Visiting Arizona 2022

The day after Christmas our family took off on a trip to Arizona. We left about 9am and got to the Grand Canyon at about 5pm and stopped for a quick look before heading to our hotel.

The next morning we headed early to the park because I was feeling paranoid about waiting in a long line to get in--we had seen a very long line the previous afternoon. Talmage was feeling grumpy about that, but he appreciated our early start when we saw the crowds later in the day--and the very full parking lot.

We did a hike to "Ooh Aah Point" with our spikes on, which was somewhat cold and windy. After a few hours of looking around we decided to head back which is when we ran into my brother's family. We had planned to meet up with them in Phoenix so seeing them at the Grand Canyon was a bonus. We had lunch with them at Wendy's as we headed out. That night we stayed at our VRBO in Scottsdale.

The next morning Scott and I did a session at the Phoenix temple and got a dozen donuts on the way home. It was a rainy morning but shortly after lunch, the rain eased up and the four of us went on a nearby hike to look at the saguaros while Talmage stayed in since he was nursing a cold.

We met up with Bruce's family at a 3-D miniature golf place then had some lunch at Torchy's Tacos.

Afterwards we went to "Oldtown Scottsdale" and looked around at the various galleries:

That night, we visited Bruce and Michelle's place and made them some sourdough pancakes (with the sourdough starter I took on the trip which I got for Christmas) and also Hawaiian haystacks. Then played some games.

On Thursday morning, we went to the Phoenix temple where some of us did baptisms. I babysat Nyla and saw a very cool hawk land on the temple fence. It obligingly posed for me while I took lots of pictures. I think it was the variety called "Swainson's Hawk." It's a beautiful bird.

After the temple, we drove a little ways to a different park to take another hike. We learned that saguaro cactus don't start developing "arms" until they're 80-100 years old.

After the hike, Talmage, Clyn, Mika and Drew used the Suburban to go on an ATV tour some distance away while the rest of us drove back to our houses.

Then later we joined up to have some pizza. The next morning, we raced home, arriving back about the same time. It was a fun trip!

The next day we hosted a New Year's Eve party at our house. I went to sleep about 11:30 and I was so tired that the fireworks didn't wake me up at midnight.

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Our Cousin Drew

This last week, my brother and his wife lost a very precious son, just 13 years old. He collapsed while running with a cross-country team and passed away before he could be revived. Everyone that knew Drew is broken-hearted at this loss. He was the happiest, most agreeable kid we knew. I remember him being at my house without anyone close to his age to hang out with, so he found our Duplo blocks and started building even though it is a toy that boys his age don't usually enjoy. He was so content. He didn't complain that I ever remember. His mother always called him the perfect child. He will leave a big hole in not only his immediate family but our extended family as well. Here is a poem my aunt shared that seems fitting: Leave Taking How I would have liked to wave goodbye and watch until you turned and smiled and disappeared on the horizon. You who taught me to dance and let me teach you, who laughed at my stories and winked at me when I was sad. I can just see you trav

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This weekend we celebrated Drew's life. On Thursday night, we gathered as an extended family and had a dinner then sat in a big circle and talked about our memories of him. I took some notes and here is what people said. Grandpa (Gary Hansen): The last time we saw Drew was last week on the 4th. I remember all the cousins on the trampoline, bouncing up and down and playing basketball. Grandma (Susan Hansen): I asked Drew to come over last winter to teach my Activity Day boys how to make origami stars. He was very patient in working with them even though they were pretty clueless. Eventually they all went home happily with their stars. Paula: This last winter we invited Bruce and Michelle over for dinner and we didn't have anyone his age for him to hang out with. I remember that Drew found the Duplo blocks on his own and played with them all by himself, quite cheerfully entertaining himself. I asked him if he wanted to play with a different toy--maybe something more sophistica

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