April Visitors/Activities 2015

I realized I had not updated some of our visitors and visits for April.

After conference, we had our great office couples staying with us, and a couple Hermanas (Hansen and Dayton) came to watch conference with us on Saturday, that was fun...and then we had Michael Nield bring his fiance Jessica over for Sunday dinner between sessions.  Great to have some time with them!  So excited for their upcoming sealing in Oregon!

 That night we were also able to make it to Paige McAllisters concert in Saratoga Springs.  We were so glad she invited us!  It was "LAMB OF GOD" and yes, this was EASTER SUNDAY so it was even more perfect!  Beautiful job Paige!  We really felt the Spirit in the performance!

 The next Sunday we were reassigned branches at the MTC and President Taylor became President Taylor once again...he is now a Branch President for Branch 43 in the MTC.  This is an English Branch, which is fast paced and more busy than our Spanish assignment which had 6 week turnover.  We have new missionaries coming almost weekly, so we will be at the MTC even more than we already have been!

We got to share our testimonies and love with this great group of missionaries who were scheduled to leave in two days when we met them!  and the cool thing is, we just loved them immediately and vice versa!!
They were going to Boise and Tempe so we were pretty excited about that!

 We had a fun guest for nacho night (not that we have one weekly, but it sounds like a good idea)

Jessica Turner is back from her mission and going to school at BYU now, so we wanted to catch up.  She is doing GREAT! 

We just love that she would take time to come see us!


After dinner, we found out that Alisa Baumgartner Hansen was in town and that there was a wedding invitation party going on at one of the Hermanas apartments...so we headed over to say hello and this is who we found!
From the APM: Paige McAllister, Jessica Turner,  Sarah Jenson, Amy Folsom, Alisa Hansen, Emily Walker,(not sure where she was when this was taken...) Arianne Holmes, Natalie Dayton and of course, Sam and Andrew (the bride and groom to be)  VERY FUN TO SEE THEM SUPPORTING EACH OTHER!!  Not sure if the S'more party happened after we left...it was getting late :)

 Here we are with our last group from our Spanish Branch.  They left for their missions this week.

Elders Thompson and Madsen, Sisters Rammell, Zambito, Gailey and LeBaron.

We loved being with them for 6 weeks!

We also love going to sealings!

This one was fun for us because it was an Elder who taught in our home for a while.

Eddie and Tess Gerritsen outside the Mt TImpanogos Temple where they were sealed April 24th...CONGRATS!

We try to hop in for a photo...

...and then grab one with any APM ties!
So, the coolest thing is that our neighbors, the Janulis, drove up from AZ to be there for Eddie and Tess!  Dana is peeking out from behind Eddie and Ed is on the end.

We also were joined by Ethan Bruegger and Joe Burgoyne!
We LOVE seeing our RMs in the temples!!!

 One of Dana's friends from her Pathways online group came to meet us outside the temple, so nice to meet her!

 

 And Ed and Dana outside the temple.  This was Ed's first trip to Utah and first time to this temple.  He was in for a weekend full of temples!

After the sealing, we headed up to SLC for the day.

First stop was TEMPLE SQUARE!  We loved the flowers, trees and buildings here!



Everywhere we went, we met great Sister missionaries that we talked with.
Ed even gave them a referral...WAY TO GO ED!






We timed it just right to be in the conference center when it poured rain!

We had a great tour guide and loved our visit there!  It stopped raining long enough for a quick photo up top!

From here, we drove in pouring rain down to the new PAYSON TEMPLE on the first day of tours.  We loved being there and seeing the beautiful temple...it is really incredible!

Of course, one of our favorite things was in the film about temples they showed Phoenix Temple a few times!

That and seeing Sister Missionaries!

 The next morning we planned to go to Provo Canyon...got to get someone into the mountains on their first trip to Utah, right?



So, we are walking up to Bridal Veil Falls and I see a familiar face up ahead..."Is that Eric?"


Sure enough, it was Eric Turner and his father!  So happy to see Eric and meet his Dad!  Eric graduated from BYU last week, so they were there for that!

Next we took the Janulis and our friend David Jensen (Dr Jensen) from Peoria, now working in Toole, up to try to get to Cascade Springs...but as luck would have it, the road was closed!

