Up, Up, and away...

 ...in our beautiful balloon!  Today was the day we redeemed out Christmas 'gift certificate' for a balloon ride.  We went with Heather Watkins Confetti Pebbles Balloons of Utah and she gave us a great ride.  Her cute family were her crew and they did a great job!  It was a perfect early morning ride and we were amazed to see what the view looks like from balloon aloft view!  Kind of crazy to figure things out from such a new vantage point.  Lift off - we barely felt it and when we came down it was just as smooth.  We tried to come down at a different spot first, and then the wind shifted and that was not an option at that point...so we drifted over to another spot and she put us down.  Sights along the way included seeing Ferf out running with her ladies.  Heather took us down low enough that we could converse with them!  We saw the temple, sunrise, the neighborhood mountain top trails, the ponds in backyards that we didn't even know were there, the meandering of the river and so much more!  The fields were so pretty - some green and some plowed.  On our way to land we even saw what may have been a homeless camp along the river, or it may just have been Spring Break kids trying to save money camping along the river/bike trail.   At the end of our ride they have a funny little tradition:  we kneeled down on a blanket and after Heather's little girl demonstrated how, we had to put our hands behind our back and reach down with our mouths to pick up a paper cup full of sparkling cider and drink it all up with no hands!  It was funny!  She recited the Balloonist Prayer before we started.

The winds have welcomes you with softness. The sun has blessed you with his warm hand.  You have flown so well and so high, that God has joined you in your laughter and set you gently back again into the loving arms of Mother Earth!  

It was a really fun experience and very interesting to see it up close and personal.  I've watched one land before a few years ago with Trigg, but this was the real deal just for us.  It was and expensive gift to give and we really appreciate the opportunity to have such a fun and learning adventure experience gift!  

Grand Edventure with the Smith Kids

 

We had good times with Tasia, Zade and Trigg at Fiesta Fun - miniature golfing and then at Dairy Queen for treats afterwards.  We went on the last day of our school Spring Break!  It was a fun time and a great way to finish it off!

Juanita Brooks - and fun with her family

 Had a great Saturday starting off with going to the Juanita Brooks statue installation program! She was well deserving of this honor! She is relevant today as one speaker put it and was a great catalyst in helping a hard situation begin the healing process. She took the heat with grace and stood up for truth. It was fun to have some of her posterity and their friends stay at our house (my grand nephews)! We also got to hang out with the grand nieces and a girlfriend and boyfriend! It was like being back in the good old YSA days! (Paul is photo bombing in one shot!)

Tasia, Zade and Trigg - the Champions!

Tasia, Zade and Trigg and a big weekend of winning!  Tasia went to a State Skills USA competition and her team took 1st in State in the Quiz Bowl competition.  Zade and Trigg had a Karate competition and they each took Grand Champion in their belt levels!  Great job all of you on doing the hard work to get it done!!!

March Birthdays - Ferf, Sarai & Joel celebrated!

We went over and had a little celebration with Ferf and some of the kids for her birthday that day.  She said she usually cooks her birthday dinner/makes her dessert anyway, so she did.  We hope to get her out to a dinner/lunch she doesn't have to cook soon.  She made chocolate strawberries which everyone was happy to enjoy with her!  Happy #44 Ferf.  You are amazing!!! and we love you!!!

Sweet Sarai turned 11 and we had a little evening of birthday celebration at our house for her with a chocolate chip cookie/cake and milk.  She loves all things tiny and was pleased with her tiny gifts and panda socks!  She's a sweetie and we love her and kind of hate to have her grow up.  But, she'll be just as sweet a Sarai forever I'm sure! Happy #11!  

Next up was Joel celebrating his December 26th 8th birthday on March 26th the next year!  I got confused and tried to make it his #9 birthday!  We had such a nice day that day.  We went up to go to the Cedar City Temple to do sealings and got their a little early.  We ran over to Sportsman's hoping that just by chance they would have a pair of the boots, the only boots, that are comfortable for Paul with his poor arthritic foot.  And, there on the shelf, was the right boot in the right size!  I had called a month or two ago when the internet told me that they had one pair at that store in stock that was his size and the right boot.  They looked and looked and said they didn't have it, so finding it still there felt like a little miracle.  We bought them and made it right on time to the temple.  We had a great sealing session with only one other couple there.  We got all of our couples sealed - some from my side and some from Paul's.  And I felt something on one couple on my side and one on his side that I have never really felt before and I was sure that it meant that those two couples were accepting their work and happy to finally have it done!  It was sweet.  We changed to go home and then decided to get a drink.  We had to go through a waiting room...and there, waiting to do baptisms, Tasia and Zade Smith - our grand kids!  It was so crazy to see them there and we got to hear about some really cool activities they had been competing in and had gotten big awards for.  We probably wouldn't have even heard about it otherwise as they don't brag on themselves very well.  Then we went over and had such a fun evening with the Randall's celebrating with Joel. (Joel went around hugging everyone after he opened his presents.  It was very sweet.) We even got to go out and watch him shoot off a rocket for a school project he's working on.  It was really a very perfect day!