Week 51

Brooke's video of the week, it's a quick 13 second clip. Click here.  ​It was strange being here in California without my parents, Brigham and Lizzie's families today, after spending last week with them. Almost like a completely different trip was starting, even though we (thankfully) were staying in the same place. Didn't want to move our luggage again. ​ Fun day at the Carlsbad beach with ​C​ostellos and ​A​llens and gang. Skim boarding, volleyball and body surfing. It was on the cool side. Costellos, one of our favorite couples, celebrated 25 years today. Todd still isn't feeling well-can't eat much besides oatmeal and water ​, and is still probably feeling a bit jet lagged. ​. He was able to get a blessing from some brand new elders today so I'm sure he will get better qu

ickly. I took the kids to ​H​ow to ​T​rain ​Y​our ​D​ragon ​2​ while he rested. It's nice just to walk down the street one block to the movies. Now if only there were some better movies playing this week. ​Beach - kids are peeling like crazy on their faces It looks like they are wearing masks. ​C​old and windy most of the day. ​T​odd is feeling better.​ We ate at the fish shop right near the beach, went home to clean up and then came back for games (Quelf and Catch Phrase) and a devotional. The Allens brought a nice group of friends with them this year. Karen made s'mores for everyone and we slept well. ​ ​July 3rd, Today is our ​22nd anniversary​.​ We​ had a breakfast date before the kids awoke. I remembered that my Grandpa Binger treated my family to breakfast at JB's in SLC the morning we got married. Todd remembered that he threw up just before driving to SLC. He asked if I knew our life was going to be like it has been, would I have been more excited or less excited ​for our lives ​on our wedding day? Interesting question...thinking back on events of 22 years and deciding ​if the positives have outweighed the negatives, and if the negatives turned out to be positives, ​ I guess I'm glad I didn't know what was coming our way. I like the element of surprise in my life. ​( And of course, I said "more excited"!). We shopped at the outlet mall and had some good luck. ​ We met with the Curtis family for lunch and then the beach. ​Their son is in the MTC with Chase and they are both having a great experience there. ​ ​Angie's sister is in my sister Liz's ward in AZ, so it was nice to meet her. After Curtis' left we went to Costello's beach for the rest of the afternoon. I love this vacation because there are no set plans, except for the beach, and especially that I don't have any babies in diapers-those were the days when vacations were tons of work. ​ We went to a nice dinner on the beach in Cardiff and then a trip to good 'ole Costco. The night before the 4th is a crazy time to be ​there, but we needed some gas​ in our car . Todd and I ran down the boardwalk. You could feel the excitement of the holiday as people set up their pop up tents and shades, bbq grills and red, white, & blue streamers. ​Music was playing, people were unloading truck beds full of coolers and drinks, laying out towels and applying sunscreen. Vendors were setting up booths. ​It was getting crowded even around 9am. ​We did three loads of laundry...reds/whites/blues. ​Todd had a work call while we drove to San Clemente to spend the holiday with my Beeson cousins at the Galland​'s home​ . ​My cousin,​ Anne Ivie​,​ was there with her children ​from AZ, ​ and Angela had her 4 ​Beeson cousins ​with her also. The kids had a great time swimming, going to the park, watching movies, lighting sparklers, throwing poppers and riding in Adam's big van. "Mom, you can play soccer in his van!", Brynn said, amazed. Emily ​and Anne ​manned the grill, 4 sister missionaries prepped fruit and veggie trays and it was a party. ​The teenagers went to the pier to watch fireworks on the beach and had a grand time getting to know each other, and Adam rode a motor bike up all sorts of ramps formed into an obstacle course in his backyard. Thanks ​Gallands​! We drove home today. Brigham is trying to finish The Hobbit ​, but he keeps falling asleep. We are staying in our house for a week. Nice to be home but interesting that it doesn't feel like it's time to be back yet, which I guess is a good feeling since we are not staying. This next year will go by more quickly as we look forward to Ally coming home and we know what to expect this time when we fly back to Asia. ​​​ Arizona sunsets are the best! (pic by brooke) ​Sunday: Fasting. Nice to be back in our home ward for this week and next. It hit me today during the sacrament song, that we are going back for another year. I remember how we felt last time, the excitement of the unknown, and how we feel this time, knowing what it will be like. We do miss our other branch and friends as well, so it will be good to go back and finish our time there. We will miss those who won't be going back with us...Chase, Carina, Shane, and look forward to meeting new families in our little revolving China branch. Anna, good luck with your new son BingBing! Mom and Dad has us over for a nice 4th of July dinner complete with red, white & blue dishes and table setting, thanks Mom! Safe travels everyone! Love from California & Arizona, Taylor fam PICS: Arizona sunset Beeson cousins on the 4th of July Our family's 22nd birthday picture.