Happy Birthday Mom!

Mom celebrated her birthday with us on Monday. After Blake was set apart, we had a cook out and celebrated mom's birthday! We love you and appreciate all you do for our family! It was fun having you here for all of the missionary events that happened last week! Love you!

Off to Brazil

Blake left on Tuesday, May 19, 2009, to serve an LDS mission in Salvador, Brazil! We had a wonderful week-end with family and friends and it was so much fun having everyone here! Blake spoke in church and did a great job. He has such a strong testimony of the gospel, he will be a great missionary! After church we had a nice dinner with all of our family and a lot of Blake's friends! It was a great day! Over the week-end, they played ball, cards, Mario Cart, and had lots of laughs. On Sunday evening, it was sad to see brothers say good-bye for two years. It was so sweet to see Blake kiss his fingers and then put them on Keisha's belly to say good-bye to his niece. Hard to believe that she will be eighteen months old when he returns. The airport was a happy/sad time for me. I am proud of him for serving the Lord and know he will learn and grow so much. BUT I sure will miss him! When we arrived at the airport Blake met several young men headed for Brazil. They became "travel buddies" for the day! They were instantly friends and all waited for one another to get their luggage checked in and then get through security. When Blake went through security, he turned and blew us all a kiss, with a great big smile! On Wednesday I received a phone call that he had arrived and was doing well. Thanks to all of you for your love, prayers and support! We love all of you!

Nauvoo

Ben, Blake and I went to Nauvoo last week. Bryce went before his mission with his cousin Craig and had a great experience, so Blake wanted to visit Nauvoo as well before he left on his mission. We headed out on May 2, 2009 for a six day road trip! It was a great expereince. We stopped in Gothenburg, Nebraska and visited a Pony Express Station. Next, we went into a museum that went across the interstate. It was about the history of the westward movement. It was very cool!
The first stop in Nauvoo was the temple and it is so pretty! The tulips were so beautiful and in such vibrant colors. We were very happy that we were able to attend the temple while we were there. Ben and I think this would be a fun place to serve a mission there some day!
While we were there, we went to the cementary and found my great-great-great-great-grandma's headstone in the Nauvoo Cemetary. Laura Clark Phelps died in Nauvoo in her late thirties. Her daughter Mary Ann came across the plains and married Charles C Rich who settled Bear Lake.
Going to Carthage was a spritual experience for me. The tour was so neat, you could feel the spirit so strong there. I left there with my testimony strengthened and a increased gratitude for what Joseph Smith did for the church.
The picture of Blake in front of the Hall of Seventies, which we were told, is the MTC of Nauvoo. This is where the brethern would go to be trained to serve a mission.


We also visited other church sites on our way home! It was a wonderful trip full of fun memories. I am so happy that we were able to make it happen. It increased my testimony of the gospel and I left ever so grateful for my ancestors who sacraficed so much for the gospel.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Congratulations Karli! The end of April was Hi-Stepper tryouts and Karli went for one more year! She is an officer again this year and is excited!
Go Karli!