Thank you to our favorite veterans!

Wish we could thank you all in person!

Ballerina Girl

Bryant's Aunt Muriel sent this little leotard to Sadie Louise. I am so excited that it fits her now. We just thought she was so cute in it today.

Gila Valley Temple and Family History

Today was the dedication for the Gila Valley Temple. Last week Skyler, Sibley, and I took a trip to the Gila Valley to go to the temple open house. We didn't think Sadie would like the trip so she and Jessica stayed home. While there we decided to visit and take pictures of a few special places in our family's history. We also stopped by two local cemeteries and visited a number of our ancestors' graves. I tried to do some kind of order with these posts, but I don't know what I'm doing. I hope everyone enjoys them. I am so thankful to have such great ancestors who worked so hard to make a home for themselves and communities that people still enjoy today!










We left our camera in the car when we parked. We stopped on the way out of the parking area to take this picture and the picture of the Angel Moroni. Sklyer took the other pictures out of the car window on our way out of town at around 50 mph...I think she did a great job.

On the road to and from the Gila Valley

The girls wanted to stop and take pictures of "Devils Canyon"

Skyler and Sibley would not have come on the trip if they knew it was over 2 hours to get there. I had to tell a small lie to get them in the car. They complained the whole way there about how long it was and decided to snap photos of things they saw out the windows. Ironically we were traveling on the highway that my maternal grandfather Grant Bingham surveyed as a cut-off to make the trip much faster.

He also worked on the tunnel just outside of Superior, AZ.

Safford Cemetery

Ira Taylor Kempton was born Feb. 1, 1850 in Texas and went west to California, then Utah, then Idaho and finally to Arizona. He did all of those travels with his father Nathan Kempton. Nathan died about three weeks after they arrived in the Gila Valley. Ira had a farm and dairy in Graham. He is the father of Martin Kempton who was married to Sena Lenore Peterson (daughter of Peter O. and Mary). Martin and Sena are the parents of my maternal grandmother, Lenore. That is who Sibley Lenore is named for. Martin was really a farmer, but to help make ends meet he was also the deputy sheriff. Martin was killed in the line of duty in a true wild west gun fight by draft evaders in Feb. 1918. The sheriff and another deputy were also killed. It is the same story Spencer W. Kimball talks about in The Miracle of Forgiveness. My Great Uncle Glenn forgave the admitted killer of his father.

I couldn't believe that the mountain still had snow on it.

This is the gravesite of my maternal grandparents.

This is the gravesite of Grant Randalls parents. Euphrasia (Tasia)Foote and Richard Bingham.

Graham Community Cemetery

This is the gravesite of Peter O. Peterson and his wife Mary Anderson Peterson. They are my Great-Great Grandparents. They were both born in Denmark in the 1850's. Peter was a boy while is family crossed the plains with the Willie Handcart company. Luckily everyone in their family survived the trip. While he was working on the St. George, Utah Temple, Brigham Young called him to get married and go help settle Arizona. He went back to Northern Utah and married Mary on February 14, 1876 and they set off to settle numerous new communities in Arizona, ending up the Gila Valley. Peter Peterson helped lay out this same cemetery in 1886 (see photos above). Eight of their eleven children are also buried here. The two graves behind Skyler and Sibley are of their two girls who both died as young babies.

Historical Areas Around Town

This is the Graham County Courthouse in town. The giant rock the girls are standing next to was brought off the 10,717 foot Mt. Graham by their 3rd Great Granddad Dolph Foote with a team and wagon. It commerates local men who served in WWI. We found some Kempton names that I am sure we are related to also.

This is the old Morris Squibb Hospital where the girls Grandma Slade was born.

This is the house where Grandma Slade grew up as a girl before her family moved to Mesa. It is right across the street from Eastern Arizona College.

This is the building were Skyler and Sibley's Great Grandma Bingham was baptized. The Bishop's office had a baptismal font.

Before the font in the bishop's office the girls Great-Great Grandmother Euphrasia Foote Bingham got baptized in this canal on April 13, 1901. The girls thought the water looked too "gross" to even wade in, let alone go under in. We thought it was neat to see these two baptismal spots because Sibley will be getting baptized soon too. Spencer W. Kimball was also baptized in this same canal.

This is the boyhood home of Spencer W. Kimball. It is right across the street from the Bishop's office with the baptismal font.

She feels happy!

Thanks for the outfit, Aunt Amanda. We love it and it is perfect for the weather here. And she really did feel happy this morning. She was very smiley.

Sadie is 8 weeks old today!

I can't believe you are already 8 weeks old. Here is what you are up to these days:

You are a fraidy cat. When I am feeding you and I sneeze or your daddy makes me laugh (which is quite often), you make the cutest poopy face and you let loose with the crying. You also do this when your sisters yell. (This usually occurs when your daddy is chasing them around the room or playing a game with them.) You see? It's all your daddy's fault.:)

You like to sleep on your stomach. Your startle reflex is so strong that you constantly wake yourself up if you are sleeping on your back. You don't feel very secure that way.

You love to go outside. If you are upset, we just take you outside, and you calm down right away.

You still get the hicc-ups all the time.

You go to bed between 8 and 9 every night. You like to lay down and play for a little while in my bed. Then, when you get to fussing, I give you your chupy and roll you over on to your belly. Sometimes you sleep for 5 hours, but most of the time you just sleep for 3. Then you are ready to eat. But you always go right back to sleep after you eat, so that's good.

You are getting so chubby. You even have cleavage! I can't wait to see how much you weigh at your check up next week. I have had to go through your drawers and throw out tons of onesies because you are already too big for them. You have fat rolls galore! It makes me proud to feed you and make you so healthy.

Your sisters love to hold you. So does your daddy. Sometimes he only lets me hold you to feed you, and then he makes me give you right back to him. You are lucky to have a daddy like him. Someone is always asking to hold the baby. That is why you are spoiled rotten.

Before and After

Remember our unexpected Sunday guest from a couple of months ago? Well, Mama Kitty evidently got to him. I found him rotting on the side of the house. I must say, though, I am glad to know this one's not living in my attic. I couldn't believe it when I found him dead. He was so big and scary looking. I was afraid of him, but Mama Kitty wasn't. And he was almost as big as she is. She is a fearless warrior...Or is she a murderous tyrant? I'm trying to decide.

Mama Kitty strikes again...

This poor little fella was on our front porch this morning. He was so cute with his enormous ears. He reminded me of Desperaux. May he rest in peace.

Skyler's Scholar Award...

She worked so hard for this, and we couldn't be prouder.

Yes, I do the rebel yell when my daughter gets awards.

Fun With Sadie Lou...

She loves to put her fists to her face. Sometimes she puts it on her chin and she looks like Rodin's "Thinker." She did this in the womb a lot.

Making a funny face.

She likes for Bryant to blow in her face.

Sibby's Party

On Saturday, Sibley had a little swimming party here at our clubhouse. Thank you, friends, for coming and making her party super fun!