Bubba Totally Hacking the Camp Verde Player

We found this newspaper clip on the Big Park Coyotes vs Camp Verde Cowboys we couldn't stop laughing at how Alexander got caught red handed doing a "hack" job on defending his opponent! We totally lost but all in all it was a fun game.... well I think it was, he begs to differ!

Barn Sale!

We had the greatest time selling some of our wares at a "Barn Sale" located in Camp Verde, AZ last Friday. It wasn't really in a barn but held in the huge front yard of a sweet ol' gal Faye's home. This is a photo of her home and the embience was perfect!

Some of the furniture there were incredible pieces. Done in a the "shabby chic" styles with cute accents. Mel and I brought along our old Mexican tables and sold them before the sale even started. That was a good sign!

It was well worth the trouble of hauling our two loaded vehichles with unwanted items. Remember that catchy phrase, someone elses junk is your treasures... or vice versa! I was so proud of myself for just purchasing $3 worth of "treasures or junk" that whole day.

Greetings from Guadalajara!

Some words from Elder Burke!

Well the area is cool and is gigantic and the people are simply amazing. All the recent converts are all strong members and one young man is allready preparing for his mission. My new mission companion has only two months left so we are working hard. I love it here!

Well, as I can say, I haven't wrote much on this blog in months. I have been so busy with other things and will do little write ups about it soon I promise!

Hula with the Yavapai Apache Nation

We (Maryella, Paul and I) have been working with the youth and ladies of the Yavapai Apache Nation located in Middle Verde, AZ and getting them ready to perform the hula for their tribe. Its something they seemed real bashful to do but I have to say I was absolutely impressed with the out come. We practiced two days a week for almost two hours each time. He Mele No Lilo was the first number and the keiki's performed it. They looked stunning and colorful then ladies did He'ia which is a stunning number. All the gals but one had a Hawaiian parent which was very surprising for me and they looked gorgeous. The boys performed the Haka and were excellent warriors. It was an event worth seeing! I love the people of the Yavapai Apache Nation.

What Ever Happened to 50cent

I thought I'd throw these two photo's onto the blog because it just blew us away when we saw the latest photo's of 50 cent preparing for his latest movie of some incapacitated character suffering with cancer. He looks absolutely frightening. The first photo is of him and Paul on set in Lafayette Louisiana while filming one of the many movies Pauls worked on and can't seem to remember this one but look at how much fitter he looks. Yikes!

Happy Mothers Day!

It was so cool to get a phone call from our missionary! We figured he'd call us sometime in the afternoon but after 5pm and no call we had to call the mission office to figure out what the heck is going on. He was setting up another baptism for the lady he and his companion had been teaching and after calling three chapels he finally got one where they could use their font. We finally got the phone call around 6pm (8pm his time) and we talked for almost two hours. His accent was so funny to listen to. Real sing song kinda talk and listening to him address his companion in Spanish was wonderful too. We miss him, he is too busy to miss us (which I'm all in favor of) and he is healthy, strong and well taken care of, what more can a family ask for.

Gila Temple - Eastern Arizona

My twin Maryella and I took Summer and Heather to go to the open house of the Gila Temple in Pima Arizona for a Young Women's activity. We knew the drive was going to be LONG and arduous but as it worked out we had an amazing time. The landscape was simply stunning! The wild flowers were out all along the highways and cactus in bloom. Ragged rocks and cliffs, old mining towns were everywhere and the oddest view was seeing 50 or so cows munching on hay in a small paddock on a very steep hill. We stopped in Globe and grabbed some of the best empenadas, crackers, cheese and ham for snacking the rest of the way to Pima. We also pin pointed area's that we had to stop to get future photo's on our way back.

The temple was beautiful and had simple lines, not over done in any way. The woodwork was lovely and the chandeliers were glistening everywhere. I made the girls look at the mirrors in the room where the bride and groom will be married and as you knelt across from each other your reflection goes on forever which as members of the LDS church we believe that when we are married in the temple we are sealed for the eternities. It was humbling to watch brothers hug each other knowing they were families forever.

We went to a sweet little icecream drive thru called Taylor Freeze and I'm bringing it up in the blog because it had some of the best flavors ever. Maple, pinacolada, coconut, peanut butter, pineapple, cherry and sooooo much more and to make it even more fun we could mix the flavors so Heather and I chose pinacolada and coconut, Mel had coconut and maple which was real yummy and Summer had her too favorite flavors of peanut butter and chocolate. We also stopped at the Apache Nation Rodeo they were having in San Carlos... it was great to watch them all roping and being timed. We also made sure to stop at a water tower near Superior to get some great shots in too. All in all this was one of my favorite road trips, why? Maybe because we were going to see the house of the Lord, maybe because we were all girls and we didn't have a hubby whining about stopping all the time? I think its a mix of everything, the temple, the landscape, the old historic mining towns, the rodeo and the good company.

