Ode to Boyd!

Boyd...Boyd...Boyd....What can I say about Boyd! He an awesome 2 1/2 year old! I had sooooo much fun playing with Boyd! Every night during the Nauvoo Pageant he and his brother Raymond would come and play with me. They would sit on my lap and push me down saying "your dead!" I would fall backwards and my tongue would hang out. Or they would just attack me and wrestle me! All I could do was laugh!

Well, on Monday night, the night of Blue Cast's dress rehersal Boyd and I were playing the "You're a sleep...now I am awake" game. Boyd would sit on my lap....push me down and lay on top of my stomach and say "sleep!"...we would do some snoring...and then I would yell "awake!" Well...on this one particular awake yells...I was the only one asleep...as I sat up Boyd decided to got to sleep and smacked his head on my front tooth. Those who know me well know that I have a scar on my bottom lip from when I was younger and my tooth went through...so you can only imagine the next part....I looked at Boyd and he had a massive amount of blood running down his head. I grab him and run over to the first aid station yelling at Cindy to go find Julie...his mother. He is just laying in my arms not crying anymore because he is trusting me that it will be ok. I hold on to him promising that he is ok. His mom comes and takes over as they examine Boyd.

I feel horrible at this point! Here I am being intrusted by all of these parents to take care of their children while they perform and here I send one to the te Urgent Care to get Dermabond put on the 1/4" cut on his forhead! Julie and Ray (Boyd's father) kept reminding me that it was ok. But I couldn't stop feeling horrible. But luckily Boyd didn't hold that against me. He was right back wrestling the next day!

I love you Boyd!!!!

Fun with the kids!!!!

Being in Nauvoo is a blast. Many asked if I was going to be on stage. But...Nope...I had a better role to play than that. I was on the Blue Cast Family Support Team. Meaning...while the parents and youth practiced I got to do fun activities and play....like....making sock puppets...playing crab soccer or "upset the fruit basket"....making Nauvoo Tote bags...building sandcastles....playing baseball....having to hold adorable little babies...making chalk drawings....and the best one....WATER FIGHT!!! It was so much fun! These kids are so amazing in every meaning of the word! They truly helped bring the Spirit to Nauvoo!!!

Karlie and I played baseball. She was an awesome hitter! We would have to remind the pitcher "that we wanted a pitcher not a belly itcher".

Caleb LOVED baring himself in the dirt. He did this on more than one occasin.

This kid can make some of the funniest faces. He was having a blast taking pictures and movies with my camera.

We had so much fun tracing eachother!

Who could resist this cute little Lacie with curlers in her hair!?!

Umm....this is my outline...I really hope my calves aren't that big!

Sister G said to me "Heather, I am a little worried!"

Poor Alexander...who wouldn't be scared with Sister C standing over them.

Oh Alexander...poor kid!

Lacie does an awesome job at outlining Carly.

Poor Oliver...is a little upside down here.

Audrey is such a good sport at letting her sister Ashley outline her.

Lacie is so much fun! We did a lot of racing! And of course she was always so much faster than me!

I think Conner is falling a sleep. And who could blame him? We had had a busy day!

I love his enthusiasm!

Sister G's best friend was Ella. She is such a cutie!!!

Miriam builds a fabulous sand castle builder!

Ella was very content with playing with her legos.

Hyrum is a hoot!!! I love his hat! I think we should all wear our hats like that.

Addie!!!! I love this little girl! She is so much fun! Her mom is Emily that plays Emma Smith. She is not a small little 2 year old. She loves to sit on my stomach and bounce. I have to make sure I go to the bathroom before I play with her or there would be a little Heather River.

Me, Boyd, and Caleb....What awesome faces!!!

This is Courtney....she was in the Red Cast. She is so sweet and cute as can be! She is one years old or a littel younger. She is very independent for a one year old. I was amazed that she could drink out of the water bottle by herself and not dump it all over her.

Janet and me...she was with us working the puppet show. She handed out the beads to the children after the puppet show. Her testimony was amazing. I was so impressed with her wonderful missionary skills.

Wilamena the Puppet, Oliver, and Me. Oliver is such sweet boy...very shy.

Sam, Wilamena, Carly, and me.

Jaylee, Wilamena, and me. Jaylee is such a wonderful girl. Jaylee loves to help us take care of the little babies.

Caleb was so sweet. He came up to me at the Pre-Show and asked if he could buy me a treat at the consession stand. I had to take a picture with him so he could show the ladies how rich he is. :)

Adenen doing his dead man look.

Sister C and Boyd sporting their sunglasses.

Lacie making a funny face! So cute!

"Look at my muscles!!!"

Just a little game of Crab Soccer!

"Go Caleb! GO!!!!!"

Watch out! Don't kick them in the head! ....both commonly used during this game.

Poor Jamee was playing so much that she got sick. She was down for almost a week with a sore throat.

Brother R teaching the kids how to fly the airplanes.

"I'm going to get you my pretty!"

Caleb was being very sneaky....he took this water fight very seriously.

Some of the girls were a little thirsty...Lacie was there to help them out.

Serving everyone else made Lacie thirsty too.

Watch out! Lacie is going to get you! She is behind the bush!

"Watch out kids! Sister Porter is coming after you!!!"

Crap...there's a car....act like a TREE!!!!!

When camping it is a neccesity to have a campfire and roast s'mores and starburst. Sadly around our campsite there are not many logs. But, Heavenly Father was on our side. Tuesday night he blessed us with a storm and knocked some trees down. Cindy and I recognizing this blessing decided to go and steal some of the branches. We were so excited to get to be sneaky and get the wood. But Darryl just had to go and ruin the fun and tell us it wasn't stealing when the tree was "wind blown". But...we just ignored hime. I know...we are "low bar" missionaries and it is bad of us to think picking up wood is more fun when you think you are stealing. ;-)

You have to be very quite to sneak up on the wood.

"Hey Cindy, Do you think this piece would work?"

"Yes Heather...stop yelling and laughing!"

"Crap its a car! Quick act like a tree!!!!"

"Do you think they noticed me?"

As I was trying to get down a car came and so I had to "freeze" and act like a tree.

I am still trying to get myself down. It was a huge tree!

I thought while I was up there I would do a little Yoga.

Cindy Sue...best criminal companion anyone could ever have! ;-)

Cindy Sue caught in the midst of a laugh! We were laughing so hard!!!