It has been a beautiful day, actually it's been a pretty beautiful last month, can't really complain. We completed school just this past week and I am very pleased with how all of our kiddos did :0)
Also, did all of our planning for our "co-op world"...
wayyyyy excited for our co-ops this upcoming year...
fantastic ideas and fabulous ladies, what could be better??? (post to be coming on this later :0) )
Our family had our little vacation...
actually just a long weekend,
but heck that's a vacation, right?
We left last Friday afternoon and traveled in our big van to Lava Hot Springs, took a little dip in the wonderfully warm water...I could have stayed there ALL night long, it was so relaxing...but they had to close up the pools, so at 11 p.m., we were kicked out...darn it! We spent the night in their little campground with the boys all sleeping outside and the girls and I spreading out on the benches in the van. I struggle to sleep if I am anywhere but in my own comfy bed, but this was ridiculous...I tossed and turned (and there's very little room for such activity on those van seats)...and finally decided to hop up and go out to enjoy the fresh air....my hubby beat me to it and was already up and out walking, taking it all in.
I'm a bit of a chicken, so I stayed close by,
too afraid of getting lost or taken
(I know, who would want to take me?
But it's a silly fear I have...
so until I saw that sweet hubby of mine, I was close to camp, safe and sound)
When all of our kiddos woke up, we spent a little time taking photos...beautiful area...I will post them later, on the phones again (and yes, I am still incapable, aaauuuggghhh)
Then we headed out, stopped in at Soda Springs,
watched the geyser and then took a little sip of the soda water that bubbles up out the ground...
not a one of our kids liked it, can't say I blame 'em, it's pretty nasty tasting, but it's an adventure not to be passed up!
From there we traveled through some choice areas ~ loved the scenery ~ Idaho is a spectacular site! And Utah is pretty phenomenal itself...going into Logan was a treat and then feasting our eyes on that magnificent Logan Temple ~ aahhh! We pulled over and unloaded our coolers and enjoyed a yummy lunch just outside the temple grounds, wish we would have had a little more time, but it was time to hit the road again...
our destination ~ The Manti Temple Pageant ~ was still several hours away!
Everything was going along very smoothly,
no problems,
kids even being quite nice to one another,
(Yes, that should be large and bolded, doesn't always happen around here!)
an enjoyable trip all in all...
and then...
the car started acting a little strange...
Chad was having difficulty actually driving as it pulled violently to the side...
he pulled over and the odor was horrendous...
BREAKS!
No!!!!
We have a temple pageant to make it to...what to do???
Well, we quickly found the closest Les Schwab Tire Store ~ they were AMAZING ~ in just a couple of hours they had us fixed up with a new brake caliper on the drivers side (apparently it had seized up and was causing all sorts of problems) and we were back on the road on our way...Hooray for Les Schwab!
We were a little behind schedule, but still made it to Manti by 7 p.m., the pageant wasn't to start until 9:30, whew! As we drove in to Manti, it was as it should be, quite a site to behold...
The Manti Temple...standing high on the hill!
I love that so much, each time I see a temple sitting atop a hill, my heart is just filled so many warm fuzzies!!!
The kids quickly thought it looked so much like Nauvoo...we'd already had many discussions about Nauvoo and now we were about to compare Nauvoo to Manti...
how can one even compare the two...
let it be said, they are both sensational, and something every person should experience in their lifetime!
The Manti Temple Pageant, also called The Mormon Miracle Pageant,
very properly named if you ask me,
far surpassed all expectations I had...
AMAZING production,
beautiful spirit,
one of the moments in your life that you come away from a changed person...
I feel so blessed that we were able to take this trip, work has been very slow for us and finances a little less than one might like to have, but my hubby has stayed nice and busy doing many odd jobs
(he's quite the handy man...
I am amazed that he can truly do just about,
no not even just about,
he can do anything that is set before him,
I've never seen him give up yet, how I love that about him!)
Moment to pause as I think about this wonderful man I adore....big smiley face...okay, back to the story...
We scrimped a little staying in the van and eating out of our coolers, but sometimes I think that makes the trips even more memorable...this is exactly as we did when we traveled to Nauvoo last year and our kids have the funniest stories to tell of our adventures! After all, it's not about staying in fancy hotels or eating at the finest restaurants, it is about the journey and the memories we make together...and we certainly know how to do that!
P.S. Someday, I wouldn't mind making memories staying in fancy hotels and dining at the finest restaurants, but until that day arrives, I am perfectly content making memories out of our cooler :0)
I am so glad you got to go to the Manti pageant. It sounds like you had a wonderful time. And - I personally know the Angel Moroni that you saw in the pageant this year. :) My sister lives in Manti...and my brother-in-law's brother got to be the angel this year. Also...my sister, her husband, and six kids were part of the group in your picture above. Thanks for sharing!
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