Our trip to India

What an amazing place! Pictures just don't do justice to that which we experienced. In looking back over the pictures, we wish we could have better captured all that we saw.

Taj Mahal

Train ride to the Taj

Fred, Janet, and Moriya in an auto rickshaw. For the most part, this was our way of getting around. We would barter for the fare and end up paying 20 to 4o rupees. Depending on distance. (That's $.40 to $.80) Not too bad!

There were dogs everywhere. They mostly slept during the day.

The women work right along with the men.

We rode this camel. The battery died right after this picture was taken so we were unable to get a picture of us on it.

Elder and Sister Weeks

Moriya asked if she could take their picture.

Bryan got an Indian haircut and a massage afterwards. Total Cost $2.60. That masseuse worked Bryan over...he's still talking about it!

We went to a lot of marketplaces, here is one example.

The world famous Karim's. Moriya can testify of this. Her rumbling stomach for a week after we got home won't let her forget the place (Bryan wimped out on eating much there and his stomach thanks him for it).

Old Delhi

Spice Market in Old Delhi

Old Delhi

Old Delhi

Old Delhi

Wonderful Afghani family that has us over for dinner. The food was excellent!

Moriya had her hands painted (henna).

Mother Teresa Orphanage

Sledding on President's Day

We took the kids sledding yesterday up Lee's Canyon by Mt. Charleston. It was only a little over an hour's drive from our house on the north side of the Las Vegas Valley. It's beautiful up there. It was like we weren't in Southern Nevada anymore. After we were done sledding, on the way home we ordered pizza from Sam's Club and went and ate it at a park. The temp at the park was in the 60's. We are definitely blessed to live in a place like this from playing in the snow to 45 minutes later shedding the warm clothes and wathcing the kids run around the playground in beautiful weather.

Dad would "get" to pull the kids up the hill and then ride down. Of course after the sled would come to a stop at the bottom of the hill, little voices could immediately be heard saying,"let's go again!"

Brynn was so good to his little brother Lex, letting him sled down the hill with him.

And this is how Lex would thank his older brother for the ride!

Lex finally became a little brave and started "cautiously" going down on his own on the saucer!

Not having the young extra rider, Brynn could now go over the "hump" by himself!

Mom with Gracie (neighbor girl) on front and Meg on back!

Kate was so good to her little sister! Towards the end, before it was time to go, Kate would pull Meg up and then let the rope go and run after Meg as she slid down the hill. Moriya got some good actions shots.

We had so much fun and now that we have everything again(we had to purchase a few snow items that had been grown out of since living in Elko), we are going to go again this weekend! Any takers to come with us?

BYU Rugby

We had the privilege of hosting some BYU Rugby players last weekend. Because they don't have the funding that some of the other athletic programs do, they stay at church member's homes when they travel. We have a member in our ward that is a former BYU Rugby player. He and his wife coordinated for a few of our ward members to host around 50 players. We had 6. Two were from Utah, two from California, one was from New Zealand and one from Australia. They were great and we thoroughly enjoyed having them. We went and watched some of their game. They played UC Santa Barbara and crushed them 40 something to like 5 (somewhere around that). BYU were national champs last year beating UC Berkley, who they were telling us have been national rugby champs for the last 24 out of 30 years. We told them we would be happy to have them again.

The after affect (see previous post)

A few months ago:

Meg wanted a haircut like her brothers

So, she took the scissors into her own hands and this is what Mom walked into.

Package from India!

Lex singing in the van

This is a video from when Lex was 2 years old.

Brynn Breakdancing

Brynn came home from school (he's in year round) a few weeks ago and said he wanted to break dance in his school's annual variety show. He made the tryouts much to our dismay!:) He is self taught and didn't practice once. We were just happy that he wasn't booed off the stage. He was pretty excited about the audience clapping along with the music. Afterwards, in response to the clapping he declared, "I must be a big hit!" We just laughed and rolled our eyes. If anyone is interested, Brynn said he would give lessons. But just a forewarning, he said he will be the drill sargeant type.

In Memory of...

Chips the hamster has passed away. He was a good little hamster, most of the time, except for a few escapes. Unfortunately, he died while we left him at our friends, while we went on vacation to Utah and Idaho. We had no idea how old he was and of course they don't live that long. We felt bad for our friends, of them going out of their way, helping us and then this having to happen to them on their watch. He died the day after we left, but we didn't tell the kids until the end of the trip, when we were a couple hours from home. Of course there were some tears. Brynn and Kate took it the hardest. The news was broke to them with the preface, " We have some bad news...." For a few days after, Lex was heard walking around the house saying, " We have some bad news..." He was not being serious at all. I guess he got over it quick.