Burning the Prairie Grass!!

In Nauvoo every year they burn down an acre of land, the brush gets over 6 feet tall, so to clear it they burn it. It gets a lot of spectators and it only lasts about 5 minutes then it's all gone. It gets very very hot. They grow this prairie grass to show tourists what the pioneers had to travel through and the burn shows how deadly a prairie fire can be and how careful the pioneers had to be with there fires. It travels so fast I doubt you could run fast enough to get away from it. I have gone a few times to watch in the past but this year I missed it. Our good friend Durell Nelson had the grass planted, he has been over the grounds at NRI for more than 30 years. He knows more about plants and the history of Nauvoo than anyone I have met. My friend Jane Higley took the pictures. Her husband Scott is in the picture starting the fire. He works the grounds at NRI where Sage and Amber work in the summer. She said I could use her pictures since I have never thought to bring my camera in the past. (?) Jane just started a new blog and I am looking forward to following it. :) Enjoy the pictures.

Just for fun!

If you ever get bored and just want something crazy fun to try go to http://www.photofunia.com/ and do this to some of your pictures. What a blast!! It is way easier than it looks.
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The Nauvoo Flu !!!

Amber is still sick. Actually Lacey and Amber are both sick. They have missed a whole week of school and been to the doctor twice. We have tried every remedy known to man and it is still going strong. I have never seen anything this rotten. I was out sick for a week with this. Marty was sick 5 days. Amber has been sick for 2 weeks and it is only getting worse. Lacey got sick Saturday, March 21st and here it is the 27th. She tried to go to school and ended up turning completely pale and going back to bed. They both want to go back to school so bad and to be honest I am tired of sick whiny kids.

Bye Bye Birdie!

We finally got to see Amber's High School Musical. It was so good. Amber did a great job we were so proud of her. We were really worried because she has been sick all week and the morning of this show she sounded like a frog when she talked. She really pulled it off and it was really fun to listen to the comments people made. She was a hit! They all were. It was a really fun show.





On Saturday night after all of the performances were over Amber was given an award that has been given at Warsaw High School since the 80's. It's a little stuffed animal named Bucky that they place all around the set during the last performance. They give it to the Junior who was the "cream of the crop" and when she is a senior she will pass it on to the best at next years performance. Well Amber was given this award.

Bye Bye Birdie! Amber's songs.

"one boy" & "how lovely to be a woman" (I didn't realize the camera had moved...sorry no picture) "Ed Sullivan"

A Free Gift!

If you have been following my blog you know that a while back we did a free prize give away but you had to do the same on your blog. Well I had so much fun with that I decided to do it again but you don't have to do the same. This time I just want you to post your name, where you are from, a little about yourself and how I know you. If we don't know each other then tell me a little more about yourself and email me your mailing address at steenjamie@gmail.com and I will mail your prize out to you. I'm not selling anything and I am not going to give your address or information to anyone. I just want to get to know people and check out who is checking out my blog.

There is no limit so post away, one prize per person, I will even ship out of the country :). I don't have to know you so consider this a get to know you post. This could be fun!! Don't be shy. COMMENT AWAY!!!

(those of you who commented last time, the prizes are in the mail so watch for them. Don't be afraid to comment again. I love my blogging buddies!)

HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY!!

Today all the kids showed up all dressed in green so I thought I should be more festive. It's a green day at the Steen's today. Happy St Patrick's day!!!!!



I wish I had taken a picture of Amber & Lacey before they left for school today. :) They are green too.
This week is Amber's musical and she has really been struggling with a bad virus. Her throat is sore and her headaches. The practices are long and tonight is the last one before dress rehearsals. The first performance is Thursday March 19th. Amber's group performs on Friday night at 7 and Saturday at 2pm.

My Prize!!

I got my first prize from commenting on a blogger who was doing this fun Prize post. It is from Jessie Nelson. These cookies are so good my family wouldn't stop eating them long enough for me to find the camera and take a picture. WOW Jessie you can cook!!!! I am so glad I commented!!!!

Working on the House

Painting the hall.




It's looking good. Almost done.
Yea!!

Nauvoo Stake Basketball Tournament in Macomb

Lacey spent Saturday at the Stake Basketball tournament. They had a great time and they got to go to pizza after. Amber and Sage worked all day at the Fudge Factory. They said it was very busy in town.

Trapped in bed!

I've been sick and have been told I need rest. I took a week off work at the doctor's request. I guess my white blood cell count is very low and I have a virus, they think it is influenza or the "true flu" they kept calling it. Well it is hard to rest when you are not use to it but I have to admit I have done a better job then normal. My visiting teacher Connie brought me homemade bread and Chicken soup.
This morning after the kids and Marty left for the day, I went back to sleep and when I woke up I realized my dogs had relocated across my legs. Bentley across my knees and Harry across my feet. When I tried to move they both started growling. I laughed really hard but neither of them moved or even opened their eyes. I grabbed my cell phone off the bed table and took these pictures. i wish someone was here who could take a really good picture so you could see me and how I am really stuck here. lol
oh well I guess I really am supposed to rest. At least my laptop is within reach so I won't die of boredom.

We are getting WET here!

Harvard student talks about being a "Mormon"

My sister Tera had this posted on her blog and I was so impressed by her answers to the questions pu to her I wanted to share them.

This is a wonderful clip of a discussion held at Harvard concerning the personal search for purpose. On the panel were college students of different faiths, including this Latter-day Saint girl, Rachel Esplin, as well as a Muslim, Jew, Presbyterian, and Buddhist. They all answered questions concerning their faith and religious practices. Rachel Esplin answers questions regarding her upbringing, the development of her personal testimony, women's roles in the church, her belief in Christ, Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, knowledge of spiritual truths, temple marriage, temple covenants, and missionary work. Take a look:


Day of Faith: Personal Quests for a Purpose - 3. Rachel Esplin from Harvard Hillel on Vimeo.

Digital Photography

Amber is a "PEER TUTOR" (teachers aid) in her digital photography class so she dosent get graded any more on her work but this is one of her pictures and she got alot of compliments for it. I like it. It looks like a real cool painting.

Amber at Solo Ensemble

Amber has been at practice for "Bye Bye Birdie" every night for months. She wasn't as prepared for "solo ensemble" as she wanted to be but I think it sounded nice. She got a 2 on her solo. When I asked if she was disappointed that she didn't get a 1 she said she was just glad it was over and that she had been really nervous. I liked it. I only wish the piano wasn't so loud. The musical is in two more weeks. I can't wait. I love seeing my kids perform.