Long Lost Family!

This weekend I met my father's cousins. He has not seen them in 40 years and Mom has never met them. I remember dad talking about his cousins Carol and Dean, so it was a great opportunity to go meet them. Carol and her husband, Skip, are so sweet. Freemen took a real liking to Dean. Marsha (Dean's wife) brought her brother and Carol's son and daughter-in-law and grand baby came too. We met in Vegas and enjoyed talking and getting to know each other. Greg and I took the kids swimming (Haylie wanted to stay there "forever") and down on the strip to see some of the fun things in the hotels. They LOVED the lions in the MGM. Haylie liked being in a "Real" castle in the Excalibur.
Haylie kept telling me she wanted to play games. I tried to explain to her that the slot machines were not for kids and that we don't gamble. She asked why, so I told her that Heavenly Father blesses us with all we have, like having money. And we shouldn't throw it away. We should use it for important stuff. She said, "like food and clothes?" I told her we should also use it to help other people. She said, "like people who don't have any money?" It's surprising when those teaching opportunities arise...even in the middle of a casino.
We wanted something fun for the kids so we had them play some games in an arcade and they won dolls. Bella really wants Haylie's stuffed dog but Haylie isn't parting with it. It was a good trip.

Skip and Carol

Skip, Jenn, Erik, Sadie, Carol, Marsha, Dean

Dad, me, Freemen, Greg, Haylie, Mom, Isabella

My little Knight!

Haylie and me by a crocodile.