Independence Day MacKay Reunion

we just spent a week in illinois with kent's family! we had a great time catching up with everyone and playing with the cousins. i was looking forward to chronicling the events of the trip, but unfortunately their parents don't feel comfortable with their pictures or names being online. i know everyone has different parenting styles and i TOTALLY respect their decision (i'm SO GRATEFUL i asked first!) it just makes me sad because this is our family journal and they can't be included in it. i'll do my best to describe our adventures, but just be aware that this is an extremely inaccurate record because the BEST pictures and several of the main characters are missing!!

just to get it over with: hands down the worst part of the trip were the events surrounding jenna's FIVE potty accidents. it was embarrassing and frustrating and stressful! it is bad enough at home, but everything feels amplified to me at mackay family gatherings. i am reading a book right now for a book club with some friends called "a return to love" and one of the concepts presented in it is that all actions come from a place of love or a place of fear. i am also reading a book right now given to me by a member of my ward called "one thousand gifts" which talks about being able to be grateful in all circumstances. i am grateful for these two books because they helped me so much on this trip! several times in a moment of stress i was able to step back and take a new perspective that informed my decisions for the better. several other times after a moment of stress passed that i hadn't handled well, i processed it through these lenses and was able to work though it honestly and with the help of the Spirit. it was nothing short of miraculous! i had already been using the techniques from the gratitude book for the week or so before we left and seriously it makes such a difference for me. i am enjoying continuing to improve in my ability to be patient, meek, and forgiving. it is hard to stop being so prideful. it is hard to stop worrying what other people think of or say about me. i'm taking on the challenge though because it is not worth the negativity it brings into my life and the life of my family. i will choose love!!

pretty much, LAX is the worst airport. ever.

the trams took forever and were super overcrowded but whatever, here we are having a good attitude!

the actual plane rides weren't so bad, now that we aren't on them anymore =o] the kids were excited for the special snacks and activities we planned for them. and kent had a gift card that he used to surprise us with an ipad for the kids on the trip. they were on sale when he went so he got TWO- one for the boys and one for the girls. spoiled? absolutely! but it did save us so i'm choosing to be grateful ;o] 

at our layover in detroit they had this little play place for the kids that helped to get some of the energy out. 

when we got to peoria we discovered that they didn't actually have a rear facing seat for seth so he got to ride forward facing a few months early on this trip. he LOVED it (and i said extra prayers for safety every time we drove!)

by the time we got to the mackay's house it was time for bed and settling in only had a few hiccups. jenna ended up having to sleep in the one room i had previously told the kids they weren't even allowed to enter while there (because of the many breakable and antique items in it) but i didn't have a say in the matter so i am just grateful nothing was broken or ruined during our stay. i also didn't have a private place to nurse seth (four or five times a day!) since our rooms had no doors so again i am grateful the arrangement only had to last two days and two nights and to my knowledge no one was flashed lol!  

as you can see, once asleep, she slept soundly! =o]

their yard was BEAUTIFUL! it made me want to get into gardening again! and it made me so sad for our area of the country that is experiencing such a drought. jenna, seth, and i took many a walk outside when things were just too much to handle inside.

on the 4th of july after a pancake breakfast we had a flag raising ceremony that was just adorable. we also took an AWESOME family picture that i guess you will just have to come to my house to see =o]

we went to the museum and got to see the "ripley's believe it or not" exhibit- craziness! 

they had a hands on center too that was a huge hit! and we caught the planetarium show before heading back home for lunch and naps. 

we played A LOT of foosball with the cousins during our stay and it was great fun!

that night for dinner we went to a potluck of sorts at cal's work, which is right on the riverfront and in perfect position to watch the fireworks. to keep the kids corralled we watch the lego movie =o]

my sister-in-law and i bowed out after the dinner with each of our two youngest and went back to put them to bed. we forgot keys to the house assuming we could get in through the garage using the keypad, but found out when we got there it was broken. miraculously, the front door had been left unlocked after taking the family picture on the porch and we were saved! after they were asleep we got to catch up. it was so nice to get to sit peacefully and talk in no hurry and really get to reconnect with her. it was definitely one of my favorite parts of the trip. 

everyone else had a blast at the show! someday i will get to see the fireworks again too... *sigh*

the next  morning we said goodbye to the utah mackays and they flew home. the rest of the day was spent revamping the sleeping arrangements and playing with the cousins. the kids practiced the harry potter puppet pals show to perform for everyone. so fun!

that night for dinner and fun we went to a baseball game at the local park. the mackay's had won tickets and a birthday party there at a charity raffle and since there are three birthdays coming up in the family we had a party! the kids loved the mascot (grandpa even got a little stuffed one for caleb to take home lol)

we thought just the birthday people were going to participate by getting to throw the first pitches, but the staff asked natalie and caleb if they wanted to help too. and of course they did! natalie got to paint home plate. 

she did a little jumping jig afterwards to much applause from the surprised crowd! 

and caleb got to say, or rather shout "play ball!" which i'm sure could be heard for miles around lol

eating birthday cake up at the picnic tables after his job well done =o]

i just had to add this in here to prove i was actually present at the event. i think i am making a face at the nacho cheese lol also take note that seth is on my hip and was that way for HOURS at a time each day on this trip. (who needs a workout when you are lugging around almost 20 lbs?!?)

the cake was super good- made by a local bakery. 

using up some of the cake-high before going back to our seats. 

