Mashed

 So this baby is just nuts about his bouncy contraption. It provides lots of exercise, not to mention the entertainment value (for us and him).

Construction has been going on for the past couple of years on the Kansas City Temple. It is finally finished, and we had a chance to visit and tour it this week. Emerson did pretty well, but he started getting antsy partway through, so we started feeding him a bottle while we walked. This worked well, until a part of the tour where everyone was supposed to be quiet and contemplate the beauty and serenity...instead, we all got to contemplate the sound of a baby slurping loudly on a bottle.

 Grandma Cindy can't get enough of her grandson (can you blame her?). She is especially good at rocking him to sleep. (However, do you see a possessed creature in the background of this otherwise peaceful scene?)

 It's been our unofficial quest to try all of Kansas City's most legendary restaurants, and this week we finally got to visit Stroud's. They serve some pretty tasty pan-fried chicken. They have a lot of fun, old-timey stuff on their grounds, so we took some photos while we waited. Emerson experienced his first pony ride...

 ...and relaxed in a carriage (or is it a surry? No fringe on top, though).

 While the grown-ups enjoyed their chicken, the baby got a little enrichment from chewing on a cracker package. He also tried his first mashed potatoes. Will he grow up to love potatoes as much as his dad does? Only time will tell.

 The weather was beautiful today, so we stopped by the City Market before dropping Cindy off at the airport. Lovely!