Kiersten’s Blog

Yesterday we spent the day celebrating the arrival of the Mormon Battalion into San Diego.  It was kind of  a fun celebration.  Taylor’s parents came down to help us out with a few things on the house so they came with us.  We walked to the trolley station from our house and rode the trolley to Old Town where the festivities were.

biscuits on a stick (woofins)

We did all sorts of fun activities with London, such as rope making, doll making, quilting, brick making, making biscuits on a stick and walking on stilts.

London's pioneer doll that she immediately named Sally

London had a great time.  I’m not so sure about Ashton, but he slept well on the trolley on the way home.  The only complaint we heard (and we heard it ALL DAY) was London wanting to dress up.  She saw so many people in period costume that she wanted to be dressed up too.  She thought that there was a dress-up booth and she wouldn’t believe us when we told her there wasn’t.

We participated in all the festivities at the park, then walked to the newly renovated Mormon Battalion museum.  It’s been closed ever since we moved to San Diego and yesterday was the new grand opening.  It was fun to go and hear the story of these pioneers and kind of feel partly what they went through.  There’s one story they tell of a little boy who wanted to go so badly with his dad, that when the battalion left, he ran away and followed them.  They camped after 90 miles of walking, and the little boy wandered into camp.  They decided that they couldn’t send him back, so they just sent a letter back to his mother, letting her know that he was okay.  That poor mother!  I’m so glad I didn’t live in that time.  I do love hearing about my heritage, though.  It makes me so grateful for what I have.

In the spirit of the festivities yesterday, London drew a picture of our family.  She said it was at the Mormon Battalion (because the celebration was held at a park she thinks it’s called the Mormon Battalion).  I think she’s such a good little artist.

(click on the picture to see it bigger and read the labels)

She drew our whole family.  I’m holding a sleeping Ashton.  If you look closely, you can see that she drew Taylor with a mustache, which he doesn’t have.  She’s wearing a crown, of course, because she’s a princess.  In case you’re wondering, we’re holding lollipops in our hands.  Then she drew a cat on a leash, which Taylor’s holding, and a rabbit on a leash (with a crown on its head), which London is holding.  Notice the moon.  I’m not sure why it looks like Saturn.  Neither is she.  The black that we’re standing on is the street.  You will notice the stop sign in front of us.  Then there’s the house.  I’m not sure what the blue thing is in the front yard, maybe a swimming pool?  Anyway, I love what her little mind comes up with.