June 8 -- Road Trip Bryce Canyon

Leaving is part of the trip. That's what Dave says when it takes us three hours longer than planned to actually drive away from our house. Indeed. Packed to the rafters, we did eventually flow into traffic on I-15 and make our way south.

We had rented a cabin in Orderville to give us access to three parks: Bryce, Zion, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. We learned that Bryce was on the way in to the cabin and so we added it to the day's itinerary as we drove.

Never having visited Bryce, I was looking at it with the same wonder as the Mokashis. What a phenomenal place! Smita saw people walking around in the amphitheater and she wanted to walk down and see the view. I was so happy that she asked to do that because that's what I wanted as well. We walked the Navajo loop trail and each turn brought a stunning perspective. I took a lot of pictures, but they do not seem to convey the wonder and awe I felt walking through it.

"Take my picture. I want someone to take my picture too." Tired of being outdone by the children, Mr. Mokahi requested this photo be taken of him.

Coming back out of the canyons.

I was so happy we stopped here on our way to the cabin. How such a place came to be I cannot tell, but the effect it has on me is profound. Creation alone is not enough: there must be diversity and beauty as well. God is good.

June 7 -- Sunday

If I didn't have Sundays in my life, I think I'd lose my mind. This Sunday was a fast Sunday, so the majority of the house wasn't eating. I set my alarm, turned it off, and fell back asleep. Thus I was late getting us off to church. I hate walking into church late. But this particular Sunday I got to walk in late with Mr. Mokashi and Smita. They were able to meet some of our friends in the hall after sacrament meeting and then I took them home to rest.

When I got home, Smita and I prepared dishes for the Parish Indian night. She made shrikhand and egg curry. I made a terribly inferior flat bread (not a reflection on Smita - the flour was too course, we were pressing it out with a tortilla press instead of rolling it, and they were just dry and tough. Those inferior breads completely disappeared anyway.) Plus we tried tandori chicken that was too bland but again disappeared. Anna made dal makhani, Katie sent a fabulous vegetable curry with Johnny but kept her sorry sick self at home. When Mr. Mokashi tasted Katie's curry, he inquired with surprise and admiration who had prepared it. He said it was an absolutely appropriate use of Indian spice. Jeff and Amber brought a salad and Wes made one as well. Matthew brought Ben and Annie down which is a great treat.
We wore our saris to the party. Aleah couldn't find her necklace in her room -- and she pulled her room absolutely apart looking for it, making it impossible for me to find. (When I completely gutted and cleaned her room this week I still couldn't find it until I checked my jewelry box where it had safely hung the entire time ;). Dave, Wes, and Riley had a meeting they had to attend in the evening which kind of broke things up, but I took the Mokashi's on a walk around the neighborhood to see the flowers while the men were gone. This rose was planted my by friend Erika when she lived on Center Street. Smita captured the image. What a lovely rose it was!

Now how did we lose Mr. Mokashi's face in that group? Trust me, he was there! Again, it was a nice evening.

June 6 -- Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house

There was a flash in my mind while we were in the Draper Valley Temple open house with the Kelseys of Mr. Mokashi and Smita with us in what I understood to be the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house. I was so excited to consider sharing that opportunity with them, I checked the dates that very night. The open house didn't begin until June 1. On that day, we thought the Mokashis were to visit some time in May. I told Dave, "He thinks he's coming in May, but he's actually coming in June." Within a few weeks, the dates were moved and indeed they were to visit within the Oquirrh Mountain open house dates. Imagine that.

Saturday was the last working day before our road trip and it was a whirl of getting ready for Sunday's big Parish dinner and for the road trip (I don't know why I always act like there will be no stores where I'm going?). I took Smita to Costco. She was impressed by the size and variety. I love the quality.

When we got back home we had to race to get everyone into Sunday clothes, hair done, and off to the open house. I had gotten tickets for our family with the Mokashis and both Dave's folks and mine. I forgot my cell phone and couldn't coordinate with my Dad, though we parked right next to them (about 20 minutes later). Not finding us readily, unable to contact us by phone, and not wanting to miss us altogether, my mom and dad went on the tour without us. They waited for us in the reception area following there tour. We met them at the conclusion of ours.

After some pictures and cookies, I wanted to take everyone out for Indian. Dad got out his iPhone and found us an authentic place not too far from the temple. It was called India Fusion and Mr. Mokashi certifies its authenticity. We all really enjoyed the night.

When we got things settled down back at home (not really, Parker was in a mood and I just left him in Dave's charge), I took Smita to Wal-Mart to get the things on my list Costco doesn't carry. For some undefined reason, I always have to check my mind at the door when I enter that place, I think all the stuff overwhelms me. I remembered that I'd forgotten the cream before I checked out, but I realized I'd forgotten the chicken for Sunday's Indian dinner after we loaded up the car. I just couldn't go back in. Calming down on the way home, I reconciled with my circumstances and ran into Smiths (a much smaller store) close to home. Phew.

