Trip to Georgia

First of all can I just say how amazing it was to go back to Georgia where Daniel served his mission (2007-2009) and meet some of the people that he helped and that helped him. The pictures below are some of those people the upper left corner pic is his mission Pres. and family who will be leaving the end of June. It was so great meeting them. They are awesome people. Sis King was a newscaster for a SLC station, she retired when Pres. King was called to Georgia. The single women holding Haiven has an amazing story I wish she would write her story and publish it. It brought tears to my eyes I held them back really good until we got out in the car and then I let them flow. The lower bottom middle is a member but he was/is the taxi driver for the missionaries. Wonderful man. The lower left is a pic of a member who open her house to us the last two days Thank you so much Sis Moran!!!!!!!!!! They each have a great story behind them it would take way to long to type all of their stories.

The pics below are the many face of little Haiven she was a trooper, she was really thrown off her schedule. She found her feet on this vacation and had fun playing with them. She was very well loved there in GA by anyone who say her. This is Helen GA a little German town. We stayed in a condo here. It was a fun little place.

We took the fun opportunity to go to Babyland General (where the cabbage patch dolls originated) it was a fun 1/2 hour. We watched the birth of a little boy upper right pic, notice blond hair blue eyes, she asked for suggestions to name this little guy. We started saying some names and she wasn't to thrilled with any until we said Jonathon Daniel in which she liked. So this little guy was named after Daniel. You can see in the pic below that she let me hold him. I thought how fun that would be to buy this little man because of the name and he looked like Daniel when he was little. Well I asked how much he was and she said "He is $225.00" I just about dropped the little guy, but I gently handed him back to her.

This is Ana Ruby Falls. Beautiful place!!!!!

This was our last day there, we went to Stone Mountain. Awesome place. I have over 2 hundred pictures on this trip, these are just a few. Again I have to say what an awesome experience it was visiting GA and meeting these many wonderful people in Daniels life. And hearing many stories of his mission.

March Madness

We had a few fun moments in March starting with Spring Break here in Southeren Utah and then with Desirae's up North. On Saturday the end of our spring break here Brit and I took her kidos to the sand dunes in Snow Canyon, they had a great time in the sand, and then we went down the road a ways and went rock climbing since you know Snow Canyon is either Sand or Rock, we hit both. Then when Des came down with her kids we started off in the morning going to the Park and meeting Brit and her kids there and Chantelle and Haiven joined us. Then that evening we started off with tin foil dinners at Red Cliffs and of coarse s'mores, and after dinner we worked it off by walking to the water hole. It was beautiful there, a nice walk and the kids all enjoyed it. As you can see in the pics below that Craig enjoyed it way more than the rest of us (I guess) that water was coming straight off SNOWY Pine Valley Mountain, there is no way I would get in that water, Craig was trying to talk Dan into jumping in the water with him. Well this is one area Craig does not know Dan very well. Dan does not like the cold at all, in any shape or form, so Craig was alone on that one. I must say right here that our little Raylie and Ellie was very worried about him they did not want him doing this. They were yelling "NO Craig don't do it). Then on Tues. we drove to Valley of Fire and let the kids hike around there. It was fun and the kids love climbing on the rocks, little Lucas is a great rock climber. He was trying to keep up with the rest of them with his little short chunky legs. :) You will see that they found all the little nooks and crannies which made picture taking fun. Of coarse our March Madness lacked part of our family. Our TX family, but we will all be together in June and I can't wait for that. I love the times that we can all be together, the times are few but we make the most of it when it does happen. Family's are great and makes life worth living.

I LOVE YOU FAMILY!!!!!!!!!

Sunday Thoughts

After this past week and with talks and lessons today in church, it was impressed again upon my mind just how important it is to have Christ as our foundation. If we put HIM at the base of everything we do, try to model HIS example, we will weather the storms that come into our lives. We all have challenges that we have to overcome (some much harder than others) but none the less we have to overcome them. Christ is the bread of life, one scripture that stood out to me is John 6-35 "If we come unto Christ and believe in him we will never hunger nor thirst." If we center our lives around HIM the one who died for us, we are promised great things, eternal live with our loved ones.

Banana Tree Forest!

I have been babying the large Banana tree for almost 2 years now. It is one that my Dad planted in his greenhouse. I made the mistake of putting it in the front yard last summer, well the wonderful Leeds wind that we have blew it to shreds so I cut it all back and brought it in the house for the winter hoping I could revive it. It had little shoots coming up that were shredded as well. By bringing it in the house I was able to nurse it back to health again. I transplanted all the little shoots last night. I will have my own little forest of banana trees real soon. I am hoping that more shoots will come up so I can transplant more. I did not inherit my Dads green thumb at all, so I am very pleased that they are looking as good as they look. Fowlks Forest of Banana Trees, how does that sound? I like it!!!!! :)

Some Thoughts

It has been so fun this year to spend Birthdays with each of our children. (It doesn't happen often with Des in SLC and Danette in Texas) Starting with Dan in Jan, Danette, Brittany in Feb. and Des in Mar. we have one left and that will be coming up in June we will no longer have a teenager in the home. It is amazing how fast time has gone. Reflecting back over each child now adults, and the day they were born. I remember thinking and being a little frightened with Desirae, will I be a good mother will I be able to do all I need to do to help her learn all she needs to know here. Being a first time mom was over whelming at first as we all know. With each little spirit that came into our home after that, those thoughts still entered my mind. Hoping that I was doing all I could do and all the Heavenly Father expected of me. I still have those thoughts today only they are did I do all I could do and did I do all that Heavenly Father expected of me and still expects of me, and as grandparents are we doing all we can do! I am just grateful for the wonderful little spirits that our Heavenly Father sent to us. In spite of me and my short comings, they are all wonderful Son and Daughters they came with their own determination to do what is right and to follow Heavenly Fathers plan. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for the opportunity to have been blessed with such great Children and a wonderful husband who has been by my side in this Journey. I love you all so very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DESIRAE

Just a Happy Birthday note to our oldest daughter. We hope that you have a wonderful day, that you get to lay around and eat bon bons :). You are a wonderful daughter, sister, wife and a mother. You wear many hats. You have and still are accomplishing so much. We love you and hope that your day is very special.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTANY

I am slacking on my blog, but this is to wish Brittany a Happy Birthday. We had lunch at McDonalds (the kids were out of school) we were planning on going to the new one on the BLVD but being Presidents day and we had half of SLC area here in St. George. It was packed so we drove over to the Santa Clara one because the kids were set on going to the play place. Then dinner here at the house for her traditional Chicken Divan dinner, then her traditional Baskin Robbins mint chocolate cake that Josh picked up. Lots of partying happening here last night. Anyway hope you had a great day Brittany we love you and your sweet family.