playacting to birthday partying

 

 Years ago we ate Pavlova in Australia.

Recently I saw someone pin it and thought

"Hey I can do that!" and I did. 

And it was yummy!

 This picture was taken in Mountain West Burrito in Provo.

What a fun place, with fun people.

We attended the Payson Utah Temple open house.

 Priscilla went with us.

 It is a beautiful temple.

 Since the Wightmans are from Payson

we stopped to photograph

 the house in which Jack (their dad) was born.

 If you can believe it

Mark and I were in a murder mystery play /

ward activity.

It was so much fun.

 An action shot!

 The whole cast:

Linda, Mark, Me, Joey, Josh, Wendi and Kammie

 And I was the murderer!

This was NOT type casting!

 

 Then we went to St. George.

I know - big surprise!

 We found this little guy on our hike.

 The great hikers!

 

 I like cactus flowers.

 Then Ben came for a visit.

 My best friend Carin was in town from Virginia for her sister's birthday.

So we got a few old friends together.

We all went to school together and grew up in Provo.

 Jill, Jenny, Me, JoLynn, Denise

Carin and Terri

It was SO much fun to see each other again and catch up.

 

Then Mark turned 57 and we partied!

What a great life!!!

Road Tripping

In the fall we like to go on at least one drive to see

 the beautiful fall leaves. 

 This year we decided to 

 

 check out the Nebo Loop.

 And while we were probably a bit late

 it was really beautiful. 

Also as a family we are trying to visit all the temple in Utah.

So we took a little road trip to Monticello.

And since we were driving South - why not have a little 

Cubby's on the way.

Some people might watch too many horror movies

because they thought our motel looked like

the Bates Motel.

 The next morning caught the early session

 in Monticello.

 Incidentally it was the first of the small temples built.

 Then we headed for Arches!

 I used to visit Arches a lot when I was young

but had never shared it with the kids!

And let me tell you - it left them jumping for joy!!!

 

 Park Avenue

 Rare entire family picture. 

 

 It was just all so beautiful! And it was perfect weather.

 North Window

 Turret Arch

 Parade of Elephants

North and South Windows

 But the pièce de résistance, of course, was

 Delicate Arch.

 Let's just say I am 30 years older than I was

the last time I took this hike and it got harder.

 But it was well worth it.

 

It is as magnificent as I remember.

 

 I have the cutest little family!

 We stayed in Moab that night and on the way home

 we had to visit Dead Horse Point.

Where Mark posed for the same picture twice!

All I can say is that we are lucky to live in such a beautiful state!

Visiting Canyonlands is now on our to do list!

Temples, Lava and a Birthday

First the birthday cake.

We love being able to celebrate with Paige!

The temple was our beautiful view

as we ate at the roof!

Then on Saturday we made our way to Ogden to eat lunch at

The Sonora Grill and it was so, so good! Get the guacamole!

Then we started our 2014 Utah Temple Tour

by attending the Brigham City Temple.

After which we drove to Pocatello and spent the night.

I did not photograph anything there as it was freezing, windy, and yucky, 

and all we did was eat and sleep anyway.

But after Church on Sunday

we visited the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple Visitor's Center.

And it was still freezing!

The temple is beautiful though, with the waterfall. The river was mostly frozen over.

Then we headed for Lava Hot Springs.

We LOVE this place!

When the family showed up we ate at Royal Pizza - as usual - because it's good!

Pictures: Mark and Linda, Victor and Peggy

At "the kid's table": Nicholas, Courtney, Paige and Adam

Priscilla, Mark, my chair, Chris and Aimee

(I take all the pictures, which can be good when there are bathing suits involved)

Priscilla and Paige and Courtney - being pretty

Paige - being thug in her new hat!

And a group a flashers I saw in my hotel room!

The best part!

The hot pools!

Cousins

After breakfast on Monday

we take pictures and head for home.

Pictured here - the Chris and Aimee family.

My girls

And the whole group (- me because I am the photog!)

Then we bid Lava adieu for another year!

What a great little holiday weekend!