Why I always keep an updated PASSPORT!

Months ago my parents planned a trip to Peru - it was my mom's dream. Right before they were to leave, my father got quite sick and felt like he couldn't leave the country. So, what could they do but stay home and lose all the money on the trip? Wait - what if I go in Dad's place? I found out on Saturday and flew to Lima on Sunday.

It was an incredible trip. Seeing all the Inca ruins, and knowing that much of the history in the Book of Mormon took place at these sites. It was amazing, the people were amazing and getting to walk the streets where Elder C is now serving was exciting, enlightening and emotional. No, I didn't get to see him - but it was tempting. We spent a few days right in Lima and I was tempted to hop in a cab and drive over to his area and just look around and hopefully run into him. Too bad my spanish isn't good enough to pull off such a stunt. Basically, I can ask where the bathroom is? Which I found to be useful phrase after eating a Saltena from a street vendor!

I am definitely going back - we always planned on going when Elder C finished his service. So I looked at this trip as my reconnaissance mission. The lady who planned the tour was amazing, she is a wife of an area seventy and has just started in the tour business. It was just my Mom and myself with our guide all over Peru. If anyone wants to plan a trip to Peru - let me know and I can put you in touch are director, the name is JTS Travel or Peruwondertours.com. Anyway I have a ton of pictures, I may have to post more later but here are a few....

Christ Statue in Cusco.



My feet overlooking Machu Picchu


More Machu Picchu - Go Granny!







Peruvian Mother and her two children in Ollantaytambo.



Tour operator with her family at some fountains in Lima.


I took this picture for Elder C.


Granny and me on the edge of the world. She was so nervous being this close to the edge and then when our guide handed me back the camera and started down the stairs behind us - she gave me a look like "You have got to be kidding?"



Bundled baby and Pervian weavers.



Traditional Pervian dinner or as my kids call them "pets"

Fall Break

Over fall break we went to Bear Lake. Because we were planning on cold weather we decide to make it a reading, letter writing, crafty extravaganza! Here are some moccasins the girls made.


Stylish glasses...


Doodle and AB did decide to jump in the lake. Can anybody say POLAR BEAR CLUB?



Even Sadie wouldn't get in the lake...

Finished!

General Conference gave me a chance to finish up some projects that I have been working on - I just finished my "THANK YOU LORD QUILT" . Isn't it beautiful? This was a several year project and at times I referred to it as my "LORD HELP ME QUILT"!!!!

Old Fashioned Stress Relief

The girls came home the other day with a bowl of chokecherries that they had picked in the mountains. They were so excited about their treasure that they insisted I make some chokecherry jam. So the other day after the stock market took a particularly bad hit. I decided that the perfect stress remedy was to make some chokecherry jam. Guess what? It worked - making something from nature and putting away storage against a rainy day really did help me step back and enjoy the moment. The funny part - with all the berries they picked we only got half a pint of jam. So sorry don't expect any chokecherry jam delivered to your door. And when I said putting away storage for a rainy day - I meant a really short sprinkle!

Bertha

So many people hear me talk about Bertha, so I thought I would post a picture of her.

Bertha is my 98 year old friend and mentor. We have been friends for the past 10 years and every time I visit I learn something new. Some of the lessons that she has taught me:

1- What goes around, comes around (both good and bad)
2- Use it up, wear it out, fix it up or do without.(she got married right during the depression and her and John would add to their house board by board as they could afford a new piece of lumber. Also note the paper plate behind her washed and in the dish rack -ready to be used again.)
3- Only go to the doctor if you want to get sick.
4- Endure to the end, physically and spiritually.
5- About a million other lessons too!

This is a picture of her stove - I just love it! She still throws wood and paper in the bottom and uses it every now and then.

HOMECOMING

Homecoming was last night. Doodle had a really nice night. She went with a boy name Gallager who is apparently referred to by the girls as "Galagoreous". Many of the girls at school thought she was the luckiest girl at LP. But, I think that Mr Gallager was pretty lucky too!

What is an Alpaca?

As far as I can tell an alpaca is just like a llama only smaller, cleaner, cuter and nicer. There is an alpaca farm just up the road and each year they host an Alpaca Day. The girls love to go and pet the alpaca, learn about spinning wools and see the other crafts. It was a fun day.




Did I mention that there were rides, games and raffles?

Mirror Image?

It is amazing how families can be so much alike.

Called to Serve

The other night our ward hosted a "missionary" night for the Young Men and Young Women. The youth prepared a missionary discussion and then were "called" to give that discussion to a family in the ward. The family provided a nice dinner from an area of the world and then the youth taught the lesson. The girls had a fun night. Boo was called to Germany and Doodle was called to Kentucky. We hosted a couple of missionaries with food from Bolivia.

Can you say 48?

Happy Birthday Dear Dad!!! Happy Birthday to you!

2nd Annual "HOLE HOG" Rally

T and a bunch of his Harley buddies have started a tradition of riding the hogs up to Jackson Hole. It is a few days of loud pipes, good food (gas station burritos), beautiful scenery, feeling the wind in your hair(what's left of it), and laughing with friends. Apparently this years trip was one for the record books (blog)!

Munich

The other day T had a chance to go to Munich. What could be better than dinner in Munich? Dinner in Munich with Elder CJ. It's a long story but T sort of ran into Elder CJ and they got to have dinner together one night. "Elder CJ looks great, happy and his german is coming right along!"