Happy Hallo-weekend!

i know the classic phrase for moms to say is how did they grow up that fast? here i am joining the ranks and asking that very same question. 

he's eight. he's baptized. and it happened just like that.

it was a wonderful day for him and for us. we were able to get granny and grandpa here from guatemala and grandma and grandpa here from utah and even the thunells from california…along with all our loved ones here in arizona. i can't think of anything more special for an 8-year-old boy–to feel loved and feel the Spirit.

i am grateful to be his mom and watch him make choices that will guide and bless him. and i'm sure that he is making these decisions because he wants to. he told us about a year ago that he wanted to read the Book of Mormon before he was eight. i was blown away by that. but he wanted to do it and he did. one of the sweetest things is seeing his testimony beginning to form and mine continuing to grow along with his. i love the gospel of Jesus Christ.

three cousins baptized together.

receiving a special gift from granny and grandpa

and us…always in sunday clothes and always in the same pose 🙂

sometimes I feel quite literally like my head is in the clouds…or that my brain is slowly meandering up, up, and away from me.

some weeks there are many intelligent thoughts floating around in there.

other weeks, all i can seem to find is mush and maybe a side of corn bread.

today i've managed to locate a few dust bunnies where my memory once was.

and i want to say, "come back, ralphie, come baaaaack."

from the picturesque town of Antigua, Guatemala.

to see this much color every day for the rest of my life would be a dream.

So after all of these posts about our travels in Guatemala. Here is the nitty gritty…the main attraction…the essence of why we went. Jeff's dad has a gift. You only have to be around him for a short time before you feel captivated by his knowledge and his ability to share it and teach it with such enthusiasm and love. I was aware of this gift long before I met Jeff. Lucky for me, it is still very much a part of my life.

For years Jeff's parents have taken people to visit Guatemala to share their knowledge, feelings, and insights about some proposed areas where the Book of Mormon might have taken place. When they decided to take another tour, we jumped at the chance. Not only to spend time with family, but also to take a peek at some of the amazing archeological sites in this part of the world. It was nothing short of stunning to behold.

As Jeff's dad, the master teacher that he is, taught us and shared experiences all along the way, we came away with a feeling. Not that this was absolutely positively the place that the events in the Book of Mormon took place, but with a feeling of love and connection for those people and prophets and testimonies that are contained in that book. We felt a renewed excitement to study and to search for inspiration and guidance, and to be better parents, and better missionaries, and better followers of Christ. We are better people for having experienced it all.

So here is a large slew of photos of once again…the nitty gritty.

Our visit to Izapa…we walked along a long dirt road, braving the humidity, heat, sweat, and bugs to visit a truly amazing place. Along the road were small homes, clothes drying in the sun, cocoa trees, animals, and babies.Yes, babies! As I peeked through the trees, I saw a sweet little girl in her crib. What an unusual sight to see! I couldn't wait to show this photo to my own children to help them see life in a different world than theirs.

When we finally made it to the end of the long road, we had the opportunity to see the Tree of Life stone or Stella 5. I've heard about this stone for years. It has always intrigued me and still does.

More stones with stories to tell.
 

And an area that perhaps could have told one of the greatest stories ever–an appearance of the Savior to the new world…at a temple where believers had gathered. Who knows if it happened here? But in any case, I know it happened. And I can add my testimony to those believers who prayed and waited and hoped that he would come as the prophets had said. I can only imagine the indescribable peace they felt when their faith became a sure knowledge. I think I felt a glimpse of that peace here. 

Then there was Tikal. You know the adventure of the plane ride already. It was worth it (I can say that now) to see the remnants of a great civilization. Greater I'm sure than my mind can comprehend. We walked through a dense jungle (complete with monkeys swinging overhead, and "watch for jaguar" signs) for almost a mile until we saw a large clearing. I looked up and immediately these towering edifices took my breath away. I wonder what life might have been like here at the height of it's day. I also wonder what it could have been like at the fall of such a civilization as grand as this one.   

