Texans Kissing Hippos and Fishes, Bachelor Weds and Flea Marketing too!.

Wow, what a week.  The first day of the week found us still visiting with Emily and Sam in Texas.  We started out on Monday going to the Alamo. 

Then we were off to the river walk, which is beautiful.  Look how strong Emily is, she just hauled the stroller and baby up and down stairs whenever they threatened to get in the way of our stroll.

These color umbrellas spot light the restaurant where we stopped for Mexican food, delicious!! Casa Rio!

One parting shot of Becki and grandpa in the window of the Alamo wall ... can you see the secret picture of Becki's Mom?

Back home it was time for family home evening ... one of the gold fish had died so we got to hear Sam explain death to a one year old and a two year old.  Good times!!

 On Tuesday we just took it easy, we watched several episodes of Downton Abbey, season 4.  Emily had watched the first three on Net Flix, and I figured that since I would be buying it anyway, I might as well do it while we were there.

Then that night I read a notice on Face Book that Jean Larsen was picking Tomm up at the airport (they have been living in San Antonio something like 15 years!!  You may recall that Sam lived with them for a couple of months when he first came to SA before he and Emily bought the house there!) and they would be driving to their new home in Las Vegas the same day we were to head out.  Scott called and offered to help them load their moving van, but since it was all loaded he offered to come over and help Tomm add some sheet rock behind where the washer normally sites.  As it turns out on Wednesday morning that is just what he did.

You may recall that Jean Larson is my cousin on my Dad's side.  She is actually a niece of my Dad's cousin, Ruby Haight.

When he was done we all headed to the sunken gardens and to the zoo ... here are some pictures at the gardens ...

... and then at the zoo ....

brushing the giant pigs.

There's a got at the petting zoo that nibbles shirts ....

... and if you have a cup of nectar, these birds will fly down and sit on your hand while they eat it.

This animal was not known to exist until 1902 ... a head like a giraffe, a body like a horse and the hind quarters are like a zebra .... very cool.

In the hippo house, William was just happy with the fish ... he loved watching them and even kissing them ...

... then the hippo came over and Becki gave him a kiss!!

When we got back home Becki had fun looking at the zoo pictures on my phone.

Then on Thursday morning we got up early and loaded the van and headed west ... we spent the night in Albuquerque, then headed to Santa Fe, where we saw this church.  The story of the miraculous stair case was in the Norman Rockwell book of Christmas stories we read to the kids when they were young, so when Scott's cousin Karen mentioned it several weeks ago, we decided to do it!!

The chapel was really lovely ... if you want to know the story, google, Sante Fe, Miraculous Staircase.

We got home Friday night, and got to see our new dormer and roof in progress ... That was pretty exciting.

On Saturday we were off early and stopped in Springville, as Treasures was having their big flea market ...  Next it was to Salt Lake for our nephew Jack's wedding.

Leaving downtown Salt Lake, I dropped Dad off in Taylorsville for an inventory, then headed to Utah County where I got to see my favorite ballerina in performance!!

Didn't Nell do a cute job with her hair?

Then it was back to the Market Street Grill in Cottonwood Heights for Jack and Jane's wedding dinner.

This is my niece Kristin, and my brother Bruce and his wife Dianne.

This is my youngest brother Ross, with Kristin's husband, Ray.

This is my brother Emory and his wife Nina, not Nina Lou!

Since I matched Doug and Shirley, I snuck into their photo.

... and here are the happy parents of the groom, JoLyn, with my brother Clark. It was so fun to be with all my living brothers, and most of their darling wives!!

On Sunday I finished up my lesson before heading to church to sit with Spencer, as Brittney was playing a musical number in the nursing home branch.  ... and since Dad is the high councilor over that branch he was there too.

I was really happy with my lesson, and the more I teach, the more I can see the inspiration behind the preparation of these lessons.  I felt the spirit so strongly this week, as I taught, that it felt like an amazing privilege to get to teach!

That night we had most of the kids over for Navajo tacos and general hanging out with the family fun!

... and that was our fun and busy week!! Love you all!!