Promised Land Pageant

This year our family was in the Promised Land Pageant like we did last year. The practcies are everyday from 9am-11pm Monday through Thursday. Friday and Saturday are the performances. We all went on Monday but I decided it was too hard with Kaitlyn being so small. Plus the weather was super hot and there wasn't a good place for her to nurse or nap. It is an hour away, so there is the commuting time to factor in as well. It seemed like too much this year, so I decided to stay home with Kaitlyn and Thomas.

Thomas asked to hold Kaitlyn a lot because there was nobody else to play with, but she's gotten so big, that now she has to sit next to him.

Here is a really funny story. Thomas and I painted together everyday. It was lots of fun. One day he was still painting while I went to feed Kaitlyn on the couch. I couldn't see him, but this is how our conversation went:

T-"I need some tape to hang my picture up."
Me-"OK. I'll get some in a minute. Set your picture on the table to dry for now.

T-"Oh! It sticks!" (pause) "Oh. The wall's a mess."

What do you think happened when you hear him say that? I knew exactly what happened because he had been hanging up his other pictures on the wrong side the day before. I got up to see and found this:

He had painted yellow all over a piece of scratch paper and then stuck it on the wall while it was still wet. I laughed and laughed. For some reason it was really funny. I think because he sounded so innocent about it. He was just trying to hang it up and he seemed really confused as to what to do when he saw it made a big mess. He was adorable. He is such a good boy. We really had a lot of fun eating our meals together, reading books, doing some baking, and playing together. He's so good natured and we call him our "joy boy" for good reason.

Thomas and Kaitlyn in their pjs.

Madalyn

There were free pony rides as part of the pre-show festivities on Friday and Saturday nights. It was the first time the kids have been on a pony or horse.

Kylie

Spencer

Alexis and Thomas

The girls in their colonial costumes.
They were also Nehpites and Pioneers, but I didn't get pictures of them in those costumes.

Holladay family cast members.

Nathan got to play a lot of extra parts this year since he had the whole week off to attend all the practices. One scene that made me cry was when he got shot during the Revolutionary War. I wasn't expecting that. Another new part for him was being a mobber who killed Joseph Smith.

Moms with the 3 cast babies. The one in the middle is 4 months old, the one on the left is 3, and Kaitlyn is 2 months old. She was the biggest!