Whitney Family Fun!: September 2011

Driving and driving....Road Trip 2011

On June 17th we set off on the biggest road trip we have ever taken in our lives. We were on our way to South Dakota for Holly's wedding on the 21st in Spearfish SD. After the first day we stopped in Independance MO and stayed at the Drury Inn for the night. The next day we went site seeing around MO. We first stopped at the Visitors Center and had the tour and got information on other historical sites.

We then stopped at the Liberty Jail. Where Joseph Smith and 3 other men were held for 5 months. The original jail had been torn down, but the church was able to get ahold of the original stones and then recreate the jail for the visitors and church history. There was such a spirit there.

We then went over to Farr West where the corner stones are laid for a future temple to be built. This area is BEAUTIFUL and when you walk onto the grounds it feels like your walking into a temple. Such an amazing spirit can be felt. We were the only visitors, so we had a picnic, played a little and just enjoyed the beauty and spirit around us.

Just down the street from Farr West is the LDS country store. So we stopped in.

These are replica face plastors of the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum Smith just after they were killed in the Carthage Jail.

Lastly we stopped by Adam-ondi-Ahman. This is the place where the saints will meet during the 2nd coming of Christ. This place is beautiful and can totally understand why this place was chosen. The church owns all the land. As we were atop the hill overlooking the valley, a song came into my head and I sang it to Emma: When all that was promised, the Saints will be Given and none will molest them from morn until eve'n and the earth shall appear as the garden of Eden and Jesus will say to all Isreal come home.

After we left Adam-Ondi-Ahman, we stopped at a hotel in Kansas. Pony Express Hotel. Then headed on our way to SD. We were about 100 miles away from Spearfish when we stopped and 1880 Town to let the kids out and see all the cool buildings from the 1800's. This is also where a lot of the props from "Dances with Wolves" are located and the original horse "Cysco" lived his last years at this town before his death in 2007. The movie was mostly shot in SD.

Here are some of the props from the movie: Dances with Wolves

Rick's First Soccer Game

Rick played his first soccer game on June 11th, YMCA youth indoor soccer, Red Bears #7!

He has really enjoyed playing soccer, He is aggressive and athletic and scored several times. After he would score he would throw his arms up like a V and then say "I'm number 1". we will have to work on his humility as he learns how to be a team player. Whenever the ball got into the corner, he kept useing his hands to move the ball or carry the ball out right in front of the goal and then kick it in. After telling him "no hands" he started to use his elbows to move the ball (little smarty, but it wasn't his hands) but by the end of the game he was only using his legs to move the ball about. Its so fun to watch him play and get really excited.

Summer Time Fun

Emma got out of school on the 26th of May and its been a bit of a challenge to keep her from saying those dreaded words: "I'm so bored" which she said the very day she got out of school. So we have been swimming at the pool A LOT, and doing other fun activitis: Going to family fun centers to escape the heat outside, parks, and hangin out with friends. Here are some fun things we've done so far this summer.

Touch a Truck at pinkerton park. Kids got to see some big trucks and a helicopter.