Twilight Concert and Blonde Grizzly

 Caleb and Hillary have moved their store to a new location

 Twilight Concert in Pioneer Park.  The store has a booth there.

 Caleb and Lily

Eating on the lawn at the Concert

Lily

Pictures of Lily while we were visiting the Barney's in SLC.  She loves to carry a purse with her all the times.  She is such a little princess.  Also her hair is pretty wild first thing in the morning.  She is pointing at the birds. And of course we do not want to forget Bear.  

Caleb and Hillary's home

Caleb, Hillary, Lily and Bear moved into a new home in Salt Lake City.  (3547 South Solaris Way  84115)  It is a darling home and they are working so hard to get it all put together.  Randy is going to build some shelfs in the garage and basement for them while we are here.  

INL Tour

 Randy and I went on a tour to the INL sponsored by the Rexburg Chamber of Commerce

 Our first stop was the Museum of the EBR-I.  It was very interesting but over my head.  Out tour guide Don Miley was educated in the matter.

 Lots of open desert out there

We were not able to take pictures at any of the sites after we entered.  The areas are all labeled with letters and numbers.  It was a very interesting day.

Tending Keagan and Holden

Randy and I got to tend Holden and Keagan over night while Raquel and Kinsley took a trip to SLC school shopping.  We had a great time.  It is so fun to have them around.  You cannot beat being a grandparent.  

Trip- Day 15- Friday- Flying home

 In Branson is the College of the Ozarks.  All the  students work at the college during the year and also two 40 hour weeks each year to pay for their tuition, books and housing.  When they leave school they are debt free.  It is a beautiful campus, medical degrees, English degrees, biology, etc.  Pretty much what any University has.  What a way to go to school.

 The Ozrks area is beautiful.  Lots of rollong hills and trees and rock formation.

We flew out of the Springfield-Branson airport to Denver and then home.  Ashley was in Idaho Falls to pick us up.  It is good to be home.  Now back to reality again.

Trip- Day 14- Thursday

Slow day.  Went for a walk and a swim in the resort pool.  Went to a cinema and had dinner at Montana Mikes.  Spent the rest of the night watching the Olympics.  We have been trying to watch the Olympics as much as possible.  The athletics are so talented it is interesting to watch.  We have had a good time here in Branson, Missouri.  

Trip- Day 13- Wednesday- Duttons and Showboat

 We ate lunch as this wonderful Italian restaurant.

 DUTTONS-  The Dutton Family.  There was really good fiddle playing, violin playing, singing, dancing  and just a great show.

 We did the dinner cruise on the Branson Belle. It is the only paddle boat that is land locked.  You cruise around Table Rock Lake. It was a down pour when we arrived put they put us on the boat and we went anyway.  The rain stopped as we got going.

 Some pretty pictures from the deck of the boat.

The show on the boat was very good.  It was a great night.

Trip- Day 12- Tuesday- Silver Dollar City, Shoji

 We spent the day at "Silver Dollar City", an amusement park with lots of shows, demonstrations of the olden days, and lot of thrill rides.  We went to several of the show, The Petersens, Cajun Connection, Frontier Follies, and saw demonstrations.  We must be getting old, we did not do any of the trill rides.

 We did do the Marvel Cave Tour.  It was a walking tour of the cave that is totally under the whole amusement park.  It was 700 steps down  (1/2 mile)  The stalagmites and stalactites were amazing plus the beautiful waterfalls.  I had to just keep thinking I was not that far under ground.  We walked about half way back out and then a troll took us the rest of the way out.  Pretty neat experience.

 Our show for today was "The Shoji Tabuchi Show".  He is a famous violin/fiddler player.  It was a very good show.

 His theater has won awards for the nicest bathrooms in any theater.  Here are pictures of the ladies room.  It was amazing.

Randy would not take the camera in and take pictures of the mens.  But he said there was a pool table in their restroom.  
The whole theater was beautiful.  

Trip- Day 11- Monday- Duck Tour, Titanic, IT

 We started the day with a walk and then a swim in the resort pool.  Then we went on a Duck Tour.  We saw some beautiful country and boated in Table Rock Lake.  Randy using his duck bill.

 We toured the museum of the Titanic.  It was very interesting.

 Our show for today was "IT" by the Hughes Brothers and their American Family.

 They were so good.  Five brothers, their five wife's, and all their children  (I think a total of 33).  Everyone of them were so talented at singing, dancing and all kinds of musical instruments.

The smallest children sang the song "I Am a Child of God".  Wow was it amazing.  The show was very good.

Trip- Day 10- Sunday

 Branson LDS Ward.  We left our Resort at 10:30 am to go to church at 11:00.  They said it was a ten minute drive.  We arrived at the church at 12:15.  I have no idea where everyone in Branson was going on a Sunday morning.  Needless to say we missed sacrament meeting.

 Driving around the area of Branson.  Beautiful.

 Table Rock Dam

 Fish Hatchery

 Visitors Center

 Branson Landing.  Downtown area restored.  What a pretty area by Lake Taneycomo.

Good old Kings type store.  Everything you can imagine. Fun to look around in.

Trip- Day 9- Saturday- Branson, Missouri- YAKOV and SIX

We went to our first show in Branson on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm.  We saw YAKOV and he has been voted the Best Comedian of the Year.  He is a Russian now a US Citizen.  He was so funny.  A great show to see.   Lots of old people, even older than us.  The temperature outside hit 106 degrees.  Wow it is hot here.  Glad to be inside a theater.

 We were told to go to this Country Store called WHISKER'S.  All the fruits and vegetables are grown by the local Amish Community.  It was a fun little store, and the fruits and vegetables are the best,  and the homemade cinnamon rolls are to die for.  Everything they bake with is grown locally also.

We  also went to the show called SIX.   Six Voices, Zero Instruments, and done with their voices.  A totally amazing show.  The performers are 6 brothers and perform like you would not believe.  Lots of younger people, more our age  and a lot younger than our age, at this show.  This area of Branson  is actually pretty family oriented. Who knew!!!!!!

Trip- Day 8- St. Louis to Branson, Missouri

 We attended a session in the St. Louis, Missouri Temple this morning.  It was was beautiful and very nice.  It is just a great feeling to be in the temple and participating there.

 I forgot to take very many pictures as we were driving along.  But the landscape was very hilly, lots of ups and downs, more trees and very beautiful.  It is in a drought situation here right now.  Everyone is hoping for rain but it does not look like much in the near future.  Everything is so dry.

Branson, Missouri.  We checked into our resort, "Wyndham Mountain Vista"  had dinner at a steak house and just drove around and looked at a few things.  There are a lot of old people here but it also has a lot of things for families.  It is so busy and HOT.  98 degrees and humid.  

Wyndham Mountain Vista Resort- Branson, Missouri

This is our resort here in Branson, Missouri.  It is on a beautiful location just a few blocks from the Main Street.  Several swimming pools, areas for the kids to play, Recreation Center, and many more amenities.  The units are very large and very nice also.  

Trip- Day 7- Nauvoo, IL to St. Louis, MO

 Breakfast with the Hays Family before they leave to go back home to Cedar Falls, Iowa.

 Carthage Jail.

 Driving along the Mississippi River.  It is so beautiful

 Mark Twain honoring his fictional characters Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn

 Mark Twain living in Hannibal, Missouri

 Trolly Car Tour around Hannibal.  It was raining, which they need there so bad.  It cooled things down a little bit also.

St. Louis, Missouri.  Notice the Arch.  A fun city to be in.