Two LONG weeks

How did only two weeks pass since our last blog? So much has happened, it feels like it's been 2 months! As Danny said on our anniversary Sunday ("it's been six LONG years"), these have been "two LONG weeks". But both have been "LONG" in a good way. :) I think. With the Bean Museum, the carnival (the kids had their first roller coaster rides!), the Children's Museum with the Bairds, bowling, and the library -- the kids and I kept very busy! We managed to enjoy ourselves during Spring break, even without our favorite person (Daddy) around. He actually ended up flying to Denver early Wednesday morning, and made it back at 1:30 AM Saturday -- just in time to cheer me on for the Salt Lake City Half Marthon. I ran together with Mike Baird and his brothers -- and although the training took me on a different path than the triathalon program I've been on, it was a fun time! Angela, who got us all pumped to run in the first place, cheered us on with baby Cassidy. Amy and David drove down early from Logan to celebrate at the finish line, and we all had an awesome day together! And, after the "big kids" had finished our 13.1 miles, the little kids took on the "kids marathon" (a couple of blocks around the Gateway) with Danny and Amy. Sunday rounded out the week with baby Brody's blessing (he had the most adorable white and baby blue tux with TAILS!) and celebration with Brad and Cass. We are going to really miss them!
Then last week we enjoyed FHE at the Tulip Festival with Daddy, the Utah County Republican Convention, book club, stake conference, Tyler's graduation from BYU and visits with Katie, Sarah, Grams and Grampy! It was so much fun having my family around, and even though the visit was not nearly long enough, it was still wonderful. We've missed Katie and Tyler soooo much, and really were glad to have them stay with us for a few days! Hopefully we'll get to see them in a couple of weeks at the ranch?!
The Republican Convention kept me busy all Saturday morning, but it was fun for me to be invloved and talk with all of the Senators and Congressmen. If only we could get better people to run for office... It's frustrating, because even when you do find a genuinely good candidate (which is once in a blue moon), then enough people don't vote for them to get the nomination. It's a mystery to me how to solve this problem....
Well, as I was at the convention Danny was helping Brad and Cass load the moving van. We were able to go out to lunch with them and Angela and her girls before they left, and then we headed off to Stake Conference for the night. It was all about being good parents and having reverence for the sacrament, and it was really quite good. But by the time it was over, I was feeling terribly sick. Soon my voice was completely gone and I had THE WORST COUGH EVER. SERIOUSLY. THE WORST COUGH YOU'VE EVER HEARD. Well, maybe not the worst one ever. But it was pretty bad. And it REALLY REALLY HURT. I couldn't sleep all night and I kind-of wanted to slit my throat, it hurt so bad. Luckily, I'm married to a wonderful man who could give me a priesthood blessing, and I've been gradually getting better since then. Poor Danny got sick on Sunday too, although his was some yucky GI trouble and not the nastly flu/cold thing I've got. So, Sunday was quite the "Happy Anniversary" for us -- laying around moaning in our sick house. Next year will be better, no doubt. :).
Here are some pictures from the past two weeks of fun -- there were so many I just put them into a slide show!

We haven't stopped our FHE lessons and accomplishments (even though I haven't blogged them), so I'll play catch-up now and consolidate:
GUNNELL FAMILY ACCOMPLISHEMENTS:
DAVIS- The teeth finally broke through! He went on his first roller coaster and ate his first mud pie (while helping Danny with sprinkers).
REID- He went hot-tubbing! Petted a king snake, turtle, and chameleon. Hated his first roller-coaster. Did the "kids marathon" with Danny.
MACIE- Loved her first roller-coaster. Got Strep throat, but recovered quickly. Played with lots of friends. Sang baby Sarah to sleep.
MARY- 1/2 marathon. Republican delegate to convention. Finished putting blinds up and re-caulked bathroom. Braved a BLIZZARD (seriously, and I was 2 miles away from BYU) with three little kids to get to graduation. Celebrated 6 years of wedded bliss.
DANNY- Ran "kids marathon" with Reid. Batted 8 out of 9 in his softball games. Closed BIG deal with Fidelity (Finally! Huge Hip-Hip-Hooray for this partnership and for all of his hard work!) Celebrated "six LONG years" with me. :) Fixed the sprinklers.

The conference talks we studied the past two weeks have been the talks from the sisters: Last week was "My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord" by Susan W. Tanner, and this week was "Righteous Traditions" by Cheryl C. Lant. Here are the fave quotes (respectively):
*" 'My soul delighteth in the things of the Lord' -- His law, His life, His love. To delight in Him is to acknowledge His hand in our lives. Our gospel duty is to do what is right and to love and delight in what is right. When we delight to serve Him, our Father in Heaven delights to bless us."
*"Our traditions of Sabbath day observance, family prayer, family scripture study, service and activity in the Church, as well as patterns of respect and loyalty in the home, will have a great effect on our children and on their future. If our parenting is based on the teachings of the scriptures and of the latter-day prophets, we cannot go wrong.... If our children know where we stand and we always stand on the Lord’s side, we know we are where we need to be."