Keeping Up With the Joneses: And All Along I Believed I Would Find You

My sister and her family flew in from Minnesota for the wedding on Wednesday the 9th. I didn't get to see them until the wedding, though, and then Saturday, we went hiking in Logan canyon. It was a lot of fun to be with them. I know I just got to see them in January, but I missed them.
The hike was 3.6 miles total, but my out of shape body thinks it was longer. It's a good thing I work out though. My legs managed to get me to the wind caves, and I really wasn't that sore the next day. My calves were a little achy and I didn't work out yesterday (even though in hindsight, I think I could have). Emily and Joel came with us on the hike. Joel is Emily's boyfriend. He's a nice guy. I like hanging out with them. Anyway, as we were coming down the mountain, we were kind of tired, and Emily said, "We can do it. We're one step closer." Then I started singing that Christina Perry song from Breaking Dawn (the movie), and Emily joined in because I couldn't remember as many of the lyrics.
Sunday was Mother's day and in the morning, Riley told Kurtis he wanted to make me breakfast. The only think Kurtis could think of that I would like and that he could make me was a bagel with cream cheese on it. It was strawberry cream cheese. Yum! But he came upstairs while I was sleeping and says, "Mom!" "Hhhhmmm?" "I made you breakfast!" With a sleepy groan, "Oh, that's awesome, thank you." And he put the plate on my chest and left the room. I think I ate it an hour later.
After getting ready for the day, I made a cake for Zach and loaded everybody in the car to go to my parents' house. We almost missed Ben's phone call from Brazil! But we made it in time to get to talk to him for a bit. He's coming home September 5th! I'm so excited. It was so good to hear his voice and he sounds really great. He's happy doing the missionary work and is now a Zone leader. That means he is in charge of about 14 or more other missionaries. They report to him and he reports to the mission leader. A chain of command so to speak. :) He's now in the city of Belem rather than being in the Amazon, and it looks like he might finish out his mission there.
After we talked to Ben, we went to church with my parents, and Emily and Joel were there too. Emily left after church to go visit Joel's mom. Even though I told him he had to take turns. And Emily said, "Yeah. We always visit your family." Hee hee. It was funny. Maybe you had to be there.
After church, I frosted Zach's cake. He wanted me to put a t-bone steak on it. So I did. With pink and white shimmery frosting. I guess he really likes steak. We ate dinner and then we had cake and ice cream. Then we all talked politics and got into an argument. Rodney thinks Mit Romney is going to ruin our country. I think Obama needs to go because he took away my freedom of speech. I hate politics and don't really like either candidate. I remember feeling the same way four years ago. I guess that would make me undecided at the moment. My mom opened her Mother's day present. I got her season one of Downton Abbey. She is excited to watch it because she only watched bits and pieces of season two and didn't really get what was going on. Then Henry opened his birthday present that we got him. It was coloring books and some early reader books for his plane ride home. He seemed really excited about them. They went home yesterday. I miss them already.
Now I have a butt-load of pictures to show you! :) Admit it. You love it.

Pictures never do justice to the real beauty of the world.

We took a break, and Kaleb decided to take a stick and dig up this rock.

Then Brian made up this song to the tune of "The Bareneccesities":

We are the Rock Mining Collection Team!

We aren't what we seem!

Collecting rocks is our dream!

Well, I came up with the second line and Ana came up with the third. It was a group effort. :) It's going to be a top 40 hit. It's that good. :D

Our destination: The top of that rock.

"I hate hiking!" No he doesn't. He had fun. He just says that because it is hard. But he made it to the top with out needing to be carried and I am proud of him. I'm also surprised he went so far out on that rock. He's afraid of heights and doesn't even like stairs.

The wind caves are called such because the wind carved out the caves. This rock formation was carved by the wind too. It's pretty cool.

Emily and Joel at the top.

Jeremy, Riley, Zach, Kurtis, Kaleb, Isaac, William's nose, and my mom.

My dad, Ana, Emily and Joel.

Sitting on top of the wind caves.

We climbed down to explore them a little.

This place is cool.

Michele has conquered the mountain!

The second cave.

Cool view.

I don't really take pictures on the way down. I'm too busy looking at the ground and trying not to trip on things. But this was gross. So I had to take a picture of it. :)