Missouri Loves Company...

And so we went. Luke and I, along with my Dad, Mom, Mindy, and Mailey, all went to visit our favorite Missourians back in October. They didn't know my Dad was coming and he scared Monica pretty good when he showed up on their back porch. It was so good to see their home and to see the town where they are living. Here are a few things I discovered during our time there:

1 - Aaron spends a lot of time studying, I mean A LOT of time. Text books and lectures are his life now.
2 - Monica is a great hostess. Aaron...not so much.

3 - Ben and Maggie are still just as cute as they were when they left us in July. I take that back, they are cuter. Absence does make the heart grow fonder.

4 - While I was not impressed with the amount of fall foliage in Missouri, the reds, oranges, and yellows that I did see were beautiful.

5 - Gus has a evil step sister living in Nauvoo - Gertrude.

6 - Nauvoo is amazing. The spirit is strong, the people are very friendly, and the sites are spectacular. I have to admit that I never had a strong desire to go to Nauvoo, but I am so glad I had the opportunity and now I can't wait to go back. And I will be going back. Soon.

7 - While I did enjoy my one-on-one time with Luke, I don't like going on a vacation without my whole family. I especially wanted Ashlyn with me when we went on the wagon ride.

8 - Pioneer women risked having their dresses catch on fire while they made ash bread. Some even died. All for friggin' supper.
9 - Sonic makes a dang good snickers/butterfinger shake. I ate two such shakes during our six day adventure. Not to mention all the other non-Sonic ice cream I ate. I haven't ever eaten so much ice cream in my life. But that's what vacations are for, right?
10 - I think Missourians have a secret sport of hitting wild life with their cars. I was amazed at how much road kill we saw. I'm used to seeing the occasional deer on the side of the road here in Utah, but there are all sorts of small smashed, squished, and flattened creatures in Missouri. I wish I had kept track of the number. I'm sure we would have reached three digits.
11 - Some things will never change. My mom still makes one deliciously mean Sunday dinner, even in Missouri.

12 - The caterpillars in Missouri are adorable.

13 - My Dad can't sit still, even on vacation. It's just not in his blood. He busied himself with all sorts of chores from changing filters to digging weeds and mowing the lawn. He's awesome. He was finally able to sit and relax in Nauvoo since there were no chores to do. I am a little surprised we didn't catch him churning butter or something.

14 - It's a pretty neat experience to hold a human heart in your hands.
15 - I need to get in shape. Monica kicked my butt in the cycling class.
16 - Hy-Vee is the most amazing grocery store in the USA. Just ask my Dad.
17 - Almost nothing can make a kid happier than spending a morning lounging on the couch with Grandma.

18 - Collecting acorns should be taken seriously. It's a good thing we don't live in Missouri or I'm afraid we'd never see Mindy. (Pssst, don't tell Mindy that you can find acorns in Utah.)

19 - Ben and Maggie can put on one very entertaining talent show, but when Maggie says the show is over, "IT IS OVER!"
20 - The plus side to having your flight delayed is that you get free tickets! Yippee! We're going back to Missouri!

21 - Saying goodbye is always hard. But, thankfully it wasn't quite as hard the second time.

And a few more photos: