Trippin #3 = Grandkids

Memorial Day Weekend

What a great weekend we had!  Rick & I took our 3 oldest

Grandkids and headed off for Moab, UT.  We camped at the

Moab Valley RV Resort and started a fun weekend adventure.

We loved being able to spend some quality time with the kids, bedtime

was always interesting...

 

Our first adventure was to go to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.  It's about a 3 hour drive from Moab.

Along the way we had a little excitement with Connor.

He needed to use his breathing machine and it needed electricity.

In the middle of nowhere, Grandpa got creative.

Mesa Verde was so fun.  We saw Indian dancers and we hiked to the 600 year old ruins. We even were

able to climb into a ceremonial kiva.

 

  

We spent a day exploring one of our favorite places, Arches National Park.

We climbed and hiked around Double Arch

 and looked across to Delicate Arch.

We also saw lots of our state flower, the Sego Lily...

The kids were tired and ready to go back to camp and I talked them into

one more short hike to Sand Arch.  It ended up being their favorite...

After a fun day exploring the beautiful red rocks of Arches Park we stopped at

the Indian petroglyphs on Potash Road.  So cool....

then we went back to camp and had dinner

and let the kids swim.  The camp had a giant chess board that

the kids loved!  How much fun can 5 people have?

 

After a fun weekend it was time to go home.  Always sad when you're having fun...but Mom's & Dad's were waiting for their munchkins....

Trippin' 2 - Washington DC

Rick had a business trip to Washington DC

at the end of April, so I tagged along.

We left a couple of days early so we could see some sights together.

We arrived late Friday night and grabbed some dinner then

early Saturday morning we left for the 2 hour drive to

Gettysburg National Military Park.

We started at the visitors center and viewed the museum then ate lunch.

We purchased the book/CD 'Gettysburg Field Guide' by TravelBrains

 and started our exploration.  The book has a map with 15 sites to see while you listen to the information on the CD.

We loved Gettysburg!

While in Gettysburg we found a place called "Barlow Knoll".

A battle took place here led by Brig. General Francis Barlow.

We are checking to see if there is any relation. Interesting.

My favorite soldier in the civil war was Colonel Joshua Chamberlain.

This is a monument dedicated to him and his brave men.

Their actions literally helped win the civil war.

He was an amazing man and a heroic leader. 

 Google him to find out more.

Speaking at the dedication of the Monument to the 20th Maine 

twenty years after the war he wrote:

"In great deeds something abides. On great fields something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear, but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls. And reverent men and women from afar, and generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field to ponder and dream; And lo! the shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls."

So inspiring. That was exactly how we felt there.

The next day we went to the Smithsonian. 

We started at Ricks favorite, the Air and Space Museum.

Always fasinating.

Before we left for DC we contacted our congressman's office and we were

able to be invited on a personalized US Capitol tour

 by one of his staff members.

It was really cool because we were able to bypass all of the long lines.

  When the Capitol tour was over we took the underground tunnel to the Library of Congress.  This

has to be one of the most beautiful buildings
 I have ever seen.

Stunning architecture.  Beautiful paintings and carvings.
 Very symbolic.

We found that most of the historic buildings in Washington DC have

lots of symbolism. 

 (read Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol')

On Tuesday through the same congressman's office I was invited to tour

the White House.  Rick was not able to come because of meetings.

Unfortunately I have no pictures because you're not able to

bring anything on the tour. 

No purses or cameras or even lip or hand lotion.

I had to go through 3 checkpoints where

 they checked my ID and crossed my

name off of their lists.  While there I looked out a window and happened

to see President Obama boarding his helicopter.  It was pretty cool.

Give respect where it is due, he is our President.

 After the White House tour I walked to the Ford Theater

and went to the museum and then a short 2 man play they

put on about the assasination of President Lincoln.

From there I walked over

 to the National Gallery of Art.

Could spend days there.

Wednesday I went to the US Botanic Garden...

It was the most peaceful place.  Everyone spoke in hushed tones.

It felt 'reverent' there.  Beautiful displays

 of plants, flowers, trees and shrubs.

What wonderful creations!

Then over to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Very sobering. 

On Thursday before we left to the airport we stopped by the

 Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

There is a wonderful visitors center there with a huge emphasis on families.

Thanks for joining me on this travelog posting.

Washington DC is an amazing place with so much history. It's

hard to convey all the sites it has to offer.  But one thing is for sure...

I'm grateful I'm an American! 

Trippin'

                                             

In February my sister Susie, her husband Mike, my brother-in-law Brownie,

Rick and I went on a Mexican Riviera Cruise.

Ahhhh, the sunshine! What a welcome change from the deep

cold weather we had been dealing with.

We had such a great time.  It's not the places you go,

but the people you are with that make it great.

