Visiting Cedar City

 We headed to Cedar City to stay with grandma and grandpa. Aunt Cheryl-Lynn and Liz came as well. Ben was going to come but did not because he was sick. Speaking of being sick, Me got sick on the trip and by the time we were in Cedar City, she ended up sounding like a frog. Funsies!

We enjoyed putting puzzles together, watching basketball games and shows (the kids watched Seeking Persephone with grandpa), playing games (Grandpa was an actual troublemaker in One Night Ultimate Werewolf, making trouble by opening his eyes with the werewolves even though he was the troublemaker), playing monster, going on walks and a hike. We had a nice visit!

Matthew is slightly taller than Cheryl-Lynn

Me and CL with the glow-in-the-dark fairy puzzle we put together.

 There were 22 fairies in the puzzle, some hidden. It was cool to see it glow in the dark.

We saw some pretty flowers when we walked around the temple. I miss the perennial flowers we used to have in Colorado.

Liz, Megan and Matthew playing Mousetrap.

Grandpa, Megan, Liz and Matthew playing pickleball.

Cheryl-Lynn made elderberry syrup for us all to drink. It must have helped because nobody else got sick. One night, she accidentally pulled out the beet juice. It did not taste the same at all! Can you tell which is which?

Another puzzle we put together.

Megan, Matthew and Liz at the park.

Matthew making some music.

Liz joining him.

CL, Megan, Liz, Matthew, Me, Grandpa on the hike.

Silly faces!

Megan, Grandma, Liz, Grandpa and Matthew

Group hug!

We went to see Lamb of God which was really nice!

Grandma, Me, Matthew, Grandpa, Megan

Visiting Mesquite

 Sunday morning, we left Flagstaff to drive to Mesquite to visit Grandmo and Grandpo and Uncle Justin. We enjoyed a few days relaxing at their house, swimming in the warm pool (up to 87 degrees!), riding the ebikes, watching movies (including Seeking Persephone) and playing lots and lots of games. We went to see Hoppers in the movie theater. We brought Grandmo's and Grandpo's birthday gifts and enjoyed watching them open them.

Puzzle we got Grandmo for her birthday.

Megan and Matthew with their St. Patrick's Day find.

Beautiful flowers on cactus. They open in the morning and then close back up.

Me and Matthew on an ebike ride. Matthew really enjoyed the ebikes and went on rides with Me, Grandpo and Justin. He even went by himself!

Justin, Megan and Matthew swimming in the pool.

Matthew. He loved diving for rings, sticks, etc.

Megan

Matthew, Justin, Grandpa, Me and Megan with Grandpo in the mirror.

Grandpo's AI rendition of the photo. The adults all look really strange....

We enjoyed playing Telestrations. Here are a couple of Megan's drawings.

Grandmo, Justin, Grandpo and Matthew playing more games.

Some photos before we left.

Megan, Justin, Matthew

Megan, Grandmo, Matthew

Grandpo, Megan, Grandmo, Matthew

Grandpo, Megan, Me, Matthew, Grandmo

Grandpo, Megan, Me, Matthew, Grandmo

Grandpa's AI renditions of group photos.

USS Iowa

Since our planes did not leave until the afternoon, we had a bit of time once we got off the cruise boat. We took a walk around the pier and then toured the USS Iowa when it opened.

Stuffing all the bags in a locker.

USS Iowa with the Quantum of the Seas right behind it.

Picture of the USS Iowa from the Oct 30, 1944 LIFE magazine.

Me with the anchors at the bow (front) of USS Iowa.

16 inch projectile

Me holding a powder bag.

We went on the President's tour where we got to see some behind-the-scenes places including where FDR lived when on the USS Iowa. It ended up being just Cheryl-Lynn and Me on the tour which was nice. The USS Iowa transported FDR to Algeria in 1943 en route to the Tehran Conference.

Some pictures from when FDR was on the battleship.

Me and CL at the dining table.

Replica of FDR's wheelchair

List of those on the boat with FDR.

Admiral William D. Leahy

General George C. Marshall

Admiral Ernest J. King

General Henry H. Arnold

Harry L. Hopkins

Franklin D. Roosevelt

This is our guide, Phillip Browning. He was a wealth of information and very enthusiastic about sharing his knowledge.

The living area in FDR's quarters. They removed the bottom part of the doors to accommodate the wheelchair.

Bosun's chair used to get FDR on and off the USS Iowa.

The one bathtub on a naval ship.

FDR's bed

Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill at the Tehran Conference.

USS Iowa's travels

 Me on the bridge

Bunks of enlisted men. They were not super comfortable and so men often slept on the outside decks.

CL getting her food.

Me in the cafeteria

Cheryl-Lynn and Me with a naval helicopter

Our guide had told us about a model of the USS Iowa we would see as we toured the boat. Except we did not see it. When we asked a worker about it, he told us the area was closed to tourists due to the renovations. He then asked us if we wanted to see it. So we got our own private tour of a closed off part of the boat. Plus the man studied archaeology and so was a wealth of information if Megan decides to go into that field.

USS Iowa model

We went to the Long Beach airport where we got some lunch. We then flew home.

Me at Long Beach airport

It was a nice trip. I am glad I got to spend some good time with my sister (and parents at Disney).