Just got back!

Just got back!

We had a four day weekend and for some time had planned to meet up with Jon's sister Laurel & family. They live in Nebraska just over 12 hours west of us. So, looking at a map we put our finger smack dab in the middle. Pittsville, Ill. population 4000 and nothing to see. going a little further on the western bank of the great Mississippi River would land us right in the hometown of Mark Twain.

The Best Western, Buffet Breakfast every morning that I don't have to fix, nice weather, an indoor pool, maid service everyday, mixed with loads of laughter and great company made for a great & much needed vacation.

We've been here once before in the Summer and it is much prettier, but hot! We enjoyed nice mid 50 degree weather. What you see here is only half the stairs to the light house. This was our families second time up. We arrived several hours before Todd & Laurel. The weather was so nice out that we decided to explore.  

 One our first trip up to the light house tragedy struck. BreaLynn got her fingers stuck in this cast iron door below. After a heroic rescue by her daddy who ran to the hotel to get the car to take her back to the hotel we decided that I should take her to the ER. After x-rays we learned that she had in fact fractured both fingers. The blood was pooling under her nails so they did a procedure through the nail to allow the blood to flow. NOT pleasant. Poor girl.

All bandaged up and on Vicodin we saw her smile again. No basketball or piano for a while.

Weber Girls with their Monster Aliens! a.k.a. Googelies

 

Warmer in the cave than out...that was nice. Caves are always really neat to explore, Daniel was chomping at the bit to be cut loose. His sense of adventure struggled against the reins.

 I can't help but think that some of these pictures look as if someone swallowed the camera.

 It was truly amazing to watch this ice float down the Mississippi.

Of all that there was to see it seemed the train tracks  got a lot of attention!

The kids would leave coins on the tracks, then after hearing a train pass, would run to retrieve  their coin.

Very flat coins!

Here is Lover's Leap overlook. Here is what it would look like in the summer.

The Hotel Staff was fabulous! The night BreaLynn came home from the Hospital, the maintenance guy brought up warm cookies & milk! Who does that? Best Western, Hannibal, Mo.

Warm cookies at the front desk everynight is where you'd find all our kids.

Sunday morning we attended the Hannibal Branch. The kids doubled their youth program. It was fun.

To our astonishment we met Elder Hamner's (our adopted missionary over there on the side of the page)

Aunt, Uncle & cousins. Talk about a small world!

We had a great time and are so glad we got to hook up with the Webers. We miss them already.