"Ducks in the pond quack a happy song"

We had a mallard duck show up on a rainy afternoon. He flew away and later brought back his date to frolic in our pool. They happily splashed around and then got out, shook off a little and flew away. This was a week of strange weather - from 100 degree temperatures down to 50 degrees practically overnight. Mother nature certainly brings us many surprises!

Happy Graduation, Dr. Captain Horspool

What an exciting day! Bryan came walking down the isle to music provided by the marching band from USC. We were fortunate that we chose the right side on which to sit to see his smiling face. "Let's cheer for USC!"


The hooding ceremony..."Dr. Bryan Lee Horspool" was called up to receive his diploma.It was a smoldering hot day, but the girls made it through the whole ceremony.Jamie's family came to support Bryan. We were thrilled to spend time with them.
Mike, Brooke and families came to join the celebration also.What a fun BBQ at the park!
Bryan and Jamie are trying to figure out which tooth is having a problem. Is it number 9? Anyone know a dentist?

ALOHA!

Our first day here and already Desi and I are seeing what we would look like in bikinis. What do you think? Hot mamas!

Waikiki is a happening place. We stopped by the Royal Hawaiian Hotel and Ashlyn got so excited, she fell over backwards into the beautiful flowers.
Picture a beach covered in the softest, whitest sand imaginable, waves neatly lapping at the shore and salty sea air filling each breath taken in. This is Lanikai beach with Mokulua islets off in the distance. Who are the beautiful models? Desi and I of course, and this is day two.

On our way to Lanikai we took a little trip to the Nu'uanu Pali lookout. Perched nearly 1,000 feet over the dramatic peaks of the Ko'olau Mountain Range, the overlook has a breathtaking view of the valleys, mountain ranges, and blue waters of the windward side of O'hau. There was a gruesome battle between King Kamehameha and a rival chief here and thousands of warriors were pushed off the cliffs plummeting to their deaths. It's a good thing we love each other! Day three, we found ourselves at the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet, the largest flea market in Hawaii with more than 700 vendors. We couldn't resist this darling Hawaiian quilt for Ashlyn's bedroom. She even sings the ABC's and the pictures are all Hawaiian. Too cute!
Ala Moana Beach Park is only a short walk from H&J's apartment. It is a relaxing place to hang out after a tough day of shopping.
Ashlyn has a comfy bed to relax upon. Although she never seems to mind the sand.
Welcome to the Polynesian Cultural Center in beautiful Laie. Desi, Brittney and I immersed ourselves into the lifestyles of seven island nations.

The luau at the PCC was an entertaining feast. We had our choice of scrumptious pork, chicken, and fish as well as many salads, poi, and island specialties. We at least dipped our fingers in poi.

We had to have our pictures with the strong Somoan fire knife dancer. Day five, Brittney gave Ashlyn her first hair cut. (Under Jason's close supervision.) She was very cooperative, thanks to the "Baby Einstein" DVD she was watching.
After the hair cut we left for Haunama Bay for some snorkeling excitement. The water felt great and it was good to escape the wind for a few minutes. Haunama Bay is a sunken volcanic crater with clear shallow waters and abundant coral reefs full of tropical marine life. Later that day we enjoyed some fancy cooking at Benihana. And then Jason treated us to some Malasadas - delicious Portugese pastries. The next morning, we got an early start and crammed tons of fun into the day. We started with a trip to the Valley of the Temples where we saw a replica of a thousand year-old Buddist temple in Japan. It was tucked away in the foothills of the Ko'olau mountains and is a shrine to peace, harmony and tranquility. I have to say, however that I liked the beauty, peace, harmony and tranquility of the LDS temple in Laie better.Desi found her tranquil spot under the shade of a tree on the cool grass.We continued on with a visit to a macadamia nut farm, and connecting with M&M McIntosh. They took us to get Acai bowls and then off to Waimea Bay for some swimming. After that we went to a beach with sea turtles, and then to Matsumoto's for Hawaii Shave Ice. We then went to dinner for some delicious Thai food. We finished the week with a wonderful "Mother's Day." Jason spoiled us with flower lei and then cooked delicious Chinese food. I had phone calls from all - including missionary Matt. It was pretty much a perfect day.
Thank you Jason! Today we said "Aloha" to Desi and Brittney. We will always have fond memories of good times spent together this week. Have a good trip back and think back of perfect weather and floating on cool water on our colorful rafts.

