Adventures in the Midwest

Last month we took a trip out to Kansas City, Missouri to visit Kyle's family. It was so fun to have the whole family out there. We did have a noteworthy experience on the drive out there. Just after leaving Grand Junction, CO, our tire blew up...literally! We really didn't want to tow it back to Grand Junction because it would cost a fortune. So instead Kyle called a member in a ward out there to come and help us. We only waited about 20 minutes and then our hero showed up (Al Sharp). He took us all in his truck to a tire store where we actually got a free tire. He does so much business with this tire shop, that the people gave it to us for free. He was such a blessing in our lives and we will never forget his kindness. After that adventure we made it safely to Missouri. A few things that we did while we were out there were: we visited Liberty Jail, went to such a pretty park and let the kids run around, saw some AMAZING fireworks, had family pictures taken (bribery may have been a big factor with this part of our trip), hit up the one and only Oklahoma Joes, visited the Kansas City temple, caught fireflies, and of course the best part was just spending time with the fam. It went by too fast and the girls ask frequently when we can go back. We did take a longer route on the way home so that we could stop and see Nauvoo and Carthage Jail. The Nauvoo temple is absolutely gorgeous. We also went on the Trail of Hope which was such an incredible experience. Carthage Jail was probably one of my favorite parts of our trip. The tour and actually being in the same room where Joseph Smith died was something that I will always remember. Oh and a big thanks to my father-in-law for lending me his camera. I can't believe I forgot ours! Thank you grandma and grandpa Gardner for letting us come and visit you. We had a such a fun time!