Adventures

Our family has always loved to travel.  Almost yearly we go on a wonderful adventure of some sort.  These vacations require planning and saving, but we have never once regretted our time together.  We have visited Europe, Mexico, Hawaii, Australia, Alaska, and many spots in the US.  As our family grows (yea!!) it will be more difficult, no doubt, to pull off long, elaborate trips, but I think the experiences have exposed our children to the "hows" of travel, and the worthwhile memories it brings.

Brittney was able to do a study abroad in London while at BYU.  Camille also completed a Study Abroad with the business school where she visited quite a few European countries.  This past winter Jace called and announced that he also wanted a study abroad experience--his country of choice?  Africa!  He left two weeks ago for Uganda for 10 weeks..  He is working with a group called HELP International teaching business and accounting classes to micro businesses.  They also do some humanitarian work, and teach classes about hygiene and social issues. . . he's helping teach a class to teenage boys about respecting women and sex ed!  Oh my! 

We were able to talk with him last night and he is having a fabulous time.  He "poops in a hole" and showers with a bucket.  He does his laundry by hand in a big tub and hangs it on the line to dry (I would LOVE to see him do that!)   He said that surprisingly, the weather is almost perfect:  it is the dry season there right now so it is about 85 during the day and 65 at night with low humidity.  Lucky.  He is eating a lot of fruit and some sort of local sandwich thing.  He mentioned how interesting it is to see their attitude about food--they truly just eat to live, and don't live to eat.  Food is simply fuel--a necessity, basic, no fan fare.  There really aren't restaurants and socializing doesn't evolve around food.  So opposite of us Americans.  Makes sense why we as a nation are getting bigger and bigger. 

So, here's to Jace and his African Adventure!  Admittingly I'm slightly jealous, but I think I'm too old for the primitive college student type of trip.  We are actually on our way to our own adventure. . . YW Girl's Camp!   Who knows, I may come home with my own crazy stories to tell.

Church is about an hour away.  He said that this week they had a baptism after church and baptized a family of 5!
 He said that it was "super cool" and made him just a bit nostalgic for his missionary days in Japan.

At a soccor/football match.  I had to laugh--Who knew that LeBron made it to the game??

Face painting outside the soccer stadium.  Crazy fans!

A group of African women they taught.

This is one of their business classes.  They speak English in Uganda, but of course it is heavily accented and there are native words here and there thrown in.  He said they just speak slowly to one another and they can communicate just fine.
 He is learning a few Ugandese phrases too. 

Lugazi, Uganda.  Definitely different than Provo and Spokane.  Isn't the world a wonderful place?

For Good

One of the truths in life is that the older you get, the less important the "day of your birth" really is.  Of course everyone likes a party and having birthdays is better than the alternative :), but when it falls in the middle of the week on a Tuesday night or isn't a "milestone" birthday (i.e. 80th!!) a creative surprise is difficult.  Brent had a birthday on June 12th, and it ended up being one of his most favorite in recent memory.

As noted, he was recently released as Bishop of our ward.  The past few months have been an adjustment for him as he is no longer involved personally one-to-one with many people.  He especially misses his time with the youth. . . and they miss him!  Several weeks ago some of the kids came up with the idea to have a special celebration in his honor to thank him for being their Bishop and their friend.  When we collaborated to find a day to surprise him, it worked out beautifully that his birthday was around the corner.  Now the only trick was to figure out how to surprise him!

Well, the past year we have had a darling exchange student from China in our ward, Eva Chang.  She has been hosted by the Hoke family, and quickly became so very loved.  In fact, she welcomed the missionary lessons and was given permission by her family to join the Church.  She was baptized in March.  She is going back to China this week and we will all miss her so much.  So, this was the plan. . . Brent thought we were going to a going-away party for Eva, and Eva thought we were having a party for Bishop McLaws!  Both were clueless (so to speak).  Brent thought we were just "stopping by" for a short time before I took him out for a "special dinner."  (Really. . . we eat together every night.  Believe me, going out to dinner is something we probably do way to often!)  He was so surprised when we walked into the Colvin's home and all the kids were surrounding the piano.  They had prepared a perfect song as a tribute--
"For Good" from the musical "Wicked". 

