The Grand Canyon

Despite Coronavirusteria, we attempted to maintain our Spring Break plans to the Grand Canyon this week.  We left Thursday morning and drove the beautiful Vermillion Cliffs area toward Flagstaff.  We stopped once to check out amazing rock formations that looked like mushrooms in an a area where indigenous people cleverly used rocks for houses.  We arrived in Flagstaff to a big snowstorm so our plans to explore the area were changed.  Instead we got Wendy's chili and tucked into our hotel room. Getting snowed in did mean Max got  a school essay done.  We finally got to sleep after a chorus of farting from all the boys.

On Friday we headed through a stunning winter landscape to get on the train.  Sadly, they had just cancelled our ride.  Instead, we drove into the Grand Canyon.  The fees were even waived!   The views cannot be understated.  It was cold and snowy so we hiked the rim trail.  The boys lasted about an hour before they became surly and headed back to the car.  Sometimes when Tony and I see families with (apparently) compliant and cooperative children doing things that are just for fun, not even sacrifice or work, we feel stunned.  How does it happen?  It's so hard not feel total resentment and rejection when we take our kids to a place like the Grand Canyon, a place most people never get to see in their entire life and only dream of.  Our kids refuse to enjoy the beauty, feel connection to us or the earth and ask to go back and sit in the car.  I want so badly for them to have the ability to have normal connection and it feels like that opportunity was stolen from them, and me,  by adoption.  Both Tony and I continue to be astounded at the power they have to suck the joy out of life.  I guess that our greatest challenge is to learn to maintain and foster joy in the circumstances we find ourselves in.

After a good 6 mile hike, we headed back through Page Arizona and had our first glimpse of Lake Powell.  It brought so many happy memories for Tony and I admit to being excited to see it up close in the boat.  We stopped in Cameron Arizona on the reservation for Navajo tacos, Indian Fry bread, and prickly pear cactus licorice.  The drive home was beautiful and we were rewarded with a rainbow in Fredonia.

Now the real challenge begins as we try and finding purpose and meaning in this quarantine.  We also have the challenge of staying connected and not succumbing to media checking out.

Rippy Women Weekend (RWW)

A couple of months ago, Jill bought tickets for all the girls to come for a Rippy Women Weekend in St George.  It was a weekend full of miracles.  I picked up Jill, Stacey and Kimberly on Thursday morning and we ran to the temple for the fastest temple experience in recorded history.  Even a quick temple visit of 1 initiatory is enough to fill my cup.  It was an extra blessing to go with my sisters and to make it before they announced that all the temples would be closed.  After the temple we ran back to the airport to pick up Chelsea.  Our first food of the weekend was The Protein House and it was delicious!  After finding a wonderful free parking lot, we spent the afternoon walking in Las Vegas.  We visited the Chinese Gardens at the Bellagio, then decided to get crazy and buy tickets to the Michael Jackson One show!  We had a quick Shake Shack dinner and then were off to sing Billie Jean and Thriller and be impressed with what the human body can do!

After the show we wandered the casinos trying to find out car, only to eventually discover that our "free" parking lot was secured tightly with padlocks and chains.  After driving in circles, Jill jumped out of the car and solved the problem by manhandling the pylon out of the concrete and undoing the chain.  Crisis averted by SuperJill.

We got home late on Thursday (craziest rain storm ever) and tucked in.  On Friday, Jill and I went for a swim and then hurried back to catch a yoga class.  The class had been cancelled, so Chelsea got to be our instructor.  I was glad for the privacy of our personal yoga class because we had a powerful experience together feeling the light, love and support that can come from a group of priesthood accessing,  covenant keeping women.  Chelsea has such a gift for facilitating healing.  I call it a temple experience.

We met Mom for lunch at Viva Chicken (yum) then went for our Kareoke pedicures.  As long as we stuck with the BeeGees, we sounded amazing.  We did a quick errand to Ulta and struck up a conversation with an employee.  The girl helping us dreamed she would have triplets, was adopted, is dating a Dixie State football player who might be willing to mentor Max!  Too many coincidences to be accidental.  By the time our makeup was purchased and our toes were dried, we were all ready for chocolate ice cream.  We sat in Freddy's for hours talking and discussing mostly the gospel.  We said goodbye to Mom then went home to make tea and nachos, get in pajamas, and collapse on the couches.  We stayed up way too late, but it is always the best to talk with a group of women who are willing to be vulnerable, share dissenting views, and discuss hard things.

Saturday morning Jill, Kimberly and I miraculously made it to the Shamrock and Roll run.  Jill came in 4th in her age group and Kimberly and I were glad to finish!  The rain held off and the canyon was beautiful.  I was grateful that Kimberly signed up so we could run together.  We talked the whole time and crossed the finish line crying.  After quick showers, we grabbed the other girls and met Mom and Dad at First Watch for breakfast.  We spent the afternoon walking around downtown, picked up a party box of Cumbl cookies, then came back to the house to sugar up and get ready to say goodbye

Happily we were all able to thank Tony for making the ultimate sacrifices to make this weekend happen.  He got hotel rooms so that we could have the house to ourselves, managed the strep throat and F-bomb dropping teenagers, and booked a shuttle so I wouldn't have to drive home tired.  All the husbands deserve credit for giving us a wonderful gift.  Whatever I thought I missed by growing up with no sisters, Heavenly Father has fulfilled his promise of restoration and compensatory blessings with my beautiful sisters in law. 

Strictly Ballroom

We just had a nearly perfect 24 hours.  With our best friends Jeff and Betsy (we missed Jason and Andrea) we went to the temple, saw Strictly Ballroom, snowshoed in the beautiful Utah canyon and ate amazing Thai food.  It just doesn't get much better than that!

Belgium!

Travel is my love language.  I love to explore the world, especially with a compatible travel partner and the security of knowing Tony has the kids.  And flying first class is the bomb.

I met Amy late on Tuesday night and we caught a morning flight to New York.  We spent a few hours in New York and then easily got on a flight to Brussels.  It amazed me that it was less than a 7 hour flight across the pond.  As usual, I was too excited to sleep and the first class food was too delicious to pass up.  I did get to watch JoJo Rabbit, a lovely movie that alters perception.

As soon as we arrived in Brussels we jumped a train to Antwerp.  Antwerp is famous for its stunning train station.  We managed to ditch our stuff at our VRBO (always an adventure finding these places) tucked behind, above and beside all the boutique shopping.  Riding elevators in Antwerp with too little sleep and hysterical laughter may have resulted in incontinence for both of us.  Antwerp is a famous diamond and shopping capital, neither of which interested us much.  We had our best meal of the whole trip here as well, fish sandwiches, salad and amazing vegetable soup.  After lunch we propped our eyelids open and went to the Rubens museum for some amazing art.  In a diamond museum down the street, both Amy and I experienced falling asleep while standing up.  When we could stand it no longer, we went to the grocery store and stocked up on European essentials:  yogurt, baguette, cheese, muesli  AND digestives and headed home.  I slept hard, despite the drunk partiers outside our window and was up doing fitness blender the next morning ready for adventure.  Poor Amy slept terribly and was a good sport the whole day.