Temple Trip

I went to the Temple again this weekend. Ashley went with me this time and when we pulled off the exit to the Temple, Ashley remembered that she didn't have her recommend. We decided to just go to the Temple (since its about a 20 minute drive). We got there, took some pictures and then headed in. They tried to call Ashley's bishop, but didn't have any luck so I went to the baptistery and she waited in the lobby. I was the ONLY person there to do baptisms, and that was weird! I am so used to Rexburg where it is always busy!

I finished with my baptisms and started to leave when Ashley met me on the stairs...they had finally reached a member of her bishopric so I sat in the chapel and watched while she got to do baptisms. Another fun trip!

Tractors

So this post is to show that I still keep a piece of Idaho with me always! This is what I drive past as I go to school each day. I finally took the time to drive through their little circle driveway and this is what I found...

Aftermath

Let's just say that for the last few days I have felt like I was dropped 225 feet at 95 mph with only a lap belt on...

I'M SORE!?!

Buffalo Bill's

I checked another amazing weekend off my bucket list! Brynn, Ashley, Aulora, and I made an amazing trip to Buffalo Bill's. It is about 30 minutes from where I live...out in the middle of no where! We started our Saturday with the shopping outlets! There were lots of great stores and it made for a great morning! After shopping all the outlets, we headed over to the Desperado Roller Coaster...

"Get a breathtaking view of the valley from 209 feet upright before you plunge at tremendous speed into a succession of twist, turns and unexpected surprises. Ranking among the top ten roller coasters in North America and one of the tallest and fastest in the U.S., the Desperado is 2.43 minutes of pure heart pounding fun."

And that is exactly what we got! This ride was crazy! We started off inside the casino and it takes you up to the highest point right out of the casino wall. Then it drops straight down and turns and twists you everywhere! When we got off we were all so dizzy that we had to hold on to the railings when we were leaving so we wouldn't tip over! It told us we would travel at speeds up to 95 mph and make a 225 ft drop! Awesome!



After the roller coaster fun, we headed back to Vegas and got some lunch/dinner at BJ's Restaurant. The food was absolutely amazing! We all shared a pizza, some mozzarella sticks, and a Pizooki (like a Cookie Monster). We had a great time laughing and making memories! Turned out to be one of the best weekends yet!

Off the Ground!

Our countdown chain is no longer dragging on the ground! It has been a celebration every night now that it is actually HANGING! As of today we have 16 more teaching days and 30 days total! YAY!

California

Last weekend, I was able to visit the Graham family in Hanford, California. I left right when school got out and arrived at their home around 9:30. I had a wonderful weekend relaxing and catching up with their family! I can't believe how much all of their kids have grown! On Saturday, we spent the day relaxing by their pool. I also got a mini tour of all the vineyards and fields in Hanford...it is such a beautiful place! There is something growing on every piece of land in that area. After dinner, we visited "Superior Dairy." They have amazing icecream! We sat and enjoyed that together and then returned to their home to watch "The Incredible Mr. Limpet." That is one of the goofiest shows I have ever seen! : ) On Sunday, I went to Sacrament meeting with their family and then started the LONG drive home. I forgot about my camera so I didn't get very many pictures, but here are a few! I found some pictures of Superior Dairy online so I posted them!

I drove over a few mountain passes to get there and the area was amazing! I came around one of the turns and windmills covered the whole side of the mountain...here is just one example of all the windmills.

Egg Experiment

The students in my class are counting down the last days of school with the alphabet. For "E" we decided to do an experiment. I was interested to see if we could cook an egg on the asphalt! The weather here had been at least 110 for a few days so I figured we would have no problem...except that on "E" day we didn't even hit 95! But, we tried anyway after a discussion with the class that experiments don't ALWAYS work. We set out to the asphalt with our tin foil, eggs, mirrors, and spatula.


After waiting for 15 minutes and seeing no change, we decided to leave our eggs outside and check on them later...they didn't cook all that much, but the wind definitely dried them out! The biggest success was that they CHANGED so the kids were satisfied!

Count Down

On Sunday evening, Brynn and I started to get bored so we decided to make a paper chain to count down our days here in Vegas. We were pleasantly surprised with how small the chain was and with the fact that we only had 40 more days!

The District

Brynn and I decided to do a little exploring on Saturday. We started our journey at the Galleria Mall...we did A LOT of looking and NO buying! It is a very ritzy mall with many, many expensive stores! The mall experience didn't last long so we decided to explore a place called "The District." My Cooperating Teacher had told me about it, but I didn't really know what to expect! Here are some pictures....


All the buildings are similar in color and structure...and inside of those buildings are really fancy restaurants and stores! However, we were surprised and happy to find a DownEast Outfitters! Who would have dreamed we would find one of those in Vegas? In the middle of this little "Town Square" there was a live band playing....



Needless to say, we had a great time PEOPLE WATCHING! And yes, the trees were spraying mists to cool the visitors off! (Look real close near the bottom of the tree)

The Temple

I went to the Las Vegas Temple for the first time on Saturday. It was amazing! It took about 40 minutes to get there from where I am living. So I set out a little before 7 AM and got there for my appointment at 7:45. The Temple was about 4 miles off the Interstate. Once I got off the Interstate I saw at least 5 policeman...needless to say the Temple is located in North Vegas...NOT a very safe place! All of the houses and stores were so old and rundown that I was concerned if I was even going in the right direction...but I had Bessy (GPS) with me, and she led me there! When I got to the Temple, it looked beautiful! The grounds actually had grass, trees, and flowers! (If you have seen North Vegas...their yards have dead weeds and rocks) I entered the front doors and they have a huge waiting area with couches and chairs. As you enter, they have a little outside courtyard in the middle of the Temple. It was a patio type area with benches and flowers and trees...beautiful! I then was escorted to the Baptismal Font. I waited for the first assigned ward to get there so I could join them. I was lucky enough to get to join a Spanish Branch. They did all the Temple ordinances in Spanish and it was very neat. As I was being baptized and confirmed my eyes filled with tears because I was thinking how special it was to have this opportunity...and I kept thinking of my brothers...Kyle has and Jake will have the opportunity to baptize and confirm our brothers and sisters in this language. It was a very special opportunity for me. I forgot my camera, but I definitely plan on returning before I head home so I will get more pictures then.

Lion King

So we got a great deal on tickets to the Lion King...I couldn't pass them up! I am so glad that I didn't because the show was absolutely amazing! From the costumes to the singing....it was fabulous! I think my favorite costumes were the elephants, giraffes, and hyenas...and Timon and Pumba...ok I LOVED them ALL!