My family and I were lucky enough to travel down to the 'ol KC to visit my sister and her family and tour the Kansas City Temple during it's open house last weekend. The Church extended the touring dates for another week because of the outpouring of interest from the community and boy were we glad they had. It gave us the opportunity to not only see it's beauty and share it with my children, but to visit my family...bonus, my littlest brother Mack, even drove up from Stilly and were lucky enough to have him visit with us, too!!
We started off our weekend fun w/ a trip to the marble shop. They showed us how marbles are handmade. I found it quite interesting. There is a lot of technique and skill that goes into making a little round ball. I loved seeing the little blown glass sculptures in the display cases. They had handmade flowers inside a marble that amazed me. The flowers were so beautiful and real looking I had to ask if they were glass or the real thing preserved in glass. Amazing. While I was riveted in the whole process the rest of my family was higher up on the bleachers knocking things off the wall while wiggling around. Sufficed to say as much as I was enjoying the whole marble process they were equally busy trying to figure out how to "blow this joint". (we had to share a rather small and stuffy room w/ a. lot. of other people on the tour. They were on a field trip and we just caught it at the wrong time, so I figure the hot room and over-abundance of people took away a lot of the kids' attention) The kids were a bit more pleased when we allowed them to each choose a tube of hand-picked marbles (by them). Ella even chose to bring them to school for show-and-tell this past week. After our marble-capade we decided to catch a "free" dinner at a Burns and Mac public event. But wait!! Before we started the drive to the stadium for the event Spence pulled a "u-ee" (how do you even spell that?) into Sonic. I was so surprised I thought for sure we were there just for a potty break...but nope (and it wasn't even happy-hour) it was for a fun treat just because we deprived people of Northwest Indiana aren't graced w/ a Sonic. I know, cruel and unusual. After our drink orders were in the car, we were on our way. The whole Lifferth and Humphrey clan were dressed for a fairly warm day I realized on the way to the Burns and Mac event, and I started putting two-and-two together as we were driving the even as I saw the temp gauge in our car reading a chilly 60 something. I started to figure we might be on the chilly side. Things started really solidifying in my mind when I saw people walking w/ gale force winds towards the stadium all bundled up. When we parked and got out of the car we realized the wind was blowing really hard (harder than it was earlier) and it was really chilly. We decided to brave the wind and temps in our shorts and flimsy jackets because the siren call of a free dinner and Bouncy Houses was just. too. strong. We made our way down Little Everest (slightly kidding here...but not really. The hill was gi.nor.mous. and there was such a wind draft it was hard to stay on your feet. Naturally I'm in way-too-tall sandals trying to navigate it and my bad influence rubbed off on Whitney while she was tottering down also in my other way-too-tall sandals. Things were slightly dicey there for a while). After we got into the stadium parking lot (where the tents and event was set up) we hoped the wind would calm down, therefore letting it feel warmer (it did. not. feel like even close to 60 w/ the wind wailing). Not so. We navigated the parking lot all the while Georgia is crying because she is so cold, so we wrapped her up in a blanket and carried her until we found the Burns and Mac tent. We were lucky enough to find some yummy BBQ (another delicacy when you come from the North...it's something they just don't do up here...now pizza and hot dogs, that's another story...). We were all quite excited for our free dinner...after all, that was the siren call we were answering, right? The kids were all pretty happy because of the sidewalk chalk area and entertained themselves despite the chill and wind for quite awhile coloring. Cooper even took up advertising for Burns and Mac by designing a huge chalk sign on the pavement for them...an employee in the next 10 years?? Quite possibly. ;) Overall anything is fun and pretty bearable when you're accompanied by some of the best people in the world, but as we were walking away (sans jumping in the Bouncy Houses, it was just too cold) Phillip and I agreed there is never really a free meal.
