Viva Las Vegas!!!

2 weeks ago, I went to Las Vegas for the first time. Lorinda had her winter meetings for work there this year so we left Friday night and spent the weekend in Las Vegas. It was quite an experience I must say.

We stopped at the Hoover Dam on our way, since we had to drive over it, to get pictures and explain to Jenna what it was.

Saturday we spent the entire day on the Strip, it was A LOT of walking but it was good. We saw many hotels. We ate lunch in New York New York at a New York deli, the sandwhichs were huge but absolutely delicious!

Next we went to M&M World, a four story store with nothing but M&M merchandise, I bough a pin there. Next door to M&M World was the Coke a Cola store, while there we tried the Tastes around the world, we were given 2 trays with a total of 16 different Coke products from around the world, some were pretty tasty and some were not so great.

Saturday night we ate dinner in the Vinician at a wonderful Italian restruant, then it was back to the Golden Nugget for bed.

Sunday we had buffet brunch in Paris. It was absolutely wonderful!! I couldn't belive how much food I was able to eat.

We watched a couple more fountain shows at the Belagio and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for Matthew, me and the girls to head back to Phoenix. Jenna and Matthew went swimming for a little bit before we had to leave. In the middle of the pool was a shark tank and a water slide that went through the tank, it was very cool. After they took a dip in the pool it was time to head back home.

Jenna and Matthew by the shark tank, Jenna was too small to go down the slide

Washington Trip

So I am sorry I haven't posted anything for a long time.

I have been very busy and haven't had a chance.

Well I went home to Washington for Christmas and had a "White Christmas"! The first in many years. I was home for 3 weeks and had a wonderful time. Spent a lot of time with my Mom and some with my Dad and Brother and Sister in-law. It was wonderful to see them all and spend time together. I also got to see the family which is always good and some friends. It was hard for the first week or so because of all the snow, which left me car less, but it's ok.

Burlington Hill across a field of snow!

We got about a foot and a half to 2 feet total at my mom's house

There's a bench under the snow somewhere!!!

and about 2 and a half to 3 at my dad's. It was awesome!!! Very cold but awesome!

also before I left Arizona, I had a freind tell me that I had to build a snowman for her while I was in Washington... so I did!

Amazing Spirits!!

Today instead of having our normal Sunday church services, my ward was able to give service.

My ward was given the opportunity to go to the Randolph Training Center. It is a home for the severely handicapped. We got split into groups to go get our "friends" from their cottages and then bring them back to a gym, where we held primary. It was not quite and reverent like you would expect when you are in your church meetings but it was absolutely amazing. The spirit was so extremely strong and over powering, I loved it!!

I was partnered with a beautiful sweet lady named Tony. She was very shy and quite and kept to herself, but I could feel her sweet spirit so strongly I can't put it in words. Although she was unable to speak and couldn't carry on a conversation I could feel not only the love that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ not only has for her but also for me. It was an amazing experience. The whole time I could not help but smile, all the people there had such sweet spirits and are so much closer and know so much more about our Heavenly Father. I also felt such a true unconditional love for her.

I would love to be able to go all the time and spend time with these sweet spirits. I wish I could know more about them and their stories. I enjoyed being able to go and serve all of them. It was so awesome. It was wonderful and I want to do again, it made me get out of my confort zone and in exchange be able to feel the spirit and have a Christlike love.

Sea World

Sea World for the 4th time in a year crazy?!!

Not if you have season passes. They had a deal that if you bought a day pass you could upgrade to a year long fun pass... so that's what we did when we went last fall.

This trip though was a combo of a birthday party and trip to Sea World.

Jenna turued 5 Nov. 7. We originally were going to have an Elmo Party because Elmo's Bay of Fun just opened this fall, but Jenna had other plans. She decided she wanted to have a Shamu Party instead, because she had already had an Elmo party.

We said ok, and went to work.

Lorinda made Shamu cup cakes. They were awesome.

It was a very fun trip. We took it way easier this time since we had been there a few times already and let Jenna pretty much be in charge since it was her B-day.

We got to see the Manatees this time, they most definately are very weird animals. We also saw the pet show it was very funny.

The Shamu show was awesome, it actually was different then the past two times, it's still the Believe show and about following your dreams. But this time there were two whales and trainers involved. It was lots of fun. These are some of the pictures that I took.

Believe the show title.



Whale Surfing

The Finale!!!

Patriarchal Blessing

I recieved my Patriarchal Blessing tonight!! I have been wanting to recieve it for quite a while now!



I just haven't... until now actually gone through with all I needed to do in order to recieve it!

It was absolutely wonderful!! I am so happy that I have now received it. It is an answer to much prayer and contemplation. I received some much needed direction and comfort in this very confusing time in my life. Figuring out what is not only expected of me but also what I want to do with and in my life. It was an amazing blessing!!

I am so thankful that I finally went through with it and recieved it.

I Despise ANTS!!!

I never had a problem with ants. They were just little animals that like to climb into my pop cans whenever possible at Lake Pearrygin.

But now....

I don't like them so much anymore. I got bit 3 or 4 times yesterday. Although they are tiny insects man do their bites hurt!!!

Well all was ok, but a little while later I noticed that it hurt when I walked and I couldn't really bend my one toe. My one toe was comepletely swollen and about an inch and a half deep on top of my foot around it and libster red. No joke!

That was the only one that swelled up. The one pratically disapeared right away and the other one turned bright red right around the bite.

The good thing is the swelling as gone down a lot, its now just a little swollen.

So I wont say I despise ants all together I just despise the ants in Arizona!

Campout!!!

So this past weekend was my ward campout! It was tons of fun!

Not many people came, but those of us that did go absolutely loved it!

The weather was nice and cool in the upper 70's or so... very nice break from the 100's in Phoenix. Friday night capture the flag was played in the dark, not everyone participated, some of us chose to stay in camp and supervise the campfire and talk. The fire was huge!! Actually Ingred got hit in the leg when the logs fell. We also had dutch oven cooked cobbler for dessert Friday night.








Ingred and me Saturday morning.

Me showing off the Sun Devil in me!!
(I totally did not plan that offit it just kinda occured)


Almost everyone was up until at least One o'clock in the morning, then the numbers around the fire started to dwindle as people went to bed. A few were up until 4 or 5 in the morning, having fun.


Saturday morning we had Schaub(bishop) Kabobs (Biscuits on a stick). They were absolutely delicious, specially when you put butter and honey in the hole made by the stick. The other part of breakfast was egg and sausage burritos.


Many activities were played and enjoyed between breakfast and lunch. I played horse shoes for the very first time, I wasn't very good, but I did have fun, and that's all that matters right?!

Some others enjoyed football, wiffle ball, and a few other activities.


For lunch Shem put his wonderfull dutch oven skills to use again and cooked enchilladas they were absolutely marvelous!! SOOO GOOD!!


Then we all went our seperate ways and headed back home to the heat of the valley.


It was tons of fun!!!