I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you.

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good.

 It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend...

Because I knew you
I have been changed for good.

Needless to say, Brent and I were wiping away a few tears.  It was a beautiful tribute.  The words were so applicable.  When we serve others, we love  them and we are left with many handprints on our heart.  We then enjoyed a yummy barbeque and swim party.  We are so blessed to have so many wonderful friends in our ward.

So, Happy Birthday to Brent! 

Also Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful fathers, brothers,

son, son-in-laws and friends in my life.  

You are all great examples to me.

That's Eva with Brent on the left.   Isn't she beautiful?
The upper right is a group picture of all the kids who were there.
Bottom right is his birthday cake.

On the left I'm holding Sam Nielsen.  Lindsay and Sam were visiting for a few days.  Such a cute kid.
In the middle is  a picture of Brent with the YW.  They are all awesome!
The right is a picture of the party hosts--The Colvin's.  They are great friends.

Circles. . . A Very Long Post

As I reflect on the past month or so, I keep hearing Elton John singing in my head. We love Elton in this family, and many of his tunes are favorites. Most of his songs are rather poetic, and the song I’m stuck on lately is from “The Lion King.” In “The Circle of Life” Rafiki reminds us that “It’s the circle of life, and it moves us all through despair and hope, through faith and love.” Circles are very symbolic. They are round, full, all-encompassing, inclusive, bright, glorious, joyful, never-ending, and eternal. They remind me of balloons, lollipops, sunshine, luscious fruit, and twinkling eyes. The following events are reflective of circles in many ways . . . certainly the circle of life.

The first week of May we headed to Utah again. Yes, it was only 3 weeks previous that we were there for conference, but we were only too happy to return. On May 4^th I attended a darling baby shower for Brittney. It was hosted by Camille and Laura Giddens, Brittney’s dear friend from freshman year at BYU. It was called “The Itty Bitty Baby Shower.” Amazing. The food was divine—small bites (itty bitty!) of the most wonderful food displayed with style and panache’. Brittney was given some wonderful baby gifts and it is always just so much fun to visit and eat. It was great to see ’old’ friends, her young friends and in-laws, and our extended family support her. She looks fabulous with a pregnant tummy and a rosy glow. We are so excited to welcome Baby Grayson in mid-July. I made crib bumpers, skirt and a pillow for the nursery, and a “Sunday Bag”, blanket and burp cloths. This Grandma’s been busy sewing--it’s been fun!

Me, Brittney and Camille. It was held at Camille' home in Lehi.

Look at the "itty bitty" food. . . Tomato basil soup and grilled cheese, mac and cheese, salad, homemade donuts, tiny cheesecakes, fruit tarts, meatballs, and even tiny cans of diet coke. . . divine!

My dear friend Evy Smyth. We've known the Smyth's since 1988 when we moved to Cottonwood Heights in SLC. Our girls are best friends from childhood, and it was so great to see her.

Great friends/family of Brittney's--Cory Maxfield (MIL), Caitlin Connolly (SIL), Melissa, Audrey,
and Laura (the other party hostess).

On May 2^nd, my Dad had his 80^th birthday! For several months we all have been planning a special celebration for him. He was just so darn cute about it—half of the time he claimed it was unnecessary and the other half of the time he wondered if he had forgotten to invite somebody. Having lived in Richfield, Utah his whole life, he knows just about everyone, and I was a bit worried he had invited the whole town. We had a luncheon at his ward building on Saturday, May 5^th. There were close to 100 people there, and many traveled from out of town to come. It was a fun afternoon. He has so many nice friends and it was an opportunity for us to also thank them for all the love and care they give to Mom and Dad since none of us live in town. We are lucky that they have neighbors who look in on them. Eighty years is a long time! I am so grateful for the example that my Dad has been to me. It is an honor to be a daughter of James K. Forsey.