This one's called the Temple of the Masks. Pretty cool name.

Climbing, hiking, discovering, admiring, listening, learning, and running for cover as the skies turned a dark grey and released enough water to sail the ark. A tropical rainstorm is nothing to trifle with. It was quite the day!

So…back to the regular scheduled Guatemala programming.

Photo #1: This is an airplane. A very small airplane that took us back
to Guatemala City after a day trip to Tikal. There were two planes for
the whole group but somehow Jeff and I drew the short straw that got us
on the small plane…the 12 seater. I have never been on an aircraft
this tiny. I pretend to be excited about the adventure. But really I'm
hyperventilating.

Photo #2: This is my view of the cockpit. Uh…I can see out the front
window. This is scary.  I'd rather not be able to see the controls of
the airplane or watch the pilots kick back, put their feet up, and blow
up the inflatable co-pilot (not that this happened, but you know). This
is also me looking at the emergency pamphlet in the seat pocket. There
was no flight attendant. Not even a "Welcome, and buckle your seat
belt" from the captain. I guess if we're going down, they figure this
is a moot point.

Photo #3: This is my sister glancing back at me as we start to take
off. The a/c in the plane isn't turning on. It is getting harder to
breathe by the second. The sky is full of black clouds as we putter
down the runway, bouncing all the way. Her look seems to say, "I think
they know what they are doing. But what the heck??"

Photo #4: Not pictured.
Because this is me with my head buried into
the seat in front of me. Crying. As we take off into the dark and angry
storm clouds, the plane suddenly drops. There are a few screams…the
loudest from my other sister behind me (love you, Michele :)). We
continue to bounce around as we make the rattly ascent into the sky. I
keep thinking that once we get above the clouds, it will clear…it
will clear. To my dismay, it doesn't really ever clear up. We drop and
bounce and shake for another hour. Jeff is in the seat in front of me
reaching back to hold my hand and reassure me. I'm not buying it. I
hang on to my seat with white knuckles, music playing in my ears,
trying to find a happy place, and still crying. All the while thinking,
"What in the world am I doing? I'm a mother of 4. I'm not ready to die.
What if the pilots lose control?" You get the picture here.
Cherie=Basket case.
What Jeff really should have been doing is slapping me in the face saying "Get a hold of yourself!"

Photo #5: Happy Pilots. Happy Cherie. We are on the ground after probably one of the longest hours of my life and the bumpiest landing. I am relieved to put my feet on the pavement and still be a mother of 4. They are undoubtedly laughing as I walk by with my reddened eyes. I bet this is just typical for a normal day's flight. And at least they didn't need to use the inflatable co-pilot. 🙂

one of the things i truly miss about living in a foreign country is the life that exists on the streets. after living in spain and returning home, i felt a little lost. the streets were filled with cars but no people. i missed being able to walk down a street while dodging bikes, dogs, people walking home with their fresh groceries for the day. visiting guatemala filled that void for me.

the streets are alive.

the street shopping was quite an adventure. i think my dad was followed by no less that 5 people at a time. he couldn't say no to anyone…and ended up with about a 50-pounds of stuff in his backpack.

jeff and i took a ride in one of these little red "tuk tuks." that is one fun way to get around town!

yes, the streets are alive and well.

tonight i sat on the couch trying to put my feet up for just a few minutes before the bedtime routine started. maybe 30 seconds later, two boys were climbing all over me vying for a portion of my lap to claim as their own. pretty soon i had one on my head and the other one on my chest.

in that moment of wrestling and wiggling and elbowing, i thought to myself i have a one-year-old and a two-year-old. holy cow…i have a one-year-old AND a two-year-old!!

then i broke out singing a little jingle…i have a one-year-old and a two-year-old, oh yeah, uh huh.

dallin turned around and looked at me inquisitively to see why in the world i was singing this odd number.

i just smiled at him and winked and kept on singing…i've got a one-year-old and a two-year-old, oh yeah, uh huh. that's right.

let the crazy times roll.