Mid-West Trip

Our vacation was so special this year! We visited Grandma and Grandpa in Nauvoo, IL, and then headed to Saint Louis for a few days with Aunt Debra, Uncle Reed and many other of our favorite loved ones. We did a lot of fun things. But, in case you haven't noticed, I love bullet point posts, so here are a few hightlights from each state we visited:

• Nebraska:

Ryan-"That's the biggest John Deere dealership I've ever seen! Maybe we should stop and I'll have you take a picture of me on one of the combines!" I was less excited about the multitude of green tractors.

Jayelle-"Nothing but corn, as far as the eye can see."

Ryan-"Yeah, I keep expecting to see the Green Giant pop out at any moment. HOHOHO!"

Olivia's first hotel stay. Highly recommend the Oak Tree Inn if you're ever passing through North Platte, NE. LOL

Home of the longest stretch of road construction in the country. '2 miles of construction ahead' the sign said. It lied.

Ryan- "Hey! Cabela's! Exit 49!"

Jayelle- "No, I'm pretty sure the sign said Exit 89."

We never made it to Cabelas. I knew it said exit 49.

• Wyoming

Turns out Wyoming is really very anti-climactic after being in such pretty states all week. It was pretty in it's own way...pretty brown, that is.

• Illinois:

Illinois-home of the place in which I swore I'd never take a baby on vacation again. But it really wasn't bad. Olivia loved most everything we did.

Toll bridge crossing over the giant Mississippi River.

Birthday shopping at Kohl's. I now feel a little better equipped in the clothing department for my return to work. Thanks Grandma.

Beautiful historic sites in Old Nauvoo and Carthage.

My first time inside the Nauvoo temple. I'd go back just for that. It was beautiful in every sense of the word.

Amazing performances by Grandma and Grandpa in their musical productions.

Humidity unlike anything I've ever experienced. Thought I'd never be dry again. But it was worth it :)

• Missouri:

Pool at Aunt Debra's and Uncle Reed's home=nasty sunburn for Ryan and slight sunburn for me. Also worth it :)

Going up the Gateway Arch. 630 feet up in a little 'pod' of an elevator. Amazing structure.

Charming Charlie is this adorable little (big) accessory store. It's kind of like a giant Claire's only ten times better and with shoes and shirts. My parent's got me the cutest shirt and shoes for my birthday. It was such a fun store. A little overwhelming, especially for a non-shopper such as myself, but after you get over the massiveness of it all, it's fun.

St. Louis Cardinals baseball game for Ryan. 2 hour rain delay. Turns out the cheap seats are the only ones that are covered in a rain storm. Ironic. LOL

Flat tire on the way home for my parents. Don't try and get into a tire shop in St. Joseph, MO, on a Saturday. Impossible. Luckily, the Blazer has a full-size spare.