FAJITAS

 We finally made it to FAJITAS this week!!!

Our good friends & neighbors, the Janulis had been wanting to take us there for a long time.

Really cool thing...Dana worked there 25 years ago when they first opened and her name is on the commemorative tee shirt in the front window!

SHE IS FAMOUS!


The really great thing is that the food was really, really good too!  It is grilled over mesquite, so the whole place smells great.  The grill is in the center of the restaurant and you can watch them cooking.  The seating is in a round, with the kitchen in the center.  One of our favorites other than the signature food of fajitas, was the grilled zucchini.  IT WAS AMAZING!


COME SEE US and maybe we can eat there :)

On our way home,we wanted to stop at a new Asian market to get some pain relieving oil for Braden's football injuries.

We walked through the whole place, and it was huge!  We found all nationalities of foods and got a bunch of Thai, Indian and other odds and ends including POCKY snacks!


We did love the variety of duck eggs, mushrooms, fruits and veggies we remembered seeing in Thailand, and of course...THE FISH HEADS!

Great to get out with our friends...how cool is it that we found some of our best friends in the world right next door here in AZ!!!   Somebody up there likes us!

GAMEDAY GREEN

 AS if we do not embarrass our kids enough already, we decided to take a picture of what we wear on Fridays...or GAME DAYS!  We decided to wear Provo High Green, white and black each day that Braden has a game just for fun!

Scott has a wardrobe of green ties thanks to my shopping skills this summer.



We have invited our missionaries to also wear green clothing for the Sisters or green ties for the elders on game days.  We may add some photos to this post as we get photos of them.

We had visitors to the mission home today to take a photo or two of us so we were REALLY EXCITED to be able to show Braden what we do when we get the text that he sacked the QB or that he blocked that pass!!!




GOOD LUCK BRADEN!!!  We are all cheering for you!

My Favorite Teacher!

 I have a new favorite teacher.  Her name is Miss Taylor.  She looks like the cutest thing you have ever seen.  She is so creative it practically oozes Pinterest.

Breanna is teaching 5th Grade this  year in her own, old 5th grade classroom...how strange and amazing is that?!!!

I wish I was in 5th grade so she was MY teacher because I know I would be loved and nurtured and helped to find myself in a way that no other teacher could.


HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL MISS TAYLOR!

YOU WILL CHANGE LIVES!

HAPPY 31 ANNIVERSARY TO US!

Saturday Scott and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary!  We started the day by hiking at our favorite trail over at Thunderbird Rec.

We had two returned missionaries come over to visit, and we also had a surprise attack from our neighbors, the Janulis, who were feeding an entire district of missionaries!

This is what we saw when we opened the door...the picture does not do justice to the profuse amounts of confetti flying or the noise from the many clackers and party blowers!!!

So, if you cannot beat them...join them!!!

DO WE HAVE THE BEST NEIGHBORS OR WHAT???

We invited them in for the cake that they brought over...nice of us huh?  And had the best time just chatting and eating and celebrating for a little while.

They joined Matthew and Taylor who were there having dinner with us and it was truly a party!

Scott and I finished the evening by watching "Hunger Games" that he got me for our anniversary.  SO GOOD!!!     It was a sweet day together.

 Our welcome mat covered in heart confetti was a reminder of the love that we have for each other, but for the love that we have for our neighbors and our missionaries.

We left it that way until Monday just for fun!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US and THANK YOU TO ALL OUR DEAR FRIENDS WHO MEAN SO MUCH TO US!

Dana's Baptism

 The LONG AWAITED day finally arrived for my dear friend Dana...

Here we are with our current missionaries...who incidentally share the same birthdays with Dana and I...Elder Tucker and I May 19 and Dana and Elder Gerritsen on March 16!

 ...This has been a WONDERFUL JOURNEY for both Dana and myself as we both have learned what it means to be instruments in the Lord's hands.

 Dana claims that I came into her life to save her...


And I claim that she came into mine to save me!

 We joy in that journey and in the experiences we have shared together.


