Latter-day Saint temples usher in the Christmas holiday season

A beautiful way to usher in the holidays is to enjoy the Salt Lake temple Christmas lights and visitors center; equal to the beauty of the Washington DC temple and all of the fond memories based on incredible experiences we as a family have enjoyed throughout the years here at our beloved temple! Latter-day Saint temples world wide celebrate in the birth of our savior Jesus Christ and provide exquisite, visual confirmation of that fact through beautiful Christmas light displays for all members and non members alike to enjoy!

I am so very grateful for the extraordinary blessings we have enjoyed; truly humbled by sacred miracles that have changed my life, and others, forever. I am so blessed to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and bare witness that our Heavenly Father loves all of His children on this earth. Also, Jesus is the Christ, our savior and redeemer and leads his church this day. Countless lives are blessed throughout the world due to member’s testimonies and commitment to gospel principles along with countless loving acts of service which all saints (followers of Christ) provide society. Please read my testimony and others from nearly every continent on the face of the earth on www.mormon.org (click on people).

Desert landscapes & the mountain west - that's living!

We enjoyed a delightful combined personal / business trip to Phoenix and Salt Lake City! Arizona cactus is the most bizarre, somewhat disturbing yet irritatingly interesting plant species ever - grin. Sunshine INCREDIBLE sunshine, fantastic people and ya can't forget all of those palm trees!

Our last night there dining in a fabulous Scottsdale restaurant with a table of friends; ground level, large windows open allowing a slight desert breeze to embrace us along with the fresh scent tied to a surprise thunder storm permeated the room. Talking, laughing, relaxing and thoroughly enjoying the moment - pure heaven ... we WILL return still again!

Utah's rugged Wasatch Mountain Range always warmly welcomes me home. Having grown up at the foot of Mount Timpanogos with its 11,000 feet of shear granite cliffs is impressive to say the least. In my youth I hiked to the top of Timp enjoying Emerald Lake, a beautiful lake created by glacier water, along with hiking up 'G' mountain and enjoying the local canyons - delightful memories.

I received another warm welcome at the airport from our adult children now residing in Utah wearing zany, fake mustaches including one for me and boy did I rock that Hulk Hogan knock off hahaha! (Our family is always doing crazy fun things). Time with our kids was blissful, time spent with mom, extended family and friends was also delightful; great fun at a family party, wonderful conversations as well as hanging out at former haunts raking in the memories of first meeting my husband when we were in high school together and now a gazillion years later here we are still together, happy, in love, devoted to one another enjoying a life that provides us opportunities like these for travel and adventure. Thanks Jon - you rock!

Here is just a snippet of photo's I snapped ... hey fam enjoy the memories! xoxo to all

Welcome new friends one and all

A warm welcome to our new friends Ivonne & Franco in the Netherlands! As you read my blog you will most certainly learn more about life within the framework of an American family. It was such a pleasure getting to know you while we were all in Phoenix; I look forward to our continued friendship and correspondence and learning more about your life and family. I hope you enjoyed your first visit to America!

Beautiful secrets locked within each of us

My daughter and I have a combined love of prisms which we hang on our Christmas tree; when sunlight penetrates the prism a rainbow of magnificent colors bursts forth dancing all over the room. Faith is much like this. Faith is a sure knowledge of things one cannot see and each of us are like a prism; when the spirit of God touches our soul a multitude of traits, talents, values, core beliefs, etc., materialize spilling forth and at that moment we come to realize who we are and who we are meant to become. Our infinite worth is dazzling! Exercise faith.

Fun in the sun!

Phoenix & Salt Lake it's time to rock & roll :)

Autumns End

Another lovely day meandering along beautiful Pennsylvania country roads and our families final photos at our favorite pumpkin patch.

Twenty one years ago we began shooting family pictures at Myers Pickle Farm for many years off and on documenting our childrens lives growing up :) This week Jon and I enjoyed reminiscing about our kids as children chasing each other throughout the rows of pumpkins which were often larger than the kidles themselves were :) We then moved into the the almost 'too cool for pumpkin photos' pre-teen junior high school phase and onto the almost grown 'I'm too busy for pumpkin pictures' high school years. Finally young adulthood with college for two plus a mission for one and suddenly 'hanging out with mom and dad once again 'was considered to be terrific! Each year was special including a picnic lunch or ice cream cones on the way home, a lot of singing and laughter, teasing and sharing memories of past visits to the magical pumpkin farm. Of course our visits had a duel purpose; returning home with a myriad of incredible pumpkins to carve for Halloween!

We actually discovered this charming pumpkin farm while out on a family ride throughout the country side with my mother who was visiting with us. Our first pictures were, thereby, taken by grandma when Ashley was less than two months old and Cameron was the new five year old kindergarten 'big brother'. We discovered a severe medical problem undetected in Ashley barely a week after our first set of photos which required our rushing off to Children's Hospital for a couple of weeks; thank goodness the problem was resolved and the last photo Ashley babe appeared in at the pumpkin patch, I am happy to say, was as a college coed! Cameron then off attending a university in Utah and for a time also in Hong Kong serving a church mission took him out of the picture, all pun intended, but hopefully one day we will return to PA with our kids, their spouses and our future grand children for at least one last family picture at our special place which has been filled with warm and wonderful memories for our family!

Other photos in my album (see all on my face book page) were taken in beautiful Boyce Park about five miles from our home where we have spent endless hours with family and friends while the kids were growing up. Picnics, hikes through the woods, parties, to Cam's high school cross country team training, booster meetings, meals and competitions running throughout the trails in the woods. Memories of trying to touch the sky with our toes as all of us enjoyed swinging on the sturdy, park swing sets, to games of hide and seek and Ashley singing everywhere and anywhere in the park :) Since she was two years old she has sung her little heart out every day of her life. Ashley would sing while standing on tree stumps, and picnic tables, while rolling down hills, sitting on hill sides or sea-saws and while taking nature walks through the woods. Boyce Park was filled with Ashley's music and Cam's Scouting program activities - such delightful memories spending time together as a family in another special place.

Additional pictures were shot this week en route to and from Punxsutawney on business which is where Punxsutawney Phil the famous groundhog resides who predicts an early or late spring; children throughout the country have grown up with an ear toward 'Groundhog Day' (grin).

Autumn in Pennsylvania is simply breathtaking! The flora is a blaze in vivid color and so many charming country roads exist just begging one to spend time meandering along while discovering the picturesque settings unlike no other.

Pennsylvania will forever be etched in our hearts; it has been a meaningful place to raise our family!

An afternoon meandering through Amish country

I snatched Jon from work surprising him for a lovely adventure through our beloved Amish country located just over an hour away. It was a beautiful 70 degree, sunny October afternoon & such fun singing in the car & laughing as usual while we revisited one of our favorite red covered bridges which Penn is known for beside an old grist mill, Amish folks in their buggies going about their business, a former flour mill turned into part museum, part shops & dining at Rachel's Road House ... Incredible memories of Penn will be forever etched in my mind! Note: one of the small Inn's was the site of the underground rail road in the Civil War; many Amish people helped the slaves. (See entire photo album on my Face Book site)