Grandma Eastman's last week in Iowa City

Monday
French Toast with Kalona French Bread: Vanilla, Pumpkin Spice, Cinnamon - With Nutella, Syrup, Powdered Sugar, Raspberries and Strawberries - With OJ

Ordered our new Mac Desktop got a great discount with continuing education, a free ipodtouch (the kids will be using this one for music, i - applications for kids and for movies, and money off on a new printer with scanner and a photo printer.
Drew has the day off: Set up Dining Room Table, Took care of kids so mom and I could get out, finished up his in processing

Mom and I drove 15 miles on highway 1 to
Kalona (Amish Community) on the entire highway are quaint farms, beautiful rolling green hills and gorgeous country side. We anticipated seeing Amish buggies and horses - we only caught a quick glimpse of one downtown the historic village of Kalona. Everything was closed - even the cute Sisters Antique store on Highway 1 and the popular Kalona Bakery. We will be going back before mom leaves.

So we headed to Super WalMart and picked up food (Mom saw Jumbo Campfire Marsh mellows - the were the largest marsh mellows I have ever seen - a must, we also got reese'speanut butter cups to use for our chocolate center) for the next few days, a laundry basket and a new white summer dress that will fit my postpartum body shape.

We than drove to this cute Fresh Produce Market that reminds us of Trader Joe's. I will be returning often - They have sparkling French Lemonade in the coolest bottles. Mom picked up some classic root beer that we have not tried before and I picked up some Orangina (Drew's and I favorite drink). I also picked up some local Toffee.Than we headed to JoAnne's Fabric to finish up our sewing projects (Stuffing for Jaida's large floor pillow, brown fabric for Jaida and Ashton's window covering, and pink flannel to finish a blanket)

Dinner: Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Blue Cheese and Pecans (SOOOOOO GOOD), covered with this amazing gravy, French Bread, With Dina's Ethiopian Salad (Cucumbers, Romaine Lettuce, Tomatoes, Shallots, Kalmata Olives, Italian Dressing, Lemon Juice, Feta, Salt and Pepper, Root beer

Desert: Finished our yummy fruit pizza/XXlarge campfire marsh mellows, reeses peanut butter cups and graham crackers (our own creation smores)

Watched a movie Independance Day to finish off our 4th of July Celebration

Tuesday
Made a 4th of July TuTu for Jaida and took fun pictures/Mom made one last comfy blanket forJaida
Organized Master Bedroom

Love the 15 mile drive
Kalona Bloomers & Sisters Antique Store loved all the vintage cupboards and hatches

Kalona Bakery (BLT fresh bread, hamburger cheese soup, lemonade

Two cook books Donuts, Cinnamon Rolls, Dinner Rolls, Egg Noodles

Tried stopping by Kalona cheese house
Dinner:Pork Chops and Rice with Applesauce/Kalona Bakery Dinner Rolls

Drink: Orangina

Desert: Homemade Ice Cream

Wednesday

Organized and Finished the Kids Room

Lunch downtown, only a 5 minute drive

Greek Pizza and Limeade

Gelato (Mango and Blueberry Polmegranette and mom had coconut and pistachio

Ashton played on the play ground and loved the outdoor water fountains. Just a diaper, in his shorts, shirt off and loved getting soaked

ALL DONE except for garage, yard and downstairs (Need to organize a Craft Corner, Toys, Family Room, Dogs, Laundry, Guest Bedroom, Pantry, Food Storage (easy for Drew and I)

6:00 Opthamology Department Party to welcome new fellows

Mom had Kalona bakery dinner rolls with homemade chicken soup with the Kalona bakery egg noodles

Thursday

Cleaned up garage - mom took down all the boxes so nice

Helped me finish up the kids room - we just need a dresser and crib for Jaida - finished the decorating - so cute

ink prints of Jaida's foot and hand

Had some lunch and enjoyed talking

Got ready to leave to the Nauvoo Pageant

5:30 Drew got home and mom and I left for Nauvoo - 2 hour drive South

Enjoyed the drive talking

Got into Nauvoo about 7:15

Ate at the Nauvoo House

Dinner: Orange Roughy and Crab Stuffed Shrimp with potatoes and Salad Bar

Drink:Lemonade

The food was excellent! Mom said two tickets please and than whispered to the waitress when I was getting my salad for one ticket (Sneaky) Thanks for one last great meal MOM!

Than we drove to the Nauvoo Pageant and parked

So many wonderful, friendly people were there to great us and lots of missionaries were doing missionary work.

We loved talking with a few people, some in the pageant

Pageant started at 8:30pm. A member of the cast came and saw us sitting in the very back and she had saved 3 seats 3 row from the front - they were wonderful seats

The pageant was one of the best! So inspiring and spirit filled. Mom and I were commenting on the drive to Nauvoo, as we passed the Mississippi, how the pioneers left their beautiful Nauvooand crossed the Mississippi in the dead of winter, after building their temple. We talked about our current and present Mississippi's, we each have to cross - if they did it we can all do it.

The members of the cast were amazing and their testimonies of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ rang true in our heart and mind. Mom and I were crying at the end of the performance. The music was so touching. These kinds of sacred, spiritual events change people - Pres.Hinkley said "all of us should experience Nauvoo at least once in our lives." We saw the NauvooPageant This Summer and we will remember it forever!!!

