We drove from Utah into Colorado, then New Mexico and Texas. Later in the week, we drove through Oklahoma into Missouri, and drove back to Texas through Kansas. Voila, seven states in seven days!
But it all started with a beautiful nature walk in Utah. I walked with Ann early Monday, along this winding path along the Spanish Fork River.
Someone had gone before us leaving cheerful painted rocks, isn't it perfect for the season?
Driving back from our walk, we passed this old farm tractor decked out for the season, as well.
At home again, I gathered the items I'd put together for my outfit to dress up like Sybil Trelawney and headed off to work. At work I braided the top of my hair to make it frizz later, but as you can see I lack the explosion of hair worn by the original. Still everyone at the Utah Metropolitan Ballet fund raiser knew who I was trying to look like. I worked with Keith all day, and pulled my multiple braids back into a loose bun with a clip.
Here I am at the fundraiser. Dad picked me up from work and we were a bit early. Here I am with Filtch at the the arrival point. The largest suitcase behind me is one that the gal bought at Treasures the day she told me about the fun fund raiser six weeks ago.
The event is held at the castle at Wadley Farms, an events center in Lindon.
Dad, dressed as a student in his hooded gown with a shirt and striped tie, meets up with Hagrid. Who knew Dad was so tall.
We used this fun photo op to be pictured as 'wanted wizards'.
The enormous entry hall of the castle served as 'the village of Hogsmead'.
We soon ran into some magical friends on the premises.
and had some butter beer in The Three Broomsticks. Yum!
Robin makes Hagrid look a little more his normal size.
This cute Harry Potter Mini stops by Olivander's wand shop to be chosen by a wand.
And Olivander helps pair me with a wand as well.
Then it was onto Hogwart's where dinner was set in the great hall.
It was fun to see Kylie and her friend.
As well as Crista and her husband Josh and his is look alike brother, Caleb. As it turned out Zach's brother is married to one of the ballerinas in the company. and she was on staff to put on the program for the night.
Look at the cute kids who sat across the table from us.
And later I met this mom with her small students and she is carrying their wands too.
Barb shows off the wonderful doors in the castle.
and here I receive a magic potion, which by drinking I eventually received a crystal which helps our 'house's quest' for school supremacy.
and as a teacher at the school, it was nice to get a picture with Principal Dumbledore.
Getting to meet some owls was also fun.
Last of all I met the woman who had bought items at Treasures for props for this event, and who had shared the event and its purpose in the first place.
Oh, and Boston's little sister Alta, may have been the youngest participant. What a memorable night. This was the fourth year of the fund raiser, I hope we'll be able to participate in the future.
We headed out first thing on Tuesday and drove south. We listened to a great book called The Gratitude Diaries, which was amazing. I didn't expect to find anything new about the benefits of being grateful, but this wonderful ethnically Jewish woman did an amazing job of exploring all aspects of gratitude. I was also reading a coffee table book by another favorite Jewish woman, Barbra Streisand. She has written and photographed this huge book about her dream home, and how she dreamed it and built it in Southern California. Both amazingly talented women.
We stayed in Albuquerque that night and arrived at Emily and Sam's home in Texas.
Our trip caused us to miss Cam's first birthday party, and we had to beg for pictures. How cute is this one.
Such an adorable family.
Davin and Bri, Becca and Brady, and Trevor and Nelle and their families were able to celebrate with them.
Also in news from home, Reagan got glasses this week. How cute is she!!
And Ashley posted a picture of her with her disc golf besties too.
The first order of business once we got to Talley's was to meet Bekie's parakeet, Sunrise.
... and I got to reconnect with the other Paula in the family.
The next day there was food to buy for our stay, and Benny loved riding on Papa's shoulders.
It was also cool to sit by Papa with his own electronic device.
In the meanwhile the kids and I hung the Holloween decor I had brought on the porch.
They all seemed pretty pleased.
The girls are watching a lego spiderman video, while their mom does their hair. Benny is also a fan. Then it was time for bed because the next morning we all headed north to Kansas City Mo.
