Wonderful day, Wonderful Family!

Mt. Timpanogas Temple.....(above)
Oquiirh Mountain Temple ...(below)

What a better way to spend the day than in the temple with family members. While Ryan is at BYU this week swimming himself to death and surrounding himself with cute girls, I am enjoying some time to myself! Today I was able to attend the Mt. Timpanogas Temple with 2 of my sister-in-laws, one brother-in-law and a nephew that enters the MTC tomorrow.... to come on a mission to PHOENIX! (I've been letting him know all week, what great weather we have and how much he will LOVE it). This temple was simply one of the most beautiful temples I have ever been in. It rivals San Diego in my book. Later in the day, we made arrangements to attend the Oquriih Mountain temple open house. It was really pretty too... we climbed so many stairs that I swear we were going to end up at Angel Moroni's feet!

We completed our day with Uncle Doug treating us all to burgers and fries from Five Guys... Delish! A rival for In-N-Out and Culvers!

What a fun day.... more fun tomorrow... I am headed to Salt Lake for some BFF time for the rest of the week!

Sew it Goes.....

As many may know, sewing would definitely not be my favorite pastime. It sometimes frustrates me, and Ray thinks I cuss way too much when I sew. However, it seems to be a dying art. I remember when I was young, girls graduating from High School would receive sewing machines as graduation gifts. Now I have not polled everyone who graduated this year, but I don't think that it made the top 10 gift list of the 2009 graduates!

Anyway -- While I am not an accomplished seamstress, and do not sew clothes (except costumes), I don't know how I could live with out my sewing machines. Scout patches, hemming, sewing up that ripped seam, quilts, all kinds of things it comes it handy for. My latest project was once again, for the 4th year in a row.... the girls camp pillowcases. I have it down to a fine art -- while one machine is stitching on names, I am finishing up another serging a quick few seams. Each year they have been different and the girls in our cabin look forward each year to our matching pillowcases!

While sewing may not be the first thing I would sit down to do, I am thankful that my mother taught me a few things and has passed this skill on to me. (She jokes that every time she comes for a visit, there is a sewing project to do) Its true, we have spent many hours together sewing some sort of costume, craft project or clothing. I even emailed her last night to tell her I was sewing without her, and need her here to help with the prep work... Mary loves to sew, and I am sure there will be a day in my future when I will be doing the prep work for her as she sews a costume or two for her children! I look forward to that day!

Let the summer Begin

Where did this year go? The days seem to go faster and faster.....Another school year has passed and Mary and Ryan continue to amaze me. What good children I have. I am thankful once again for the good choices they make each day and look forward to a couple months of summer fun....which includes: eating, summer school, summer jobs, EFY, Sports Camps, best friend visits, higher grocery bills, more eating, lots and lots of swimming, basking in the sun, youth conference, fun with cousins, girls camp, the beach, Sea World, and much much more! The lazy days of summer, somehow don't seem so lazy when I think about all we have to do this summer! Let the fun begin!

Fairway Groves Talent Show....

This is the teachers quorum at their best!!!!
Ryan, AJ, Tyler and Dakota!


Our Priest Quorum and their leaders at their best!
Bishop Porter, Brandon, Br. Reidy, Brian, Br. Parker!

Smiles For Guatamala

As most of you know, each year Ray spends a week to ten days giving some sort of Humanitarian Medical Treatment. He has been to Peru, Honduras (3 times), Nicaragua, and this year Guatemala. He travels with the LDS Academy of Dentists and they spend their time giving service. Usually, they treat pre-missionaries, giving medical exams, extracting wisdom teeth, doing eye exams, physicals, dental work, etc, basically getting these young men ready to serve a mission for the church.

This year they took the largest group of medical professionals that they have ever taken, and worked from 7am - 10pm each day. They saw over 1400 patients and as Ray puts it he was dog tired everynight. Eventhough the hours were long, the rewards of service far outweigh the long hours. The spouses usually head up the humanitarian part of the trip. This year, each doctor got to go out to deliver goods to a family for a few hours one afternoon.

On Sunday, they attend church in one of the poorer branches. They always take a family photo of the families and give them a few treats. Most of these families have never had a family photo taken, and this becomes a great treasure for them.

Mary was able to go to Honduras and still talks of the trip. Ryan hopes to go to El Salvador later this year. We are so fortunate to live in the United States, have the material goods that we have, and it is so good for us to be reminded of our blessings by serving others. One of the best family vacations we have every taken, was when we went to Mexico and built houses for Habitat for Humanity. We are truly blessed.... and love to be in the service of our fellowmen.

Prom!

Mary went to prom this year with one of her best friends -- Jameson! They had such a fun day which included ultimate frisbee, ice skating, lunch...... followed by the evening date -- dinner, dance, and after prom party. What a fun day and how fun to be with such great friends!

Slippery Trout

Ryan recently participated in a "Mountain Man Rendezvous" with the Teachers Quorum at church. For months the boys worked on things to get ready. They made these really cool knives, medicine bags (i call it a man-purse), the big coat that I can't remember what the name is, throwing knives, it went on forever... they had a chosen mountain man name....Ryan's was "Slippery Trout". How appropriate. They had a great time, and from the pictures, their days were filled with activities. Archery, Black powder shooting, lots of team building activities, and fire building competitions. When I was in Ward Council the day after they got home, I learned that Ryan won the fire starting contest of the whole group -- starting a flint/steel fire in 20 seconds.... (Now doesn't that make a mom proud, and that does not surprise me)

Ryan has great leaders who give unselfishly of their time. What great examples, and I know that they have just as much fun at the boys.