It was a sweet reunion with 4 of the Elders that have taught Dana in our home.  Left to Right: Elders Gerritsen, Vaoga, Scott, Cheryl, Dana, Ed, Elders Tucker and Lynn.

 Heavenly Father knew I needed the experience of being a missionary up close and personal...so Dana was placed in my path...my path home from a run one morning.
Then her dog Tater placed herself in our yard to break a walklight so Dana had to come meet me again...and the rest is history!

 Questions were asked and answered...friendships were formed, missionaries were involved in lessons here at the Mission Home and now Dana knows the Gospel of Jesus Christ and what it means to be a member of the restored Church...

And the Taylors know what it is like to have an investigator, to worry about what the speakers in Church will say, whether someone will show up, whether they will keep commitments etc.

 We NEEDED EACH OTHER!

It was a great celebration with family and friends at the Church last night for the baptism!  Dana is such a good friend to so many; and a lot came to support her.

 We had a little open house back at the Mission Home so we could chat more afterwards.


We embrace the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and just love sharing that with all who are ready to embrace it!

WE LOVE THIS WORK!!!

Friends Conrad, Barbara, Janet and Amy.

Friend Carmen with Dana.
Her granddaughters Zeah and Alexis dancing in the hallway here.

Dust Can Be Beautiful

 The other day we were heading home from Surprise (that is the name of a town here) and we saw in the distance, the unmistakable brown cloud that means a dust storm is coming.

So Scott, in true Scott form, speeded incredibly fast...even faster than most Arizonians...which is REALLY FAST...to try to beat the storm home so we would "not get dust in our garage."






As you can tell by these pictures from our front and back yards, we did beat the storm home.  Yay Scott...YOU WIN!!

 Above: Looking north to see the wall of dust advancing.



Left: Looking East to see it from that view.  That is our front landscape.

And from the backyard, looking South to see it from yet another view.

It is really rather beautiful in a deserty sort of way!
(My computer does not recognize the word "deserty" but I like it.)

One more reason you really want to come see us here!

SPECIAL VISITORS!!!

Last week we had some visits from friends.

Some of them were VERY WELCOME!!!

Like  my Cousin Corby Gardiner and his wife Missy on their way to Provo picking up a package for Braden...We look forward to meeting with them again when their kids ARE AWAKE!!

Then there were the visitors that were NOT SO WELCOME!  Like the monster bug on the patio. Check out how big in comparison to my shoe!

And the Ginormous SCORPION I saw on my run the day before!  Could not believe I was seeing a 3 1/2 inch scorpion like this!

What can we say...WE LOVE IT HERE AND WE LOVE OUR VISITORS IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES!

Seeing Cynde again...and some DUST

As we left Prescott after visiting with one of our returned missionaries up there, we called the Zone Leaders to check in and found they were having dinner with an old neighbor of ours...and her Mom. one of Sister Taylors best friends, was in town!  So we surprised Madison at her apartment and she drove us to surprise her Mom, Cynde.

This is me taking a photo of Cynde as she is trying to figure out why the lady in the skirt is taking her photo and is saying  a tentative "hello."

Then the camera comes down and she sees who it is and about faints!

 So good to see our wonderful friends!!!

We had a little visit, but we know it will not be the last.  Cynde has two daughters now living in Prescott so she will be back!!!

On our way down to the valley we saw a dust storm coming across the valley and by the time we turned back west, this is how the sun looked...you could look right at it!  It was really pretty...the picture does not do it justice!  It looks like a sepia tone picture, but that is just how it looked all around.

Something is Missing...

Something is missing in the Mission Home this week...

The house is extraordinarily quiet...

The bed is made every morning in Braden's room without my having to ask...

I have had to resort to using "The Claw" to attach to the back of chairs to take pictures when we have company stop by...

Scott or I have to take out the recycling bin...

Braden is back in Utah.

Braden returned back to our home in Provo to help Breanna care for our home there since Austin, Laura and Brooklyn moved to Seattle and left Bre with the care of our home & yard all alone.  Now Braden gets to mow the yard, clean the litter box and take out the recycling in Provo.

