Date with Diana (Butterfly Biosphere); twisty slide at the new park; four square; Diana's Bavarian party hat

 Diana and I went on a date to the Butterfly Biosphere at Thanksgiving Point.

With our butterflies who we named Jackie and George.

On the way home, we stopped at Great Harvest so Diana could pick up her favorite loaf of bread.

This is one of the slides at a really cool, new park near our home.

Playing "four square" at the baseball park.

Diana received an advent calendar last Christmas which was full of little craft ideas from various countries. She has been working on them here and there for the past two months. Here she is with her Bavarian party hat representing the country of Germany.

Douglas receives the Aaronic Priesthood / first temple trip to do baptisms

 Bishop Eric Morgan, our next-door neighbor, walked over to our home on the afternoon of Thursday, 22 January, where he joined me in conferring the Aaronic Priesthood on Douglas and ordaining him to the office of Deacon. We thoroughly enjoyed watching Douglas pass the sacrament at church the following Sunday.

Grandma (Margaret) and Grandpa (Doug) Coombs came to our home for the ordination.

Sam was babysitting Mercy (daughter of Stacie and Andrew) on the day of the ordination.

The following Tuesday, 27 January, Sam and I took Douglas to his first "baptisms for the dead" appointment at the Layton Temple. He was very excited to participate in ordinance work for our brothers who have already passed through the veil.

Elko Nevada Temple with Douglas, Ari, and Maxwell

 

Ari and Maxwell (two nephews of mine), and Douglas and I drove to Elko, Nevada to visit the new Elko Temple. We performed baptisms for the dead yesterday evening and then we played in the hotel pool followed by hours of games (Skull King, Hearts, Rook, and Bank) in our hotel room. This morning we ate breakfast and drove home. It was a short, but delightful trip. I thoroughly enjoyed some long conversation with Ari before he heads out on his mission to Virginia in a few weeks.

Daniel, Maxwell, Ari, Douglas

Taylor's wedding

 Taylor Coombs (Sam's sister) married Dan Marble today in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple.

Grandma (Margaret) coming out before the newlyweds.

Taylor and Dan

Douglas, Sam, Diana, Taylor, Dan, Daniel, Penny

Sam, Taylor, Stacie (Sam and Stacie are seven months pregnant in this photo)

Sam's family (Seth, Kate, Doug, Margaret, Taylor, Sam, Nate, Stacie, Spencer)

Valerie (Nate's wife), Taylor, Dan, Nate

Kate, Ivy, Taylor, Dan, Maverick, Clayton (holding Maverick)

Kendrick (little man on the left), Jori, Taylor, Dan, Harrison, Spencer (holding Monroe), Schofield

Krew, Seth, Charly, Taylor, Dan, Reed, Jarren, McCall

Lydian, Stacie (holding Mercy), Taylor, Dan, Andrew, Tristan

Taylor and Dan with all the kids.

Group photo

Group photo including Taylor's friends

Group photo including Taylor's friends and Dan's family.

All the kids at the luncheon following the temple ceremony.

Engaged in a conversation with my little buddy, Reed.

Ivy, pondering.

Taylor and Dan

Waiting for Taylor and Dan to do the ring ceremony.

Sam, Taylor, Stacie

Hairdo train at the Airbnb following the wedding.

Back-to-front: Kate, Charly, Diana, Lydian, Penny, Ivy

Some of the men/boys attended the BYU vs. Utah men's basketball game at the Marriott Center the day after the wedding.

Douglas and his cousin, Krew, devouring a massive "Cougar Tail" (maple bar).

The rest of us went to play at the "Jurassic Jungle" at Thanksgiving Point.

Happy marriage to Taylor and Dan!