50% planned/50% spontaneous weekend

This past weekend started out normal enough. Luke had his last ball game and got his pictures taken. We had been planning for a few weeks to go visit Hannibal MO, so after dropping off some shower gifts, we headed up. It is about 2 hours from home. We had fun while there. Here are some of the things we did.

We first went to a train museum full of electric trains. The kids liked to push the buttons to make them go, but it didn't entertain them for very long, and I don't think it was worth the 8 bucks to get in!

But things got better, luckily. We hiked in the Mark Twain cave. It was really cool, and cold! The tour guide tells stories about Mark Twain and how he used his experiences playing in the cave when he wrote Tom Sawyer. The boys liked in too...at first. It took an hour to walk though and they were pretty tried near the end. I was a little surprised to hear how much kids used to play in it, before it was given as a tour. As I mother, I can't picture saying to my kids, "Sure, go play in a maze of a cave all day with nothing but a candle for light!" I thought it was a really cool cave though, and amazing to see.

We also checked out some of the historical places, Mark Twain's childhood home, and museum.

Whitewashing the fence, just like in Tom Sawyer.

This was the boys favorite part of the museum, pretending to drive a river boat.

I played around with my camera, taking pictures of flowers. I think I am a dork, but I really like doing that! Someday, I want to get a nice camera and take photography classes. I didn't get into photography until I had kids, and heaven knows I take TONS of pictures of them!

The boys really liked me to take pictures of the bees pollinating.

We also hiked up to a lighthouse. The stairs just kept going...

and going...

and going... There where about 5 flights. Isaac pooped out and I had to carry him up the last flight.

But the lighthouse was pretty cool.

And the view was even better!

This was the view the boys liked the best...the one with the train.

Well, after we had done most everything in Hannibal, Tyler was like, "Nauvoo is only an hour from here, let's just go there too!"

So, we went to a Walmart, got some more food and some semi-Sunday clothes (mostly off the clearance rack), got a hotel and went to Nauvoo the next day. We had already been in May with my sister, but we didn't get everything in then, so we did the things we missed last time.

We did go to the temple again, since we got there before things started to open. But I can't get enough pictures of my kids in front of the temple. And they did look really cute in the clearance shirts! And here is evidence that I take tons of pictures of my kids. If I want to get a "normal" picture of Luke, I have to say, "First a normal one..."

"then a CRAZY one!" That is the only way he will smile for me. Otherwise they would all be crazy! I think this one is funny because it looks like he is saying "MOOOM! NOT ANOTHER PICTURE!"

We did have to go to the river again, that was their favorite part last time, so they specifically asked to go there.

We also went to the Carthage Jail. That is one of my favorite places and we didn't go there last time. I love the spirit that is there.

You can tell we played hard because Luke NEVER takes naps anymore, but driving home he completely zonked out! And still went to bed that night without a problem!

It was a really fun weekend. I think everyone should take a spur of the moment trip! The spontaneity is half the fun!