Molly's Big Day!

 It is impossible for me to put into a single blog how much I love Molly.  Truly, I just love this little girl.  Even though she is a lot of work.  Some days I pray and ask for help because I just do not have enough energy to be Molly's Mom that day.

My favorite words to hear are when she talks to the mirror: "Hello, Gorgeous!" Our favorite act is when she hides behind the couch and jumps out to yell, "Surprise! Happy Birthday!" which she does everyday, and not just on birthdays.  It makes everyday special.  My favorite sound in the WORLD is the sound of her saying "Yay!"  She does it when she is happy or excited, and it is the best.

So I was very excited for her to start preschool.  She just needs to be more active and engaged than I can provide for her.  She attends Bright Child Preschool with all of the other little kids in the neighborhood.  After the first day, she ran outside and said that they were going to learn the letter "M"! I should be so excited to learn everyday.

My sister came and helped Molly get ready and do her nails, and after school we all went out for ice cream.

Molly, you will do amazing in school because you are simply amazing.  It's who you are.  It's what you do.  I love you.

Don't You Know?

As some of you may know, my nephew had a fatal climbing accident last week when he was hiking in Provo.  For the past few days we have been busy making arrangements and food and getting ready.  People came into town.  Decisions had to be made.  It's all over now, and without preparing for the next event, there is just sadness and deep despair for my sister.

His parents hosted a beautiful memorial for his friends on Monday night.  So many friends showed up!  I do not have nearly the amount of friends that he did!  He was so loved!  Some of those friends also came to his funeral and to the gravesite.  That can be a really scary thing for a 18 year old, and I was amazed by the strength and dedication of his friends.  

I was also so impressed with the strength and dedication of his family.  They loved him.  They just always loved him.  Even when he was a teenager and driving his sisters crazy, they loved him.  Even when it was not the cool thing to do, they just loved him. 

It's odd to experience a personal loss.  I find myself wanting to talk to people at Target and tell them what happened.  Don't you know?  How can you buy Tide?  Don't you know?  It seems odd that life is going on for everyone when things are now horribly wrong.

It's truly not fair.  There should be a set pattern as to how these things go: grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles. It would be better if death followed a set pattern.  My nephew should have come to my funeral with his kids and mourned my passing for a few nano-seconds before he dived into a large piece of chocolate cake.

A few months ago my sister told me that her son's "long-term" plan involved staying with her, growing old with her, and taking care of her in her old age.  It was his job, as the youngest.  At the time, we shook our heads and hoped that he came up with a better plan.  Maybe one that involved a 8-5 job, a pretty wife, and a few kids.  But it looks as though the Lord agreed with my nephew's plan.  My sister now has her own personal angel, and I know that she will find big blessings in her life -- all customized by the son whose strong love for her will never die.

18 Year Return

Before I started BYU, my best friend from High School and I went to Seven Peaks.  We had a great, relaxing time.  I always remembered Seven Peaks like that -- a fun place to go and play in the sun and water and even relax.

So I was a little surprised when I came back 18 years later with my four kids and my niece and Wow!  Now you had to pay for parking?  What are all of these slides?  Wasn't the lazy river longer and. . .lazier?

The kids had such a great time.  It's perfect for everyone.  There are thrilling slides for my go-getters (Garry & Emma).  Medium slides for my more cautious kids (Macey & even Molly on that day).  And a small pool for little tikes like Braden and bigger but still not scarier slides for Molly.

We were not sure how long we would stay -- but we stayed an entire 7 hours!  We stepped out for a picnic, but then the big kids hit a few more slides right before closing.

We cannot wait for next year!  We will get season passes and go back often!

Book Signing With Jennifer Stewart Griffith

When I was at BYU, I completed an internship with Senator Larry E. Craig of the airport bathroom fame.  Working in that office was interesting.  The other interns hated me because, since I was from BYU and we had a special program every Friday, I got every Friday off.  But still got paid the same.  And since I had a carpool, I had to leave on time, everyday.  Yep, I would have hated me, too.

The one ray of light was Jennifer Stewart.  She worked up front, and once a week I got to help her on the phones.  I loved it.  When she went over to work for the House of Representatives, I was very sad.  The new guy was weird, and he was a chain smoker.  He would take a "break" every hour on the hour and leave me to handle the phones by myself.  I also thought that he was a weird fit for the office.  Usually the front office staff should be from the state because they are the ones that interact the most with constituents.  This guy was not from Idaho, and if he was a Republican, he was a card-carrying member of the Log Cabin Republicans.  I could not figure out how he got hired.  But now, nearly two decades later, it all makes perfect sense.

Jennifer Stewart became Jennifer Stewart Griffith, and she became an author!  She has written four books, and I was so excited to attend her book signing at Trolley Square.  Her latest, Big In Japan, is about a great man who is embarrassed by his weight in his mediocre job in Texas, but he finds fame and love as a sumo wrestler in Japan.  Great read!

We Love This PLACE

This year I bought the family season passes to This Is The Place monument and village.  I have tried to take the kids there at least once a month.  We have a great time riding the train, mining for gold, riding the horses, buying old fashioned candy and yummy donuts.

It's a great PLACE!  I also love learning more about the history of the pioneers while I am there.  We toured Brigham Young's farmhouse a few weeks ago, and I still need to tour Heber C. Kimball's home.  It always seems to be closed for a private event.  Also, everytime that I go I stop at Mary Fielding Smith's home and pay tribute to that amazing woman who came across the plains not only by herself but when the men of her company did not want her to because they thought she would be a liability.  I want my daughters to learn all about her, and seeing her modest home gives them something of an idea of which to build upon.

Starting Off, Coming Home

The girls are in what is called "C" track.  It's an interesting schedule because they do not start summer vacation until the very very end of June and then go back at the end of July.  But, once in, they are only back in school for three weeks.  So, Emma started the Second Grade and a day later Macey started First Grade, but they are already "off-track".  A lot of parents hate it, but I do not mind it so much.  I just consider it a second shot at summer vacation.  Now if I could just get motivated to do something incredibly fun!

Hiking

Since last year. . .right around this time. . .Garry has wanted to take the girls on a hike to go see a field that is famous for its wildflowers.  He went last year but the spring was so cold the flowers were way behind season.  But this year they had success!  Beautiful wildflowers, beautiful hike!