The REAL end.

Goodbyes can be so hard!

Thankfully....we had already made plans to see everyone in just a few months at Bella's baptism (which is now just NEXT week, see how time flies??!!)

 After we pulled out of the cabin drive and headed onto the freeway, I looked back at the girls and Aube was quiet sobbing. Then it turned into a bit of a wail, with "I miss Grammy sooooooooo much!"
Poor sweetie, I know the feeling. I remember crying so hard when I had to leave Las Vegas and my grandma and grandpa Jones. So hard when your little to understand! It broke my heart a little bit to see Aubree so upset.

We drove into Spokane to return our rental car and catch our flight.
The rental had been very loved on....as you can tell by the fingerprints. We made sure to check out every setting!

Waiting for flights is always the hardest part...especially for a 2 year old who just wants to run all over and do whatever he wants. But we didn't have long to wait.....

....and the payphone kept him busy.

Please insert twenty-five cents....

Almost home! My travelling companions sure are cute.

Truly a trip we will never forget....mixed with happiness at being together as a family and sadness in saying goodbye to Grandma Dorothy and her home. So grateful for the memories we have of her and the memories we made on this trip! 

The End. Kinda.

On the 4th of July, we did a little bit of sight seeing in the area. One place we stopped off at (after getting another huckleberry shake, yum) was a grassy area behind the Wallace Chamber of Commerce. It had a bunch of old mining equipment out on display for kids to look at and even play on.

Papa helping Jax sound the alarm.

It was a very HAPPY day. No other way to really describe it. We really enjoyed one another's company.

Watching the stream/river/watersource. 

He loves his daddy (even more than he loves to be picked up...which is saying A LOT).

After visiting Wallace, where we thought we would find more 4th festivities but the town was pretty empty, we headed in the opposite direction on I90, to check out an old Mission.

Not 100% sure I was allowed to take pictures inside of it...so I'll only post one, ha, but it was too beautiful inside not to show! Everything was hand-carved and so intricate, the picture doesn't do it justice. 

We traipsed around the grounds, checking out an old cemetery and some other replicas of old buildings. 

Jax and his Uncle Topher (who is a SENIOR this year....ummm, what?!) So thankful for the time the kiddos got to spend with him, he's quite a nice fella.

The original mission was put together using these things (MommaLove knows MUCH more about it than I do, this is why you blog SOONER, so you don't forget the little details and why you took the picture!). I thought it was so cool that there weren't any nails.

We stayed at the Mission till it closed, then headed back to Kellogg to eat some dinner and catch the fireworks. The temperature dropped a few degrees and we were CHILLY!

Papa and Daddy walked over to the fireworks stand and got a few sparklers.

Jaxson snuggled with Grammy.

We "shared" some curly fries....or maybe I ate most of them, who knows.

Sparklers make me happy. 

They also make Bella happy....being the only type of firework she likes, since they are QUIET.

Jaxson snuggled with Daddy (the boy gets around...).

Mommy snuggled with Bella and prepared to clamp my hands over her ears for the big boom show.

So....maybe we could have gotten a bit closer, ha! But it was still a pretty show Ü and really, being there together as a family was the best part of the whole night!

A Trip to the Nauvoo Temple

We were able to attend the temple as a family in Nauvoo....

and spent the time doing sealings.

This is actually the first time James and I have done sealings since being sealed ourselves.
{We're lame like that}

So it was a neat experience to kneel across the altar from him again. Felt 20 again!

It's a lovely feeling to be in such a special place, with people you are sealed to for time and all eternity. I couldn't have asked for a better family.

The Prophet's Last Ride.
If you read the inscription below, you'll understand the reason for these statues of Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum.

Historical Nauvoo.

One of my favorite parts {okay, they were ALL my favorite parts} of Nauvoo was getting to walk around the Historic part. Silly me thought these were all the original homes...until we were sitting in one and the lady started talking about how they dug up the foundation of that house....it had been under some farmland. {it actually made me feel a bit better after I found that out....esp since most of these houses were in better condition than MY house, which is only 55 years old}

We only had a few hours to walk around before it was our turn to attend the temple.

So we made a few choice stops...and I took a few too many pictures.

One of the many missionaries serving in Nauvoo told us we should check out the Cheap Boot house. So we did. And it was VERY interesting. Did you know that when they made shoes....they would make them the same exact way for both feet.....no arches! Could you imagine walking in those?! Yikes. Makes me grateful for my Nike's.

We also visited the Blacksmith Shop {a must-see}

I am constantly in awe of the pioneers....

I've also always wanted to be a pioneer....

And to think they put all their belongings, or some of their belongings and left their homes to follow the Gospel....in one of these. Truly amazing.

Inside...we were shown how a wagon was put together.

And he also made "prairie diamonds" for every one ;).

And of course, we went to the bricklayer's. I never realized how bricks were made! What a chore!

There is so, so, so much more to see in Nauvoo, and I'm hoping we get to go back in a few years.

But talk about walking away and being inspired. Our ancestors were truly incredible people.

We mustache....

One of the {many} things my Grandpa Sargent was famous for was his mustache.

{I tried to find this picture I have of him on his lawnmower, with that mustache and wearing his cowboy hat, but no luck!}

So, we thought it appropriate for each family to take a picture....with mustaches!

Bella looks quite dandy in her handlebar mustache.
Grandpa Sargent used to wax his into curls on each side.

Planning a reunion will make you kinda batty :\.

Minute to Win It.....for the grown-ups.

....if you can call them that!

After giving the kids some time to finish up their games....

the grown-ups got a chance.

My mom, again, was in charge.

And I must applaud her....she did so well!

We split everyone up into 2 teams....

First game: "This Blows"

You have to keep blowing up a balloon and use the air to knock the cups off the table. Colton was first up for her team!

Then good ole Mitchell gave it a try for our team!
All of these games are so much harder than it looks!!

Next up..."Back  Flip"
The dudes we had compete in this one made it seem oh so easy!

Mike didn't drop one pencil!

And JT did an awesome job, especially since he only has one good eye {good job, Sarah, for getting everyone to pick him, d'oh!}

Next up....Hanky Panky.

This one is probably my all time favorite, I dunno why....I'm just glad I didn't have to do it!

Aube demonstrating how hard it is to blow up a balloon!!
She tried and tried...buuuut....mommy ended up having to help. Nothing like a balloon filled with your child's slime. Shiver.

There was a few extra boxes of tissues...so we had a "teen" round.

Go! Go! Go!

{we did save the tissues after...stuffed them all back in the box! I hope NBC does that ;)}

Jax was quite in his element....he could run around, with no hovering parent.

And he LOVED that balloon {yes, the same one mommy blew up for Aube}.

And his feet got oh-so-dirty.....and probably the rest of him, but thank goodness for dark shirts!

See what I mean?

Totally gross piggies.

Our next to last game was the Candy Elevator.Starting first with the teen round!

Yummy, yummy, Hannah....

Then the adults squared off for one intense round!

Katie and Kimberly did a fantastic job of keeping us on the edge of our seats!

But Katie came out the victor!

She loves her chocolate {totally a family trait}.

The last game was: Face the Cookie.

I don't have any "in action" pictures of this one....I think I was probably too busy laughing. But I did get video, I may have to post that one day. {or submit it to AFV and win some $$}

The competitors for this game: The siblings. {minus one, Aunt Kathy couldn't come}

One word: Hilarious.

Grandma and Grandpa raised some awesome children!

Thus ended our family potluck night. I do have to say, I think it was a success. And I don't think it could have been such a success without each person who came. We have such a wonderful family!