He also gets to practice football every morning for a couple of hours and will play for Provo High this fall semester before returning back to us in AZ.  We are trying out Skype scripture time and family prayer.  But, it is hard to make our crazy schedules mesh and it just is not the same as having him here.  Good thing we are so busy we don't have much time to think about it!  He is having the experience of being very independent and pretty much taking care of himself.  It will be great!

We love and miss our Braden so much and appreciate his willingness to "Go And Do."

Some Creative Things

 I just had to show off my cute new hat...Elder Smith crocheted it for me before he went home.  Isn't that sweet???  He did not like the yarn I chose, so I had to show off how totally perfect it is with my purple coat.  Perfect.

Now, I hope I get to wear it at some point while we are here in AZ.  A new goal.

 Next, creativity via Jenna.  This is my Mother's Day, Birthday quilted flag she sent.  It is hard to see, but all the red stars are BEADED BLING!  It is hand quilted and just beautiful.  I could not figure out how to display it but was inspired to find this cute trellis that I put in a fake plant and it is really a show piece this way.  I love it.

 She also sent this cute banner that I put in the window next to the arch with the flag.





Add a few of the things that I have collected to go with it and I have a patriotic kitchen perfect for June and July.  
I am grateful I get to have a little creativity here in the Mission Home to make it more like HOME.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME...and Elder Tucker

 Birthday celebrations took all weekend to celebrate!


Our wonderful office couples planned a brunch for when we brought Austin, Laura and Brooklyn to meet them.  IT WAS SO GOOD!!!


Lucky I did not have breakfast before we went!!!  And lucky I ran 4 miles that morning!!

They had sweet gifts and a stack of cards from our missionaries that they have been collecting.

 Laura and I chose an ice cream cake for my actual birthday.  Peanut Butter Cup...YUMMM!!



When they asked about writing a name on it and if it was for a boy or girl...I told them "both."
We had invited one of our elders serving in our ward, Elder Tucker, over for cake since it was his birthday too!!!  How perfect!  We decided chocolate frosting for the words would work just fine!

Of course, this meant we needed an investigator or non-member to be there to have them over...so we also invited my dear friends the Janulis over to celebrate with us. (I would have invited them anyways...they are our friends in the neighborhood that we do things with.)

It was a wonderful birthday with family, friends and missionaries.  I cannot imaging anything better!!!

Here is a pile of the fun cards and letters from missionaries...see the artwork and pictures and little treats!  They are so fun and creative and LOVING!  Our family has multiplied by leaps and bounds!


THANK YOU ALL FOR THE BIRTHDAY WISHES!  It was truly so happy and the year has gone so fast!

More Surprises!!

Look who surprised us with a birthday visit to Arizona!!!


Austin, Laura and Brooklyn surprised us with a card saying they were coming to celebrate my birthday with me here in AZ!


I don't know who was more happy...Brooklyn or Grandpa!!!
We love this kind of surprise!!!

 We just had the best time the whole weekend they were here!  Brooklyn is about 8 months old and is so close to crawling!  She can get to her stack of cups SO FAST!  We just loved watching her and were so glad she has not really started the "stranger anxiety phase" of babyhood yet!






It was pretty hot while she was here so we got a little blow-up pool for her to play in...but were surprised how the water just did not get very warm.  We ended up filling it with hot water from the tap to take the chill off.


She was pleasant and liked playing out there for a long time!

Austin joined us for our weekly hike over at Thunderbird Rec.  It was a nice morning for hiking...a little hot for a Seattle boy though!

We just loved having them in our home and watching how they care for Brooklyn so tenderly and with such love!  She loves her solid food, loves attention, and loves her Mommy and Daddy!

 THANK YOU Austin, Laura and Brooklyn for the best gift ever!  You are a wonderful example of a forever family in how you are raising sweet Brooklyn!  Not a day goes by that they do not read scriptures or say prayers with little "Brookies."


We love that our family understands the eternal importance of family and of living the Doctrine of Christ!
We look forward to taking them to the Phoenix Temple when it is completed in about 1 1/2 years.