Old Friends

This was from about a month ago! I will be spending some time playing catch up! Please bare with me.

We are all so excited that we already have friends in San Diego. We love this family so much. We got to spend a lot of fun time with them over the week. First they had us over for dinner and family home evening. Allison made a wonderful dinner. The kids had so much fun playing with their younger kids. Their older kids are so sweet and so great with the younger ones. We all enjoyed their company. Later in the week we went to the beach together. First she took us over to see La Jolla cove where all the seals have just taken over. The smell was unbearable, I almost lost my lunch behind my car. We talked to the lifeguard and he said it was so bad because it had just rained and washed all the poo off the rocks they sit on. We then went to La Jolla Shores. I LOVE THAT BEACH. The sand was so soft and perfect for building sand castles. The water on the west coast is FREEZING!!! The kids didn't seem to care about how cold it was they jumped right in and started jumping the waves. I loved getting to catch up with such a great friend.

Our Adventure Continues

I have great memories as a kid of San Diego, and it is going to be so awesome to be here with my family!! For a week or so between Miami and San Diego we spent time with our families in UT and Las Vegas. 

I love San Diego weather it can not be more perfect! Just the right temperature, just the right amount of breeze, just the right amount of humidity. We found our new hometel and the surrounding are to be great. There are lots of restaurants and shopping close by and a park just down the road. Everything we need is in walking distance, which I love and the kids tolerate. We have been here for about one week now and have got to see and do a few things. 

The kids learned that the swimming pool here is WAY colder than in Miami. I think they only lasted about 20 min in the pool. I didn't even try to get in, because I knew better. Our hometel has a basketball court and tennis court which the kids and have loved. We just get all the equipment from the front desk. Colt and I have tried to play tennis with the kids but it drives us crazy. Hopefully they will get better so we can actually play a game.

On the 5th Colt and celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. We went out for our traditional anniversary temple trip and this year I was very excited to be able to go to the San Diego California Temple. (here to learn more) It has always been one of my favorites, it looks like a castle, and it was as beautiful as I remembered. Our night out would have not been possible if it were not for an amazing family that we have known for 8 or 9 years. They moved here about a year ago from our ward back in Colorado. The kids were SO EXCITED to see there family and play with there kids. We were happy to see our former Bishop and I was excited to see my former (most amazing) visiting teacher. They really are the sweetest family. 

I took my family over to Mission Beach and showed them around and told them of some of the memories I had there from when I was a kid. They were very impressed by the roller coaster and all the other rides and thins to do there. They were surprised by the ocean temperature, not what they were expecting after Miami beach which was so warm. We had a fun afternoon exploring Mission Beach and all that was around that area.

Until next time. Love you, C,M,B,C,E, and L

Miami #6

We were able to go and see a few more things from my list of "must dos" for our family. We went to Lion Country Safari, drove by the Ft. Lauderdale LDS temple, and made it to the Everglades! All were lovely and we enjoyed each one very much.

First the Lion Country Safari. It was SOOOO cool!!! We asked around to see if it was really worth the hour and a half drive to get there, and it was! So you know how when you go to the zoo and all the animals are in cages....well here we are the ones in a cage (the car)! When you pull up, you pay and you are then handed a cd tour. You then proceed to the gates. It kind of reminded us of the scene in Jurassic Park where they drive up to the the big wooden gates. As we drove through the safari listening to all the facts and information on the cd we got to see really cool animals up close. So close I thought they would either ram our car or we would run them over! We all loved that experience and it is for sure something we will never forget. Maybe one day we can go on a real safari in Africa!

On our way back from the Safari, we stopped by the Ft. Lauderdale LDS temple, that is still under construction. It was already a beautiful landmark for the city. It was announced in church here one Sunday that is should be open by the April General conference! The Saints in South Florida are beyond excited! Right now they travel over 3 hours by bus to the Orlando Temple. I hope one day we get the chance to come back and see it finished!

Finally we made it to the Everglades! Since we have been on our adventure of traveling, the kids have become fans of a show on Animal Planet (we didn't have cable in Colorado) called Gator Boys. We learned that they were working out of park just 30 min away from where we are staying! We went to Everglades Holiday  Park, and took an Air Boat ride! It was so fun. We had a grate captain named Don. We got to see alligators and birds and learned a lot about the plants and animals in the everglades. Great homeschool lesson! After the air boat ride we got to see the GATOR BOYS alligator wrestling show!!! The kids immediately recognized the guy that was doing the show, from the Gator Boys tv show! They were a little star stuck, lol! I can honestly say that, I am happy that the kids think these guys are cool and people they want to be like, rather than the traditional "celebrities"(like pop stars and actors). The guy doing the wrestling show shared with us that he has a bachelors degree in marine biology, and he VOLUNTEERS at the alligator rescue because he loves the animals! Way to go, to all The Gator Boys!!

