Goings On- March 3/12

 Here are some random photos from this week that are just a bit of what we did.

In one of our training meetings, Scott made me go up and stand with the 2 zone leaders...the point being that I AM SHORT.  Point made.

 We went over to the Mesa Temple EASTER PAGEANT.  It was so good!  We took our friends that live near us, the Janulis family.  Dana studies faithfully with us each week and Ed has come to several activities with us as well including coming to listen to conference Saturday afternoon.  We really enjoy them so much!

I went out Wednesday with Sisters Harding and Brown.  I love going out with the Sister Missionaries.  I really love when we speak Spanish too!  I am not getting any better, probably worse, but I still enjoy it so much!  We have a lot of Sister Missionaries for a proselyting mission so I have been busy trying to get out with all of them before some of them leave to go home!

Next week is transfers...and we are sadly losing 11 of our dear missionaries...and gaining 10 new friends.  Wish us luck! And, WE LOVE YOU!

FAMILY MINI VACATION- Mission Style

CLICK ON THIS LINE FOR ALL PHOTOS OF OUR VACATION
 We were surprised at our Mission President Training to be told to take a family vacation each year on our mission...of course, it needs to be within or close to mission boundaries.


We got permission to take Braden up to Grand Canyon and Flagstaff.

 The night before we left, it snowed like crazy up there...so it was BEAUTIFUL and COLD when we got there.  We were thrilled to put on coats and gloves!


We went to the East Entrance into the park.  We stopped at this tower spot first and it had a beautiful view.

 Braden loved seeing the "Cougar Crossing" sign on our way into the park.


We think it is appropriate.

  The views were so pretty!  We decided this was the ideal time to come up here!  The snow was so pretty on the trees and rocks near the top of the canyon!

 After a day and 1/2 in Grand Canyon, we came back down to Flagstaff where we stopped at Walnut Canyon to see the cliff dwellings there.  It was a good hike around the area to see the many dwellings up close and personal along with those that are further away.

 That night, we went to the Lowell Observatory, a historical observatory in a simple and preserved setting.




We loved getting to see several planets in a couple of telescopes, including the big one that Lowell built.

 The next day we got up and went to a couple more interesting sites in the Flagstaff area.  First we went to a volcano to hike up to the top of the crater...in the high altitude that took our breath away...

 ...and then to go through the lava flow area and learn about that area.  There were Indian homes buried under this flow so it is considered sacred area to some Indians.

 Nearby was the Waputki Indian ruins with several locations of reconstructed or natural ruins from small to huge apartment-like dwellings.  It was really interesting.

Scott was the photographer...and it was just so great to get out and about as a family.  WISH YOU COULD HAVE JOINED US!  Maybe next time we will plan ahead so you can :)

Concert in Purple

 We finally got Braden singing.


He is a really good singer.  And on his own, he changed his schedule last semester so he could be in choir this semester.  Yay!






We got to be "real parents" and go to a school function this week for his Spring concert...or would it be Winter elsewhere?

 
 Anyways, they were so good! With only 4 boys, they were able to hold their own with all those girls!  Braden has a strong voice when he lets himself.

Plus, he is pretty darn handsome while he sings! 

 And, he can wear a purple tie when he sings!


Scott put on a purple shirt to go to the concert which was REALLY STRANGE!  I tried to get a photo outside afterwards but it just did not do the purple shirt justice.

So I made them take another photo at home...which went over really well!  
You can tell that Braden was THRILLED that we came to his concert.






I am just so glad that they have one more concert this school year.  Maybe I will wear purple.




GOOD JOB BRADEN!  Keep on Singing!