So...we happened to be at Stewart Falls Trailhead and decided just to hike!

It was a beautiful Spring hike...some snow, some rain and pretty cold at first, then warming up with the exercise.




The falls were so pretty and the mountains covered with snow on top...perfect for AZ friends to really feel they had some something unique!

And enough snow for Dana to smack one on my head (gently)

And, it was home past two more temples...
Provo in the rain...

...and Provo City Center in a bit more rain.

 

 And, for more people we have seen related to the mission...
how about HILARY PARKS SISTER headed to Brazil via Provo while she waits for her visa!!
It has been fun to see her a couple times!

And it was great to go to a FHE barbeque at Daniel Aranibar's home this Monday welcoming him home from Tempe after he served the start of his mission with us in Phoenix!


He did a great job, we are honored to know him and to have served with him!

 Here we are with our current branch:
Sisters Huffman, Blas, Carlini (from our stake in Peoria!!) and Qwist. 
Elders Taylor, Walker, Lewis and Hall.

Awesome missionaries who are learning very quickly as they are only in the MTC 12-13 days now!

BACK TO THE HOT SPRINGS!

 PLEASE CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL THE PHOTOS OF OUR ACTIVITY TODAY!

Well, we had wanted to return to the HOT SPRINGS up Diamond Fork in Spanish Fork Canyon after our November late night hike in the FREEZING COLD and this weekend was the re-do!

Conner Dickson was happy to drive up with us...in his sweet ride!

 We had 8 RMs join us this time:
Glen Cassiano, Clark Livingston, Andrew Ripley (THE fiance), Sam Stanley, Matthew Bryson, Conner Dickson, Jenny Greenwood and Colton Anderson.  FUN CREW!!!

We never get tired of seeing you!!

It was a bit chilly to start, but nothing like November...


AND, we realized the incredible beauty of the area that we missed in the pitch black of night!

We kept going "Oh, look at this that we missed..."

 The trail is pretty awesome!  Well kept not too slick or steep.

We got a trusty scout at the top to take a photo of ALL of us together!

And then the real fun began...


The waterfall was so pretty, but it was COLD!
The hot springs come up nearer the ground below the falls, so these guys got very chilled!

And then in the pools around the base and further down, the water is being fed by some REALLY HOT water!


Oh, and it STINKS like sulfur!!

Clark was really extra crazy and went for the top peekhole of the falls!

President Taylor was photographer extraordinaire so we had to get him in a couple shots!
THANKS PRESIDENT T!!

And Conner was like a mountain goat running up the steep hill nearby and then down.

So, he jumped from the big rock on the left way over and down to the rocky shore...you cannot tell from this photo how huge a leap this was!

 And here is a nice panorama of the falls and down the trail if you click on it to see it bigger.

Conner ran down the trail and brought his truck up to pick us up to take us to the Highlander...we had to park way up the road since there were so many people there today!

 And it was a tailgate brunch afterwards before heading back down the canyon!

We all had a great time today!  It is wonderful getting out and getting exercise and talking on the trail to everyone and just catching up.


If you would like to join us in a future activity...
Message me, check our FB page or better yet, THINK OF OR PLAN AN ACTIVITY to invite us and other RM's to join in!  We are always game to host a hike, a meal, whatever!
May 9 is our next hike...thinking about Timp Caves or Stewart Falls or Forest Lake.

We hope that you can see the blessings of your mission daily!  The Doctrine of Christ means EVERYTHING to us!  It is WHY we can have so much fun, because we know the source of our joy!
 THANKS FOR BEING SUCH A PART OF THAT JOY IN OUR LIVES!  

SPRING BREAK IN AZ/MINI REUNION

 PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR ALL PHOTOS OF THIS TRIP!
We started what may become a Taylor tradition...going back to AZ for our Spring Break!

We have been back 4 times now, but have not really had time to visit with people who are super important to us!

One of our first stops was the Gutierrez Family!
Argelia is a dear friend, she helped me in the Mission Home with SO MANY THINGS!
I miss speaking Spanish with her too! 

 Our kids went on missions the same day...but Scarlet is home from Peru and already engaged to be married in June!


