Elder Stanley in the Czech Republic

From Stanley’s point of view. Written by Hummer (with some assistance from yours truly).

For some gorgeous background music to really put you in the setting, play this while you read. . . .

 

Hi, again! It’s me, Flat Stanley.

I’ve been on an amazing trip! It started at home in Arkansas, when Hummer made me my very own missionary nametag. He taped it to my shirt, folded me up, and sent me to Prague, Czech Republic!

This is a map that shows me going to Prague.

 

Hummer sent me to the Czech Republic because his Uncle Duff is serving a mission there for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 

I was excited to become “Elder Stanley” for a few days! Elder Bailey is squishing me with his hand, and holding a Book of Mormon, too.

 

Here I am with Elder Bailey in front of a Kofola truck (and he is squishing me again). He said that kofola is the best drink ever besides root beer.

 

Elder Bailey took me to Uherské Hradiště.

 

The Church of St Francis Xavier is in the background. I am tired of being squished. There are lots of cars behind me. I wonder why the road is made of bricks?

 

I went with him to Olomouc next.

 

Here we are on the main square. I think the Christmas lights will be beautiful!

 

Missionaries travel a lot! Next we went to Zlin.

 

Wow, look! There’s the moon! I think that Hummer and his family are probably asleep right now while that same moon shines on them in Arkansas.

 

Next Elder Bailey took me to the capital of the Czech Republic. Here we are in Prague on the main square, Vaclavske Namesti. I think all those people are gathered to talk about Lepidoptera.

 

In Prague, with Charles Bridge in the back. Hopefully he doesn’t drop me and I get run over by a car like I did before when I was in Arizona! Elder Bailey told me that the Vltava River is under the Charles Bridge. There is a beautiful piece of music written about this river. . . . Die Moldau.

 

In Prague with Prague castle in the back. The nametag is in Hummer’s handwriting.

 

I liked being a missionary for about a week! Thank you, Elder Bailey, for hosting me!

Flat Stanley in Portland, Part Two

(Exacto is telling this from Flat Stanley's point of view)

 

Here, Aunt Annie and I are outside Voodoo Doughnuts.  I really wish that I could have some, but I'm so flat that no matter how much I chew my food, I can't swallow it.

Here I'm camping in the Columbia River Gorge with Aunt Annie, Uncle Dallin, Annie's mom Sandi, her dad Allen, and her younger sisters Katie and Ellie. When we first arrived at the campsite, I was scared that I was going to get lost in all the leaves, trees, bushes, and everything else.  But Aunt Annie and her family took good care of me and made sure I didn't get lost.  For example, they wouldn't let me go anywhere by myself; whenever I wanted to go anywhere, I had to take someone with me.

Here, I am with Aunt Annie and Emma the black lab (Aunt Annie's family's dog).  Emma smelled me and then said that I was her friend.  I asked, "Does that mean that you're not going to eat me?"  Emma assured me that she only eats dogfood (usually).

Me with Aunt Annie and Zoe the yellow lab (Aunt Annie's other dog).  I told Zoe that if she ate me, then Hummer might be sad.  Zoe said that she wouldn't eat me, but she might lick me.  I said that licking me would be okay, as long as she didn't get me soaked.

Here, Uncle Dallin and I meet a dinosaur at the Oregon Zoo.  I didn't know that they had dinosaurs at the zoo!  For some reason, it didn't move at all the whole time I was there.  Maybe it was hibernating.  (With its eyes open?)

I met some penguins!  They were very nice to me.  They said that I could relax on their backs for a while.  I asked Aunt Annie if I could, but she said no.  I guess she didn't want me to fall in the water.

Here I visited the ocelot.  I asked why people didn't just call it a leopard, but it ignored me.  I'll ask the next ocelot I see.  Maybe there will be ocelots at the next place I go to!

Flat Stanley in Portland, Part One

Next Flat Stanley travels via USPS to Portland, Oregon, meets famous author, hobnobs with cute furry animals, and hits the stacks at Portland State!

(Hummer and Exacto are telling this from Flat Stanley's point of view)

 

 

Here, Aunt Annie and I are outside Powell's Books, one of the biggest independent book stores in the world.  I liked seeing all of the books there and remembering when I was still inside a book!

 

Here, Aunt Annie and I are visiting New York Times best-selling author Steve Berry at a book signing at Powell's books.  He was very tall.

 

Here I am with my Cousin Alice.  When Aunt Annie first put me by Alice, I was scared.  But we became friends before long.  Eventually I fell asleep against her because she's so warm and soft.  Her purring lulled me to sleep, too.

 

Here's me with my Cousin Paploo.  Paploo is smaller than Alice, so I wasn't as scared at first.

 

 

In this picture, I am watching the acrobats at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).  They were amazing!  The walls are made of glass, and I was worried that one of the acrobats might mess up and accidentally go through the wall.

 

Here Aunt Annie and I are at the Narnia Exhibit at OMSI.  At first I thought that the lion was real, so I was really scared!  Later I asked Aunt Annie if I could slide down the arm rail on the stairs, but she said that if I did, I might fall off.

 

Here, I'm outside Cramer Hall, Portland State University.  I wish that in "Cramer" they would put an "e" before the "a" and a "y" at the end.  Then they could put the word "ice" at the beginning and it would be "ice creamery hall."

 

Here I'm outside Millar Library, Portland State University.  It's five stories tall!  Since I'm so short, it seemed extra huge to me!

Flat Stanley visits Nana and Grandpa, Costa Rica, Temples!

 

 

Nana said that right after Flat Stanley came, the missionaries came, so she took a picture!

 

 

Next she flew with Flat Stanley and Uncle Bump to Costa Rica! That's where Uncle Bump served a mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

He went to the beach at Puntarenas.

 

 

 

He went to the San Jose Costa Rica temple.

 

Nana flew home to the Phoenix airport, and so she stopped and took a picture of Flat Stanley at the Mesa Arizona temple.

That's where Mommy and Daddy were married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

A few days later she and Grandpa drove up to Utah.

They stopped in Monticello on the way so that they could take a picture of Flat Stanley at the Monticello Utah temple!!

 

 

Grandpa took this picture to show WHY Flat Stanley is flat.

 

Mommy and Rosebud flew to Utah and met them there.

 

 

They went on a tour of Welfare Square.

Here's Flat Stanley in front of the grain elevator. It's 178 feet tall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Flat Stanley saw the Conference Center, where the Church had General Conference only two weeks before!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Flat Stanley went to the Salt Lake City marathon. He didn't run, but here he is past the finish line.

 

 

Uncle Bump, Grandpa, and Uncle Russ ran 26.2 miles! They were hungry, salty, tired, and happy.

 

Flat Stanley visited the Oquirrh Mountain temple. I went to the Open House there in 2009!

 

Flat Stanley went to the Provo temple!

 

Flat Stanley saw the Y on the mountain by BYU.

 

Then Mommy brought him back home to AR.

Next Flat Stanley will go to visit Aunt Annie in Portland, Oregon. . . . .

The Adventures of Flat Stanley

Guest post by Hummer :)

 

Flat Stanley was made in Arkansas on March 29, 2011.

 

The next day, he went to Stanley Russ Hall on the campus of University of Central Arkansas in Conway.

 

Fluffy is holding Stanley.

 

And he went to Hendrix College in Conway, too.

 

Flat Stanley is in the center of Arkansas. Fluffy is going to the Pinewood Derby.

 

I wrote a note to Nana about Flat Stanley and I asked her to take pictures of him in interesting places. She lives in AZ.

 

I put him in the mailbox. Later I saw from the window the mailman taking Flat Stanley.