Provo-Ames Friends

After Ostrich Festival on Saturday we arranged to meet up with our old ward friends, Jacob and Laura Rawlins who used to live in our Provo ward and then moved to my old Ames, Iowa ward!!!  How cool is that?  Then to make it even more fun, Laura taught Seminary to one of our current missionaries from Ames, Elder Stott!
He will be really glad that I met up with the Rawlins because I picked up two packages to take to him from home!
I reminded the Rawlins that Braden and I were in P-day attire from hiking and going to the festival...they got to see me in "Mom" mode and not "Mission Mom" mode.
THANKS FOR MEETING UP WITH US RAWLINS!  It was great to see a wonderful Provo/Ames family!

OSTRICH FESTIVAL 2012

 Did you know that Chandler AZ is home to the Ostrich Festival?  Well it is...and we have been there.





It was too much like "LlamaFest" in Utah to pass up.

 So, for "Family P-Day" Braden and I spent the day together...Scott had to go up to a stake conference leadership and adult session in Prescott Valley all afternoon so he missed out :(



So, here are some of the races that we saw.
First they let out a bunch of emus and let little kids chase them around the ring to see if they could catch up to them.  That was pretty entertaining.
 

They had kids come out and dance like ostrich.





Then they had chariot races with ostrich pulling riders behind them...that was pretty entertaining as well.

You can sort of see the rider wearing a red cape and helmet in this picture and one in white in the picture above.

 We had someone take a picture of us near the ostrich cage to prove we were really there!

 Ostrich are really strange...just to stop and look at them for a while is very interesting.



















We considered getting a tee shirt...but figured Braden would never really wear it so we didn't...one more tee shirt stuffed into a drawer and never looked at again...

 We spent even longer at "Dock Dogs" watching some competitive swimming dogs leap into the water to retrieve balls etc.



What was really fun were the dogs that got to the edge of the dock and just stopped and would not go near the water.

But some of them loved it and could not get enough.

Good times with Braden at the OSTRICH FESTIVAL.  There were lots of people, food booths, carnival rides, bands, sideshows etc.  It is a fun idea for a community event and we were glad we checked it out just to say we had been there if nothing else!

MORMON PROM 2012

 Braden is growing up.  He is taking girls on dates.










And he is not afraid of color or style.






He and his friend Rylee planned to get matching Vans sneakers to wear to the dance...all the better to dance in?
They were pretty darn cute!

 We did dinner at a friends home...the Inmans hosted and decorated so fun...and the rest of the Moms brought the dinner.

 The flowers were all very beautiful and Braden behaved himself as a gentleman! (Without being coached!!)

 They had questions on cards all over the table to help the conversation if it lagged at all.

This is the entire group.  All the kids are in our stake...most are in our ward.  I will post a better picture once Sister Pace gets me the ones that she took.
Anyways, It looked like a whole lot of fun for the kids...and it was pretty fun for the adults hanging out in the kitchen as well!

Yet More Visitors!!

 WE LOVE VISITORS!!!
This week was a "prep week" for us and we mixed in some visits from mission friends and ward friends!

Sister Weston had arranged to come see us when she was in town photographing a wedding.  Her son, Scott, serves here in our mission.  He is a fantastic missionary!
We had Sister Weston for an entire evening.  It was THERAPY for me :)

We took her to the Phoenix Temple site which is really close to our home here and it was closed, so we just took photos from the outside.

 This did not stop Sister Weston from getting up on a large rock to get a better view.  She is a true photog!

 We brought her back to the house and she helped me make chocolate chip cookies for Zone Leader Council...and to send to her son Scott and his companion.


Sister Weston is a friend.  Wish she lived next door!

 Next we had a visit from Dixon and Alyssa Holmes.  He had meetings here in Peoria and Alyssa stopped to check out a college in Flagstaff on the way down...way to plan ahead Alyssa!


We took them to the temple site as well and then hiking at nearby Thunderbird Recreation Area.


We had a great time talking and hiking and catching up on ward stuff and family stuff and just enjoying the great weather.

Back at the Mission Home, we had dinner and kept them here way too long talking. ( This pic is outside on the patio with our heater in the background.)


It was a great week for visitors.  Next week will be much more busy!

THANKS FOR THE VISITS!