More Photo's from Elder Burke

Love his letters and thought I'd post this one from last week.

Well this week has been a really good week. We have a baptism date with a lady about 31 years old named Lili, and she had lot of real good questions about some great stuff. One of the questions was about marriage in the temple. I reminded her about the special purpose of the family and told about how being sealed in the temple forever is one of the most special and sacred things we do as members of the church and could tell that she also knew how important it is and how sacred and special it is as well. She just kind of sat there while nodding her head yes:) She is a lovely lady and I love to see people grow spiritually because it brings such joy to thier faces.

There is a family that is super cool too. There is a sister in our ward and has 5 sons age 16 to age 27 and they are all super cool (did I mention that already). Mario, Jesus, Memo, Pablo, Moì, and there cousin Joseph. We would pass their home often and before and they would tell us that they are gonna go to church but they wouldnt go. Then last week we passed by thier house and Pablo, one of the sons asked us if we could return tomorrow to talk about the book of mormon with him the next morning. we went back the next morning and he asked the same thing if we could return agian the next. He asked us everyday if we could came back and everyday we did and talked a lot about the book of mormon and they like it a lot too. They are also super big music fans like metallica, rage agianst the machine, bob marley, kiss, ozzy osbourne and so on. So we talked a bit about music too and just became super good friends with all of them. that Saturday they told us they were all gonna come to church that Sunday. I remember being in sacrament meeting and looking over at the door and seeing Memos face and I jumped up and ran over to them. All of them came to church for the fisrt time in forever and Joseph invited his girlfriend too. Even crazier is after sacrement they asked where the next class was. There was no class for them so i took them into an empty classroom and taught them all about the story of Ammon. The missionary who converted the Lamanite king Lamoni. They all stayed and afterwards invited us to dinner and to have a family home evening with them later. So we went by and ate and I taught the family home evening. Memo said a closing prayer and thanked Heavenly Father for bringing back the church into their lives and being on the right path.

It was so great so hear that and to be able to activate them and see them be super happy. So this week we are going to do the same thing. Pass by and meet with them first thing in the morning and teach. My comp just loves it too and is super excited about it. I tell ya that this expirience alone has made a big part of my mission and definetly seeing this change.

Well that is all family I have to go know but if you could all pray for them to keep them going please do. I dont want to have changes and hear that they not going anymore cuz im not there.
oh ya and they're are going to throw me a birthday party to with tamales and stuff.

Love you all
Elder Bub Burke

Restaurant Bargains... $25 Gift Certificates for only $2.... What?

I just found this deal and purchased 4 $25 gift certificates for only $8 total to one of Sedona's favorite dining spots Heartline Cafe. Go to http://www.restaurant.com and find a participating restaurant near you. Once you check out put the code: zoo in the discount code and whalla! You have saved 80% on your purchase. Gotta love those deals right?

Elder Burkes Christmas Dinner?

After the countless times I have taught my son about cleanliness... eek! I'm not 100% sure if this is the home he's sharing with five other elders but I wouldn't be surprised if its not. He did mention that he was going to the other elders home for more Christmas dinner so this could be theirs. I love all the mash potato on their plates with tiny bits of carrots.

God bless our missionaries. They do work so hard!

A Place Called Tlaquepaque, Jalisco Mexico

When friends ask where Jordan is I tell them he's in a town called Tlaquepaque, Jalisco. Its population is around 560,000 and the word Tlaquepaque means in Nahuatl "The place above clay land". It has wonderful and colorful stores most famous for their blown glass and pottery. Another town close by it Zapotec, most well known for their rugs. There is a beautiful garden named after "the father of Mexico's independence" Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, the garden being called El Jardin Hidalgo.

More Elder Burke

This is what happens when you purchase cheap shirts on sale!

Well Jordan's doing great in the metropolis of Guadalajara Mexico. He's in an area called Tlaquepaque which is interesting for us because we have a wonderful shopping area in town named after that famous mexican plaza. The architecture is almost similar but we don't have the wonderful colors they do in Mexico. He's living with five other missionaries in a very small house. He said its tough keeping it clean but they make sure to fix it up every P-day (its a day dedicated to laundry, letters, cleaning and playing) and he also thinks its fun being with the other guys. He had the opportunity to take some people who are investigating the church to the temple grounds and enjoy the beauty there. He loves his mission, the people of Mexico, Guadalajara and barely misses us. Hahaha... but we miss him!