The next day we were all excited to get up and go to the Kansas City temple open house. We were really bustling around to get out of there. (E.T.D. was supposed to be 9:00, we got out of there at 9:25-ish, but who's really counting besides *cough*, *cough* Spence. ;) Around 8:30 though, Ella comes to me throwing up. This is really upsetting people that little girl has been superexcited to visit the temple. She had been talking about it for weeks and now here she was sick on the Big Day. Phillip took her aside and asked her if she wanted to say and prayer asking Heavenly Father to bless her to feel well enough to go to the temple. She said she did and they said a sweet, little prayer. We decided to take everyone despite Ella still feeling unwell as we walked out the door. Miraculously, on the way to the temple Ella acted just fine, and then while we waited in line on temple grounds for the tour she was great and perfectly well the whole time we were on the tour. Truly the answer of a small and simple prayer by a child of Heavenly Father's. While on the tour it was so much having my small children be able to see where Mommy and Daddy are able to go when we "go to the temple". The Kansas City temple is beautiful, a work of art, really. It was a blessing to be able to visit. On the tour Grey caught sight of a golden drinking fountain. Phillip hurried him along as Grey was requesting a drink. Phillip thought that Grey was just thirsty and knew we would be getting a drink soon and didn't want to hold things up, so he didn't let Grey have a drink. Little did either Phillip or I realize that Grey wanted a drink from a golden water fountain and is still talking about his lost opportunity...poor boy. So, let this be a lesson to you small bear, let your little ones take a drink from a golden drinking fountain. It mean a lot to little seven year old boys.
My cute boys hanging out in front of the fountain at the Kansas City temple.
I hesitated putting this picture up because my daughter looks, *ehem* "special", but Scarli looks so darn cute and I thought she might need a boost of self confidence after this post.
http://semihipmom.blogspot.com/2012/04/sex-in-city.html
I do not indeedy like this family picture...but at least it's documented we're all together...
Me and my beautiful neice, Georgia
How cute are my siblings?!!
Again, how beautiful is my sister?!! Aww, love Ezzie. He is so cute and are his eyes closed...ohhh, who cares.
Some of my favorite people in the whole wide world and aren't they just the prettiest girls?!!
We started off our weekend fun w/ a trip to the marble shop. They showed us how marbles are handmade. I found it quite interesting. There is a lot of technique and skill that goes into making a little round ball. I loved seeing the little blown glass sculptures in the display cases. They had handmade flowers inside a marble that amazed me. The flowers were so beautiful and real looking I had to ask if they were glass or the real thing preserved in glass. Amazing. While I was riveted in the whole process the rest of my family was higher up on the bleachers knocking things off the wall while wiggling around. Sufficed to say as much as I was enjoying the whole marble process they were equally busy trying to figure out how to "blow this joint". (we had to share a rather small and stuffy room w/ a. lot. of other people on the tour. They were on a field trip and we just caught it at the wrong time, so I figure the hot room and over-abundance of people took away a lot of the kids' attention) The kids were a bit more pleased when we allowed them to each choose a tube of hand-picked marbles (by them). Ella even chose to bring them to school for show-and-tell this past week. After our marble-capade we decided to catch a "free" dinner at a Burns and Mac public event. But wait!! Before we started the drive to the stadium for the event Spence pulled a "u-ee" (how do you even spell that?) into Sonic. I was so surprised I thought for sure we were there just for a potty break...but nope (and it wasn't even happy-hour) it was for a fun treat just because we deprived people of Northwest Indiana aren't graced w/ a Sonic. I know, cruel and unusual. After our drink orders were in the car, we were on our way. The whole Lifferth and Humphrey clan were dressed for a fairly warm day I realized on the way to the Burns and Mac event, and I started putting two-and-two together as we were driving the even as I saw the temp gauge in our car reading a chilly 60 something. I started to figure we might be on the chilly side. Things started really solidifying in my mind when I saw people walking w/ gale force winds towards the stadium all bundled up. When we parked and got out of the car we realized the wind was blowing really hard (harder than it was earlier) and