FAMILY VACATION- MISSION STYLE

PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINE FOR A HUGE WEB ALBUM OF ALL OUR PHOTOS. 
Mission Presidents are asked to take a vacation once a year.  It is a wonderful idea!
Last year we got away from Phoenix for three days with Braden.  This year we have all the kids coming (minus Ty, who could not leave work) and have an entire week with them!
We never really get a vacation, because we have meetings and we are only a phone call away from our 217 missionaries.  But, we do try to have some special time with the kids when they come visit.
Tuesday we picked up Jenna and the boys.  They recognize us from skype and that makes us so happy.
The fun began!

Wednesday morning we picked up Austin, Laura and Brooklyn.
The fun continued!



Wednesday evening we picked up Braden and Keri.
The fun was complete!

Wednesday morning we got out on a morning walk with the boys.  Keep in mind that it is close to 100 even early in the morning here, so going out at 6:30 is critical...any later and it just gets too hot!

 We showed Carter and Bennett how the pods on barrel cactus have seeds inside and Carter was really excited.

Braden was excited later on when we brought out the New Zealand flag we got for him.

Brooklyn was excited by all of Auntie B's shoes.  Breanna has about every color of shoe you can imagine. I guess she comes by that naturally...I love colored shoes myself!

 Brooklyn spent a lot of time trying on Bre's shoes, it was pretty cute!

Two pairs of high heels!!  Two B names!
Breanna
+
Brooklyn
=
STYLE












Thursday our main event was going to the MESA TEMPLE for Braden to take out his own Endowment.  He completed his temple prep class in Provo before coming and got his recommend just in time.





It was so great to be in the temple as a family.  This is the desire of our hearts...to always be able to go to the temple together.  It means we are following Jesus Christ and trying to be like Him.
Braden was ready and excited to make promises to God to keep the commandments and to serve Him for eternity.  He is happy and obedient.
I will post photos when the kids send them to me...they were on other people's cameras.

After the temple, we went for shave ice at Bahama Bucks, our favorite post-temple destination!


Friday we had some GIRL TIME!  the five girls went for PEDICURES.  It was so fun to get pampered and visit at the same time!
We all had beautiful toes when we were done too!

Then we went to a new favorite jewelry/accessory store "Charming Charlies" to grab a little BLING.













Friday night the gang went to see a DIAMONDBACKS baseball game.  Bre and I stayed home to watch Brooklyn and Bennett, so we had fun as well!

 Saturday we hiked over at Thunderbird Conservation Area.  Lucky for us it was overcast, so it was cooler even though it was later morning...8:00 (Yes, 8 is late to be out in PHX)
Scott walked with Jenna and the boys and the rest of us did the more strenuous hike.

 And this was our reward...the Phoenix Temple comes to view as you complete this particular hike.  Looking so good now!

Uncle Braden is a favorite with his little nephews.  Bennett was really cute with Braden today!

Hanging around the house was an adventure whenever we were home.  So many bodies and a kitty and FUN!

 Bathtime for boys...

   Anywhere there were rocks, Bennett was sure to be there.
 And Grandpa found a creepy beetle on the patio which became a temporary pet in a jar.

  ...along with the lizards that were also temporary pets.  We caught two of them on walks.

  Our dear friends, the Kings, offered the use of their pool while we had company.  It was a welcome relief from the heat while Scott and I had a meeting with missionaries on Friday morning.

 And it was just cute to see the grandkids interacting.  They were really cute with each other.

 (Yes, there were some nakey times in the wading pool...)

And more time on the piano which was used to play and to be a racetrack for cars.

   

 Sunday night we went up to Flagstaff to stay the night and be ready to head out on Monday.
We started out at Wupatki National Preserve.  They have some great Indian ruins there.

 It is much like an Indian apartment complex built from the red stone of the area and around existing rock structures.

 
 

  

 
 There were two sites that we stopped at.  This is the second.

 

 

 Next we went on up to the South rim of the  Grand Canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

 Bre did a lot of jumping pictures.  Pretty cool!

Keri took this photo for us.

 And we got a stranger to take this one of all of us.

 

 

 
 

 

 

I will post more photos and a link to ALL our photos for family to share when I get them all loaded...so far there are over 400 in the web album.  As I get the others I will add them.
WE LOVE OUR FAMILY!  This is what it is all about...why we are willing to leave them for a while to try to help other families have the blessings of an eternal family.
Here is my advice to all our family.
1. Say your prayers daily.  Let your Heavenly Father know you are aware of who you are and your relationship with Him.  Ask Him to help you with everything! Thank Him for everything!
2. Go to Church weekly.  Being baptized and going through the temple are not the end.  We have to promise weekly that we will follow the example of Jesus Christ.  We need the sacrament in order to really repent and change and grow and become.
3.  Read the scriptures and watch or read conference talks.  These are the words of advice and counsel for us from prophets of all ages...and the advice is still sound.
4. Always be worthy of a temple recommend.  This is the obedience part of it.  Living the commandments frees you to really be happy.  Making covenants with the Lord brings the Holy Ghost so strongly into our lives and the promises of the temple are sure.

It means everything to us to know we can be together forever.  WE LOVE YOU!

ROAD TRIP TO AZ...With a cat

 Sunday Breanna and I went to Church, finished some things at the house, packed the car and hit the road by about 2:30ish.

It was a beautiful day driving south through the mountain areas.

 I drove the first day...and had Breanna and Addie as co-pilots.




After a stop along a freeway exit for Breanna to change her skirt due to a nervous cat having a little kitty accident...we were on our way for good.

 Addie quickly got comfortable and was really a great little traveler.  She did not pace or act nervous, mostly finding interesting places to sleep and looking out the window a few times.

 The drive was pretty as we headed south towards St George.
This is coming out of the canyon area closer to St George.

 Eventually we made it past Las Vegas and towards Hoover Dam.
This photo is going through the little city before you get to Hoover Dam.

 Luckily we got there before dusk and were able to put a leash on Addie and walk up the trail to the bridge overlooking the Dam.



Unfortunately, we had to take turns going out onto the bridge since no animals were allowed on the bridge.  I can see why though, it was really high up and you would not want a pet to accidentally go over the edge!

 Here are a couple views of the Dam.  I suppose there were ways to actually drive over the dam...but no one would allow us to do that.  Security was pretty tight in the whole area.

 We stayed the night in Kingman, had a great nights rest after working our tails off the past week...and were ready to go again the next morning.

 You can see that Addie was not freaked out at all staying in a hotel with us either.

She and Breanna fell asleep thrilled with the prospects of some great Gluten Free cooking!




Now the mission home is graced by a cat.  She seems very content.  We are loving having Breanna here with us. It just seems right!