A great long weekend!!

We are usually in a time constraint when we go to St. George for the marathon, but this time we weren't!  So we stopped to see my Uncle Peter in Mesquite - at the Virgin Valley Heritage Museum where he works!!  It was great to see him in his "natural habitat!!"

 

It was great to have Bonny and Team Bolander join us this year.  She and Harry ran/walked together.  It was a long haul, but she made it!!  (It was her first and Harry's 23rd marathon!)  It was about 10 degrees cooler than had been at first predicted, so we were all grateful!

 

Ara came down from Provo - so great to see her - and Bruce brought his bike so he could shadow the race for a bit - then he and Ara just followed along with the car.  I manned the finish line - and actually had enough time to listen to the first session of conference!!

 

So sad to leave everyone - didn't realize how much I missed Ara Grace!!

 

  

After watching the first session of conference, we left St. George for the Grand Canyon, South Rim.  We were able to listen to most of the second session except for patches where the signal went out - so we just pulled over and listened until it was over.

I had only ever been to the North Rim - and the South Rim is way better!  It was magnificent!!  We got caught in some rain, found shelter in a visitor's center, then headed back out.  We were rewarded for our diligence with an exquisite rainbow - that slowly morphed into a double rainbow!!  I'm pretty sure I've never before looked down at a rainbow!!  It was pretty spectacular.

 

The rain and the clouds and mists only added to the beauty.

Learned a lot about a female architect - one of the pioneers in her gender - who designed many of the buildings at the South Rim - Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter - this building was called The Lookout!!  Wonder why??  We saw lots and I bought two books - so watch for more than you ever wanted to know about the Grand Canyon in upcoming posts!!

We drove home about mid-morning on Tuesday - lots of rain by then - but a nice drive home - listening to Louis L'Amour's The Ferguson Rifle.  I am sold on driving with a Louis L'Amour novel - a little hackneyed but the plot's are compelling!!

Today we celebrated Deacon's second birthday with cake and candles - and he was one happy boy.  I'm not sure he has "birthday" figured out, but he was up for celebrating.

I also went out to Mom's to visit with Alice and also take her to the Flyaway.  I was sorry that her trip coincided mostly with our trip away - she is off to Korea for six months - I will miss her!!  But we are good correspondents!!