The sign-in table. Just look at those pictures of Dad. He was a cute kid, and a handsome young man.
Oh, and he's still handsome!

That's Mom and my niece Megan McWhorter and her baby Lincoln. Since her stroke, Mom struggles with smiling. Sometimes our darn bodies just won't do what we want!

Everyone enjoying lunch. Traci made that fabulous sign.

Jace with my brother Craig. Always good to see him. . . he lives in Tennessee.

A full view of the display table. Traci put this together. . . it was wonderful.

So, I can't forget to add a note about good ol' Klar Robinson. Klar is my Dad's very best friend--they have been friends their whole lives--like 75 years. Dad is the only boy in his family, so Klar is really a brother. Needless to say, almost every story we have ever heard includes Klar. They have some great stories from their single/college years and all those "fillies" that they broke their hearts. We asked Klar to "roast" Dad. Let's just say it was the best entertainment of the afternoon! Those two are hilarious. The name of the game was getting the last word in. Several other of my Dad's friends also joined in.
Not many of us will have a friend that has literally been by our side for 75 years. Quite special.

This picture shows a special item of memorabilia. The center picture is of Dad as a college student at BYU. He was whitewashing the Y. This picture has been in the BYU Alumni Magazine and in the BYU Alumni House.
Dad is a very loyal BYU Cougar fan.

My beautiful family!

I think we were cracking up because Jace decided to give Baby Grayson a shout out!

All the family that was able to come. This was after we had cleaned everything up, so Mom had gone home--it was
a long day for her.

Dad with his sisters and their husbands: Dad, Phyllis Horne, Marcille and Bill Topham, and Anna and Mark Snedegar.

Just love this picture of the happy parents-to-be!

This is Dad and us 5 children: Jerry, Me, Dad, Allyson, Mark and Craig.

I purposely waited to end this post with a tribute to my dear friend, Sheri Bird. You must all know that Sheri fought brain cancer so ferociously for almost 20 months. On April 29^th she peacefully passed from this life. Sharing someone’s last days is a humbling and spiritual experience. It’s been a privilege to help the Bird family as much as one can, and we have unofficially adopted them all (as others no doubt have). The blogging/Facebook world was abuzz with Sheri tributes for days. I guess I just needed time to process and settle with the reality. When Lisa (my sister-in-law) lost her battle with the same illness last August, I was forced to realize that medical miracles and glioblastoma are extremely rare. The truth is that in the gospel we learn and talk of “the plan” all the time. Frankly, these experiences are actually living the plan. We were never promised a life free of trials, and we know that death will come to us all. In fact, I’ve been given a refrigerator magnet that was Sheri’s that says“This life must be a test. If it were the real thing, we’d be given better instructions! (haha – so much like her!) Sheri has been such an example to me of charity, choosing happiness, hard work, laughter, and enduring well. She didn’t give up when Keith passed. She didn’t give up when this illness struck—unfortunately her body did. The miracle of healing was replaced with the miracle of influence, legacy, love, service and example. Just like Lisa, Sheri will never be forgotten. Her life was a testament of all the things we should strive to be. I will remember her when I see pink roses or eat a raspberry tart. I’m honored to be her friend. We will all miss her so much.

Beautiful elegant white casket and pink roses. That is Sheri.

The family at the cemetery with Lindsay Bird Nielson. We love her family.

A quilt us sisters in Relief Society made for Sheri when she first got ill. I made two of the patches.

Jace and his new friend, Kylee Keas. Kylee is the daughter of Barbara, who took care of Sheri so well while she was in Idaho with Lindsay. Kylee loved Jace. It was true infatuation!

Lindsay, France and Samuel Nielson. The pink dresses and ties were at Sheri's request.
She even asked Brent to wear a pink tie at her service, which he did as he was one of the speakers.

The Bird family headstone. Like Lindsay said, "At least that's done--I don't have to pick one out for Mom."

We were on a walk on the Centennial Trail and this photo was taken in a little cave.
Sheri had a smile that could light up a room.
And, no surprise, she was even wearing pink.

