Graduation Trip - First Leg

This week, Chad and I are doing a trip for my graduation in which we are going to St. George, Utah, to visit his mom and uncle for the dirty part. Then, we will head to Rexburg, Idaho, for my graduation and to see my sister and her kids. Lastly, we will go down to Provo, Utah, to visit my parents and see my stepsister before heading home and stopping to see one of my favorite people. 

St. George is a bit different than I had imagined. I thought it would be a lot more open with less people. However, it is beautiful! We drove in Sunday night, arriving around 8pm at Chad's uncle's house. That night we got settled, had a bit of ice cream, and went to bed. Monday morning, we did the tourist thing and walked around the St. George temple grounds. 

Then, we went to see Chad's mom at her apartment. She took us on a tour of the community, introduced us to her friends, took us shopping for my birthday, took us swimming in the fitness center, and took us out to eat. It was a full day, and we were ready to go to bed early. This morning, we went to the Red Cliffs temple with Chad's, aunt, uncle, and mom to do sealings. 

Then, we went on our way to head up to Rexburg, taking a detour to a ghost town about an hour away which was totally worth the time it took to get there and walk around.

The Drive Home

Noel and I left for our trek home about 7:30 this morning. This time we drove I70 instead of I80. It was beautiful! I couldn’t believe I hadn’t tried this route yet. We each took turns taking pictures as the other one drove. Hers are much better than mine, but I am happy to have the variety to look at. 

Final Day For Now

 We are leaving Utah in the morning, so today was our final day. It was a great day to be here. I started the day off going to church with my dad. Then, I sat and enjoyed my dad and sister’s company until my sister and I set off to Walmart to buy some water for Noel and things her kids forgot. That was followed by a lunch of Kraft macaroni and cheese with her kids and my daughter. At dinner time my other sister, Carrie, came over with three of her girls. Then, we watched the Nuggets game and enjoyed being around each other until Noel and I needed to head to bed. 

I am sad we are leaving tomorrow before we can do more things around town, but I will be happy to be home with my husband, son, and dogs. As an added extra, Eric will be coming by to pick up a few things. (I am always excited when he calls and plans to stop by.) 

I forgot to take pictures while Carrie and the girls were over, but I did get some before we went our separate ways for the night. 

The Wedding

 

My best friend’s daughter got married today in the Payson Temple. It was a wonderful ceremony! I love the special spirit in the temple, and witnessing a couple be married for eternity makes it even better. 

The reception that really nice. The decorations were beautiful! The food was fun (fruit skewers, pretzels and stuff, and cupcakes), and the dancing was fun. They are such a cute couple, and I feel so honored and blessed to be invited to share in this wonderful day!

Loving These Trips

The more I come to Utah, the more I feel at home. Not in the “I want to live here” of way. It’s more like I fell like I have a place here. There was a time I didn’t know if I would be welcomed with open arms at my dad’s house. I am so glad that is not the way it is anymore. 

One of my favorite things in this house is the wall with his cross stitch temples. I remember him painstakingly working on them whenever he had down time. At the time, these were all of the temples he had been to. (I know that he has been to more since moving to Utah.) When I think about him creating these works of art, I think about this as a calm in the chaos that was our lives at the time. He set such a wonderful example of how to create calm when it seemed impossible. I think this is one of the reasons I gravitate towards knitting and crochet (mostly knitting) when I need to find a sense of calm.