Given' in

Alright I have given into pressure. Every one seams to have a blog so now we do. To start off lets get up to date on this Hale Family.
We all just got back from a vacation to Missouri, where we stayed with my Aunt and Uncle and their family. That was great. It had been a long time since we have seen them(5 1/2) years. Their youngest is two years older than Emily. they hit it off real well, they also have a 13 year old son and a 15 year old daughter, their oldest daughter died right after Wes and I got married she was I believe 10. OH I could tell you there names oldest to youngest Carli, Mike, and Carryan. Anyway, we stayed with them for two weeks and in the middle of there trip we went to Nauvoo, for three days. That was wonderful.

NOW here is some advice when traveling with kids,

• lots of kids music you get sick of the same thing over and over again,
• take the shortest route,
• give them as much run around time before you leave to wear them out, when you get there let them run again
• have a veriety of snacks healthy and unhealthy (they are kids and kids like candy), this usually gives some peace as their mouthes are full and can't talk.
• Always keep Toilet paper in the car, you will need it!
• When you get to your destination make sure to have kid activites mixed with adult activities, ok make that more kids stuf than adult stuff.

Two tours of old homes is enough to send the kids bonkers and you into over stressed mode

• Keep teling your self your are having fun, and that if people are giving your dirty looks they just don't know what fun they are missing out on.
• One thing that seamed to work very well with us is take babysitters with you, Grandparents work very well, they get to spend time with there wounderful grandchildren, and you can spend time away from your wounderful children.
• Another thing to remember is a vacation is not for adults (unless no kids are coming) a vacation is for the kids, it just means more work for us as parents.

OK enough of the advice. Nauvoo was amazing Wes had never been there befor so it was fun to be with him as he saw and felt evry thing for the first time. We got to go to the Pagent Twice while there, it was wonderful. I cryed the whole time the spirit was so strong, and I got to share my feeling with our kids. The kids were so good and quiet both times we saw it I was truly amazed. They say they have never had to cancle a show because of rain, I was worried it pored the hour befor, sprinkled the first 20 minutes and misted the rest. Until they pulled out the fabric the had ben hand embroidered for the temple a moisture stoped completely, after the fabrice had been put away at the end it started to mist again. Heavenly Father truley had his hand in that evening. Emily got to meet the man who played Joseph Smith, the man who played Hyrum (they are actually brothers) and the man who played Heaber C Kimble. She has decided the next year are family can be in it. I need to get in shape firt, it is to hot to be wearing longsleaved anything back there.
If you ask the kids there favorite thing about the trip was flying on the plane. But theydid have lots of fun the rest of the time. Alright that is enough for now.

Enjoy your family weather you have kids or it is just you and
your honey or even just you. Take pictures put them up in your home, God gave us a special gift, make it count now and see what else we are blessed with latter. The most important thing is what we are doing now!