kent caught a t-shirt during one of the little rally games so that was cool, but the actual game was just ok. way past seth's bedtime and just as i thought my arms were going to fall off from holding him since he was too fussy to sit in our seats, it started to pour. we called it a night and headed home, which no one minded because we had already had just about all the fun we could have at a baseball game.  

it had been a LONG couple of days so after about 20 minutes of a movie we decided to hit the sack early. 

church had a lot to do with the halls as was to be expected, but we got some snippets here and there. 

we were in charge of dinner that night so kent made his delicious oven baked chicken dinner that he does so well and i set the table while the kids played. it is so fun for them to get to play with all the old toys the mackays have kept all these years. the brothers get all into it telling stories of things they used to do. i love it! caleb and natalie and the cousins set up this army of "muscles" which is what kent and his brothers called these little figurines growing up. other favorites were the train set and the transformers.   

after dinner we had a teddy bear picnic! kathy loves teddy bears and to say she has a collection would be a drastic understatement. kent swears that one year in high school they counted the bears she had out just for valentines day and they got up to "1,500-something". in all honesty, i would not be surprised in the least if the house is pushing 5,000 total. easy. 

anyway.

the kids had a blast! what's not to love? teddy bears and bear songs and bear facts and bear stories and raspberries and cake!

on monday we left bright and early for carthage and nauvoo . since it is a two hour drive we did musical monday on the way! this week was "my turn on earth". we talked about how important our bodies are, and how we should live by the golden rule. it was fun! although obviously we didn't get to act out the story as we normally do. 

it was a LONG drive and as kent says "the natives were restless" lol

at the visitor's center we got to walk around the beautiful grounds and then watch a short film before touring the actual jail. 

the sister missionaries did a great job trying to keep the kid's attention by keeping things light, though i would have been fine if they had let them feel the weight of the place a bit more. eventually jenna and seth couldn't handle anymore so i just had to take them outside. this became a theme as you will see lol 

then we went to lunch at subway before heading to nauvoo. 

the river was flooding and came up almost to the memorial at the end of the trail of tears. 

first we got to go to the blacksmith shop. it was so interesting and the kids asked so many questions the poor senior missionaries couldn't get through their presentations lol

jenna couldn't sit still and fell off the bench so kent took her out. we could still hear her screaming across the street so one of the senior missionaries came and gave her a little prairie ring, which was kind but as you can see ineffective lol 

the other kids loved them though!

the first thing natalie said was "now i have one just like aunt melissa!"

next was the brick kiln, which after about 2 seconds of i had to bail out with the littles.

we wandered around outside instead.

next we went over to this AWESOME pioneer children's playground area. serious score!!

next up was the gunsmith which we apparently also could not handle so we wandered over to the post office and general store trying to see some cool stuff without staying long or disturbing anyone. 

next kent tried to give me a break by letting seth and jenna "sleep" in their car seats but they just cried the whole time i was at the bakery with the other kids.  

next we drove to the temple. jenna was beyond excited to even just see it through the window! 

we parked the cars and headed down to make a reservation for dinner. 

we stopped in for a MUCH NEEDED pick me up and boy were we picked up! it was delicious!!

i even let seth try a bite or two. (how could i not?? poor little guy.)

not sure why this is upside-down but you get the idea =o]

then one of my special requests was realized and we found the alleyway where kent and i took a picture when we visited nauvoo before we had any kids. aaaaaaaaaaand this is the best we got lol ah well!

we stopped in a shop to get a sun stone christmas ornament and a nauvoo magnet.  

and then at last the main event!

jenna had been asking when we were going to see the temple since we had gotten off the plane so this was a big deal. gratefully we had a beautiful experience on the grounds and got to hear some special things about certain features of the temple from kathy. it was a good time and i'm so grateful we got to go!

by the time we got seated and started eating dinner i knew we were in for it. after feeding seth as much as i could before he started spitting it back at me, and jenna having a complete meltdown in the bathroom because i threw away her paper towel for her, i decided to take one for the team and carry them both howling back to the car. they both fell asleep within minutes of me buckling them in. i peacefully read my book while irresponsibly burning fossil fuels in park to beat the heat until everyone else finished eating and made their way back to the parking structure.  

the already long drive was made longer by a detour caused by washed out roads in the flood we hadn't known about on the way there having come by way of carthage. this is back country illinios, people! 

the next morning caleb, seth and i saw grandma out harvesting in the garden and went to join her. it was a gorgeous day!

we stayed home and just enjoyed the time together. the two oldest cousins got sorted into hogwarts houses on pottermore (they are both in ravenclaw, like me!)

jenna, caleb, seth and i went on a lot of walks outside to check out the yard throughout the day. 

the kids put on their version of "the mysterious ticking noise" to much praise by the audience. 

i got in some peaceful reading during quiet time. 

kent got to watch the devastating brazil world cup game. worst loss ever =o/

we played with more toys

jenna cracked her chin open. (she almost dies every day. EVERY. DAY.)

and we watched frozen before putting the kids to bed. 

that night we had our last of several family meetings held throughout the stay. i am grateful the mackays are planning ahead for the future! =o]

the next morning we flew home. when we landed in the smog clogged, dried out, overcrowded, dirty, grumpy city, i couldn't help but wonder why in the heck we live in southern california. don't get me wrong, i am grateful to be home! i just can't wait for the earth to be renewed. i thought so much this past week about my country and my hopes for the world. we sang "america the beautiful" in our home ward before independence day, and in peoria after it and with all my heart i changed the words and sang of zion! if you think about it, the whole song fits. i look forward to that day, and hope to call it my home! 

so here's to independence day! and here's to mackay family reunions!