LOTOJA!

Last Saturday, my dad rode his first LOTOJA race! He made it all 206 miles. Mom and I were his support crew, meeting up with him in Preston, Montpelier, Afton, Aline, and finally Jackson. We were in the car about 19 hours, which I guess doesn't compare to 13 on a bike!! Good job dad! I could never make it that far! :) He took off about 5:55 am from Logan

First feeding zone in Preston. Mom looks happy to see him :)

Dad between Alpine and Jackson. Our paths merged between Montpelier and Afton so we were able to see him in action a couple times.

Mom and Dad at the Feeding Zone in Montpelier

At the finish line. We're proud of you daddy-O!!

Trevor returned home to Utah last week after 4 1/2 months! Yay! He took Sadie down to Emery County, to his hometown for the weekend, and gave me some time to myself. It was a bit strange, but a great break. Thanks honey!! This is daddy/daughter in "Old Jasper", an old fire engine in the town. They had a great time at grandma and grandpas in Cleveland.

Missouri

Trevor is working in Missouri for the last month of the summer, so here we are!

Liberty Jail

This was such a neat experience! I'm so grateful we're so close to so much early church history, here in Missouri. Being right where the Prophet Joseph was kept for over 4 months was a humbling experience. MY trials were quickly put into perspective and I will forever-more be even more grateful for the sacrifices of the early saints.

SummerTime

Sadie and I have been having fun this summer. Here's a few things we've been up to:

Celebrating our Independence. Sadie LOVES flags. I'm so grateful for the country we live in and the freedoms we usually take for granted

Josh left on his mission to Birmingham, England, and is doing GREAT!!

Visited Cleveland over the 24th of July and had fun hangin' out with the fam

Went camping near Stanley Idaho. Highlights for Sadie were swimming in the lakes, digging in the sand, and playing with glow sticks (thanks grandma).

We hung out in Park City for a few days. Sadie loves her uncle Ben :) It was great, despite my car breaking down on the way there. . .

City Sights

The Art Institute AMAZING! I would've loved to spend more time in here. The artifacts and paintings are from all over the world, some around 2200 years old. Maybe in a different lifetime, when I'm not chasing a 2 year old and explaining that no, you cannot push your stroller DOWN the stairs, and no, we cannot spend the entire afternoon riding the elevator, and yes, I guess you can eat half the bag of suckers if you will stay in your stroller :)

Sadie with a Picasso

Sears Tower
Here we are on top of the Sears Tower, which is the tallest building in the Western Hempishere. The view of the city was awesome!

Sadie zonked out and missed the 103 story ride up the elevator. As I said, she loves elevators, probably because I always let her push the buttons. She calls them "alligators"

View from the Sky Deck of the Sears Tower (Now the Willis Tower)

Lincoln Park Zoo

Sadie and I took the Metra into the city last week with Brandi and Max. Feeling very ambitious, we WALKED up Michigan Avenue to the zoo. It was a little further than we had thought, and needless to say, we had some slight shin-splints that night, but hey, at least the kiddies fell asleep in their strollers on the way. We weren't let down at the zoo. Sadie and Max LOVED the animals and we finally tried a Chicago dog- sure beats a plain old hot dog!
She kept saying that it was silly that the "daddy and mommy" lions were taking a nap on the rocks

Max and Sadie

I told Sadie she looked like a monkey too. She told me that SHE did not eat grass, and was not a monkey, but Sadie Powell :)

Black Bears

Sea Lion

Cantigny Park

We went to this GIANT park a couple weeks ago, not too far from where we live in Wheaton. The gardens were so amazing! Sadie had a great time running around, and we had a great time running after her.

Downtown

Being in Chicago was awesome. We walked A LOT, and Sadie was such a trooper.
Sadie and Max were just small enough to squeeze through this fence. I couldn't blame them though, it was so hot I was about to jump in the fountain myself.
This is at Lincoln Park, right by Lake Michigan. Very pretty.

We found ourselves in the American Girl store. This and the Disney Store were big hits with Sade.

" The Bean"