From Kenya to Zion

 Just 2 weeks after we returned from Kenya, George and I headed down to Utah.  First we spent a night in Orem with George's former BYU roommate, Eric and his wife Joanne.  I didn't get a single photo of that fun night.  I suppose we were having so much fun that we just forgot to take a picture.  They treated us to a 48th Anniversary dinner at Outback Steak house.  That was really our only celebration!

Next day we stopped in St. George for a fun lunch with Gary and Sharlene Bronson.  He had been our Bishop in Eagle. I served as RS President and YW President when he was bishop.  They moved from Eagle to Memphis and got a taste of the southern life!  When they drove from Memphis to Little Rock for a soccer tournament, Gary even thought to take a photo of the Lonoke exit!  It was wonderful to spend time with them.

Next a tour of the very beautiful St. George Temple after extensive restoration work.    This is the oldest of the Utah temples, first dedicated in 1877.  The furniture, carpets and woodwork reflected the pioneer styles.  

As we were going down one of the staircases, we happened to pass George's siblings John & Katherine and Karen going up the stairs so we turned around and went through the temple again.

Then it was on to Zion National Park to stay at the beautiful lodge for a couple of nights.  

George's siblings meet annually to discuss their family foundation and decide on donations for the next year.

John and Katherine reported on their medical mission to Mexico, which the foundation has supported. We gave an overview of our trip to Kenya and once again they decided to be extremely generous to Kenya Keys.

After the meeting there was plenty of time for hiking.

Matt and Cady decided several months ago to join us.

We all love Cady!  

When Scott found out that we were going to go to Zion again, he quickly made a reservation and added to the fun!

I feel so happy that our adult kids like to hang out with us!

We hiked to Upper Emerald Pool.

Beautiful spot with great views of Zion Canyon all the way up the trail.

On our hike down I struck up a conversation with a young man from Africa.  When I asked him which country and he said, "Rwanda", I surprised him by telling him that we had been there the year before.  His comment, "NO WAY!"

He came to study at Ensign College in Salt Lake City and was now at BYU.  I asked if he were LDS and he isn't.  He just likes the atmosphere and way of life.  I love that answer!

Zion is a spectacular place.

Easy to see why it is a Lewis Family favorite.

This quote by President Gordon B Hinckley seems appropriate when I think of Zion Canyon.

"All of the beauty in the Earth bears the fingerprint of the Master Creator."