Bentonville With Beckstrands

July 5th-July 7th, our friends from Utah, Hal and Jolynn Beckstrand, were in town to visit us.  Hal had retired on June 30th so they planned a trip to visit us and then spend some time in Branson before heading back home. 

After having our first interviews with our new mission president, we headed up to Bentonville and met them just as they were arriving from Kansas City.  We went to dinner at Smokin Joes and then played games in the hotel dining room for a bit.  (Take Five)

Saturday morning, we did sealings at the Bentonville Temple together which was awesome.

While taking pictures, Sister Debra Dixon walked by so we grabbed this photo.  She is moving back to California this weekend--driving herself and a 26" U-haul with her stuff in it.  Big life change for her.

We changed clothes and headed out to the Pea Ridge Military Park which we enjoy although their narration of the park was not working so we had to share what we remembered along the way.

Overview of one of the major Civil War battlefields here.

We then headed back to Bentonville and shared some of the murals and the Wal-Mart Heritage Lab with them.

And of course, I had to get the rooster--actually a new painting in the mural walled parking lot.

They loved the big fish mural that shimmers and changes with the wind that is on the side of a parking garage.  I have posted pictures of that before.

We then headed home to Ft. Smith....then on Sunday, they came down to Ft. Smith and went to the YSA branch with us and joined us for the Break the Fast.  Then they spent time with us at our apartment and then headed up to Bentonville--taking the scenic 71 route instead of the interstate (we are bad influences on people. :) 

We have known Hal and Jolynn since our first house in West Jordan on Banquet Road.  She and I served in the YW presidency together.  We figured that we have been friends since 1981 which means for a very very long time (42 years and counting).  We are so blessed to count them and their children as friends.  They are the best kind of people.