Next we visited my cousin Corby over in Mesa.  He is in an incredibly missionary minded stake over there and we LOVE to hear about what they are doing, and about his great family!

 It would not be complete without time with our dearest friends, the Janulis.  Ok...so Ed looks like he could kill someone in this photo, we had their grandson Aiden take this picture!  So funny!

We had a great dinner and visit.  It just seems normal to be in their home again!!! WE MISS THEM CONSTANTLY! (And look forward to their visit to our home in about a week now YAY!)

We got to do something really fun this trip...we visited our daughter Breanna's 5th grade class at Candeo Schools.

I read them the book "All My Friends Are Dead."  It is pretty hysterical even to 5th graders.

 Scott did a presentation about all the countries we have visited...in preparation for their International Fair coming up this month.

It was great to be in her classroom again.  Last year when I visited, I was still a missionary.  As a matter of fact, one of the teachers there still called me "Sister Taylor"  It made me smile!

We met for lunch with the Brodericks from our ward in Peoria and Dana.  This great family welcomed us to the ward and made us feel normal in a situation that was not normal for us.  We love them!




I forgot to get a photo of our visit with my Visiting teacher Mitzi Hancock and her son Joe, who is getting ready to head on his mission to Mexico in a couple weeks.  He had knee surgery that postponed his departure and is so ready to go!
I love my VTs and the great help they were to me as we served.  Love them so much still!

 Scott had to get some copies of some mission stuff for President Griffin, so he stopped at the Mission Office!  We love this place as well and ALL who serve there!

 Within the next 2 years though, the office will be hosted in the new Welfare Complex of the Church over on Bell Road.  We will miss the personable feel of the old Mission Office!

And the timer shot worked as we finished a visit with the wonderful Griffins in the Mission Home!
Oh how we love these people and relate to what they are doing.
They are the perfect people for the job here in the BEST MISSION IN THE WORLD!

That night we also took the Hawks to dinner.  They were our Mission Doctors for the entire time we served and retired as we left.  They both are super busy in their careers but will always hold a special place in our hearts for how they blessed our mission!  Could not have done what we did without them!

 Friday was sort of MISSION DAY for us!
We arranged to do a temple session with 4 of our old Office/Presidency couples and it was just delightful! 
Kings, Cherrys, Lyons and Williams went with us, and Dan Morris was our facilitator of the session as we served as witness couple...what a sweet experience!

We all went for lunch afterwards and were met there by Kyle and Ronnie Harris who were on their way moving back from Mesa up to BYU-I to finish school.

It was Roni's birthday so it was fun to celebrate it with them!

 That night we met up with as many of our AZ RMs as we could get to come over...thanks to Karalee and Aaron Darrow for hosting!!!
Jessica with Nathan Clay, Aaron holding baby Keith...back row is Karalee, then Cameron and Adriane Colovich, Rachel with Zach McCook, Sister Turville, The Williams, Dahlin Lutz.  Font ros on floor: Me, Bryce Bennett, Talon and Paxton Campbell, Katy Murdock and President Taylor.

 Saturday we were back at the temple...went for the sealing of Qwinton Brothers!

But look who we found!
Mikayla Bunnell was outside afterwards!!!

 Dahlin Lutz was in the sealing with us, but as we waited afterwards, look who came strolling up!!

Scott Moore and Logan Van Kampen!!

It was so great!

And then we got to see the happy couple again!

Qwinton and Kassidy...

...sporting their cowboy boots!

And a mission photo!!!

 We always love to hike White Tank when we can, so this was a good memory!

We took Megan and Breanna with us!

 And look who we found coming down...
Mr Chuck Walla!!

And the desert cactus were in good form!
The prickly pear and the staghorns were in bloom!

That night we went to another favorite stop...

WALDO'S TACO TRUCK!!
Mmmmm!

 This humble family make the best Mexican food!  And were so kind to us when we served.

It was great to see them again!

 And, we were joined by my other Visiting Teacher, Lorena Thurber and her family.
Thier daughter is also a teacher like Megan and Breanna!  Very cool!
Good times!!

We finished the night by attending the reception of Qwinton Brothers and got to see Dahlin once more!



Wonderful Spring Break!
We love this place, the memories we have here and the people who will ALWAYS be in our hearts and hopefully our home!