The actor who portrayed Joseph Smith looked and acted just as he would - we felt like it was really him! There were parts, about watching him play Joseph, we felt so close to the Latter Day Prophet and was inspired by him - How he was so tender and loving to Emma - his wife, How he portrayed love and friendliness to all he came in contact with, How despite his trials he found joy and positivity in all aspects of his life, His smile was contagious, He lived and breathed the scripture " Men are that they might have joy" 2 Nephi 2:25! He played hard and worked hard.

I was commenting on how the old beautiful Nauvoo was a place that I coveted. I am hoping for the City of Zion, for Nauvoo, for a place that exsists like 4th Nephi times. Where everyone is friendly, helping, serving, all united, fellowshipping, and carrying one another burdens, giving, cordial, who have respect for and open arms to everyone - No Gossip, No evil, No hate!! Everyone played together and worked together for a common cause - The Cause of Building and Establishing The Lord's work on this earth!

There was one specific part that really touched us. Two small children were stuck in the mud and were calling for help, Joseph Smith passed their way and he immediately went to their aid and rescue. They could not help themselves out of the mud, but Joseph could. He than wiped the mud off their shoes. He said "Don't think about the mud, we all get stuck in the mud sometimes." What a powerful analogy. We each have ups and downs in our lives, those that are on the UP need to help those who are on the down, help get them out of the mud and go to their rescue. Are we helping people get out of the mud? or Are we keeping them in the mud by continuously throwing mud on them? Are we helping them wipe the mud off? Do we humble ourselves and are we asking someone to help us get out, when we are stuck? We can each ask ourselves what this means for us! Such great application.

Afterwards through tears mom and I shared and talked about our favorite parts, greeted members of the cast and thanked them for their sweet testimonies and powerful performances and than talked about how after experiencing this moment, nothing else matters. Love is the key, love changes people as stated by Pres. Hinkley!

When there are storms, mentally and physically, in ones life and they than experience moments like these, those storms leave and peace and joy return. Understanding of why we all are here,remembrance of the great plan of salvation and the Restored Gospel returns. Lives are changed, hearts are changed and softened!

Mom and I were also commenting on how we were both so hungry before the performance, physically. We went to dinner and stuffed ourselves and were literally DONE with the food. We than went and filled our spiritual souls with nourishment and left wanting and desiring MORE. Truely, when you hunger and thirst after spiritual things and righteousness you are never filled to the point of being DONE. The soul desires and wants MORE and MORE. Therefore the change occurs.

We picked up this Newspaper the pageant members put together and enjoyed reading these quotes . . . we hope you enjoy them, reflect upon them

FAMILIES

Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful . . . families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work and wholesome recreational activities.

-The Family Proclamation To The World

"So this was the grand panorama. The blessings of the Restoration . . were for the whole of God's family, from our fathers before us to our children after."

Life After Death

"In the premortal existence, Heavenly Father prepared a plan to enable us to become like Him. Because of this plan, we can be perfected through the Atonement of Christ, recieve a fulness of joy, and live forever in the presence of God. Our family relationships can last throughout the eternities.

"How consoling to those of us called to part with a husband, wife, father, mother, child, SISTER, BROTHER, TO KNOW THAT THEY SHALL RISE AGAIN TO DWELL IN IMMORTAL GLORY."

Community (This starts with families)

"A true key to happiness is laboring for the happiness of others. The Savior taught, "By this shall all men know the ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" John 13:35

Building a community requires the willingness to give meaningful sevice - to "bear one another's burdens, that they may be light." Mosiah 18:8

"We who were many were becoming ONE."

I KEPT THINKING OF OUR FAMILY (MINE AND ANDREW'S) MISSION STATEMENT "BE DETERMINED IN ONE HEART, IN ONE MIND, UNITED IN ALL THINGS."

We are all brothers and sisters, we are all God's children. We are here to help each other return back! He is no respector of persons. Our goal is to become like our Savior Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven - to all return to Him and to live as families forever. We are all sons and daughters of a King!

The pageant and those acting did an amazing job allowing each of us to feel apart of the story - why? because it is our story, they built the foundation of the Lord's kingdom and we are each finishing it! As we sat on the very lawn they sat on, played on, danced on you felt their presence. You felt the Nauvoo they built AND HAD TO LEAVE. What a miracle and a blessing that we have Nauvoo to experience today, that it was saved, & preserved for us to REMEMBER! AS WE EACH RETURN TO NAUVOO AND SEE AND EXPERIENCE IT THEY ARE RETURNING AS WELL, WELDING PAST GENERATIONS WITH FUTURE ONES. The temple that was burned by angry mobs is rebuilt, the foundation was hidden for years by farmland, but what a testimony to us all that God remember's his people and no one can stop the work!!! The Lord will always triumph over opposition and foe - a powerful lesson felt and learned when experiencing Nauvoo!

We are grateful for experiencing Nauvoo!

Friday

Mom woke to help with Ashton and Jaida one last time

I took her to the Cedar Rapids Airport

We hugged and cried

She said goodbyes to my little ones and cried

We hugged and kissed and cried some more

I cried the entire drive home

I am so grateful for all she has done

I want to be just like her when I grow up!

Moms are the best. My mom has been with me during the majority of my moves around this country.

From my first move from home to BYU-Hawaii

To Utah, Las Vegas, San Diego, El Paso, San Antonio, Georgia, and now Iowa

She has had the opportunity of visiting me and exploring with me when I move or has come to visit places I have lived (Maine, Prince Edward Island, NYC, Boston, El Paso, San Antonio, Hawaii, Georgia, Las Vegas, San Diego, Utah, and now Iowa).

You are the best. I am glad I have a home to go to that is clean, set up and organized!

,&, baby jaida and "MA"