Salt River Canyon

My family was able to be here for the weekend of Harmony in the Desert as well as the annual skiing trip in the White Mountains, hosted by the Wallace's.  We left our house on Monday afternoon and drove up to the lodge.  It is a beautiful drive through the Salt River Canyon.

We stopped a few times on the drive to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

 

 If you look closely you can see the crumpled up pieces of a car that went off the road.

(This picture is fuzzy because I had zoomed in so far on my phone)

Back on the road...

 Our next stop was a hike down to the river.

We took several friends along on the trip.  This is Hope's friend, Carol.

 You know my family, if there is a fence, they have to climb over it to explore the other side!!

The boys went climbing over the rocks...

What are you doing way down there, Timothy?  Don't fall in!!

The view was just spectacular.  There is nothing more breath taking than God's creation!!

 Benjamin, Joshua, David, Joshua, and Justin with friends Josiah, Timothy, and Abraham.

This is the view from the top...

 Across the road from the pull off there were these cave type things in the side of the cliff.

Adventurous Hope climbing up to see what was in them.

When we got to the lodge we went to the community hall and played games with all the other people who had arrived as well.  I think Rook was the most played game on this trip!!

Dutch Blitz was also played many times!!

Next up, pictures of our two day skiing and snowboarding fun!!

Harmony in the Desert - 2016

This past weekend was the annual "Harmony in the Desert" singing event hosted by Brother Bobby.

 There are quite a few different family groups that sing and play instruments.

This little lady was so full of joy it just spilled over as she sang! :)

 Brother Charlie got a group of young people together and taught them some songs to sing every night as a choir.  It was really pretty awesome to hear that many young people lift their voices in praise to the Lord!

Harmony is a wonderful time to visit with friends we don't get to see often!

 It was great to see these PA cousins again!! :)

Harmony also marks a special date for Justin and I.  

Our one year engagement anniversary was the weekend of Harmony :)

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I took some videos of the Harmony Youth Choir so I thought I'd share.  Enjoy!

Chickens, Chickens, and more Chickens!

Recently Justin's parents added 430 chickens to their farm!  One evening we all went over there to help transport the chickens from their old home to their new coops at the Strite Family Farm :)  We took 3 trucks and loaded about 280 the first time, then we went back for a bunch of feeders and the last load of about 150 chickens.  

This picture isn't focused but I thought it was funny how everyone else was holding like 5 chickens per hand and here Justin and I are holding one chicken each! :P  The one Justin is holding had gotten away while being put in the cages.  When he went to go catch it he didn't have to run around after it, it just stood there for a second and then walked right up to him!  Friendly little hen!! :)  It was also snowing and freeeeezing cold that night, hence why I'm wearing two hoodies and hubby's hunting coat!!

Unloading them into their new pens at the Strite's.

Look at all those happy hens :)

Snow + Tubes + Family = Fun Memories

This past weekend we all thought it would be fun to drive up into the mountains and go tubing together!  We piled into the trucks and up the mountain we went!  

We got almost halfway when we passed a truck on his way back down the mountain, he said there was no way we were going to be able to get all the way to the top because the snow was too deep. 

So we turned around and found a place off the side of the road where we could pack a path.

Uh oh! Looks like someone threw a snowball at the girls before they headed down!!

It was a perfect day to go sledding!

Around lunch time we built a little fire and roasted some hot dogs.

Jubilee and Joshua getting warm by the fire :)

Aren't these two little guys just adorable?!

Justin's parents even took a ride down the hill!! :)

Jubilee loved "snowing" as she called it :)

It was quite a hike for Micah David and Jubilee, but they were troopers!

Jenny, Micah, and Micah David got to go together!! :)

On the way back down the mountain the guys decided to tie a tube onto the back of a truck.

Jared and Jesse got the first ride :)

Here's a little video I put together of clips I took throughout the day...

Snow?! In Arizona??

Last night it snowed at our house!!!  Not a lot, but just enough to stick to the ground and actually count as "it snowed!!" :)  Here are a few pictures from last night and this morning.  

 Snow on our yard!! :)

You could barely see the snowcapped mountains this morning...

...but as the day progressed, more and more of the white beauty appeared!

"...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; 

though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."   -Isaiah 1:18

Bits & Pieces

Just some pictures from here and there :)

Recently I introduced the game, "Mancala" to Justin...it's a fun game for two people to play! :)

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We went to play volleyball at the Durazo family's house one evening.  

The bonfire was a popular place to be at in between games!

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Uriah looks happy to see Juliana!  :D  

She got to come down for a couple days and spend some time with us.

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I went and rode with Justin a few days this past week while he was disking.

Can you spot the coyote?

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Mommy always displayed the Christmas cards we got in the dining room at home so I thought it would be neat to do the same in our house here in Arizona :)

I put some lights and Christmas balls on a garland around our entertainment center for a little holiday decor as well.

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It's hard to believe that a year ago this month, Justin asked me to marry him!  Time flies!