We were at sea for two days and had a wonderful time;

eating, sleeping, reading, eating, eating and eating.

Our first port was Acapulco.

We got off the ship and walked across the street to the old

Fort San Diego.  It was a taste of Mexican history.

 

Then we hired a local guide to take us around.

We were able to experience the true 'local' flavor of Mexico.

Picking out the fresh Snapper at an out of the way beach restaurant.

Enjoying our freshly grilled fish.

Of course we experienced the cliff divers...

at night no less...

These are two divers jumping off with torches.

Acapulco at night.

Then on to Zihuatanejo.  They give you a prize if

you can pronounce it correctly. :)

 

We took a water taxi over to the little beach cove called Playa Las Gatas.

What a relaxing day. 

The kind of day you fantasize about when

you feel you need to get away...perfection.

 Sipping pina coladas...virgin, of course.

Snorkling, people watching, and Rick's $10 - 30 minute massage.

Heaven...

      

Then on to Ixtapa. 

It wasn't much, mostly a huge shipping port. 

We just got off the ship and walked along the waterfront. 

   It was a beautiful warm day.  Absolutely delightful!

Our last meal before we docked at San Diego.

This is my idea of a vacation.  Just show up.

It's always sad to say goodbye...

Grandpa...that was not fun...

(Grandpa Rick & Cody)

The Saturday before Easter we were tending our two  grandsons, Connor (10 yrs) and Cody (4 yrs). Their parents had taken their sister Lauren (8 yrs) to her first session of General Conference.  It has become a tradition when their kids get baptized to attend a session.

 Anyway....the boys were dropped off at about 8:30 a.m.

  Grandpa (Rick) had a haircut appointment at 9:00 a.m.  On his way home at about 9:20 a.m., Grandpa noticed that at Centerville City Park they were having an Easter egg hunt at 9:30 am.

  He called me and I quickly got the boys ready (including bags for egg collection)

 and he picked us up and we raced to the park (of course getting behind the slowest drivers).

  We parked at about 9:35 a.m. and by the time we arrived...it was over. OVER!

Not an egg to be had. 

 There were hundreds of kids with what seemed to be thousands of eggs

 and not one, no, not one egg for the boys!

It was very cold with a little skiff of snow on the ground

 so we dragged ourselves back to the car to get warm.

  As we were pulling out Cody says: "Grandpa...that was not fun".  

It struck a funny cord and Rick & I laughed and laughed all the while

 with Cody saying, "what's so funny?".  

 So, Grandpa owed them. 

We took them to Walmart and let them choose a toy around $5.00.

Luckily every Easter Grandpa (Rick) does host a grandkids Easter egg hunt at our house.

  It was so cold and wet outside that he hid the candy filled eggs in the basement.

  For a few minutes it is utter mayhem, but the kids love it.

 And this time we weren't late!

                                        (Lesson learned: Never be late to an Easter egg hunt!)

My First Tag

Thanks Diana for the tag!

  Her challenge was to go to your first picture file and

 download the 10th picture and explain it.

  Well, I had to go to the 5th folder

because it was the first folder with more than 10 pictures.

This picture was taken on Halloween 2005.

My daughter Jenny is shown with her 2 daughters (my grand-daughters).

Kaitlyn is the pretty princess and is about 3 1/2 years old.

The cute little lamb is Anna at about 7 months old.

Now see how they've grown in 5 short years!

Purse-o-mania

At our Relief Society meeting last Tuesday night

 the theme was 'Purses'.

  I was asked to provide a centerpiece

 for one of the tables around that theme.

Sounds easy enough.

Well, it was more difficult that I thought it would be.

Somewhere I came up with the idea of a 'purse bouquet'.

Downloaded some pictures of purses (or 'bags' as my daughters call them)

from google images and printed them out, then cut them, attached them

to green wires, tied bows and provided a greenery base and

Voila!

Purse Bouquet Extraordinaire!

The Look of Love

Valentine's Day always seems to bring out the best in people. 

 What could be better than expressing feelings of love and gratitude to your friends and family?

To my friends and family:

  Thank you for being a part of my life. 

 I'm a better person for knowing you.

I love and appreciate you.

I'm grateful for your love and generosity. 

 I hope our love for each other will continue to grow

 and that we can always inspire each other to goodness.

Gordon B. Hinckley said:

"Love is of the very essence of life. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet it is more than the end of the rainbow. Love is at the beginning also, and from it springs the beauty that arches across the sky on a stormy day. Love is the security for which children weep, the yearning of youth, the adhesive that binds marriage, and the lubricant that prevents devastating friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope shining through death. How rich are those who enjoy it in their associations with family, friends, church, and neighbors.

I am one who believes that love, like faith, is a gift of God."

 To me, you are gifts of God.