Trip to St. George

I had the greatest idea this summer!  While Spencer was in Ghana, and Bryan and Tyler were at High Adventure, the girls and I decided to take a Girl's Trip to St. George.  My mom recently bought a house there, and had extended the invitation for anybody to use it.  So we roped Stephanie and kids into meeting us in Salt Lake, and then we hopped in their car for the rest of the drive to St. George.  The drive was a breeze for us!  (A little longer and more painful for the Idaho crew...)  We had a great time in St. George, where we braved record heat (it was over 115 degrees!).  We played at the indoor pool and rec center, where we swam and went rock climbing.  The kids enjoyed fun sleepovers and early morning trips to the playground (it was over 90 degrees by the time they woke up!).  We went to the movie, went shopping, got frozen custard twice, and had a fun time visiting with Grandma Andersen and Susan, Jerry, and Gray.  It was such a fun few days!  We also went to see Shrek the Musical at Tuacahn, and it was so fun!!!  The kids loved it.  I will always remember their laughing when I hear the music.  Stephanie and I decided to be really brave on our last day there and take the kids on a serious hike in Zion National Park.  We hiked The Narrows, and it was so beautiful and awesome.  And also completely treacherous and long!  I cannot believe what troopers the kids were.  We pushed them a little too far, but hopefully in the end they just remember how cool it was and how proud they are that they did it.  This trip to St. George may have just become a tradition!  If the kids have anything to say about it, that is.  :)

Ghana

As a graduation gift, Bryan and I sent Spencer on an HEFY (Humanitarian Experience for Youth) trip to Ghana.  We'd been planning it for months, and Spencer chose Ghana because he's always had an interest in Ghana for some reason.  And what an amazing experience he had!!  Before he left he sent an email to a local YMCA director, and asked them if they had any soccer balls that they would be willing to donate to him to take to Ghana.  They ended up giving him their entire lost and found!  So Spencer's one suitcase, for almost three weeks, was filled almost entirely with soccer balls to give to the kids in Ghana.  (And they loved them!) Once he arrived in Ghana with his group, they spent the first few days on an African Safari in Mole National Park.  So jealous!!  Then they flew back down to Accra where they spent the next two weeks building a school for poor children and orphans, and also building a bathroom onto an orphanage.  They worked hard from sun up to sun down, Monday through Friday.  In the evenings they had talent shows, dances, Family Home Evenings with host families, and went on splits with the missionaries.  On Sundays they attended church with the local congregation.  On their second weekend in Ghana, they went to an old slave castle, with was extremely sobering and eye opening for him.  They also went zip-lining through the jungle.  As a bonus, one night they went to the beach and there happened to be an international surfing competition going on.  So Spencer and his adult advisor both signed up to represent the United States!  Life highlight!  On one of the last nights in Ghana, many people had their hair braided.  Spencer decided to go for long, platinum blonde braids.  So that is how he attended the temple in Accra, and also how he spent a night lost in New York City on his way home.  Plus wearing the African clothes he bought!  It was quite a sight to see him come down the escalator at the airport.  What a amazing trip!  The chance of a lifetime, for sure.