Parker's baptism

July 5th...Parker's baptism.

Proud Parents!

Nauvoo

Uncle Robert holding Garrison in front of our hotel. It was an awesome location, right across the street from the Nauvoo temple. The main room the family had included the balcony above the store.

We enjoyed lots of activities in Nauvoo. Here we are in the Family Living Center. We are learning how the pioneers used to make bread.

Parker making a silly face on our wagon tour.

Addison also enjoying the wagon tour.

Rob poses with Addison and Garrison in front of Joseph, Hyrum, and Emma's burial spots.

Parker and I playing the stick game at the Pioneer Pastimes Center.

Rob (with Garrison) also enjoying some other pioneer pastime games.

We tried to recreate those lovely pioneer moments by dressing up in old time clothes. You know how pioneers are NEVER smiling in their photos. Well, we tried to not smile to give some real authenticity, but it just looks like we are scowling, so that didn't turn out very good.

Just more pioneer pasttime fun.

Here's our family on a real ox cart...too bad you can see the ox in the picture.

Addison and Parker with Aunt Abra. I think we are at the brick yard

Okay, so this one has a story. You know how Rob and I have a "kissing cousin" email address. It's because we actually are cousins. Sick, I know. Kidding, we are very distantly related. We are fourth cousins. Our great-great grandfather was Edwin Dilworth Woolley. He was an early pioneer saint who lived in Nauvoo and came out west with Brigham Young. Rob and I were able to find his lot of land that he lived on while in Nauvoo. So, we are kissing on our common ancestors land. Silly, I know.

Here's my mom and dad. Our trip to Nauvoo this year was in honor of their 50th wedding anniversary. My parents wanted to celebrate their annivesary in Nauvoo with their family. So, as many of us kids that could come...came.

Here's all our family that made it to Nauvoo for the reunion/anniversary.

Elizabeth and Parker at the Women's Garden

Addison and Parker playing in the Mississippi. The sunsets on the Mississippi are pretty amazing. I don't think this area is usually under water, but with all the flooding in the area it was easy to get right by the water.

Minnesota

To begin our family vacation we headed up North and over East to go and visit family in Minnesota. It was about 19 hours of driving. But we had a great time visiting Mike and Dana's family (Rob's brother).

It was pretty scary when we stopped in North Dakota and the family got chased by a gigantic buffalo.

Then Addison almost got eaten by the Wampa at the Star Wars exhibit in St.Paul.

You know these pictures of being attacked might be more believable if Addison wasn't smiling all the time.

Here we all are at the Stars Wars exhibit in St.Paul at the Science Museum. This was mostly for Parker's benefit. But as you can tell by the next picture I think the older "boys" enjoyed as well.

I'm not sure what Mike and Rob are doing in this picture. I believe they are trying to seek wisdom from old Yoda. "Help them, it will not" says wise Yoda.

Then it was off to the Children's Museum. Children of all ages as Mike and Rob joined in all the fun.

This picture speaks for itself.

I did already mention this was a "Children's" museum...right??

"THE BEACH"

The next day we headed off to spend the day at a nice man-made beach they have near Mike and Dana's home. Here is Parker taking it easy in the water.

Parker and Lauren.

Jessica and Addison.

Addison in her favorite "rainbow hat"

Well, this catches you up on the Minnesota part of our trip. Tune in next time as we continue on down the road to Nauvoo, Carthage, and Winter Quarters.

Launch of the 'Silly Willies" Blog (aka: WillyBlog)

Just testing this thing out. I'm still trying to figure out how to do this thing, so be patient with me. Rob has done most of the work...as you can tell by some of his silly comments. But Rob says I'll need to keep it up to date now that he has finished setting it up.

We got motivated to get this set up so we could share pictures and adventures of our recent family vacation to Minnesota and Nauvoo and then back. Yes...we drove the whole way with kids (3000 miles)!!

Garrison helped to drive part of the way too!

It was a long two weeks, but lots of fun and very memorable. Here's a couple more pictures, and that's all I have time for today.

This is in front of the hotel where we stayed. Addison and Parker in their new pioneer hats.

The family in front of the brickyard in Nauvoo.

This was the view from our hotel in Nauvoo. The sunsets were incredible. This was our favorite photo we captured while there.