Last Stop: Wisconsin

Finally, after much driving, we made it to Wisconsin, and by then Scot was getting sick of the car. Here we were able to spend almost 2 weeks with my parents. It actually would have been about 2 days even shorter had I not fed Philip bad chicken and given him food poisoning. The thing we probably did most in Wisconsin was eat custard. I think that with all the weight we gained by eating out, that was a bigger culprit. Everyone's place to get custard is called Kopp's, and we made it there almost every single night due to their evil plot called "flavor of the day." When we did do something physical, it was water-skiing. But now, this is not what most people think of water-skiing. My dad is such a fanatic that he waits until just an hour before sundown, when most people are eating dinner, and we all have to make as many runs as possible in a short amount of time. There were a few times that Philip said, "ok, two is enough" but Dad made him make one more. Lucky for me, since Scot was born I seem to have no balance, so most of my runs were in the cold water just trying to get up.

We also were able to spend four days with my grandfather at the family cottage. It was a wonderful experience. Basically, there is nothing to do. So we swam a bunch, played a lot of cards, Philip did tons of fishing, and watched movies while grandpa slept. Scot loved it! We were anxious to finally get home, but sad that it had to end.

And now that we're home, Philip asks when he can take another vacation. Just one more semester of taking classes, one more exam to pass, one more discertation to write, and maybe then he can take a break!

On to the Church History Sites

After leaving Cincinnati, we worked our way up to Palmyra, New York, the town where the church was restored. We were able to enjoy many sites, take many tours, and even see the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Unfortunately, it rained during part of our stay in New York, but the country is absolutely beautiful. I think that we decided the best site there was the Sacred Grove, it was incredibly peaceful and it gives you so many opportunities to be to yourself and contemplate your testimony of the church.

We then spent a day in Niagara Falls, a much more spectacular site than I ever envisioned. Scot took that day quite well, even without a nap, except for the tour at the base of the falls. By that point he was hungry (I forgot to pack him a lunch), tired of waiting in line, and did not like getting sprayed on with cold water. Well, once we got to the car, and ate lunch, a few minutes later he decided to give it all back. All two bottles of baby food. So there we were, pulled over on the side of the road, scraping food off his car seat and stripping him down to his birthday suit. But even still, he was such a good kid.

We then made our way over to Kirtland, another historical site of the church. Most people go there to see the temple, which is the first temple built after the restoration, but few know about all of the many sites located there as well. Philip and I decided that we liked Kirtland better than Palmyra even and we feel it is due to the Spirit that dwells there. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared four known times in different parts of Kirtland, and to be at each of those sites was absolutely incredible. By then end of this part of the trip, though, Scot was starting to get tired of sleeping in a tent, driving around all the time, and taking tours in his stroller. Although he behaved incredibly well, he didn't have the opportunities to play like he normally does.

Next Stop: Cincinnati

After we made it back from Utah and Idaho, we all piled in the car and started driving towards Cincinnati to visit my brother with his family. They also have a son who is just 3 months younger than Scot, so it was fun to let Scot meet the rest of my family. While in Cincinnati, we had the wonderful opportunity of visiting the Creation Museum. Nothing at all like we had expected. I guess that I had anticipated learning about the Big Bang Theory and stuff like that, but instead it was 100% Biblical. We were able to learn about Adam and Eve and dinosaurs, and we were shocked to even see dinosaurs climbing on board the model of Noah's Ark. All in all, it was an educational museum. We also were able to enjoy some wonderful food in Cincinnati, and surprised that we could possibly spend 3 hours inside a single grocery store. My father raved about it so much that we had to see what it was about. I don't think I have ever seen so many different kinds of olives, cheeses, and hot sauces in all my life. Well, three hours later, Philip and I were fortunate enough to have spent only about $50. We could have gone broke inside there. Also, we learned that Scot has a bully side of him when we found him wrestling his cousin (and winning, he was standing right on top of Anders's head and throat).

Summer Vacation

We finally made it back from our long summer vacation, but it has taken me a few more weeks to find the time to catch up on our blog. Starting back in the first part of July, we began our trip by making our way to Utah and Idaho. It was exciting to get away from the heat of Mississippi, only to discover that it is also hot in Utah during the summer. The first day was over 100 degrees, but it actually felt almost pleasant due to the lack of humidity. After that first day or two though, the weather was just beautiful.

Our first stop in Utah was to visit Philip's side of the family, and we were fortunate enough that the whole family lives quite close together. Scot was able to ride his first horse there, something that he wasn't too sure about. But he did enjoy riding the pony later in the trip, maybe because it was a little more his size. Scot also enjoyed his first water park, and although he was limited to the kiddie pool, that was a lot of fun for him. He was able to pee freely along with all the other kids in that warm pool. Scot also got his first opportunity to be in a swing, something that we now look for when we see a park. Scot had the chance to meet a few of his great-grandparents, and of course get spoiled by every one related to him in Utah.

After almost a week in Utah, we drove up to Idaho to meet my brother and his family along with my parents. It was almost a complete family reunion, so we quite enjoyed that. When we first got there, Philip and I were excited to have instant baby-sitters so that we could finally get to the temple. Rexburg has a new temple so it was much easier to attend there than have to drive almost three hours to get to the one closest to us in Mississippi. Once my parents arrived from their drive across the country, we were able to go camping in "the hills" of Rexburg. Coming from hot and humid Mississippi and then to hot and dry Utah, we were shocked how cold the hills got. The night we slept in a tent, Scot actually had to sleep with us under all our blankets in order to keep warm, and instead, Phil froze against the side of the tent! What a good dad! Mostly, we were excited to let Scot meet his cousins, especially Daisy who is just 3 months younger than him. We are glad that Scot will have cousins so close in age.