I Love to See the Temples

We enjoy hiking together. Well "enjoy" isn't entirely accurate.  We like to hike, as long as it's not too long or hot or difficult.  So we went on a hike together in the desert.  We were hoping to see some jack rabbits.  We just saw rocks, cactus, and birds.  This cactus was super cool because it looked like it was waving to us.  We DID see this little guy in a neighborhood pond on the walk back to the car.  Turtles are so cool.  I really want one for a pet! Getting a ride back. Family memories? Check.  Exercise? Check.  "Enjoying" hikes? Gettin' there.

While in Utah, we used grandpa's tools to Ike's pinewood derby car.  He designed it himself and was really excited about it.   Last year his car didn't do so well, so this year he did more R & D, and came up with a cool, fast car. LAST YEAR THIS YEAR  They went all out on the decor, and it was really exciting!  We ended up getting 3rd place!  He was really thrilled.

What do you do when you have an unexpected extra week at Grandma's?  Try to take care of business and make the most of the bonus vacation.  When we left off our story, it was Friday New Years Day, and we were driving south on I-15 heading for Arizona.  We took this picture to note the freezing temperatures outside. We were eager to see the thermometer rise as we drove south.  After about an hour of driving the car made a strange buzzing, stuttering noise, like something seizing in the engine.  The engine stopped, power steering died, and we coasted over to the side of the freeway.  We tried to figure out what was wrong with the car, called my dad and our insurance, and made a plan.  Pretty soon a highway patrol car pulled up behind us and offered to help transport us to Nephi, the nearest town.  So after prayer, phone calls, and plans, this is what happened. I went with the little boys in the police car (probably the first time a car se...