Horsley Family Cruise

After Bo's blessing we boarded a cruise ship for 5 days of fun in the sun. The kids were so excited to actually be going.

Golfing on the top of the ship was a challenge, but we seemed to get the hang of it.

Poor Austin was so excited that first day he got one of his infamous headaches. Poor guy!

First night at dinner.

The Parkers shared our dinner table with us each night. They were a blast to talk to.First stop- Catalina Island. In Catalina we rented a golf cart and drove around the island and saw all of the amazing sights. It was a little chilly so we didn't do any water sports. Austin and Marissa holding up our ship. On formal night we all dressed up in our best and enjoyed a meal of lobsters! Next stop-Ensenada. In Ensenada we went horse back riding on the beach. It was Austin's first time on a horse and he loved it. The view was beautiful.We stopped at the blow hole in Ensenada. The hole was there, but not too much blow. unfortunately the tide was low. Here is Breanna doing what she does best....shopping!We got involved with a lot of the games on board. I played in the horse races, Bre participated in the relay game, and Grant and I represented the men and women in the battle of the sexes. The game came down to Grant and I and who could burp the loudest. So they handed us a diet coke and said you have one minute to burp as loud as possible. How was I suppose to burp in front of hundreds of people on command? I guzzled down that diet coke as fast as possible, but sad to say ,under such pressure, my burp could not out do Grants. Now... every time I burp I think ..."Wow I could have of won with that one."


Finally a day at sea to just lounge around on the ship. The water slides were a hit with our family. Our last night with our awesome waiters that took great care of us. Thanks Lito and Julio!



That last night Austin was chosen to dance on stage with the dancers. Check out how embarrassed he is. He is so cute!

It was so fun to be as a family and create memories that will last a life time. It is hard to come back to reality. But, after eating like a king for 10 days and gaining 5 pounds it's good to get back to a regular foods and activities.

Bo's Tippetts Blessing!

We began our Horsley Family vacation this last week by attending our brand new niece and cousin's blessing. We traveled to California where we enjoyed the company of my fun sister Lisa and her family. She was an amazing host. We ate well and swam in their awesome pool. It was a blast to see the family and enjoy some down time.

The family after Bo's blessing.

Look how cute my kids are. It wasn't so long ago that they were blessed. How time flies!

We are enjoying some time in the pool. Austin and Hank are chilling.

Check out how cute Loni is in her goggles.

Bre's famous back flip!

Grant's reverse dive!

Grant having a little alone time with Bo.

Lisa and Bo!

After being in the pool all day we enjoyed roasting smores in the fireplace.

Some enjoyed them more than others. WOW!

Up We Go Into The Wild Blue Yonder!

This was no April fools joke...Grant was able to arrange for me, along with a few other relatives of the Air National Guard unit, to take part in a F-15 refueling mission on a KC-135. Cool huh? So here we are boarding the plane after being briefed on the mission. I was so excited!Here is what the plane looks like inside. Not your typical airline. It was pretty basic. Since Grant was an officer I didn't have to sit in the orange upright seats, but on the cushy seats up front. That is one good thing about having a husband who is an officer.They have 5 bunk beds on board the airplane for the air crew to fight over. I thought I would try it out since I had heard so much about it from Grant.On the take off they allowed me to sit in the cock pit with the pilots. I had head phones and everything. Pretty cool huh?!As the flight progressed I was given the chance to fly the boom. The boom is at the back of the plane. It is a long fuel nozzle that has wings on it. They connect it to the plane that needs fuel and they pump the fuel through it. There is a window at the back of the plane. You lay down in front of this big window to fly it. The boom operator gave me a chance to fly the boom myself. Here I am getting ready to slide over into the control seat. I am a little nervous in this picture, but excited. The view is amazing.That is me flying the boom! WOW! What a cool job a boom operator has. You get flown to your office everyday where you lay down and test your skills in accuracy. It was like a video game.When the F-15s arrived they surrounded the plane just like in the movies. There were 5 of them and they were so close that I could wave to them out the window and they would wave back. There were two on one side and three on the other.They actually let me lay next to the boom operator and watch the whole refueling process. It was awesome! Here is what it looks like when they refuel. They were so close I thought I could almost reach out and touch them.

What an opportunity of a life time. It's something that I will never forget. And to think Grant is a part of this all the time. He has a really cool job! I am proud of him and his desire to serve our country. Love you Hon!

A special week with my girls.

I had an amazing week with my girls. I started out the week going to the Ogden Temple to do baptisms for the dead with Marissa and the young Women in our ward. It was a very spiritual experience to have Grant there to baptize both Marissa and myself. It brought tears to my eyes to see my sweet daughter doing work for the dead all in white. As I watched her I could only imagine how happy they must be on the other side to finally be baptized. I loved having my worthy husband baptize me. I had not done baptisms for the dead since I was a teenager. It was a privilege to get a chance to do it again. The spirit was so strong there and I realized how much I take going to the temple for granted. What a peaceful place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the world.

I was also able to go with Breanna, Marissa, and their Aunt April to the Conference Center for the Young Women's Conference session this last weekend. It was such a special experience to be there in the same room with our new prophet. The messages given to the young women were powerful and life changing. I am so grateful that I have the gospel in my life to guide and direct me. I am so grateful that my beautiful daughters have used what they have been taught to make righteous choices through these rough teenage years. We are very blessed!