. 

We stopped and took a picture at another 3rd Great Grandfather's house, Winslow Farr. Some Nauvoo missionaries live in his house now.

We visited the Nauvoo House, the Smith Family Homestead, the Mansion House and the Red Brick Store.

We took a wagon ride around Old Nauvoo. The horses are so incredible and the missionaries were super awesome as well. 

We played pioneer games and went to the Family Living Center where the kids got really competitive and determined to be the fastest ever on loading a wagon box.

The boys made a rope.

Then we used the rope we made for some jump roping.