Day 8 - Birthday

Last night we took a picture of Anna, the last one as a four-year-old.



The girls have been talking about how you get bigger on your birhtday. So last night we marked on the wall how tall she was. She thought it was funny that she was the same height today when we measured again.

In the morning Anna had a bagel for breakfast, with a candle in it.



Then Dave and I went with Mom & Dad and Tiana & Nate (my sister and brother-in-law) to do sealings at the temple for some family names that my dad had. It was neat to be in the temple with my family doing work for my family. What made it even more special on this special day is the fact that in all the rotations we did I got to be sealed as a daughter for someone named Anna. Then later in the session I also got to act for that same Anna as she was sealed to her husband.

I am grateful for temples! And for families! (Wow! That sure seems to be a theme for the trip.) I am especially grateful for Anna today. For the joy and wonder and happiness she has brought into my life.

For the last month at least the girls have been making invitations and other things for Anna’s birthday party. They decided several times different things that we would do for the party. So after much deliberation Anna has stuck with the decision to have a carnival for her birthday.

She was so excited to go to the store with me to get balloons (which she didn’t want filled with helium because then they would be, “too easy to float away if I let go of them.”), party hats and other supplies.

Everyone helped to get ready for the party.

Grandma helped the girls cook the cake.







Anna and Allie helped me make a bean bag toss.



Tiana and Nate made the bubble solution just right. Then they made the fishing poles to catch the sharks I made.



Anna drew a "pongo dog" and cut out spots to make a pin the spot on the dog game. Allie helped cut out lots of spots.



And Grandpa put together a great obstacle course.

My mom and Tiana even dressed up like clowns.





When everyone arrived Grandma Mahoney (my grandma) gave out tickets so all the kids could play the different games.



Fishing for Sharks



Bean Bag Toss



Bowling



Popcorn





Put the Spot on the Dog



(Some people got closer to the dog than others.)




Giant Bubbles





And an Obstacle Course





Just as we were finishing up the games so we could eat it started to rain a little. It was perfect timing to move the rest of the party inside.

We had a yummy BBQ



with rainbow salad (a fruit of each color of the rainbow) as requested by Anna.



Then she opened presents.



When people asked her what she wanted for her birthday she would tell them that she wanted a backpack.



She thought her backpack was cool!


Then we ate cake and ice cream. Too bad that most of the people had left by then. (More cake for us!)



What a fun party!
(click here for more birthday pictures)


Later that night we even had fireworks!







Even though we were careful to pick out ones that weren’t noisy they were still a little to loud for some of the crowd.





But we all enjoyed the sparklers!

Day 7 - The temple

The kids have created a home for boxelder bugs and pill bugs (potato bugs as we call them). Anna and Allie have been gathering bugs and putting them in a container. Grandma helped them cover it with plastic so they could still see inside. She poked tiny air holes in the plastic. But as Anna and Allie find more bugs they try to squeeze them in the bucket through the air holes which keep getting bigger and bigger. They are calling all the little pill bugs Kennedy and all the boxelder bug, underwear. They think it is all so funny.

Today is the day we went to see the Draper Temple.



We had been talking a lot about what it would be like to go inside a temple and what we would see. The girls were all excited to see the room where you get married. They got up this morning and put on their dresses. Without even being told they had been planning that. They had told me several times that they wanted to wear their prettiest dresses to the temple because it is such a special place.




We got there at a great time, when there weren't a ton of other people. We watched a video about temples and learned that South Jordan, UT is the only city in the world that has two temples. South Jordan is named for the nearby Jordan River, which is named for its likeness to the Jordan River in the Holy Land. They both run with no outlet from a fresh water lake to a salt lake.

Then we got to go inside. Everything was so beautiful. The spirit was so powerful. We saw the baptismal font sitting on the back of the oxen. Allie was worried becuase she didn't want to go in it.

There were beautiful murals on the walls of the endowment rooms. We got sit in the sealing rooms and look in the mirrors where we could see forever. We got to feel that incredible peace as you walk into the celestial room. And we got to see the beautiful bride's room.