So I’ve come back to circles.

A new mother-to-be who has waited over 3 years for this miracle of birth.

She now has a round tummy about to burst with a bouncing baby boy .

A seasoned 80-year old man at a joyous celebration of a long, well-lived life.

He is honored by hundreds of friends and family who have enjoyed his
 circle of influence over the years.

A vivacious young grandmother in her early 50’s is laid to rest way too soon.

She has been called to another realm to no doubt continue to teach and serve.

She has completed her earthly circle of life.

“It’s the circle of life, and it moves us all through despair and hope, through faith and love.”

Yep, Elton that’s what it is all about—faith and love. Those two things will get us through,

for in the end, life is still good, and life is still wonderful.

Conference, Easter and Everything In Between!

Hello blogland!  I must journal the events of the last several weeks.  It was another busy two weeks of being "on the road again."  We took off from Spokane and headed south, making many stops on our journey.  So, here is the replay:

March 28th:  Left Spokane to head to Mt. Home Idaho to visit the Nielson's and Sheri.  We were pulling a snowmobile trailer as Brent had a weekend trip planned with his brother Kurt and the boys.  A couple of hours outside of Boise we blew a tire on the trailer!  So great!  No worries, however, as ever-ready Brent was well prepared with tools, a spare, etc.  I kind of think he enjoys these little emergencies in an odd way as it gives him a chance to prove his boy-scout mantra of preparedness.  After a short delay, we arrived to spend the night and the following day with them.

March 29th-30th:  Went to Logan, Utah where Brent met up with Kurt, Tyson and Tamaira.  Jace and Russ drove up from Provo to spend the next two days on the mountain snowmobiling.  They had a great time and have discovered a new place to play.  I drove down to Utah County and spent those days with the girls.  We checked out the new City Creek shopping area and listened to General Conference.

April 1st:  Sunday--General Conference.  Always a wonderful day.  Never ceases to amaze me how timely and pertinent the messages are.  A true testament to the doctrine of prophets and apostles.  We watched it in Lehi with all the family--my favorite way to spend the day.  We enjoyed cinnamon rolls and a lovely dinner in the afternoon.  Jerry and his family joined us.

April 2nd-5th:  Brent flew home to Spokane for the work week.  I headed to Richfield to spend some time with Mom and Dad.  We planned a special 80th birthday party for Dad in May, and I just helped them with chores at home. 

April 6th-10th:  For Easter weekend we were back up in Lehi at the Lewis home.  Mark and Traci were headed to London (so excited for them!) so we were able to spend 4 days with their fabulous boys, Hunter, Keaton and Landon.  It was an adventure for sure.  It's been a while since I've been a "full time Mom" of young ones.  Saturday happened to be little Landon's 6th birthday, so we helped him celebrate a bit.  The boys were so excited that evening to prepare for Easter.  They were a little worried that the Easter Bunny may not find them in Lehi, but never fear, I assured them that their Mom and informed the Easter Bunny where they would be.  Of course he came through.

Easter Sunday we went to church at Jace's student ward because he was singing with a quartet and in the choir.  It was a lovely program.  That afternoon we enjoyed dinner, and since the weather was lovely, the boys (big and little) played outside by the river.  After a few minutes of jousting with willow reeds, Russ comes in with Landon saying that he had cut his finger.  Long story short, we decided that it may need stitches.  We packed up to head back to Logan and stopped in Sandy at an emergency room.  Landon was a great patient--he only shed a tear or two when getting the anesthesia in his finger previous to stitches.  He needed 8 stitches!  So glad we decided to have it checked out.  I hope I haven't scared anyone from letting me be Auntie/Grandma in the future.   I figure it isn't too unusual to have a little drama with 3 active boys around.  We made it to Logan that night and Monday and Tuesday went well.  They have a beautiful home in Nibley, just outside of Logan.

