Constitution Week...

September 12-18 was Constitution Week this year...

...and in Gilbert, Az that is a big deal!

...about 10 years ago Gilbert started celebrating Constitution Week with various activities during the week, culminating with a BIG celebration on Saturday night. Each year the celebration seems to get more & more elaborate...now it is declared to be the biggest constitution celebration in the country!

Hub & I (and Angie) had a great time going with Kevin & Danelle and Ethan & Lydia this year (since they live in Gilbert now)...

I didn't get pics of everything but here is a good smattering...

...lots of fun games for the kids...

...the fish pond...

...it's a ringer!...

...and cool prizes... "...where'd it go?..."


There were really cool replicas of important monuments & buildings...

...the Pennsylvania State House...

(where the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787)

...signers of the Consititution...

...adding another signature...???

...the Washington Monument...

...we had 'all American' food...(hotdogs & hamburgers)...

...and of course...apple pie... it was yummy!

...even Ethan liked it...once he tasted it...

...the Mayor of Gilbert, John Lewis, and the Governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, both gave meaningful, patriotic comments and then...

...we heard the peals of the Liberty Bell...

(the camera batteries are getting pretty weak by now...)

....then there was a '21 gun salute' and smoke filled the air...

...it was all very moving...

...we heard some great patriotic music...

...while Liddy was very patient with her yellow balloon...

...and finally...the fireworks begin...

...they are awesome & be-oo-utiful...

...the grand finale...

I sincerely appreciate the Constitution and the many freedoms it represents in all of our lives....

Patriotism is not just a stirring & reverent feeling that we have once or twice a year when we are reminded, but it should be an impetous for us 'to be anxiously engaged' in doing what we can to protect those freedoms that our forefathers sacrificed and even died for...

I'm afraid I am much better at 'saying' than at 'doing' in this case...which is really a new journey for me...

...may my actions equal my desire to continually grow and change...

...road trip...'soltera'...

Coming back from Utah alone...I quite enjoyed it...

...after my 'traditional' stop @ Henrie's in Panguitch,

(if you haven't discovered Henrie's...you must!!!

...the fresh strawberry shakes are 'to die for'...)

I was truckin' between Kanab & Page

and noticed a funky looking rock

out in the middle of nowhere...

(...notice the smudge on the lens to look for in each shot...

...probably from the fries @ Henrie's...)

I grabbed my camera and took what started a barrage of scenic photos for the rest of my trip home......(this became a fun pass-time since there are pretty much no radio stations worth listening to between Kanab & Phoenix and I didn't have any books on cd)

I suppose I should adopt a new motto of

"don't pix & drive"...

(I've already repented so don't say anything...)

...I didn't get any good Utah mountain shots but here is a last attempt...

(I stopped for this one...)

...and here is the state line...

...Utah on the left...Arizona on the right...

(...I spy the smudge...it's in Arizona, of course...)

Az architecture...right on the border...


...Arizona landscape...rock mountains & desert plants...

(I'm finally gaining an appreciation)
...a view of Lake Powell...

...going over the Glen Canyon Dam...

...blue skies...smiling at me...

...nothing but blue skies...do I see...

(...it's a song...for all you youngsters...)

...beautiful view...(if you look past the bugs & smudges...)

...not sure how this was created but it's interesting...

...looks kinda like lava...frozen in time...

...Arizona...just a corner of God's backyard...

...our 'never busy' gas station in Flagstaff...

...catching the sunset...lovely & panoramic...

...it was fun to 'view' my roadtrip from another perspective...

(I usually read most of the way......of course, Hub is driving when I do...hee)

...but for now, it is good to be home...

another week in Utah...

Yep...I went to Utah...again...

Dayla needed to have her (diseased) gall bladder removed from her poor little body and decided to do it before the Labor Day weekend....we had been home from Ed. Week for about a week when she called to give us the date of surgery...

* (check out prologue at the end of post...)

I quickly scheduled a flight

("Mom...you don't have to come...I can make arrangements...")

since moms know best sometimes

and began to make provisions to spend the weekend in Utah...

...come Wednesday, Hub decided he didn't want to miss out on the fun so made the necessary calls to come with and make a road trip out of it...(good thing Angie is so mature and doesn't mind holding down the fort here on Monte Ave...)

So here is how the week went:

...checking in at 6 am...

...and 6 hours later...

(I think it is all kind of a blur...at least for Dayla)

"...take care and be sure to eat your vegetables..."

...then home to convalesce...(sp?)

On Saturday while Hub stayed w/Dayla & mowed the lawn,

I got to go to Summer's baptism...

& visit with my mom & my sister...

...Summer with Kinley...

...then Hub & I went shopping...

...got a few things for the front yard...

I must say...the weather was beautiful...

(even a little chilly at night...for an AZ girl that is...)

(this pic was taken week later when Dayla was up to watering)

....on Sunday Nana, Bob & Marci & fam came by for a visit with Dayla...they brought some yummy peanut butter/chocolate bars but they got eaten before I got a pic...(no excuse for not getting pics of the important things - like people...I'm good at that...forgetting that is...)

...by Monday things weren't quite as far along as we expected so the dad caught a flight and mommy stayed to help...

...during the week, we did alot of this...

...and alot of this...(eating)
...and since the doc said lots of fiber...

- fruit is good -

...so are brown rice & broccoli...

...a little stir-fry with mangos...

...can't live without black beans & wheat berries..

...now that's a turkey burger...

Dayla takes a walk to the apple tree every day...

(notice the tomatoes & honeydew in her garden--go Dayla!)

...and gets a trophy... (an apple)

(I love the banana peel in Dayla's hand)

...she passes the fire pit along the way...

...we replaced one shutter...& removed 2 others...

...and set a couple of stones in the garden...

(the rest will have to be done later...by strong-young men)

...I think she's feeling better now...

...by Saturday it's time to go home...

...but that's another story...for another day...

* Prologue:

Dayla's gall bladder problem wasn't so much stones as it was diseased...she has had trouble since before her mission (about 7 years) but they never could diagnose it...the ER docs just thought it was indigestion until finally it was too late and she couldn't keep anything down...stupid doctors...
...oh well...we do what we have to do...