Home Again Home Again Jiggedy Jig.

On Monday Brittney and I flew out of San Antonio around 6:00 am Dad and Spencer picked us up in SLC a bit after 10. 

We stopped at Trevor's so Dad and he could consult on some electrical Trevor is doing.  Eleanor showed us these crab applea as she is collecting them now! 

As soon as we got home I crashed for several hours.

That night Darby invited us for dinner. She made amazing  enchiladas, and showed us around ...

Her cute new town house!!

I walked with Ginny  the next day and took a pic of Dewitt's house to Instagram.  Probably the only Profitable thing I did that day.

I  spent most of the day finishing this book. The Boys in the Boat, the finished an Austen knock off I had going. Dad came home and about 6:30 asked if there would be some dinner?  Poor Dad. I did make dinner though. My bad!! 

On Wednesday I worked and put together this collage for my ROCC listing. I didn't have a lot of hope it would sell since Facebook is pulling weird shinanigans and is limiting views to our followers.  Arrgg. So I also listed  the table on Vintage Yard Sale Utah!!  

Thursday morning Dad took a day to work on the framing in the garret bathroom. I headed off to work where I got notified (on VYSU) that the table sold wahoo!!

When I got home I got to see all dad had done!!!

On Friday I ran some general errands then headed over to the antique mall to redo the front display in the north building. 

That night dad and I went out and saw McFarland USA in Spanish at the Watergardens there.  Dad saw it last week, but loved it and was happy to see it again.  I liked it so much I teared up on and off throughout 

Early Saturday I dropped Dad off several miles above Vivian  Park up Provo Canyon, so he could do his test run for the half marathon he's doing in two weeks. 

Then I got in some garaging in the Orem area before heading to work .

Where I redid the front display in the south store.   Dad dropped by on his way home from his 11.5 mile run  and told me he had met this guy named Guy Randel and he'd helped pace Dad down the canyon for like 7 miles. Dad was saying how nice this guy was and how fun it was to talk and run.  

Then I told him I thought that was the name of Steve Kew's old friend, former roomy and band member.    Sure enough!!  Now Dad's  friends with Guy on FB. Small world!!

Got this pic from Emily of what Sam did that day.  He went out to work on building a house for someone. Maybe Habitat for Humanity?  Even though he can't really do much with his back so bad, I guess his experience in construction came in handy!! 

After work Dad came and got me and we went to the old movies 8 to see the Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel!  Ding ding ding!! Another winner!'

Today was church as usual!!  Here I am at the Medallion after an extra lovely Fast and Testimony  Meeting.  It was so lovely I did a blog post just about that.

Then on our way we stopped to see Jill Wilson's new grandma house, not done yet, but Doug said Jill browbeat him into making  it because 'Scott made one for Paula!!'

Here we are visiting Grandpa. He doesn't look good and slept through our visit.  He's in a hospital bed now, Dad and I meet with a Hospice person tomorrow, I don't think he has too long.

After the care center we headed home to get ready for family dinner. 

There was lots of chopping for Hawaiian haystacks and salad bar and soup.

Here are some of us in the dining room

I think everyone had fun, I know I did.

Being the Third Counselor in the Branch Presidency

Today Fast and Testimony meeting at the Medallion Supported Living Center was perfect.  

There were 15 people there. Including Dad, presiding, as the 3rd counselor in the Branch presidency, their financial clerk, high councilman, Todd Ekins. Also there was the branch Relief Society President and her husband and one other member of the 'priesthood leadership'. The stake Relief Society President was there with her teen son and daughter. The daughter shared a piano solo, the son passed the sacrament. Two other brethren provided the blessings on the sacrament. There were two residents, Jean an older sister and Angela, who told us in her testimony that she is 32. Angela sang for us before the meeting and commandeered the leading of the music. There was also one employee of the home, Anna. I was number 15.

Jean, Paula, Angela

Dad bore his testimony first and said that as Carson passed the sacrament, he was reminded of the time he was at a solemn assembly in the Salt Lake Temple and the apostles passed the sacrament. He said Elder Worthlin passed to his row and how he always felt a warm connection with him forever after. Remember Christ first passed the sacrament, it's about Him and his mission to bring us back. 

Then Dad mentioned  this picture. 

Next Dad talked about how Sister Wade mentioned her sons participation in a 100 miles in 30 hours endurance run, and how a pacer can keep them going, and keep them on the path. He likened that to our family and church members who enable us in the same way. I loved the analogy. 

Angela then jumped up to bear her sweet testimony. She said she knew the church was true, then told some random bits if her life and accomplishments  and how they each made her feel. Happy, sad, terrified (when at age 8 she fell into a swimming pool and almost drowned). her final words were that she has a great imagination.

One of the priesthood brethren stood and bore his testimony and then told of his experience attending a solemn assembly.  

Last of all, Anna bore her testimony and expressed her gratitude for the meetings the branch provides at the care centers.  She said that her family circumstances require that she work on Saturdays and Sunday's  and that she is so grateful that she can partake of the sacrament each week. She then  commented on how strong the spirit was there. 

Yes, the spirit was so strong.  I reveled in being able to share in this experience. Somehow this particular meeting perfectly exhibited the spiritual beauty that the branch design allows for all to come together and meet, to partake of the sacrament and to worship our Father and his son, as we are able.  

 I'm just grateful to be a small part of this.  

Tornados and Flooding and Moving Oh My!

Another one for of those fun and busy weeks has gone down in history.  For me it started with garden work. I planted this planter, the front sea horse fountain and ....

the well, as a fairy garden...  I also got one of the garden boxes cleared and planted, and cleaned the garden house. 