April 11th:  We went from Logan to Boise again.  We spent the night and then assisted Lindsay in transporting Sheri back here to Spokane.  Sheri, Barbara (her friend/nurse) and I drove up in her van.  It was a fairly smooth drive, and we have successfully settled Sheri back into her home.  She is happy to be back in Spokane.  She has decided to halt chemo, but is still hanging in there.  What a courageous lady.  Sheri and her family are teaching many of us so many things.  Observing the hand of the Lord and the many tender mercies in their lives is so inspiring.

So there you have it!  Another full two weeks that I wanted to document.  Here are a few pictures of our adventures.  We always love the time we are able to spend with our family and friends.  Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter.



The boys fishing on the banks of the river behind Camille and Russ' home. 

Landon relaxing while fishing.



Singing Happy Birthday to Landon.  Notice his brother Keaton and the typical goofy peace signs! 
Almost every picture we took looks like this.  Boys will be boys!



The jousting matches.  Not sure who had more fun--my nephews or my sons-in-law!



Coloring Easter eggs.  Brittney and Stuart painted a few themselves.



The Easter Bunny found those Forsey boys!  Can you believe it?



Landon in the emergency room.  What a trooper.



One big owie!  Glad we stopped for stitches.  Like I told Mark and Traci, we only
had one emergency room visit in 4 days!  That's not too bad, is it???

Bishop

On September 10, 2006, Brent was called to serve as Bishop of the Little Spokane River Ward in our stake.  At the time, his call was unexpected and overwhelming in so many ways.  Well, here we are now over 5 1/2 years later, and this past Sunday he was released from his position as Bishop of the Colbert Ward.   Two years ago our stake boundaries were realigned and the former ward was dissolved and we had the opportunity of helping create a new ward.  It was a great experience. 

Sunday was a tender, teary and bittersweet day to say the least.  There were lots of kind words and sentiments shared.  He truly and deeply LOVED his calling.  He just loves people, especially the youth, and as a bishop had the opportunity to personally connect with so many.  Of course there were hard and difficult times, plenty of challenges that he helped members through.  However, the good times, the opportunities to mentor youth, to guide, direct and serve young and old far outweighed those challenges. 

Currently he is in "decompression" mode!  It will take a few weeks for his mind and his heart to "let go" of the responsibilities that he had.  The stake has great plans for him in the future that include still working with the youth and he is excited about that.  As "Sister Bishop" I too enjoyed serving with him.  It was a great blessing in our family for which I will be forever grateful.  Following are a few pictures of some of these experiences.  We will humbly cherish the memories of this time and will always love our fellow ward members. 

The picture on the left is Brent with some of the Young Women.  The YW LOVE Bishop McLaws.
 Our Stake President says he reminds him of a "a happy puppy!"  Not a bad description!
 The picture on the right is at YW Girl's Camp in 2010.
 We camped as a ward that year and he stayed with us the whole time.

Left picture is of a 50 Mile High Adventure Camp with the Priests at Eagle's Cap, Oregon.
 Right is a Youth Activity where they had their own Pinewood Derby.

One of my favorite things about being Bishop was the opportunity to get to know the missionaries serving in our area.  The left picture is of 2 sister missionaries who served in our ward.
 We even had 2 elders who lived in our home for about 6 weeks while waiting for a permanent place. 
The picture on the right is of the Pioneer Trek we went on in 2010.  I spent my 50th birthday as a pioneer--it was awesome! 

Just Checking In. . . .

This time of year has never been a favorite of mine.   I'm usually very over winter and ready for spring, although this year our winter was so mild I can hardly complain.    In fact, this last week has been rather rainy.  March is a month that seems longer than any other, but of course that's not true because there are other months with 31 days.  It's all in my head, no doubt, but I'm already looking ahead.

Nonetheless, I've kept busy since my last post (a month ago!!) with just everyday life.  Here are a few hints to what's been on the docket.

In December I was called to work in Young Women's as the Mia Maid Counselor.  I have 11 great 14 and 15 year olds.  They are darling girls and a lot of fun.  I have served in YW's before, but it's been about 7 years, so I was "out of shape" so to speak!  Serving in YW's is challenging but so rewarding.  Between the busy Sundays and Wednesday night activities, there is always at least a couple of other days in the week that I get to be "Sister McLaws."  We have dances, firesides, service projects, birthdays, stake events, temple trips, etc., etc.  It can be exhausting but it is a lot of fun too.

