Temple Trip Billings: Swim Park

The kids loved all the swimming we did this weekend.
We let everyone get together on Friday night with friends and do some swimming at the different hotels. {Liberty went with the Guymons but I just came at the end to pick her up so I didn't get any pictures}

Then on Saturday, we headed with lots of families to play at the Reef. Love that place!

Temple Trip Billings: Dinner with Friends

We met up with a bunch of friends for dinner. (The Lybberts & Steinagels came later to join us) Fun people to be with!

Temple Trip Billings: Baptisms & Babysitting

 It was our Stake Temple trip this weekend. We were lucky enough to participate again with the youth while they did Baptisms. We had a lot of youth come from our ward. Very special!

Then we headed to the Stake Center to help out with babysitting. The Stake Primary this time had lots of activities. They played BBall, 4-square, watched movies, had snacks, did art projects, and I took the littles on a nature walk. Fun & crazy times!

Hail- Yes!!!.. We saw a Cattle Drive

On our road trip out to Billings this weekend, we ran into a ol' west Montanan Cattle Drive. Cowboys & everything!!! It was crazy!!! Soooo many cows....

We loved this little family that tried their best to hold their ground. Too funny!

We just bought a Suburban from some friends. We're grateful we were able to have a little more room & better tires for this trip. Hannah was able to ride down with us.

On the trip back- we ran into quite the storm!!! Thank heavens for tires that kept us on the road. Check out this HAIL!!

And all the rain after:

Fun at the Reef

Since we didn't get done watching kids for the Trek to the Temple until about 5 pm- we decided to spend the night in Billings. The Paynes & us took the kids to the Reef to do a bit of swimming! Fun times!

Everyone took turns on the slides (everyone could ride them this time! Hurray!)

Lilly Pads & Bucket o'Water

Wave pool & Hot Tub

We took a short break and ate pizza together outside. We were chilly!

Glory & Korbin were the very last kids out of the pool when it closed. They did NOT want to leave! LOL

We took our kids to DQ afterwards. What crazy people like to eat cold ice cream when they are wet & chilly??? ;)

We went back to our hotel- showered some people and sat by the firepit outside. What a great day!

Trek to the Temple & Justice 1st Time

Our Stake Presidency has been planning a big Trek to the Temple for this weekend. They scheduled it for a Friday and asked everyone to sacrifice and make the effort to attend. They scheduled all the wards at different times and setup for us to rotate and watch each others kids at the Stake Center after our time in the Temple.
We decided to get up early Friday morning (Brett took the day off & we kept the kids home from school) and head down to the Billings Temple in time to make it there by 11:30. We even drove through the clouds to get there. LOL

It was an extra special experience for our family because it happened to be Justice's 1st time inside the Temple. Since he turned 12, he was able to participate in the Baptisms for the Dead. Brian Payne was the Bishopric member in charge of our youth group so he pulled some strings so that Brett & I could be there with Justice & Liberty. How neat! I can't tell you how amazing it is to watch your kids make righteous choices and to be able to be there to watch them in the Temple. There's nothing like it! It turned out that 23 of our Youth came to participate in the Temple. Wow! {The youth groups before and after us only had 3 to 6 kids) It made it so it was a lot of waiting but so inspiring that so many would make the effort to come!

What a beautiful day at the Temple!

It was the 1st time for all three of these boys- TJ Smith (Fife's boy), Justice Seamons & Caleb Tubbs

So glad we could be there for Justice's 1st time!

It also turned out to be Jada Pierson's 1st time. Her family couldn't come down so we drove her down with us. This is the 2nd time that Liberty has been able to be there with her friends on their first trip to the Temple. SO special!

So fun to be at the Temple together & with friends! Can't wait until Victoria & Glory can join us.

P.S. There was a mis-communication about child care so we ended up leaving the girls & the Payne kids together at the Church without people to watch them. (The group of youth that was supposed to watch our kids got dropped off at the wrong Church building.) They eventually worked it out but we have some pretty awesome kids that would look out for each other while we were gone.

SIDENOTE: We calculated. It will be cutting it close but there is a slight chance that we will ALL be able to go to the Temple the 1st time that Glory can go. But Liberty will turn 19 a couple months before that. There is a chance that she would already be gone on a Mission before Glory turns 12. The next year Justice would turn 18 and then leave on his mission & be gone for 2 years. We're hoping that Liberty's mission call comes after June 2020 or it won't be until 2023 that our whole family could go to the Temple together. Oh trickiness of timing!

Spring Break: Free Time & the Pool

In our free time- we slept in, watched the Disney channel, ate breakfast and dinner in the lobby, did a little shopping at stores that we don't have in Helena, ate at Cafe Rio (twice) and swam in the Hotel Pool. It was great Spring Break in Billings!!

We love Cafe Rio!! Not only for their food but for their sense of Humor! They are almost as funny as us! LOL Check out some of our favorite signs from Cafe Rio. So funny!

"Affection for bees"

"Never doubt how much we love you, Amigos!"

"Not really, it's just normal ice!"

Spring Break: The Reef

We promised the kids to take them to a Water Park while we were in Billings. We took them to The Reef inside the Big Horn Resort. It was a blast!!!

There was so much to do. Glory wasn't quite tall enough for the slides but everyone else loved them!

All the kids loved crossing the Lily Pads!

Spring Break: Heritage Center Museum

Lindsey and I took the kids to the Western Heritage Center Museum this morning while the days were at work.
It was way hands on for the kids. They dressed up, played games, opened things up, types and explored.
I also printed off some sheets for a Scavenger Hunt for the kids from their website.
Our favorite was finding out how they named the toilets "Crappers". LOL
We had a grand time!

Spring Break: The Shrine Circus

Brett had to work in Billings this whole week. Since it was Spring Break, we decided to join him for part of the time. Hang out with Dad, swim, stay in a hotel and do some fun things. Awesome idea!
The kids and I drove down today in time to go with the Andersons to the Al Bedoo Shrine Circus.

The 61st Annual Al Bedoo Shrine Circus is March 26 – March 30th 2014, and features 11 performances over five days.The Al Bedoo Shrine Circus provides a quality, fun-filled, family experience that brings a smile to children of all ages.Two rings and fantastic acts from all over the world, it is an event that you just can’t miss.Grab a bag of peanuts and some cotton candy and join the fun at the Al Bedoo Shrine Auditorium in Billings for the 61st annual Shrine Circus.The Annual Al Bedoo Shrine Circus is the largest fund-raising event sponsored by the Billings Al Bedoo Shriners.Elephants, tigers, clowns, acrobats, bears, poodles, and aerialists are packed into two hours of excitement and fun and, thanks to generous donations from the community, it’s affordable for the whole family.

It was a bit scandalous in attire ;) but the kids really enjoyed it! Not to mention that at the matinee, kids got in free!!! Score!