Hales/Campbell Family at Garff Ranch

Two weekends ago we were invited by Tyler's mom and step-dad to go with them to a Ranch in Park City. The Ranch belongs to Bob Garff, the owner of all the Ken Garff dealerships in Utah. He and Elder Hales are good friends and he told Elder Hales to take his family, which kind of includes us now, up to his working ranch. All of Steve's kids were able to go and all of the Campbell kids except Ryan were there. There were 20 adults and 12 kids there. We were so excited to get to hang out with Steve's kids and their kids. They are all so kind to us and we appreciate them letting us come along on their family adventures. We really enjoy their company and look forward to getting to know them even more!
The massive cabin sits on 15,000 acres in the mountains of Park City. The master suit was probably the size of my entire house - about 900 sq feet. The kitchen was the size of a commercial kitchen and there were 4 private suits upstairs that all had their own bathrooms, we got one of these suits because we have a baby(if you can call Link a baby anymore)! There was also a huge bunk room downstairs with 6 or 7 bunk beds. There was so much gorgeous wood work and detailing that I could not get over. Elder Hales said that some of the family members did all the wood detailing and carving in the house. Just below the cabin is the barn and arena. There is also a gorgeous country club just down the road that Bob Garff is a member of so on Saturday the guys were able to go golfing while the girls took the kids to the pool. (ps, this country club yearly membership costs 1 million bucks!!!) Tyler had so much fun golfing! The course was amazing. He literally could have golfed all day! He said golfing on the municipal golf course will never be the same again! Jaxon had a blast swimming and going down the huge slide. After swimming and golfing we had an amazing lunch at the country club and then headed back to the cabin to ride horses. Both boys fell asleep so I went riding by myself. I'm not sure if it was because I was alone for once or just that I have missed riding so much but I had the BEST time ever! I could have ridden all afternoon! I was a little nervous riding because I haven't been on a horse in almost 4 years. As I was running my horse around the arena I just kept thinking about my mom and how she used to say "a horse can't run faster then I can ride. I just hold on tighter and smile wider." And I did. I kicked that horse into a dead run, held on tight and smiled. I probably looked a little silly but I didn't really care! We rode around the arena for a while and gave the kids rides and then 4 of us went out on a longer ride up around the cabin. I was so sore by the time we were done but it was so worth it! When we got back I had Tyler wake up the boys and bring them down so they could have a quick ride with me. They both loved it! Jaxon just wanted to gallop the entire time and Linkon would rock back and forth and kick the horse. The rest of the day was spent hanging out and playing games. Elder and Sister Hales are so funny! They just feed off each other! It was really fun to sit and play games and eat with Elder Hales. I always knew apostles are just "ordinary" people but I still expected that all they talk about is Gospel doctrines and bare their testimony every few minutes so it was neat for me to see that Elder Hales really is just a man. He loves baseball and he tells jokes and loves to make people laugh! Also Tyler sat in Elder Hales room and they watched ESPN together for a while, which Tyler LOVED!
On Sunday we had a little meeting were a few people bore their testimonies. Sister Hales said she was so grateful to be on the earth at this time when we have the scriptures. She knew so much history and so many facts about the scriptures, I was really touched and inspired to learn more and study my scriptures more. Also, while we were there she mentioned a few times how it is so important that husbands help their wives and wives do NOT nag their husbands. I just thought, Elder and Sister Hales have been married 57 years and they are so happy together; maybe this is the key. So I am trying to nag less and Tyler is doing a great job at helping me with the boys more.
We had such a wonderful time and wish we could have stayed a week longer! We did get to go back to Steve and Gail's house and hang out with Tyler's sisters and their families till Monday which was so much fun. Jaxon had an awesome time playing with cousins and when he woke up in his own bed Tuesday and Wednesday morning he cried and was so upset that there were no cousins to play with.
I don't know why but the only pictures we took the entire time were a couple of Jaxon on the horse with me and they are not very good. I borrowed the other ones from Steve, I hope he doesn't mind!