Antelope Island and the Bramwells

Friday morning was all pies. We were planning a big Bramwell shin-dig up in Layton that evening. My mom orchestrated the dinner and since Dave is top pie man, we offered to bring six pies (which turned out to be at least twice the amount we needed. No waste, though. Mr. Mokashi discovered that he LOVES pie.)

After a late lunch of chicken potpie, we departed for Layton. We first went to Antelope Island. We toured Garr Ranch which has one of the oldest structures on original foundations (it was built by a mason) in Utah. There was a root cellar that when Aleah entered she said, "Wow. That's, cool. I'm going to leave now."

It was really windy out there on the island, which I suppose it usually is.

"American style!" Mr. Mokashi takes advantage of his surroundings to pose our style.

We saw bison (two up close) and antelope right next to the road.

We met up with the family for what is a late American dinner. Mom had cooked up a storm.

Dad was on the barbeque cooking the chicken. There must have been eight different side dishes with roasted vegetables, marinated vegetables, salads, salsas, rolls, pickles, olives, watermelon..... Everything tasted wonderful.

The kids gathered and played and we adults congregated in the living room. We exchanged gifts and talked and teased each other. I instigated a pre-emptive rubber band strike against Eric.

Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy the evening and we were reluctant to leave.

June 4 -- Timpanogos Caves

Thursday morning started a little slower. We needed a little recovery time after out big touring day. Dave took Mr. Mokashi down to work and to Parish Chemical. The only thing I had on the agenda for this day was hiking to Timpanogos caves, which we made the final tour just in time.

There is a rather rigorous 1.5 mile hike up to the caves, but the path is paved which decreases fatigue substantially. We took nearly the entire hour and a half they allow, but we made it smiling.

On the trail.

Remember about watching more movies? They had made it through the final Lord of the Rings movie by this point of the trip. Golam, a sympathetic villan character, degenerates to a cave. So as we were going into the caves, the boys are saying to Aleah, "Golam, Golam." That got her adrenals pumping and she was screaming and hollering: I'm NOT going in there, I will not go in that cave!" The rest of the tour was moving on and we were concerned she wouldn't make it. But finally the door was closed and she said she wanted out and I told her I was taking her out... this is the way out. The hour long tour passed by with very little pain from her after that. She even survivied the quick moment of utter darkness when they turn off all the lights. Smita got a rise out Aleah nearly everyday after that by saying, "Aleah, we are going to the caves now?"

The heart of Timpanogos caves.

The heart with the red light behind it.

Beautiful cave formations.

The hike down was much quicker (especially for me as I was racing Aleah down to the restrooms) and we were sustained by the beautiful sights we'd shared.

We got home for a fondue dinner. That dinner always puts a smile on everyone's face. Smita said that it ended up being her favorite new food on the trip.

June 3 Touring

Wedesday morning started with a jolt for me. I stumbled from bed in the early morning to use the bathroom. The bedding had fallen off the foot of our bed in the night and I stepped around it and subsequently into the leg of the sitting chair in our room. The snapping sound awakened Dave before my reaction. If ever my toe is examined under exray, they will likely see numerous fractures healed on that right middle toe. I know I've broken it more than a handful of times.

Undeterred, we launched on the day's scheduled touring. This day we were to see Thanksgiving Point Gardens and Temple Square. Smita loves flowers so she had a visual feast this day. We were sad to arrive a week too early for the rose festival, but all the gardens were very enjoyable.

Smita was enamored with all the colors and blooms of our flowers. Flowers in India are very small and quite fragrant. Here the booms are large, the colors diverse, but the fragrance is weak. Too bad we couldn't share the rose garden in bloom. That would have satisfied every sense completely.

The Secret Garden is always such a favorite.

Stopping in the aromatic garden for a snap.

The back of the garden house from the Italian Garden, I believe.

Feeding the koi.

The Dave-led tour meant we saw the largest man-made falls at both the beginning and ending of our tour. These falls were cast from real falls and compiled to create a delightful walk in waterfall gardens.

We ate at Cafe Rio on the way up into Salt Lake. Once we found a parking place in town, we stopped at the Joseph Smith Memorial building to give them a bird's-eye view of the temple and it's grounds. We dodged a few showers in the tabernacle and the visitors' center. The exhibit in the visitor center about helping our neighbor is always so touching. I marvel at the vision and action of our church.Finally we made it to the conference center where we had a delightful host who gave us our own personal tour including the roof gardens. Looking up from the floor of the conference center, you can see some of the seats that up to 21,000 people at a time can meet to hear counsel from our prophet and other leaders.

The roof-top gadens really do make you feel quite away from the city. It almost seemed an extension of the gardens earlier in the day.
A serene close to a full day.