My Dad Finally Stays A Night! Yay!

This is my dad.  He deserves the mansion they are building him in heaven!

 At the beginning of April, my dad came with his 2 foreign exchange students (Yuta from Japan and Hok from Thailand) to do some sight seeing in our neck of the woods and of course to visit us!    We packed plenty into that weekend (conference weekend).  My dad and the boys arrived in the morning and we headed straight to the Dinosaur National Monument.

We went to the coolest quarry ever and admired the fossils of the dinos!

See the bone behind them?  It's still embedded in the mountainside.  It is a little darker brown.

This is a dino bone that you can touch.

Small fossil.  I don't remember what it was of.

Some bones are BIG!  Bigger than 6 yr old Amara!

Not sure how many people have ever hugged a dinosaur bone.  Yuta has.

Then we picnicked and we hiked.

Grilled hotdogs of course, because the Hok and Yuta love them.

What a view from the quarry!

 We hiked around at Josie's Cabin, where we also picnicked.  It's a short hike, but with stellar views.

This is Yuta singing like a girl at the top of his lungs non-stop.  Hilarious.  It echoed and echoed.

My dad wanted a chance to stand atop what he labeled as "Pride Rock."

He likes to climb rocks.  He's pretending to hold baby Simba from the movie Lion King.

Still singing on that rock.

Hok pulled this face last second.  :)

We decided to make a quick trip to see the impressive petroglyphs at McConkie Ranch before we headed home.  It was another nice hike, and a must see for anyone who loves history or seeing the ancient.  These date back to around the time of Christ.  If you want to read about the people that lived in America at that time, you've got to read the Book of Mormon.  It is a compilation of the ancient records of the inhabitants of America, and their account of Jesus Christ's visit to them after his crucifixion.  Really if you haven't read it, request a free copy here, and read it.  It will change your life.

Daddy Daughter Selfie

When we returned home, it was time for my dad and Steve to go to the priesthood session of conference.  They went while I made dinner.  We had a delicious chicken piccata pasta that I prepared following my dad's instructions.  It was so good and easy.  I need to ask him for the exact recipe because I can't remember it anymore, and it's only been 2 months!  Sad.  I do remember it tasted delicious!

Later that evening, we played the board game, Cranium (a fast version), with Yuta.  He had been begging to play a board game.  It was fun.

And, the next day before he left, my dad made us some lemon bars using fresh lemons he had brought back from my Aunt Cheryl's tree when he visited her in California only days before.  Look how yummy!  I had a bite and it was DIVINE!

 I love how my girls watched and helped, just like I used to when I was their age.  My dad is the best!  Truly the BEST EVER!

Yum.