Hey, it's March Madness baby!  I love basketball and so I love this first week of the tournament.  I filled out a bracket, and of course I have lots of busts so far.  My two teams, BYU and Gonzaga both won their opening games, but lost in the next rounds.  There were plenty of upsets a few days ago, so now I'm just cheering for the underdog, whichever team that may be.  It is just so exciting!

We participated in our first Republican Primary Caucus a few weeks ago.  I'm pretty into current events and watch way too much news, so I have a candidate and political view that's for sure.  It was interesting to caucus and participate as a citizen.  I was selected to be a delegate (about 60 people showed up at our neighborhood caucus and we have 8 delegates) at the Spokane County Caucus in April!!  Yoo hoo!  I figure if I'm going to be "into" this election cycle I might as well be involved.  After all, at some point all my opinions and clever repertoire is just noise unless I act.  FYI, I'm supporting Romney wholeheartedly, but basically my position is ABO--Anybody But Obama.  I believe this election will be a referendum on Obama and I just hope and pray people will recognize the destructive path his administration is on.  We need to save our country and get back to individual responsibility, liberty and freedom.  (Sorry for the soapbox, but hey, it's my blog!)

And for the best news of all, Brittney and Stuart are having a BOY!!   Let's just say that this Grandma has been busy with a few projects for this little guy.  It's hard already to not pick up something from the baby department every time I'm in a store.  We are so thrilled for them and can't wait to welcome him in July. 

We are looking forward to seeing the family in a few weeks when we go to Utah for General Conference.  Until then, I'll stay out of the rain.   Back to you soon!

Aloha Valentine

When Valentine's Day falls on a Tuesday, it can be tricky to celebrate.  Brent went to the temple that night with the youth from our ward to do baptisms.  I also work in Young Women's in the ward, and one of my Mia Maids had a birthday that day, so our class "heart attacked" her bedroom to surprise her. 

Traditionally we don't make too big a deal of the day. . . just a simple "Love You" type of remembrance.  I received a beautiful rose bouquet and nice mushy card from my sweetheart, and in return I gave him a few of his favorite things:  Some "well baked" cookies (Fact:  he likes burnt cookies. . . yes, burnt ones, but I just can't quite leave them in that long, so they are just extra well done. . . actually is works quite well. . . I'm not as tempted to eat many because that's just wrong!); some nutty chocolate, a tacky stuffed bear, and tickets to the symphony!

Now this wasn't just any performance by the Spokane Symphony.  They were playing with a guest artist--The Brothers Cazimero!  Brent served his mission in Hawaii a million years ago, and the Borthers C (as he calls them) are the most well-known of the musical Hawaiian groups/duos/singers.  For 30+ years we have listened to their Hawaiian music (sometimes he gets in that "trunky" mood and will play song after song), and when I saw in the paper last month that they were actually coming to Spokane I knew it would be a big surprise. 

When we were in Hawaii about 5 years ago we also found them at a little venue, and took the kids to see them at a live casual dining show.  I'm sure these guys are somewhere around 70+ years old now, but they really do have exceptional voices and can still sing beautifully for the most part.  Hawaiian music is so soothing. . . it really is very relaxing and it made us want to go home and buy tickets for the next plane out.  Like Brent said, "I never thought I would see The Brothers C in Spokane--what a great treat!"  They brought several dancers with them, and between the singing and the hula, I was ready to pack my bags.  We were pleasantly surprised to see such a large, diverse crowd at the Fox Theatre.  Most were on the older side, but there were all types represented.  After all, who doesn't love Hawaii?  Aloha!

Two Weeks

I always intend to blog more often, but then one day runs into another and before I know it, a month has passed.  This time of year is always interesting. . . a bit boring and hum drum as the holidays have passed and Spring seems forever away.   Alas, here I am using the same old excuses for my poor journaling habits.  Enough!  I've made some progress--this blog's over a year old and so let's get blogging.

