Family Week

From the whirlwind of last weekend the kids have slowly begun to drive or fly off into the future leaving behind traces of their adult spirits and the sweet sounds of their toddler and baby laughs and cries. They also left a few errant socks and dirty diapers. I view it as a pay day from being blessed as parents with incredible children. I loved raising infants, playing with kids, and trying to keep up with teenagers as the family aged, but to have healthy, stable, and spiritual adult children is the absolute best thing in the world. I didn’t even mind the mostly gentle teasing of how goofy or clumsy I am. I best loved the quiet conversations related to politics, raising the next generation, and even intense discussions of family struggles. It is the mixed salad of personalities, and choices, and feelings, and ideas, and habits brought together under the roof of ultimate love and caring that makes for a dynamic and fun family. And we have it in spades. I’m so thankful for the blessings of the gospel that have so enriched our lives and built this structure of home.
The intense activity of kids arriving started with Don’s April 2nd appearance, and will come to an end today as Don leaves for the base at 29 Palms. Thanks goodness Dave and Danica will stay in the area for a while, because amid the mess and noise I loved everyone around and have a glimpse of what heaven will be like.

Tiana was slowly returning to the real world by the day, but would retreat to thoughts of the mission by talking with an elder recently released from West Virginia at night. She is now in Salt Lake to visit with him in person. She is also there to find a place to live, get a job, sign up for school and move on to the next phase of life. It was great as she drove off alone to Utah and stake her claim to her new future armed with experience and the spirit from her mission. It might be rough for a while but she is prepared with some impressive weapons of self confidence developed over the last few years.
Don is planning on driving all night to arrive at his sister’s place in Southern Utah tomorrow morning and then finish the trip to 29 Palms. He is packing his new car and lots of rest from 30 days of visiting friends and family. We didn’t get enough racquetball in because of his broken knuckle and he said he will ‘tough it out” to keep from telling anyone on base.
I had an interesting appointment this week. It was basically a job interview to work with a large national company that uses life insurance to help with charitable giving. It could mean a ton of new business and we will see how it goes. Yesterday we worked outside with Dave to repair the falling wall on the side yard and it snowed on us. I thought about you and wondered if it was still cold and snowy in Canada.