Miami #5

Summer in Miami has been a blast. There have only been a few days where we felt like the humidity was going to be the death of us. Nothing a dip in the pool or a swim at the beach couldn't fix. We found out about the summer fun pass (unlimited visits to four places all summer) when we only had one month left here in Miami. Lucky for us we are a homeschool family so we have 6 days a week to go and explore. We have gone to Miami Seaquraium, twice. We have gone to Zoo Miami, twice. We have gone to the Museum of Discovery and Science once, with plans to return. We still have plans to make it to the last on the list which is the Lion Country Safari.

We loved the Seaquraium. The killer whale and dolphin show was so fun! We were soaked. The kids had a blast seeing all the fish from all over the world. The boys really loved watching the seal show. But the part they all loved the most was the splash park that was in the middle of the Seaquarium. It was a ship wreck theme. I found it kind of wrong that at the snack bar they sold "fish and chips", come on now!

Zoo Miami is now my favorite zoo. don't get me wrong we love Cheyenne Mountain zoo back in Colorado, but it has to be said that seeing all the animals with out a glass in between you is AMAZING! The first time we went we saw a huge line of people waiting to rent a bike car thing. The kids begged for one and I said no because it was just a zoo and we could walk. Boy was I wrong, half way through the zoo I was wanting that bike thing too! We also found out that the zoo has a splash park too. On our second visit we cam much more prepared. We brought towels and swim suits, and left the stroller in the car so we could rent a pedal car!

The Museum was way cool! The kids have been watching discovery channel lately and there was a show about a prehistoric shark called Megalodon which has been topic on conversation for at least a week now, and when we found that they had a whole exhibit dedicated to it they were thrilled! We got to see sea turtles and see how they put there eggs in the sand. My favorite part was where they used skate boarding to teach the law of motion, balance, velocity, friction and safety!

We have been having a blast. I am so thankful that we get to have these experiences as a family!!

Until next time. I love you C,M,B,C,E and L!
P.S. These are just a few pictures from my phone. I will add more from the camera when I can!

The car bike thing I was talking about.

Good thing Colt was with us, he was the man power!

Skate board law of motion.

Skateboard balance/ center of gravity!

You cant see it in the picture but on the
floor it shows you all the laws of physics
that go into play to do a 'backside 360 ollie'! 

Pirate Splash pad!

Eva, Dad and Lindy

Bobby!

Orka!!!

Miami #4

We have such wonderful full time missionaries in our ward. When we got here Colt was called as the Ward Mission Leader. His duties are as follows: 

"Ward Mission Leader

Under the direction of the bishop, the ward mission leader:

• Sets an example in sharing the gospel with others and fellowshipping investigators,

new converts, and less-active members.

• Coordinates the work of the ward missionaries and full-time missionaries with

priesthood leaders, auxiliary leaders, and members.

• Uses the Progress Record, the Convert Action List, and the Bishopric Action and Interview

List to review the progress of investigators, new converts, and less-active members in

priesthood executive committee and ward council meetings. The Convert Action List and

the Bishopric Action and Interview List are reports created using the ward meetinghouse

computer. They are used to track the progress of new converts and other members.

• Conducts weekly missionary coordination meetings.

• Organizes convert baptismal services in the ward in cooperation with the full-time

missionaries. A member of the bishopric or the ward mission leader usually conducts

these services.

The ward mission leader also serves on the ward priesthood executive committee, ward

council, and ward welfare committee and attends stake priesthood leadership meetings."- Preach My Gospel (to read and learn more)

Because of his calling we get to spend a lot of time with the missionaries. They are so fun. They are so full of the spirit. It is so nice to always be around them. They all work so hard, sharing the gospel with the people of Miami. 

We have had the privilege to attend a baptism almost every week that we have been here. Each one we go to the spirit is so strong. I am always to excited to see these people making such amazing choices to come unto Christ. The smiles on their faces as the come up out of the waters of baptism brings such joy to my heart. 

This week there was a whole family that was baptized. The mother, father, and 2 daughters. I was blessed to talk to them about baptism. It was so fun to see the little sister (only 5) looking in wonder as her family one by one was baptized. She was beaming with the Holy Ghost as it touched her heart, to witness such a wonderful site. 

We love the people of Miami. We love this ward. We love that not matter where our family goes we will always be part of a bigger family, in the church.

Until next time. Love you C,M,B,C,E and Lindy

Painting Elder and Sister Rock to pass around the ward.

Lunch after church/ missionary meeting.

Kids with Sis. Holyan and Sis. McKay 

Elders playing around at the ward party.

Sisters turn