I titled this post "Two Weeks" because I recently returned from a two week journey to visit friends and family.  Brent had to go to Australia for the annual board meetings, so I took this opportunity to check on my loved ones.  Let's organize this chronologically:  (Oh, and lame little ol' me, I didn't take a single picture as I forgot my camera.  The photos below are with my cell phone.)

Days 1-4:  I traveled to Mountain Home, Idaho to spend a few days with our dear friend Sheri Bird who is staying with her daughter and son-in-law, Lindsay and France Nielson.   Sheri is fighting brain cancer and is spending some time with them in their home.  It was so good to see her, to talk, laugh, cry, watch chick flicks, eat wonderful food, play with Sam (one of the cutest babies on the planet), visit Walmart, travel into Boise, and just "be."  Camille came up on day 3 to visit as well and to pick me up to go down into Utah.  We had a great visit.  Sheri is hanging in there--she is one strong woman and Lindsay is doing a fabulous job caring for her Mom.

Days 4.5-6:  On Saturday I enjoyed dinner with the kiddos and then it was off to Lehi to get some sleep.  Sunday after church with Camille and Russ, we invited Jerry and his family to join our family for dinner.  We made yummy chicken enchiladas (Camille's recipe) and it was good to visit with Jerry, Nate, McKayla and Megan and Sean.  Little baby Lincoln is growing fast and is darling.  They all are doing reasonably well considering the loss we all still feel after Lisa's passing.  My "little brother" Jerry has a new found wisdom, compassion, and understanding that only those who have walked in similar shoes understand.  I think of him often and pray for him and his family daily.

Days 6-11:  I went down to Richfield to check on Mom and Dad.  We had last visited at Thanksgiving, and I try to get there about quarterly.  I got the house in shape, helped Mom thoroughly clean out her closet, cooked some much-appreciated meals, and enjoyed a couple of lunches with Dad.  On Thursday I was lucky enough to be Dad's date to the BYU vs. Gonzaga basketball game.  That was awesome!  I'm still a bit irked that "my two teams" now have to play one another and somebody has to lose, but this time BYU won handily.  That was good--they needed the win more, especially being the home team.  BYU puts on quite a pre-game/half-time show in the Marriott Center.  At the last minute, Dad treated us to dinner, as coincidently Craig (my oldest brother from Tennessee) and his son Zac (and a friend) were in town for a few days to do some skiing.  Also, Mark (youngest brother in Logan--they were headed south to do some snowmobiling), and Shayla and Kara (Craig's daughters) were there as well.  All in all there were about a dozen of us--Brittney and Stuart and Camille and Russ were able to make it, but Jace was unable to change plans on such short notice.   It's been a few years since I've seen Zac (he's a year older than Brittney), and it seems that lately Craig and my paths cross quickly, but it's better than nothing.  We had a nice visit.

Day 12-13:  Well, here's the story. . . Poor Brent arrived in Spokane from his Australia trip after 10 days.  Not surprisingly, he had a lot of loose ends to catch up at home, but was only able to stay 2 days before heading out again.  He was needed to follow up on some sales calls.  He left for San Francisco, and then was headed to Las Vegas for a couple of days over the weekend.  Coincidentally, my flight home went through Las Vegas, and since he wasn't going to be home for another full week (traveling on to a few more business meetings), I decided to alter my plans and stay a few days with him in Vegas.  We enjoyed good buffet food, went to church on Sunday, and just relaxed.  We walked alot both evenings--LV is a crazy city--just look, we saw the Eiffel Tower!  On Sunday evening the streets were pretty quiet--I think everyone was in watching the Super Bowl.  It was the best time to be on the strip in Las Vegas. 

So, after two weeks I arrived back home.  Brent will finally be home for a while tomorrow.  He is really busy right now with work, but we're not complaining--it's kind of important to have a job.  I loved my time with friends, the kids and my parents. 

And now, February is almost half over. Wow, here I go again. . .