Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day Weekend

     We took a trip to Yellowstone over Memorial Day weekend.  We had such a fun time.  We left on Friday and went north through Idaho Falls and stopped at the falls and the LDS Temple.  It is a beautiful place.  Standing in this beautiful park by the Idaho Falls,  I am reminded of a talk Elder Shayne M. Bowen gave about this place in October 2006 LDS General Conference.  The talk was about how this land use to be a garbage dump but was reclaimed to now be a beautiful park. 

      It was really powerful to stand in such a beautiful place and remember the significance of the history of the park.   "Just as a garbage dump can be turned into a beautiful park, a life of sin can be cleaned and changed through the Atonement of Jesus Christ." 

Reclaimed

     We continued our drive and stopped at  Yellowstone Bear World, which is right outside of Rexburg, Idaho.  It was such an incredible place.  We had so much fun there. They have this wildlife drive through.  It is an enclosure where all the animals are free roaming.  We saw this beautiful white elk. We also saw lots of bears.   

This picture we actually didn't take but it gives an idea of what you experience at Bear World.  The bears didn't get this close to us but they were pretty close.  It was really remarkable.

      

Along with all of the animals Bear World has, they have some really fun "bear" carnival rides.  Clarissa just loved them.  She just kept going on them again and again.  

It was another story for David and I.  They have this one bear ride that you get in and it spins around.  David and I went on it once and that was enough for us, but not Clarissa.  She went on it by herself several other times.  

     We stayed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming at this darling cabin.  It felt like we were in the "wild wild west."  

     During our stay we visited Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons.  They were so both so beautiful.  

 Old Faithful erupting 

 We were able to see some bison.  They were really neat.

  

Clarissa was so excited to see this limo bus at Old Faithful Inn

 One of Clarissa's favorite things she was was a wild bunny.

On our way home we saw the Star Valley, Wyoming LDS Temple under construction.  It is going to be a beautiful temple when finished.

Every Day Moments

Mother's day was special.  I love being the mother to my precious little princess Clarissa.  She is the joy of my life.  I can't imagine life without her.

We were given tickets to Hogle Zoo over Mother's Day weekend.  We had planned to go Saturday afternoon.   David was in Salt Lake at a class.  Clarissa and I went to Salt Lake to meet him and were waiting in the car to pick him up when it started to rain.  It looked like it was going to rain all afternoon.  I told Clarissa that if it rained we probably wouldn't be able to go to the zoo.  She started to cry.  She then said, "I'll pray and then it won't rain."  She then prayed that it would stop raining so we could go to the zoo.    David  came out of the class and it was still raining.  I didn't really want to go to the zoo in the rain but we decided to head towards the zoo hoping that maybe it would clear up.  It seemed the closer we got to the zoo the more the sun came out and the clouds dispersed.  It was remarkable that the clouds parted and the rain stopped by the time we arrived at the zoo.  We were able to go to the zoo.  We had a great time all because of a little girl's faith.  

 The lion exhibit was amazing.  The lion's growl is really quite frightening.  I would hate to be in the wild and hear that noise.

 For family home evening on Monday, David planned a lesson on the Tree of Life from the Book of Mormon.  (1 Nephi  8)  He tied a rope from the trampoline to the tree.  The trampoline represented the great and spacious building because it had no foundation.  The rope was the Rod of Iron.  The tree he put a picture of Christ in it.  It was a fun way for Clarissa to learn about the Iron Rod and the Tree of Life.

Our ward had a bike parade for the kids.  Clarissa loved it.  She literally was the last one riding her bike around and around the church.  

 Clarissa is already making her Christmas wish list.  I think Santa maybe in trouble this year.  It is a little over the budget.

 Clarissa loves to have parties.  This is her tea party she had for David and I.  It was quite the feast she prepared for us.

Fun Moments

  I think Clarissa won!

Life's Moments

  Birthday Surprise

   I had a wonderful birthday surprise.  David surprised me with an overnight stay at The Zermott Resort in Midway.  It was a lot of fun.  It was a great surprise.
    David also surprised me with a party of friends from the neighborhood when we returned home from The Zermott.  It was a birthday to remember.

Family Home Evening Moments

     Clarissa loves to have family home evening.  We had a lesson on putting on the Armor of God.  She had a great time dressing up with the armor and learning about each piece of armor. She talked about it for sometime afterword.

Happy New Year's

 We were able to go to the open house of  The Provo City Center Temple.  It was an amazing experience.  The temple is beyond beautiful.  The story of how the Tabernacle burned down and then rose again to something greater and  "eternal" is so profound.  It was such a wonderful experience.

 15 years ago on this very porch, the porch of my childhood, we talked about getting married.  It was so romantic.  The snow was falling softly and it seemed time stopped.  It is still just as magical to remember.  That talk we had was the best talk we have ever had, because what followed was the best decision we made-- to get married!

Happy New Years!  

     For New's Year's Eve we took a little vacation to Idaho.  We stayed in a little cabin in Soda Springs, Idaho on New's Year Eve and then New Year's day we went to Lava Hot Springs.  It was cold.  I don't think we have ever been in such freezing temperatures.  When we got to the cabin at 9:39 pm, it was minus 11 degrees.  Later in the night, I woke up and looked at my phone that had the local temperature and at 2:30 am it was negative 24 degrees....BURRRR!
     We were nervous about going into the hot springs but decided to brave the cold and do it anyway.  When we got in, the air temperature was 7 degrees.  It wasn't so bad once we were in the water.   It was crazy though as we had ice in our hair.  Lava Hot Springs has three pools with temperatures of  105 degrees, 108 degrees and 112.  The 112 degree pool was super hot even with it being so cold outside.  Now we can say we did a polar plunge in 7 degree weather.  Call us crazy!

December always seems to go by so fast.  It seems that before we know it Christmas has come and gone.  We love Christmas and everything about it--the food,the parties, the music, the giving and receiving, family traditions, and being together.  But most of all we love to remember the real Gift of Christmas, that of Jesus Christ.  He makes everything in our lives have purpose and meaning, He is the meaning of not only Christmas but life itself.  We owe Him everything and love that we have a whole month of the year to express our adoration and love for the Greatest Gift ever given. 

Christmas morning was truly magical watching Clarissa.  She truly believes.  I want to believe like she does. There is so much symbolism and magic in the simple believing in Santa, or The Gift Giver.  

One of our favorite family traditions is on Christmas Eve acting out The Nativity.  Clarissa was so excited about being an angel.  

Christmas Eve with all of David's sisters and their daughters.

We spent Christmas morning with David's family and had such a fun morning.  We then spent the afternoon with my family.  David and all of the kids went sledding in my dad's backyard.   It was so much fun to watch Clarissa.  She isn't afraid to try anything.  

We spent the evening playing this game called, "Pie Face."  It was hilarious. David was so lucky to keep avoiding getting hit, but eventually his luck ran out and he too joined in the fun by getting "plastered"!

The Sunday before Christmas, Clarissa and I wore matching dresses.  Years ago, I made Christmas dresses for all of our nieces.  That was back when I had time to sew.  My sister-in-law, gave me back the dress I had made for her daughter so I could use it for Clarissa.  I was so grateful because I otherwise would not have had time to sew a dress for my own daughter.  

 Thanksgiving weekend was so much fun.  David's brother, Danny and his family, came to visit from California.  It is always great to see them.  We had everyone over to our house the day after Thanksgiving and had breakfast.  All of of the kids did a pinata.  Great times!