Talked at Cotillion

I had a fun little adventure on Thursday. I had to speak again at Phoenix Honors Cotillion. The head of Cotillion is a good friend of ours, Donna Kenney. She always wants me to give the personality test and talk to the girls about being good to one another and to the people you meet. Cotillion is a debutante training and ends with a huge ball at the Civic Plaza. The ball is beautiful. Lauren went through Cotillion and Keifer and Justin have been ushers/helpers for years. They get all dressed up in tuxedos and I think they enjoy it!

Justin and Keifer at one of their 1st Cotillions

After, Donna took me to Jordan's! Our favorite Phoenix mexican food restraurant. While we were eating our friends, the Foutz's came in. Don, Jo, Brent and Theresa and their stinkin cute kids and Bethany! So fun to see them!

We talked in church again!

Yesterday Bob and I talked in church about missionary work. We talked about being good to your neighbors and being good examples. It's always fun to talk about missionary work and review the happy memories of baptisms and bringing people into the gospel. It is so fullfilling. I just ran into a ward member at Bashas and he went on and on about our talks. It's nice to know they were well received!

It's Lake time again!

The Aionos invited us to meet them at the lake on Wednesday. Keifer, Miles and I loaded up the jet skiis and met them along with Aaron Francisco's family.

The boat on the dock. Aaron, Heather, Alex and Martin.

Bringing in Aiono's boat.

Awesome Aiono boat

The youngest Aiono, Halle

President Kimball's house

As we left the funeral on Saturday, we made a quick stop by President Kimball's house in Thatcher. There is a famous story about the attic and President Kimball spending hours up there reading the bible.

AZ Cardinals Fireside!

Sunday, March 15th we had 2 AZ Cardinals straight from the superbowl speak in our ward! Aaron Francisco and Dueuce Lutui came to share their testimonies.

Aaron talked about his struggle with disappointment at not being drafted in the NFL after his stint at BYU. He talked about reflecting on the his habits and the things going on in his life. He discovered that he wasn't reading his scriptures, praying, going to church. He humbled himself and regrouped. He accepted an offer from the Cardinals with relunctance. He worked hard and now is a captain for the team. He read us his life goals he had written 4 years ago; he had never shared them with anyone. Aaron became very emotional as he read the goals which included temple attendance, paying tithing and church attendance. No mention of football, just serving the Lord. He was very shy and gave a heart-felt talk.

Dueuce was very animated. He talked about his family coming from Tonga and living in a 2 bedroom apartment with 6 kids. He had a very successful high school career and was offered a scholarship at the UofU. Before he headed to the U, he got his patriarchal blessing and it told him not to go to the school; he didn't go. He went to MCC for a year, Snow College and then USC for 2 national championships. He also talked about calling Curt Warner, the QB and asking him to come to bear his testimony at the fireside. Curt said he would have come but was NY. Had Warner shown, I think everyone would have fainted! It was a great fireside; the spirit was really strong.

A funny story-as we were setting up, a guy came up in and asked if this was the fireside with David Archuletta! Yep! If you turned right on McKellips, you saw the Cardinals; if you turned left, you saw David Archuletta from American Idol! crazy!!

Uncle Del's funeral

Uncle Delbert Whitmer's funeral was Saturday March 14th in Central, AZ. He was 90 years old.

The Whitmer Family at the burial site of their father and husband. Front row: Wanda, Aunt Janine, Lamar and his wife. Back: Butch and Delynn, Mark and Candy, Lonn and Rachel. (Glen is missing from photo)
Family settling for dedication of the grave. The clouds of a storm moving in.

Grandsons singing at the gravesite. Cousins Mark and Kirk catch up after many years.
The living siblings.....Dixie, Marilyn, Shirley, Janine, Stan and Sally
Favorite cousins Barbara and Delynn. (Barbara is single if anyone knows a good guy!!)

Durango, CO

Monday we flew to Durango, CO to meet up with our friends, the Zerbibs.

Robin and her husband, Theirry

Bob and I--our outline!Robin fetching hot chocolate. It was sooo good!

The view out the window of the condo!

I got fried while Robin and I sat on "the beach". It's a place at the bottom of the lift where they have lawn chairs. You can just sit and relax and watch the skiers coming down the mountain.

Sacaramento Finally

Friday, March 6th, we flew to Sacramento to finally have a visit with the David Evans family.

On our agenda that night was to go to the Sacramento Temple.

The Sacramento Temple reminds me of the Newport Beach Temple on a larger scale. The interior is very similar, just bigger.

Gwynn Evans and Gwen Evans in front of the fountain

Bob and Dave Evans
Saturday, Gwynn, Sierra, Emily and I went shopping and decided to get make-overs. Here Gwynn is modeling her beautiful new look! Nice!
I saw this dress on the shopping spree and couldn't resist. Ella looks like a porcelain doll! Ella with her mom, Sierra
Hadley is Sierra's 3rd child and I love taking pictures of him....he's such a funny little fellow.Sierra with her family. Malachi, Sierra, Hadley, Eric, Ella and Jonas

Malachi hanging with Uncle Bob Sierra, Brett and Emily
Eric, the kitchen's main man! He can whip it into shape in no time!

Brett, Dave and Bob! Brett enjoying the hold from his pop!

Weekend at Grandma Rita's

We went to see Grandma Rita on Saturday only to discover she has yet again gone under the knife!! She had surgery on her hand. We had planned on only staying 24 hours but ending up staying until Monday morning. We had a nice visit and she kept asking us to stay longer. We'll have to get up there again so!