Precious to Me

When Trace said he had to go to Saudi Arabia again in August, I immediately made plans to keep myself busy. First I would take two of the grandkinder with me on a road trip, then I would attend BYU Education Week for a week with my sister Lee. Well, Trace's trip got postponed so he was able to go with me to Yellowstone. My sister still went with me to BYU, but it was so wonderful, I invited T for the last two days. But I digress.....our trip with the two little cousins, Caleb and Spencer, started out in wonderful Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Because little children love staying in hotels so much, that would have been totally fulfilling, but we went to the old Pink Garter Theater where stuffed animals were in abundance, and then saw a thrilling movie on Jackson Hole, narrated by Reba McIntyre. I highly recommend! In fact we liked it so much we bought the DVD to show to the rest of the family. We spent our honeymoon in Jackson, therefore it holds special meaning to T and I.

The next day we let Caleb fish on three rivers, as we drove through Yellowstone Park, since this is his latest passion. He is a very skilled fisherman! He caught the first fish actually.

We left the park through West Yellowstone, and stayed overnight. The indoor pool, Three Bears Restaurant, and new stuffed animals were enough to cause much excitement. The last day, we traveled to Mac's Inn in Island Park to capture memories of the many vacations spent with my parents at this very spot. I took these next two pictures just for my sisters!

Our last stop, and the most anticipated, was to Bear World, just 5 miles out of Rexburg, Idaho. The little boys were beside themselves with excitement. The venue has free carnival rides, a petting zoo, close viewing of bear cubs, a huge gift shop with bear gear galore and then the best part.....driving through the "park" in our car (windows rolled up) to see elk, moose, grizzlies, wolves and brown and black bear. Wonderful for children under ten.

We can't remember a more delightful time spent with the most precious and wonderful of all God's creations....little boys!

Tew for Two

Our friends, the Tews, came for a visit. Susan is my first cousin and we became fast friends when we moved to Portland in 1991. We spent the holidays together, traveled on two biking adventures to Europe (with the Fergusons), hiked many places, biked EVERYWHERE, were treated to Susan's lavish entertaining menus, had Stacey's wedding reception in their back yard, enjoyed Canon Beach together, watched our children enjoy each other, read the same books and conversed on interesting topics for hours on end. Then we moved to Utah....then they moved to Utah. So now, while we don't see them as much (we are an hour apart) we still get together often and time marches on.

We enjoyed a lovely evening on their first night here, with the Ferguson's. Dinner at Outback, and then to the Ferg's home for dessert and chatting. Saturday, we headed to Nogales. Mexico for drugs and Mexican food. We stayed overnight in Rio Rico, Arizona, at a charming resort. On our way home on Sunday, we took the scenic route through Bisbee and Tombstone. The Mexican food we ate is SO much better in the U.S. than in Mexico....what gives? Susan had brought a book on tape that we listened to on the way home for 6 hours. Time stood still. And once we got used to the narrator doing 'voices' of women and children (in a Southern accent) we were spellbound. It was a murder mystery and held us to the end.

I'm already planning their next visit!

Time Flies! Trinidad...Day #6

Attending church today with the Port of Spain branch was the best experience I have had, in spite of the fact that we were called out of the audience to speak! Singing the hymns without a piano or organ, sitting in the chapel and classrooms without air conditioning, barely being able to hear what was being said because of the quiet voices of the people; these things mattered not because of the spirit of the people and their devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Trace asked the Branch President if there was someone who we could help get to the temple by buying their airfare. Of course, there was. We invited a young couple, planning an August wedding, to dinner tonight at the Marriott to discuss how we could help them in that regard.
We met two young men from the Utah Air National Guard at church. They are here on a humanitarian assignment building an orphanage. These young girls sat in front of us in church and couldn't quit hugging each other and whispering together. They were sitting by the Senior Missionaries serving in the mission office. If this branch can increase their sacrament meeting attendance, they can become a ward, and then a stake. They are working diligently toward this goal. I am sad to be leaving here early tomorrow morning.

Trinidad Courtyard by Marriott...Day #5

Trace arranged a private dinner by the pool tonight.

This might as well be a Holiday Inn Express. I don't like to be a complainer, but for $250 a night U.S. COME ON. The brand new Hyatt would definitely bring me back, but at $350 a night U.S. I don't see that happening. I got another stamp on my passport and time with my man. "It's all good."

The Trinidad economy is strongly influenced by the petroleum industry. It has one of the highest growth rates and per capita income in Latin America. TT is the leading Caribbean producer of oil and gas. Oil and gas account for 40% of GDP and 80% of exports.

