We had a lovely weekend visiting with family in Utah. Grandad and Grandma just moved out to Utah, and this was the first time that everyone from both sides of the family were together at the same time. We got close before but missed Doug who was on a mission when we got married, and we missed some McKees last summer.
Anyway, on Saturday morning we dropped Emre off with his Lola and Grandpa and went to the Mount Timpanogos temple with the McKee side. It was such a special experience, the first time that the whole family were in the temple together. Laleinia and I both left determined to do all we can to one day have the same experience with our own children.
We spent the afternoon at a park in Provo canyon, having a BBQ and playing some games with family. It was a lot of fun, really nice to be together with both sides of the family. Towards the end, I went off to hike with Kip. We went up big baldy, and in an attempt to avoid the steep downhill and save some time, we tried to cut our own trail back down the mountain. We were bush whacking and slipping all the way through the long grass, bushes, trees, and some plants that stung our legs over and over again. What's more, we got caught in a storm that lasted almost as long as our descent. But all things considered, it was great! It is so great to be out in the mountains, even when you are exposed to the elements! We chatted away, plotting our next adventure, and had a great time. As we drove away, the stinging in our legs grew more and more irritating. Thankfully, it was gone by the morning.
Sunday was another great day. Connor gave his farewell in sacrament meeting (it was also his first time at that Ward) and Lain's family were all there too. He did a really great job, so proud of him. After sacrament meeting, I blessed Emre in the chapel. A number of people stayed for it, including many people that I don't know! We had my dad and brothers, Lain's dad and brothers, and Kip in the circle. It was a great experience, giving him his naming and blessing. Emre started to get fussy towards the end, but it all worked out well!
After that, we headed over to a park for photos and lunch. It was another great time to be with lots of family and friends. We had a great time with both of our families together. We are lucky that we were able to do that, many families never get the chance for something like that, so we feel very blessed.