We stopped half way there in Oklahoma to go to a huge playground, that is acres and acres called The Gathering Place. Dad and Emily carry the stroller and Ben down the stairs into the park.
The park has 10 or more areas like this castle area.
There are hanging bridges to cross, and net bridges too.
Stairs, and slides, and and everything can be accessed by adults as well.
All the materials are locally obtained, and the areas between playgrounds are landscaped beautifully.
Hurrah!!
These nesting swings were amazing. Everything, including child size zip lines are child powered.
Abby said the walls in one of the family restrooms was perfect for Mimi because of the polkadots.
After we drove into Kansas City, Missouri, where my grandmother Estella Florence Frisbey was born, we drove on into a suburb of the city, called Liberty, Missouri, where we checked into the stone basement level of a place where Missiouri meets Doniphan.
It was definitely nicer inside that the stone walls in Liberty, Mo. that housed Joseph Smith and other early church leaders. The Liberty Jail was actually just a couple of blocks away from our Airbnb.
It really was a lovely place, and fun to stay in such a historic place.
Benny felt right at home.
We played Go Fish with playing cards before bedtime.
In the morning we got ready for a fun day.
Stop one was the Kansas City Temple, in Liberty.
This is the picture that I will eventually use in our 100 temples in our life time book. Our goal to see 100 before we die is coming along. This one, built in Kansas City is our 58th, so we have a ways to go.
Next I was dropped off at the largest antique mall I could find on line to entertain myself while the rest of them went to the Kansas City Zoo.
I thought this was an interesting offering.
But I loved this bin and how it displays smalls.
I also liked the unusual stained glass quilt.
The antique mall was four stories high, and much of the floor was in terrible condition. They had used old metal signs to cover tripping spots in the wood.
The kids loved the zoo, which is much larger than the zoo in Dallas where they have a membership.
Abby got to see a breed of fox she has a stuffed animal of.
And Bekie who loves Koalas, and whose desire to see a real one, was the initial motivation for this trip, was happy to see one. They found out the Koalas were on loan from the San Diego Zoo, and were leaving in two weeks. Lucky timing!!
Petting the Sting Rays was William,s favorite moment.
After they were worn out walking miles and miles at the zoo, they reclaimed their Mimi and we all headed to see ....
The Liberty Jail.
It was a sobering visit.
Across the street on another corner is the Community of Christ (Formerly called the reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Conference center.
Strait across in the other direction is their Temple.
Kitty-Corner is the Church of Christ's (Temple Lot) smallish chapel, which is on the site where Joseph Smith dedicated corner stones for a temple in Independence in the 1830's.
We should count this as or 59th temple, since it will be built someday, and the corner stone has been laid. We did count the Nauvoo temple indentation, years ago, as a separate temple from the newly built Nauvoo temple. We also counted the Fort Lauderdale temple, though we toured it when it was under construction, since one of those in charge was in Heuer's and Moe's ward at the time, and arranged our tour there. We also saw the Meridian, Idaho temple, while it was under construction on a trip to visit Brittany before our first mission. And if you're going to be a stickler, you have to remember that we actually saw the Boston Temple, sans the steeple. So we do have a few other 'in the process' temples on our list.
We stayed in two rooms at a hotel near the airport for the night, and got take out for dinner, including sushi. Yum!
We drove home on Sunday, after Dad's cough necessitated cancelling our plans to attend church with one of our favorite Finnish missionary's parents, and then to go to their house afterward for dinner. We both just loved Elder Staggs, who was an AP and in the office for three transfers, and were both so disappointed. But a cough is a game changer these days, even though Dad just has a bad cold.
When we got home we watched some favorite Studio C episodes. This one is my very favorite.
And here is Britt's birthday collage that Dad put together for Facebook. These collages are his nod to honoring each of our wonderful kids, and we have a lot of birthdays in October. Of course Britt's was the first of the six October days that would become meaningful for us.
We hope your day was perfect Brittany.
It was a great week, and we loved our activities with friends and family.
