So happy together.....

We just had two of the best weekends ever. The first one was a birthday celebration for Spencer's 21st. We all went to the Red Cayon Lodge and spent a couple of nights just having fun together. We went to dinner, played games, laughed, joked, had a family photo taken (finally), and had an all around good time just being a family. It's hard to believe Spencer is 21. Time sure does fly. I think it was good for all of us. This past week, Cal, Nathan and I, along with Whitney and Jon and their boys, went to Kirtland, Niagara Falls and Palmyra. It was such a fun trip, even though we had some really weird things happen and the weather was cold. First, our plane was delayed in Salt Lake so we missed our connecting flight and had to be rebooked on a later very very bumpy flight. We flew through a thunderstorm. This was not my best plane ride. By the time we arrived in Kirtland we were exhausted and happy to finally go to bed about midnight. We weren't meant to sleep though. Second, the fire alarm went off about 1 am and we were ushered outside in the cold to wait until all was clear. We were able to find Whitney and Jon right away and sat in their car which was warm. We were all so tired and finally about an hour or so later, we went back to bed. We visited the John Johnson farm the next morning, which is an incredible place to go, and then went over to the Amish country just a few miles away. We ate the best Amish home cooked food at a place called Mary Yoder's and it was good and cheap. We then saw all the Kirtland sights and that was so fun. The next day we drove to Ontario Canada to the Great Wolf Lodge, which was worth the money and travel. It is an indoor waterpark/lodge and is a really fun place. We saw the falls and the third weird thing happened that night. Cal wasn't feeling well and had some unusual symptoms so we left at midnight to find a hospital to have his blood pressure checked. The doctor ordered a series of tests, and 4 hours and several hundred dollars later, we learned that he was in good health and they sent us away, poorer but grateful that he was given a clean bill of health. It was interesting to witness Socialized Medicine first hand and I am more sure than ever, I don't want it. They say things come in threes and though I'm not superstitious, I was starting to become a believer. After the third, everything went smoothly. Our trip to Palmyra was so neat. We enjoyed seeing the sights so much and especially enjoyed seeing them "early in the spring," with the buds just on the trees and bushes, as they would have most likely been in 1820. We flew home just today and were so happy to land safely. I wanted to just share my gratitude for the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that Joseph saw what he said he saw and that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ did in reality speak to him. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and the Savior of all the world, whether they acknowledge Him or not. I am grateful for the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, which testifies of Jesus Christ and His divine mission as our Savior and the Son of God, acts as a companion volume of scripture to the Holy Bible and brings me great peace and joy. I'm grateful for my eternal family and the restoration of the Priesthood, which binds us on earth and in heaven. We are all so blessed. I know that my Heavenly Father knows me and loves me. I am more certain of this today than ever. He always has such a tender and wonderful way of letting me know this. I'm glad this weekend is Easter. I love Easter and all that it means, especially that Jesus Christ lives.