And while it is an emerging country, exporting more gas to the United States than any other country, may I ask why they don't spend more money on their roads? Where is Valium when I need it? I have been so tense while driving around this Island. Driving on "the left side' of the road has never been fun for me. Add to that the fact that T's left arm is broken and he has to do a lot of shifting with his left arm and you can begin to appreciate why I am stomping down so much on the brake that isn't there. That is such an 'old persons' move. Hello. The roads are two lanes with no shoulders. I repeat: NO shoulder. When someone wants to park to go into a residence or business, they just PARK in the lane of traffic and get out. I kid you not. So the lane of traffic has to pull into the oncoming lane and go around. This happens all day/every day. No one honks, gives hand gestures, or makes any fuss. The oncoming traffic slows up to let the other lane around. The WORST traffic conditions I have ever been in was in northern Italy. The roads were so narrow that if a tourist bus came along....which they did all the time....the other lane had to literally back up into someone's driveway or other pull out until the bus went by. We ugly Americans just do not know how sweet we have it, do we?

Trinidad...Day #4...I love HEAT!

We saw the missionaries walking down the street, so gave them a ride to their destination. One is from Jamaica, and the other from St. Vincent. We invited them to breakfast on Saturday morning but they have a baptism scheduled so I slipped them $40 to buy lunch and told them we would see them at church on Sunday

Trace took me to the office, where he has been spending time almost every month for the last 3 years. His company, Global Medical Response, operates the emergency ambulance service by contract to the government. He always keeps three executives from the U.S. and then recruits and develops nationals to eventually take the leadership roles. Their headquarters building is as nice as any in the U.S. and shines in Trinidad. The public has come to really trust GMR as the volume of calls has nearly doubled since they began in 2005.

Trinidad...Day #3

We went kayaking this evening at Paria Bay, between Trinidad and Venezuela. The water was smooth, and we had a nice cloud cover.

We just came back from watching the new INDIANA JONES movie and I feel I must give a review: Either we are really getting OLD or that is a very cheesy and stupid movie! We did love the music and the fact that there was no swearing or sex of any kind. Very refreshing. The plot was typical overkill but if you just want popcorn and can text during the entire show, you will be alright:) The violence was par for Hollywood. Harrison Ford still has appeal. I love his crooked smile and his Indie hat. Cate Blanchett was a waste of good talent. Don't say I didn't warn you!!!!

Caribbean Paradise.. Day #2

My husband travels on business to this small island every 6 to 8 weeks. I am with him for 8 out of the 11 days he will be here on this trip. Can I just say that stay-at-home moms need to show more reverence for their husbands when they come home from work? I don't care what it is the husbands do to support their families....they deserve more appreciation and gratitude. I know my husband doesn't get enough "thanks" from me. I think it is a privilege to get to stay home and raise the kids and when your husband walks through the door, throw your arms around him and let him know how much you admire what he does so that you don't have to. Trust me, your day hasn't been all that hard. Being cooped up in this hotel room has really given me time to reflect on my priorities and behavior and that of my fellow "sisters" out there. Girls, we need to be generous with praise and less selfish and critical. Anyone/anyone?

We discovered an old church and graveyard on our way to one of the small beaches on the island that has sand. Most of the island has a rocky shoreline.

Trinidad and Tobago...Day #1

This tiny twin island republic offers an enticing mix of cultural activities and Eco adventure. Located just off the tip of Venezuela, lively Trinidad, the larger of the two, boasts energetic nightlife in modern capital, Port of Spain. Driving on the North Coast Road reveals lush forests and breathtaking views. Tobago, two hours away by fast ferry, is comparatively serene. Azure seas contrast with pale pink sands and golden sunsets. Protected rain forest and stunning coral reefs complete this paradise.

Back In The Day

The Virgin Islands are known as a tourism hot spot of fun in the sun and luxury shopping. From ancient Indian tribes to treacherous pirates, from calm plantation life to the bustling activity of a free port, the Virgin Islands are a destination with a rich and varied history. For centuries, the Virgin Islands were strictly Indian territory. That all changed in 1493, with the arrival of Christopher Columbus at Salt River on St. Croix. The early Spanish colony was a brawling den of traders and free bounders. By the mid-to-late 1600's Dutch and English settlers were firmly established on St. Croix and after numerous attempts, St. Thomas and St. John flew the Danish flag under the management of the West India Company. All three islands were declared free ports in the early 1800's in hopes of bolstering the flailing economy. Today St. Thomas continues to grow as one of the most popular cruise ship ports in the world. We stayed at this Marriott resort and rented a jeep to
travel to Magen's Bay which is hailed as one of the world's most
beautiful beaches.

We took a ferry to St. John's where we kayaked to a secluded island to snorkel. I still am rather afraid of water but have made much headway. I noticed that when we finished snorkeling I had forgotten to wear a life jacket. Much to my surprise I learned that the fins worked just fine and the jacket would have made no difference. I'm glad I had it on though when I dumped our jet ski once on the Willamette River and found myself under it in the water. Scary times. Those private swimming lessons I took when I was 16 with Susan B. were a waste of my parents money. Flunking swimming at that age can be very demoralizing!! After that we hiked for three hours on a very steep trail to enjoy ocean views from many directions.

My new friend is smiling because of all the purses and bags I bought from him! He realized he could now feed his family for a year.