Just Back From Utah

It was a wonderful trip full of lovely adventures! It was relaxing and rejuvenating - altogether a different mode of vacation-taking for me! It was also unusually long - almost 3 weeks due to various transportation choices - which made for a devastatingly long separation from my darling man. But he held things together like a trooper, and not only was the house still standing and the kitchen not stinking...he had a dozen red roses and candlelight to greet me! I ask you - what's a girl to do? Never leave him again, I believe. At least that's how I feel right now. I just want to cling tight and never let go...I've even been following him into the bathroom. I just can' t bear to have him out of my sight just yet...
Anyway, you probably don't want to hear about that...

So Utah was full of several awesome adventures!

1. We drop-kicked Rose at the curb a la new MTC policy ... but I have to admit it does probably save a few thousand trees a year not to give mothers an hour long meeting to weep through every week when they send off their child. Nope, just a quick hug and back slap and off they go...  you can read more about Rose's sendoff and see pictures here!  The car trip out was fairly good times as well, even with a set-apart missionary. We invented a new Ipad game I called 'Spin the bible dictionary.' The picker lets their finger stop the topic spin and land on a word at random. The person whose turn it is has to then define the word. You get 1/2 pts for spelling, and knowing if it's a person, place or thing. The landslide winner? Dad, of course. Mom and Rose also spent time singing thru the Italian hymnbook, as seen to the right. Why they didn't just sit next to each other I still don't understand, but Dad appeared to be able to sleep through the racket...ahem...heavenly tones...just fine.

2. Dropping off Rose was followed by a fun-filled weekend in Provo with some of my oldest former room-mates and friends! Errrr, former roommates, current friends. I stayed most of the time with my friend and MTC fellow co-worker Carolina Lindsay, and chilled out with her awesome kids.

Awesome Picture, Right? Photographer April Bladh Smith

Leia (age 6) is probably going to be translated before she gets to eight...she responds to requests for help finding items or running small errands with 'of course' and liberally doses out hugs and kisses. She sits quietly in restaurants, and contentedly amuses herself for hours in a concrete parking lot 'fishing' with a stick for 'lotsa fishies' (leaves). I confess to being relieved when a Monday morning squabble over the Barbie truck with her 18 mth old brother assured me that she was mortal.

And yep, she's pretty adorable on top of everything else. Her Mommy is an incredible photographer (no, I did NOT take these pictures). You can see some of her work at Carolina Lindsay Photography. She specializes in families and children, but is pretty much awesome at everything.

As for 18 mth old Parker, he is a stubborn one, but exudes the same over-all sweetness as his sister (except where the Barbie truck is concerned). And the kid has some killer dance moves...I couldn't help filming him for about 45 min, but I will spare ya'll and only post two of my home videos below..

 I also had an incredibly delicious home-cooked Sunday night dinner with my old roomie and fellow Alaskan bus-driver Heidi O'Bryan Marlow with her husband Jason, their adorable 1 year old Jade, and Heidi's siblings. Jade was the star of the evening, but the garlic gravy for the fried chicken came a close second. Jade loves people so much she just sat wide-eyed and gurgling in a big armchair for a full hour and half... didn't have to be held, just chillin' - playing with her toes, and happy to see people. Yeah, unreal. I've met puppies that are more high-maintenance.

Heidi, Jade, Jason



Ashley, the ever-lovely massage therapist

Lunch at Mimi's with Ashley and April was awesome, as always ("More bread, ALWAYS more bread please! You could just, ya know, bring a loaf or two. If ya want...") Sorry, totally forgot to take any pictures this day! Yay for facebook! Don't you girls love it that I can simply download gorgeous pictures of you at your best, rather than some cheesy vacation shot from a restaurant? LOL. Although missing a shot of your waist-length dreads, Ashley,was an error of magnificent proportions.


April, the insanely-talented singer songwriter (AprilMeservy.com)

After the long weekend in Provo I headed back to Salt Lake to spend more time with my Grandma. We had a wonderful time watching the Olympics and Jeopardy, going to Chuck-a-Rama and playing Catch Phrase and Dominoes. Hanging out with Grandma was a highlight of the trip!

On Wednesday I headed up to Bountiful to have lunch with Michelle Lizon Nielsen, another old roomie who missed our Mimi's luncheon date. I met her super-cute new hubbie and saw her super-cute new house with a super-cute new garden thriving in the backyard. Honestly, it was like visiting Mormon Mayberry. We should all have it so good...lol.

Michelle and Mark. Again, photo courtesy of facebook. Obviously there were no stockings up when I was there last week. 

On Friday my very first college roomie, Shauna Williams, was married in the Ochre Mountain Temple. We were roomates 14 years ago in Taylor Hall in Helaman Hall dorms at BYU. Doesn't feel like it can possibly be that long...does it?! Yikes! Anyway, her wedding was GORGEOUS and she was a phenomenally beautiful bride.




Her man is David Tuiono, and he seems pretty cool - at least he can get down and buggy when the islanders play!

All in all, it was a really amazing trip between sending Rose to the MTC and Shauna's wedding! It was a bit on the long side to be away from Richard, but so worth it thanks to the kindness of his parents and my parents that enabled me go for both and not have to buy airline tickets! I came home from Utah most of the way with Richard's mother, Maureen, and his sister Christina. On the way out of Utah we snapped a picture of Echo Reservoir, where my Mom grew up boating. Not so much anymore...