Three BUSY weeks

We have just finished 3 very busy weeks. Our son Chad & his wife Michelle & their 3 children- Landon-7, Sydney-5, and Keely-2 came from Buena Vista Virginia to visit! It was wonderful!! Exhausting, but wonderful! ha! The first week went something like this: We had to go play at "Castle" park - or so the kids call it. It's actually called Discovery Park - but the wooden buildings and play structures & walls make it look like Castles from the road.

Next we drove about 2 hours south to go the Mormon Miracle Pageant in Manti, UT.

Our friends Gene & Judy Holloway live there. They invited us to come & see the pageant & spend the night. First we went to their Stake Center where we enjoyed a fabulous BBQ turkey dinner. (Their stake & city sell dinners to earn money and it is especially nice since there really aren't very many places to eat in Manti ) Then we went over to the bottom of temple hill to wait for dark when the pagaent begins.

They set up 14,500 chairs on the temple lawn for viewers to sit. Landon had become sick on the ride down, so Michelle & he stayed at the Holloway's house. The kids got to have their picture taken with a couple of the cast members (all volunteers - about 600) as they moved thru the audience before the play started. The play starts about 9:30pm when it is finally dark. The whole play takes place on the side of the hill. Those cast members run up & down & side to side of that hill for almost 2 hours. Whew! Then Moroni comes and stands on the topmost steeple of the temple. (awe-inspiring, but a little scarry too!)Thank heavens for Gene & Judy letting us stay at their new home. You don't get out of the play & back to your car until almost 11:45 - so it was nice not to have to brave all that traffic at midnight & drive 2 hrs. back home. Thanks Gene & Judy for a great time! We LOVED your new home!
Of course, for our next big adventure we HAD to go see the movie CARS 2 ! We loved it! Then hit the local Chuck-a-Rama for dinner.
Back at home the next day the kids helped us organize our toy play area. And then, of course, we had to get dressed up and play the Pirate Princesses!

But the biggest & BEST time we had was at dinner one night. Keely, who is the youngest in the family had a big message. Mom asked her... "Keely, have you shown Nana & Papa your shirt?
Yep, Michelle is pregnant with baby # 4 - due in February - which is when Michelle, Landon, & Sydney all have their birthdays as well! Not to mention we're throwing Valentines Day in there too! ha! We are all thrilled for you- Chad & Michelle. All the kids are hoping for a boy, since that will keep the numbers even... It will be # 13 grandchild for us! WAHOO!!!