Which was good because I got to watch these munchkins, and they love playing in the garden house!

We even had a tea party in there!!  

That night Dad and I were off to do FHE at the care center. Spencer and Brittney rode over on their bikes to join us...

and help out ... 

because the Holmes were back, this time talking about their mission to Cambodia. 

The two couples had lots of fun comparing notes!! 

While Dad and I visited with residents!! 

Tuesday was super busy, as I finished everything I needed to do before heading to Texas the next day.  It started out with a walk with Ginny, weird to see old barns like this within blocks of our house, on Main Street 

When I got back from walking  I addressed the invitations for Hannah's shower. 

Then headed to the mall to unload all the antique show stuff I'd lugged around for more than two weeks, hoping for Fleaology to happen.  Dad needed the van empty so he could haul wood for building the garret suite. Woot Woot! 

I managed to squeeze it all in.   

I got home in time to pick up Shelby Miedinger and drive to Provo for a Mary Kay event to support a gal in our ward. 

Then it was home to wash my clothes and pack my bags. I noticed that everything on top of the wet load in the washer was black and white. Shocker! 

Dad took Brittney, Becca and me to the airport very early Wednesday morning. 

And before we knew it we were hanging out in San Antonio. 

Getting better aquatinted with Emily's kids. 

Becca and Brittany M arrived a bit later after touring much of San Antonio by car. 

Of course we all got lots of Abigail loving in!! 

 This is Wednesday morning, Brittney O put the hair bow on her bun so she and Charlie could match!!  As we sat around deciding how to distinguish the Britts we found that four of us have potty initials. BM, PP, BO and BS , and Emily, just to be different, has alien initials: ET 

We all went out to see the old Catholic missions that day. Poor Charley stepped in a red ant nest.  But Emily had triple antibiotic ointment in her emergency kit in the car, which seemed to take care of the bites rather well 

The stonework was beautiful!! 

And provided lots of photo ops 

Loved this huge Gate!! 

This is a parsonage is still in use. The clergy that maintains the old church and holds mass,  lives here. How cool is that?? 

When we got home, Emily and her helper Brittany M made us Sushi!! 

The next day these beauties were primping to go shopping!! It was Bon Marche' (the good deal) day. Because it sounds better in French than 'el cheapo shopping day'.  

This is the $5.99 store. We also hit 'Five Below' 

Here are the kids at the mall outside the $5.99 shop. 

Here we see the girls chatting it up!!  "What is your love language!?"

Here we see our Brittney O keeping fit by doing squats with adorable weights!! 

While I was busy shopping with my grands, Dad was at Becca's house with her cute kids, as Brady was out with guys from work at a farewell dinner for his boss. 

While Dad was babysitting, Trevor and Davin's  family were moving Darby into her new condo.  Thanks to Brady's contribution of a new fangled dryer plug, Dad was able to stop at Darby's on the way home from babysitting  and hook up Darby's washer and dryer. Then he switched the fridge door that had opened toward the laundry room instead of the kitchen!!   Now it's perfect!! 

The next morning, on Saturday, Brittney O took this picture of Abigail.  Emily said Abigail had smiled for the first time Wednesday, and this is the first picture of her smiling!! (Now go back and read this subbing smoked for smiled as per uncorrected auto correct ha ha) 

Just having some photo fun with my sweet William!! 

On Saturday we headed out for the Tea Gardens.  

The over cast skies made it even more beautiful.  

This is the family who lived here when the garden was originally built and acted as care takers. 

It started to rain as we sat on the patio of the Tea House, so we headed out ...

While driving to this amazing Indian restaurant the rain poured down ... The changeable freeway signs said "flood warning, turn around, don't drown". 

I finally got a shot of Charlie in her Kimono her Bachan gave her!!  The food at the restaurant was amazing and they had a real tandoori oven.  The naan was amazing, as was every other dish.  And if eating goat were on my bucket list ... 

Afterwards we drove through the floods to have pedicures. My first ever, and that was on my ever boring bucket list!! 

That night it was Popsicles in the tub ...

And kids with blue tongues from blue Popsicles. Brittney O was a good sport and gave me a fouth tongue shot for my quad photo arrangement.  Brittany M's, however, was unsolicited!! Sometimes she just reminds me of my sister Julie!! 

And while I was having fun with water, Dad was having fun with saw dust back home working in the attic. He and Spencer did take some time off and went to see McFarland that night. 

Sweet babies!!  For us, that night, nature took care of the entertainment. 

This is how the River Walk was looking, good thing we missed that this time. 

This is a pic  of how many local families spent their evening. We were so close to an airforse base that we waited for their emergency sirens, so even though our phones kept ringing alerts for both tornados. (One touched down just 20 miles away) and flood warnings, we had a quiet (if you don't count thunder that shakes the house) evening watching another nonfiction movie, which seemed to have been the theme of the trip!!   We saw Blindside, Flash of Genius, the Imitation Game and then Still Alice that night.  Even our kids' movie was Prince of Egypt!! 

Sunday morning the little girls got princess fingernails before church. 

Dad also missed church in Payson, as he headed to Bountiful to attend Sister Wade's missionary farewell. She's headed back to Finland where she and her husband served as Dad's mission Presidents. She also announced to everyone there that Dad and I will be headed to Finland next year!  We will overlap sister Wade by just a month :-( 

In Texas we all spent a nice afternoon at church which was followed by my last evening with the Talleys and my traveling companions. It had been a lovely vacation, I was to leave the house at 4:30 the next morning with Brittney O to head home.  

Thanks to everyone who made this lovely vacation happen, especially my generous husband who held down the fort at home.