Afterward we went into a tent where we got to eat cookies.

I am so grateful for temples.



I am grateful that there is a way for us to have our families forever. In the video Elder Holland talked about the peace and happiness of heaven and just like him, I know that Heaven would not feel that way if it were not for the fact that we can be with our families there.



I know that the sealing in the temple is only the beginning to having an eternal family, that after that comes a lot of work and patience. But today, in the temple, I was reminded so powerfully by the spirit of what heaven will feel like when we do our best each day so we can make it back to Heavenly Father's presence and can be surrounded with those of our family who make it back there too. That is a feeling I want to have forever. I guess I better do all I need to do to make it back to live with Heavenly Father again.




Anna: It was fun to see the whole temple instead of just some of the temple. I liked to see the married room and where the bride gets dressed.

Jennie: There was the spirit. Its true. I felt good and special. I liked to eat the cookies. I loved to look at the temple. I liked the bride room where you get married.

Allie: There were some lights that were beautiful, that were shaped like stars, but they hurt my eyes (because they were so bright). I saw the bunny. In the other room I saw the chipmunks (in the murals in the endowment rooms).

Day 6 - Water Fun

The girls love playing around outside. The love to play on a small bridge right next to the house that goes over the stream of excess irrigation water. One of the days they built a "beaver house."



Today my Aunt Connie (who lives next door) invited us over to play in the water with all of her grandkids. They make a slide down the hill with a hose and some plastic and have a small kiddie pool. The girls were really excited to go. But hesitant when we got there... Two of cousins are very tally crazy boys and have sons that take after them. The girls did try out the slide after a few minutes. And after the crazy boys stopped going down it. And after a bit got really into it.



However, when the boys (there were some girls there too, but their presence seemed subdued by the action of the boys) stopped going down the slide they started a very active waterfight.



At one point Jennie wanted to go over by the kiddie pool, but even with holding my hand wouldn't get very close becuase of all the squirting of the battle.



After a little while they all took a lunch break, during which the girls took advantage of the chance to get control of the squirting toys. And as some of the smaller kids finished eating they all actually joined in the waterfight. It was fun to sit there and cheer each kid on as they ran from or ran after someone or other. Of course, I didn't get spared in all of this. My cousin Andy dunked me pretty good right in the beginning. And since I was already wet the girls thought I was a great target too. What a great time!

The girls got to spend a little while playing with Grandpa while Grandma and I went shopping for birthday stuff. They love grandpa!

They also love to read stories with Grandma and Grandpa, especially at bed time.

Day 5 - A Sunday Drive

A Sunday drive took us up to the Temple Quarry Trail at the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon. We enjoyed looking at the huge rocks,





fasting moving river,





and beautiful mountains



as we took the short stroll.

One of the signs we read said to listen to the rocks,



but they didn't say much. However, we did learn a few things. Dave found it particular interesting to note that the rock used for the Salt Lake Temple is not acutally granite as everyone believes. It is actually quartz monzonite which appears so much like granite it has been nicknamed "white granite."



We also found the Draper Temple which was newly dedicated. It is fun to see all the temples in Utah. Jennie loves to point out all the churches too. Which keeps her pretty busy whenever driving around.



Then as we got close to Grandma & Grandpa's we saw more than 20 hang gliders in the sky.

Day 4 - Saturday

Today we went on a picnic for lunch as we headed out to the south west end of the valley to see the huge open pit copper mine. We got to look way down into the mine and saw huge hauling trucks that have tires way taller than us. We counted about 28 of them driving in and out of the mine.

Later we went down to visit with 2 of Dave's brothers and their wives. We had yummy lasgana at John and Heidi's house and played with their cute boxer dogs and tried our hand at some carnival games on their Wii.

We headed back home for beadtime, but picked up baby Riker (Shanna's nephew) along the way so we could babysit for a bit. The girls were all so exited to have him in the car with us. And of course they each wanted a turn to hold him too.

(pictures coming)

Day 3 - Beauty & Mr. Scary

Today we spent playing and exploring grandma's house. Then we all took a nap so we could stay up late.

