Since yesterday's forecast was cloudy and cooler (mid-90's), I thought we'd head up to the Tucson to try out the zoo. I was a little skeptical of how good it was going to be since the Phoenix Zoo stinks and this one is even smaller, but it turned out to be a really great time. It definitely is smaller, but they have all the animals you'd hope to see at a zoo: rhinos, giraffes, zebra, tortoises, bears, black panthers, a tiger, lions, and monkeys to name just a few. For us it was the perfect size and took about an hour and a half to see everything. That's about all my kids could handle anyway, so that was a plus. Besides that, the exhibits were all in really close proximity to each other and we could just go from one to the next without having to walk really far like at the Phoenix Zoo. The best part, in my opinion, is that the animals were visible and relatively close, instead of hiding away in their caves or whatever. And it only cost $8 for us to get in. You can't beat that. Just as we'd finished with the last exhibit and were heading to get some lunch, a huge storm rolled in and it poured for a good half hour or more. There was no indoor eating so all us moms with kids were stuck in this tiny dry spot trying to have lunch. The worker felt bad and so she gave us our lunch free since we weren't zoo members. Sweet! We really had a great time and I'm looking forward to going again when it's cooler.
A good photo op at the entrance.
The elephants were right there and the kids were captivated.
Two rhinos.
We paid $2 and both Emily and Dallin got a biscuit to feed to the giraffes. Emily was pretty freaked out, but some how managed to do it.
Dallin's turn came and he was a little nervous, but not too much. They both got slimed from those long blue tongues.
This window gave us an excellent opportunity to see Boris the polar bear right up close as he swam by over and over again. They really liked him.
Dallin checking out some monkeys.
In the MTC with my companions Hermana Halle (from MO heading to Chile) and Hermana Riquelme (from Chile heading to California).
My brother, Brian, was a teacher at the MTC while I was there, so we got to see each other periodically. We relished freaking out all the other missionaries by giving each other big hugs every time we ran into each other.
My second area was finally a Spanish area and I was thrilled beyond description. We covered the whole Tri-cities area (Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco, WA), though we always worked in Kennewick and Pasco where there were high concentrations of Hispanics. Pasco had a little Spanish branch and it was awesome attending church meetings in Spanish. For the first transfer I was in a three-some, with Hermana Carroll and Hermana Knapp. After that it was just Hermana Carroll and I for a few transfers. We really clicked, worked really hard, and had good success. Here Hermana Carroll and I are making tamales with our investigator Rosa Rua, who got baptized later on.
At the end of the transfer when I was in that three-some, I was emergency transfered to West Richland for a week to serve with Sister Nelson. Her companion suddenly needed to return home for medical reasons. So we spent just a week together, but had the time of my life. She is the funniest girl ever, not to mention a great missionary. I think I went back to Kennewick with a six pack from all the constant laughing we did. This is us standing outside the trailer (yes, an actual trailor) where the sisters lived. 
My next area covered the again teeny tiny towns of Zilla and Granger, WA, which are further west close to Yakima. There we covered and English ward and a Spanish branch. It was my first opportunity to train and my greenie companion was Hermana Armstrong. It was a challenge for me training, coming into an area where elders had been for a very long time, and setting up our living quarters from scratch. The story goes that, as it turned out, the elders happened to live next to some male strippers and thus an entirely different place for us to live was necessary. Funny and random, I know. Hermana Armstrong and I had a great time together and we found this wonderful family, the Hernandez Family. We taught them the lessons and they were baptized a few days after I left. Sadly I was only there for one transfer (six weeks) due to some unfortunate circumstances.
My next area was back in Kennewick/Pasco and it was so good to see all those wonderful people again. I trained again and my companion was Hermana Miller. She was awesome and had such a contagious enthusiasm for everything. Here we are with Sonia Lopez, one of my favorite investigators. She FINALLY got baptized long after I left after sorting out divorce finalizations and getting married. She even received all of her temple ordinances. Hooray for that! 
After training Hermana Miller, Hermana Armstrong and I were back together again in Kennewick/Pasco. There were so few Spanish sisters that we were recycled a lot, as you can see. I'm here with Esmeralda, one of our investigators, and her two sweet kids.
My last area covered the dinky town Milton-Freewater, OR and Walla Walla, WA. My companion was Hermana Lambson and we were later joined by Sister Barker. We're here on the 4th of July eating with the Vargas family. Their daughter was baptized our first Sunday in the area and her mother, Mayra, was baptized just before I came home. The father was already a member (was becoming active), so it was so great to have a family all coming into the fold together. We also met and taught our neighbor, Jeff Knopf. He was as golden as they come and was the most unforgettable example of how the Gospel, the Book of Mormon, and the Atonement can change lives. After some stress and doubt as to whether he could get baptized due to some legal issues, he was able to a few days before I left. 
The veiw from the road.
Standing in the creek. The water felt so nice.
