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.