it was really chilly. We decided to brave the wind and temps in our shorts and flimsy jackets because the siren call of a free dinner and Bouncy Houses was just. too. strong. We made our way down Little Everest (slightly kidding here...but not really. The hill was gi.nor.mous. and there was such a wind draft it was hard to stay on your feet. Naturally I'm in way-too-tall sandals trying to navigate it and my bad influence rubbed off on Whitney while she was tottering down also in my other way-too-tall sandals. Things were slightly dicey there for a while). After we got into the stadium parking lot (where the tents and event was set up) we hoped the wind would calm down, therefore letting it feel warmer (it did. not. feel like even close to 60 w/ the wind wailing). Not so. We navigated the parking lot all the while Georgia is crying because she is so cold, so we wrapped her up in a blanket and carried her until we found the Burns and Mac tent. We were lucky enough to find some yummy BBQ (another delicacy when you come from the North...it's something they just don't do up here...now pizza and hot dogs, that's another story...). We were all quite excited for our free dinner...after all, that was the siren call we were answering, right? The kids were all pretty happy because of the sidewalk chalk area and entertained themselves despite the chill and wind for quite awhile coloring. Cooper even took up advertising for Burns and Mac by designing a huge chalk sign on the pavement for them...an employee in the next 10 years?? Quite possibly. ;) Overall anything is fun and pretty bearable when you're accompanied by some of the best people in the world, but as we were walking away (sans jumping in the Bouncy Houses, it was just too cold) Phillip and I agreed there is never really a free meal.
The next day we were all excited to get up and go to the Kansas City temple open house. We were really bustling around to get out of there. (E.T.D. was supposed to be 9:00, we got out of there at 9:25-ish, but who's really counting besides *cough*, *cough* Spence. ;) Around 8:30 though, Ella comes to me throwing up. This is really upsetting people that little girl has been superexcited to visit the temple. She had been talking about it for weeks and now here she was sick on the Big Day. Phillip took her aside and asked her if she wanted to say and prayer asking Heavenly Father to bless her to feel well enough to go to the temple. She said she did and they said a sweet, little prayer. We decided to take everyone despite Ella still feeling unwell as we walked out the door. Miraculously, on the way to the temple Ella acted just fine, and then while we waited in line on temple grounds for the tour she was great and perfectly well the whole time we were on the tour. Truly the answer of a small and simple prayer by a child of Heavenly Father's. While on the tour it was so much having my small children be able to see where Mommy and Daddy are able to go when we "go to the temple". The Kansas City temple is beautiful, a work of art, really. It was a blessing to be able to visit. On the tour Grey caught sight of a golden drinking fountain. Phillip hurried him along as Grey was requesting a drink. Phillip thought that Grey was just thirsty and knew we would be getting a drink soon and didn't want to hold things up, so he didn't let Grey have a drink. Little did either Phillip or I realize that Grey wanted a drink from a golden water fountain and is still talking about his lost opportunity...poor boy. So, let this be a lesson to you small bear, let your little ones take a drink from a golden drinking fountain. It mean a lot to little seven year old boys.
My cute boys hanging out in front of the fountain at the Kansas City temple.
I hesitated putting this picture up because my daughter looks, *ehem* "special", but Scarli looks so darn cute and I thought she might need a boost of self confidence after this post.http://semihipmom.blogspot.com/2012/04/sex-in-city.html
I do not indeedy like this family picture...but at least it's documented we're all together...
Me and my beautiful neice, Georgia
How cute are my siblings?!!
Again, how beautiful is my sister?!! Aww, love Ezzie. He is so cute and are his eyes closed...ohhh, who cares.
Some of my favorite people in the whole wide world and aren't they just the prettiest girls?!!Well, that about wraps it up. Oh, I did want to mention Ella did spread her germs, I mean love, to all the family and we felt it's loving arms grip the boys Saturday afternoon and Phillip and I felt it's strangling embrace on the 9+ hour drive home Sunday and then Monday. It was l.o.v.e.l.y.
Enough of that...if you made it though this long-winded post gold star for YOU!!
Enough of that...if you made it though this long-winded post gold star for YOU!!
