Made another trip to the Gilbert Temple site after church today. We are going to go on fast Sundays from here on out. (Latter-Day Saints traditionally skip two meals on the first Sunday each month and donate the money that would have been spent to humanitarian aid causes- time is also spent praying and meditating) We get out of church at 1130AM which makes a long LONG afternoon for a 9 yr old when you are fasting. The trip occupies about 75 minutes of Shaw's attention and gives us a time to talk about what we learned that day and what we are fasting for.
Still no detectable progress to the untrained eye. I think that all of the preliminary underground stuff is done and these machines are in place to start digging the building foundations perhaps this week.
Went on a hike to Sunrise peak. Shaw has now been to the top of just about all of the urban mountaintops around Phoenix with the exception of Camelback. The last 1/3 of that hike requires a bit of rock climbing ability and I think we'll have to save that one until he's a bit older. Sunrise is actually the tallest of all the mountains around here. He's been to Piestewa Peak, South Mountain, Shaw Butte, North Mountain, Lookout Mountain and Moon Mountain. It was really cold that day and it started to rain on us right when we got to the top but it was just a drizzle for the hour it took us to hike back down. It poured the rest of that day and night. We were glad to get back in the warm car.
He's also been to the top of Peralta trail at the foot of Weaver's Needle but that's kinda outside of the urban range. It's behind Superstition mountain which is the one that rises in the distance and disappears on the left of this photo.
We are all back to our school day schedule starting tomorrow. No church meetings this afternoon so we are going to play a game and do some reading or take a nap or just sit quietly...
A brilliant young lady on the Marimbas- it was a brilliant song choice too- moody and dark and haunting with great dynamics and even with my trained ear, I didn't hear a single missed note or any strike that wasn't exactly what she wanted. Most might have chosen a happy, poppy, bubbly song but she really added flavor to the night. Bravo!
A beautiful woman from the Spanish speaking branch in the stake- She rocked the house! Lots of shouting and cheering spontaneously. My life in the entertainment business has taught me that Latter-day Saints aren't the greatest audiences around. The concept of reverence kinda gets in our way sometimes, particularly in the church building. To shout 'Amen' or to cheer during church service is not our tradition. This event took place in the cultural hall and applause and cheering were appropriate. Her dance was about 3 numbers into the program and she really loosened everybody up going forward. The response to, and appreciation of the performers was much more spirited for the rest of the night.
This group above put the smile on Shaw's face that you see in the picture below. They sang a barbershop-type arrangement of a fun song about chunky peanut butter and raspberry jelly living and loving happily on a little piece of bread. These young men really nailed it too!
A little class and culture here- a stringed octet.
A jazz combo finished off the night and there were a few people dancing to wrap things up. There was a percussionist and a saxophone player to the right just out of the shot.
It's official now, we ARE the Hermosa Vista Stake!