At night we went to see a local production of Beauty and the Beast. I knew the girl who was playing Belle, so we wanted to go see her and this was the last night. The play was in an outdoor amphitheater and the forecast called for rain. We arrived early and got a great seat. Then we waited....

A little while before the play was to begin we were informed that a storm was coming through, but because is was suppose to be a fast moving storm they were going to postpone the starting time instead of cancelling the final show.

So there we sat in the amphitheater as the dark clouds rolled in and the rain began to fall. Good thing Grandpa is always prepared. We unrolled his big tarp and covered all of us in a makeshift tent. Some other people sitting nearby even joined us for a while. The kids thought it was so funny that we made a tent.

So there we sat in our tent for nearly a half an hour. But then the rain did stop, they uncovered the orchestra pit, mopped up the stage and the play went on.

It was wonderful. Belle was great. Gaston was fabulous. And the Beast was scary.
(Mostly because he was loud.) But after his first appearance Anna and Jenny both sought the comfort of some one's lap for the remainder of the play. Allie sat and stared wide eyed at everything happening on the stage. She said she liked it. Especially when Belle came out in the yellow dress Allie had been expecting from the beginning. We were all glad when the Beast turned back to the handsome prince and everything ended happily for the good guys.



Anna says: I did not like the play, but just a little bit. I had fun with grandma in the tent.

Allie says: It rained but it didn't get on us, just a little bit.

The wolves were kind of scary and the Beast. But they were just dressed up. Belle was so pretty in her yellow dress. Belle's dress was sparkly, sparkly, sparkly. She had a pretty flower in her hair. Her hair was not quite like the real Belle's. We gave Belle some roses. I liked taking pictures with Belle. It was fantastic! And we got to see Belle's house.



Belle got caught by some wolves and the Beast saved her.

We sat down for a long, long time. Then we got to stand up and then we got to sit down again. (I think she is taking about intermission.)

The Beast was scary because the witch turned him into kind of scary. It was dark suddenly and then it was light and some steam went up. And that's when he was changed.

Jennie says: Belle had the prettiest dress ever.



Belle is a beautiful girl. I love her so much. The beast I didn't like or the foxes (wolves). The foxes are really bad. She said be careful to her daddy, but he didn't be careful.

Rachel liked it and Dave and Shanna and Maddie (Shanna's niece).

Yesterday I didn't like the Beast or the foxes. I just said that two times so she'll (mom) remember.

The tent was so fun and Shanna came.

(Sometime during the play Jennie looked up at the stage and asked, "Where is Cinderella?" And later when we went to take pictures with Belle, Jennie asked, "Is she was a real princess?")

Day 2 - Driiiiving

Although it was a long loooong day in the car we kept ourselves amused well enough. The grown ups listened to books on tape and the kids played with all sorts of fun car toys.

The pipe cleaners were a big hit. The kids made all sorts of things like a fishing pole and fish, balloons...



and necklaces.



Shanna and Jennie both enjoyed playing with the bubblewrap that Shanna brought.

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Allie found a lady bug at one of the many rest areas we toured along the way. Anna wanted to keep it as a pet.



We had lots of great snacks to keep us going.



But we also made a few stops to get some energy out.

One of the quick breaks was at a Cableas Store to see their huge fish tanks and great displays of animals.











We walked around a Lincoln Monument. As we drove into this rest area we told the girls there was a statue of Lincoln. A minute later Jennie asked us, "Who is leakin'?"



And a quick stop off of a exit with typical Wyoming scenery.








Everyone was awake and excited when we crossed the Utah state line at 9:30 at night. But most were asleep before we pulled into Grandma. All in all it was a pretty good trip.

Here are a few comments about the trip from the kids...

Allie:
"It was good."
"We had lap trays."
Allie liked, "making stuff" with the pipe cleaners. She made, "balloons, a bracelet and a rainbow."
At Cabelas "There were lots of dead animals. They were alive, but someone shot 'em and then they just came to that store. The deer was my favorite."

Anna:
Liked that we could "play with lots of toys."

Jennie:
"I had fun."
"I did something that I like."
"Took a picture with the bear and me."