Australia

I had a presentation at a nursing conference in Brisbane, Australia at the end of July/first part of August.  Sam, Ruth, and my sister, Laurel went with me.  We went all over the area, seeing Brisbane and loved every minute of it.  We stayed with the Langelands from our ward in Salt Lake for part of the time, much appreciated especially in light of the fact that they are mission presidents for the Brisbane mission.  Since pictures are worth a thousand words, they will tell you the rest of the story.

Brisbane from a boat ride on the Brisbane River

One of the elephants at Australia Zoo

Mom and baby kangaroo

Ruth and Sam taking a leap at the beach

We loved the botanical gardens!

Sunset from our apartment in Brisbane

We loved watching the hang gliders taking off over the Tamarindo Valley

We hiked through the rainforest in Tamarindo

With President Langeland at an overlook of Brisbane

Laurel and I simulating the Koala at the entrance to Lone Pine Sanctuary

Ruth and a 'roo

Sam feeding the Lorakeets

A humpback whale breaching

We got to go whale watching

Ruth and Sam clapping and yelling to try and get the whales to breach.  We were about the only ones on the boat unreserved enough to do it

Grand Teton, Teton National Park, Wyoming

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Glacier National Park

Sam and a mountain goat

Hike from the visitor center at Logan Pass (past the mountain goats)

The lodge at Waterton National Park

Shawn, Mike, Kemish, Ruth, Neil and Annie, Jackson Lake Wyoming

Neil, in Red Rock canyon, Waterton NP, Canada, on his 23rd birthday--acting like a mountain goat

Old Faithful under storm clouds

Rachel in Ecuador with Amigos

Rachel is in Ecuador with Amigos.  She is in a community called Corralpungo, with a partner named Andy.  Below is a picture we found of Rachel, Andy, and her host family on her projects' Amigos facebook page.  The picture is definitely worth 1000 words!!

Shawn's home!!!

Shawn has returned from his mission in Argentina Neuquen. Here are some pictures that I lifted from Alison's blog.  She is an amazing photographer!!  We are happy to have Shawn home again.

Happenings at home

So good things have been happening at home.  While I was gone, Rachel went to Prom.  (Thanks to Ruth; I lifted these photos from her blog).

Rachel and David Rallison

Robyn's birthday was on May 24th, and we had birthday dinner at our house

Alison, Ethan and the Ninos came.  We did lots of fun stuff, and I did not take a lot of pictures because Alison was doing just that, however, she does not have them posted on her blog yet, so I can't borrow them right now.

Sam turned 12 (and thanks to Alison and Ruth for making the cake)

Sam with his 5th and 6th grade teacher, Miss Hamilton

And we went with our good friend, Richard Leafty, out to the Great Salt Lake to see the seagulls hatching.  While we used bags to keep our heads protected, other exposed areas got divebombed.  Still, the little chicks were so cute!!

Sam, at the end of the week, falling asleep in a most comfortable spot.

It is good to be home!!

Home again, home again



At the computer handover ceremony at the Queen Salote School of Nursing

Day at the beach at Pangaimotu island

Starfish

One last time at the Blowholes



Sunset at Vava'u

We left Tonga on Mayu 23rd, and it is back to "reality" here in Salt Lake.  While it is really great to see and be around my family, I am not so sure about Salt Lake.  I have been going through the "culture shock" of returning to the culture here--large supermarkets with every available food, tatood, pierced and immodestly dressed people, and rare smiles, hellos, or even eye contact.

I will have to remember some of the many positive things I have learned from the Tongans, things like smiling, making eye contact, saying hello, saying thank you, and looking out for others. The love I have felt in Tonga these past three years is incredible--I need to be more like them.