Because this is what the boys do on the desert...

Our boys love the desert...
Well, the girls do too, but this trip was for the boys!
It's like a tradition or something...
It's a family thing. 
My dad used to mine flourspar on this desert.
We used to stay out on the desert in a camp trailer and I went underground
long before I ever went to school.
So put my dad out here, on this desert, and he is home...
Literally... he loves it and it's just like home to him.
It makes him really happy!!!
This year Matt was new to the experience,
Never experienced the whole desert and old mine experience,
 so of course they had to go.
The girls chose to stay home because well, let's face it...
taking 3 or 4 babies out on the HOT desert is not the most brilliant idea.
So we stayed home and played where we had air conditioning available!!!
Thankfully they brought us some pictures home,
so we didn't miss out on the experience completely!

They had a blast...
It's such a 'boy' thing to do but they enjoyed exploring,
and my dad enjoyed getting out where he is most at home!
Matt loved it... and so did Nate, it was his first experience too!

(Don't worry... we have a family FULL of miners who know what they were doing... if there was any doubt I would be the first one to say no way!!!)

Okay. yes... I realize my dad is, um, well, flipping the bird! 
You have to realize that this is NOT necessarily what it means to the rest of the world...
It's almost a token of love in our messed up family.
When I was a baby... like 18 months or so...my dad drove to work with a man that always waved at me and told me I was his little girlfriend, and that I would marry him when I grew up.

Every morning I would sit on the window sill and wave goodbye to my dad.
Every morning this man also waved at me.
My dad has a wicked sense of humor... I used to know he was teasing me when his mouth
twitched in the corner... my friends would think he was so serious but I always knew...
so at 18 months he spent a lot of time teaching me how to flip the bird...
and informed me that I should do it when this guy waved at me.
His friend had bright red hair and always blushed as red as his hair...
So imagine his surprise when he waved at me one morning,
and I flipped him the bird!
So really.... while most people would consider this BAD... it's more just very typical of my dad when he saw Thayne taking his picture!!!!

Matt's just taking in the sights...

Thank heavens for big brothers helping you down the hill...

The grave....
Well, this is one of their traditional stops, at the old grave!
None of them actually know what the truth is about the old grave and Thayne actually wants to find out the truth about it, but there are rumors. 
The one my dad knows is that it is the grave of the only miner killed on the desert in the mine...
Of course it had something to do with the mines! (haha)
Thayne heard it was the cook for an old sheep herders camp.
Guess I really should find out the truth.
But I guess speculation over who it is makes it more interesting and they stop here
every time they go out there.

Matt and my dad checking things out!

Underground!

When Tammy said she was coming to visit, the first thing we knew we had to do was take Pete underground.  Thayne scheduled a tour for us and Tammy and I were excited to get underground again!  It's just something about being the daughters of a tramp miner... it's in our blood and we love it!  We had a fun tour... he gave Pete the exclusive tour!!!  Here are some random pictures... I've got some awesome video too that Pete took but it won't load on here so I will have to try again later!

Picnic in the Canyon

While Tammy and her family were here we decided to head up to the canyon for a bbque and fun.  The kids love going up there and I am not sure why we always have to make it a special occassion to just go... I'll have to work on that!  It was fun visiting and fun watching the little kids play in the water... a little stream AWAY from the rushing water that scares the living daylights out of me when I see them near it! :)  Pete made his special hamburgers and we all kicked back and ate too much, made s'mores and had a great time!

I am really going to miss it when Tammy leaves, it has been so great having her here!!!

Big brother Tanner helped poor Nate and his OCD issues by cleaning off his feet and putting his socks back on! 

 Noah loves hanging out with big brother Jace.  As soon as he sees Jace it's all about getting to him as fast as he can!

 Gabe and aunt Cait eating some yummy s'mores!

And Aunt Caitlyn and Isaac just hanging out... because Isaac loves hanging out with her! 

 And just showing off the fact that Caitlyn is just barely starting to get a baby bump with our newest to be grandbaby!!!  Yay!!!!

Sweet Ella... she kind of has a soft spot in Uncle Thayne's heart... love this sweet girl! 

Gabe... showing me his stick!  Oh how I love this boy!!! 

And Gabe showing off his marshmellow, ready to finish his s'more now!  And I especially love proud grandpa in the background watching him! 

Hayden found the perfect seat! 

Jace and Noah doing what they do... it usually ends like this.  Noah loves hanging out with his brother! 

Kami is hanging out in the little pond of water... 

Corrin got to come and hang out too... 

 Ella and Nate

Hey Nate!!! 

I think Noah is just mad that his dad is taking pictures instead of actually holding him!!! 

Crazy Ninja kids playing on the picnic table!!! 

Kerry and Sariah enjoying the beautiful evening! 

Cereta and Kami doing their crazy dance in the pond! 

Tammy taking a nursing break. 

So... Tanner and I have this game!  I try to get a good picture of him, and he does everything humanly possible to make that IMPOSSIBLE!  I AM going to win this game one of these days!!! 

Tiffany is helping Isaac say, "Grandma's THE BEST!!!"  :) 

Hanging around.... 

Rhyan and his mommy! 

 I hope we get to make this a summer tradtion... meaning Tammy and Pete will need to come and visit us every summer so we can make the trip up the canyon!  I think it sounds like a great plan!

Cousins!

My sister and her family came to visit from Montana
 the week before the 4th...
It was SO much fun having them here and I am feeling pretty homesick for them right now!
We had a great time, got to do some fun things, and enjoyed having them here!
This is after our picnic in the canyon and we were ready to crash for the night
and watch a movie!
This is only a few of the cousins, but they sure had fun together.
I loved hearing them laughing, and playing together
and I look forward to getting together again soon!!! 

The last day... the ma's and pa's

Our last day came so quickly!

We met in front of the temple before we started for home.
They asked each 'ma and pa' to say something...

it was amazing to hear each share their feelings,

share their testimonies, and share their desire for everyone to

remember this experience and keep the temple as our goal always!

I think the one that touched me the most was the 'ma' who shared her testimony of the temple.

She shared that she was from Korea, and because two boys were willing to leave their homes,

their families, their country to share the gospel in another land...

because her father heard them,

their family was baptized.
She commented on the fact that they may have felt like they didn't accomplish much,

but their sacrifice did so much for her family.

She said that they keep very good family records, and as soon as her father was baptized,

he submitted 72 (SEVENTY TWO) generations to have their temple work done!

I can't even comprehend 72 generations.

She expressed her belief that the temple binds families together forever,

the past, the present and the future!

I don't think there was a dry eye in the crowd.

I have thought a lot about what she said many times since then.

It doesn't matter that we are only one... we can accomplish so much, we touch so many lives...
we have the ability to do great things, even if we are only one!

We have to stand for what we believe, even if it is hard,
or scary.  Even if we feel alone, and even if we feel like we can't make a difference.
We can!

It also hit me how much we need each other. 
We need to take care of each other and make life easier, not harder for others.
We need to lift and carry each others burdens because our own burdens are lighter
when we help each other.

As we headed out on the trail for home,
I was so grateful for the opportunity. 

I knew that there were experiences that had changed me for the better...
had strengthened my testimony
and made me want to do better in the things that I know I need to do.
I hope that the kids had the same experience.

I hope that they remember that they are loved unconditionally, and that they felt their worth, and that they know that they can do really great things.  And mostly that they are never alone.