This is looking from the dining room into the great room. The table is one of the things the owners carved themselves.

Playing games

Sorry, this is kind of all over the place. I hope you can understand it and that it makes sense.
I just finished reading all the posts and comments about little Preslee Sullenger who nearly drowned a couple weeks ago and then passed away last weekend. I went to school with Preslee's mom but we didn't know each other. I'd been following her story and waiting for all the updates. When I found out that she passed away last Friday I thought "I don't want to read about it. I don't want to be sad." But then I thought about "mourning with those who mourn" and even though I cannot offer my condolences to the family personally some good can come from me reading the story and all the sad comments. Since reading the stories I am completely overcome with gratitude for my family, for my sweet little boys who teach me patience, how to love, and how to laugh! I will appreciate each moment I have with them. They are my best friends! I will watch them more closely. I will be more grateful for the plan of salvation and for my Savior. I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me and wants me to grow and learn and love him. I am so sorry for little Preslee's parents and for all who love her and her family. It is times like these that I am reminded of the pain of losing a loved one. That weight that settles on your chest and makes it so difficult to breath. The helpless feeling. Complete agony. The actual physical pain. Falling to your knees, begging Heavenly Father for some relief, some comfort, a little peace. I cannot imagine losing one of my children. It is my one of my greatest fears - the greatest being losing them for eternity. My heart aches for the Sullengers and their family.

Okay I started this post earlier today and just came back to it. So the rest of this is in a little bit different direction but I wanted to share it anyway. One of the comments someone posted on the Sullenger's blog was about submitting our will to the Lord and how it is the one truly unique thing we can give to the Lord. (I think they were quoting a general authority from a conference address or something.) The Lord has a plan for each and everyone of us. We cannot understand everything but we can submit ourselves to Him and His will and He will guide and direct us in our lives so we can return to Him someday.
This weekend I was riding horses and I kept thinking about a comment someone made in Sunday school a couple weeks ago. The teacher asked what it meant to have a "broken heart" and a man in my ward replied that he always compared it to breaking a horse. When you break a horse you teach and train him to submit to your will. So as I was riding I began to think about that. At first I was riding a horse named Ida. She was a big, beautiful horse, but she was incredibly stubborn. She would mind me, or "submit" to my will only about half the time. A few of us wanted to go out on a longer ride up the mountain a little ways. I decide to change horses because I didn't trust Ida and I was not very comfortable riding her out in the open. (I hadn't been on a horse in over 3 years!) The next horse I got on was perfect! He did exactly as I asked and the ride was so much fun! Also, because my horse was broke so well I could just let him go and I knew he would follow the trail we were on. He didn't need as much coaxing to stay on the trail as some of the other horses did. And if he began to wander a bit I would gently bring him back to the trail. There was another horse that went on the long ride with us that nearly walked straight over a cattle guard because he wanted to just get back to the barn and was not "submitting" to the will of his rider who was desperately trying to steer him away from the danger. As I compare having a broken heart to a broke horse I think about the different degrees of "broken". Do I want to be like the horse that is so stubborn and refuses to obey his master that he doesn't see the danger laying in his path? Or the horse the rider cannot trust? Or do I want to be like the horse who willingly obeys his master and in turn has an enjoyable and safe journey through the woods? In my reading last night I came across this scripture in Acts 14:22 that says "...we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." We know we are going to have trials and tribulations, it is the only way to "enter the kingdom of God." So doesn't it just make sense to submit ourselves to the Lord's will and be like the faithful and obedient horse who trusts his master and avoids the dangerous cattle guards? I know that the only way to make it through the trials I have been through and will go through in this life is to submit my will to the Lord. I pray I can remember little Preslee and the reminder she has given me to rely on Heavenly Father and to stay close to Him and worthy of His spirit at all times - you never know when you are going to need that extra strength.

pictures

Here are just a few pictures of the last month or so. There are some of us golfing and a couple random ones of the boys.