What fun it is to visit Heather, Jason, and Ashlyn in beautiful Hawaii! The only thing that makes it even better is that I got to have Desi and Brittney Taylor along with me.

Graduations

It was a time for graduations in Utah last week. Congratulations to Taylor and Aubree! I had such a great time celebrating and visiting with Aubree's family - especially Mandee and her two little miracle boys. I also got to see Dennis and Rosemary and Don and have a traditional yummy Payson dinner. It seems like there is never enough time to do all that we would like to do, but it's fun to try.
Several years ago, when my father passed away, Dallin H. Oaks came to his funeral and told my mother that my father was having his "graduation day". While in Utah last week, my cousin Willard Dixon had passed away and at his funeral we again visited with Dallin H. Oaks. He came running up to my brother, Dennis to give him a great big hug and so I asked if I could take a picture of the two of them. He said, "of course" and so here is the picture. The two of them had been friends in high school. Dennis was a star basketball player and Dallin was the sports announcer. When Dallin's daughter asked her father if the two of them got into trouble together, he replied,"no we got into trouble separately". While speaking at the funeral for Willard, his brother-in-law, Elder Oaks spoke of the resurrection and said how not a single hair of our heads would be lost. He said that means more to some of us than others. This is a picture of my cousin, Leslie. Her mother, Aunt Beth is sitting down. Aunt Beth is my only living aunt on my father's side of the family. (Actually she is my only living aunt.) She is getting up in years, but is still going strong and is as sharp as ever. We seem to cross paths now and then and it is always such a joy to see her.

Stop BUGGING me!

It’ssssswarm in Yucaipa. I mean swarms of bees, termites, flies and ants. That’s what came to plague me over the last few days. We’ve had a problem with all these things before, but not all at once. Just when you think you are enjoying nature, nature decides to move in with you.

We had a fun time with the kids on Saturday. They had a picnic on beach towels after swimming and playing. And they sang “Happy Birthday” to Andrew.


Grace and Raegan came for a visit for a few days and we went to the “Living Desert” in Palm Desert to see some lizards and animals. I think we saw more lizards in my back yard, however. With all the bugs we have it’s no wonder. The lizard food is in strong supply.

We went to a petting coral. Grace loved it and Raegan was terrorized.

We stopped to sanitize our hands. Grace really didn't want to leave. Lots of people asked me if they are twins. I guess it's because they were dressed alike.

A giant spider web to climb on! This was a fun place to play. It was ten degrees hotter than Yucaipa, but still a great place to explore and see many animals. They even had desert animals from the jungle, like giraffs and zebras.

Fossils, Family, and Sparkly Capes

Amber and I had a "kid outing" to the San Bernardino County Museum. We took Brinley, Stacey, Spencer, Kira and Ryan. Here they are looking at the petrified wood and all the rocks etc. This was a fun place that I took their dads when they were little. It hasn't changed much.

Here's the giant polar bear. At first they all thought it was wierd that the animals are dead. I told them they are just preserved so we can get a close up look at them. Ryan called it the "snow bear."

Outside there is a place where you can dig for fossils in the sand. The kids had fun flipping sand everywhere and got so excited when a bone showed up.

The last exhibit was full of glittery clothes, purses, and jewlery. When I saw this display case, I was reminded of Staci's conversation with me about "old people." One day she said, "I know what old people like to do." "What's that?" I asked. "They like to shop," she replied. "What do they shop for?" I asked. After some thought she replied, "sparkly capes!" She was right! Here is proof...a sparkly cape from the late 1800's.

A Day at the Beach

I got to tag along with Mike, Amber and Family for a fun day at the beach. I enjoyed sitting in the shade of the umbrella and watching the kids have fun playing in the sand and the water. I took along one of my favorite stories, "The Day at the Beach", by Arthur Gordon. I read it as an eighteen year old freshman at BYU and it has affected my life all these years. It was good to read it again and to reflect on life's meaning. We all need a day at the beach to just think about good things sometimes. There is nothing like the roar of waves crashing in and the sun blasting down to remind us of our place in the universe. And it's always fun to have a picnic!