My baby turns 18

Happy Birthday Dezmond, Samski, Marcos Samuel.  Welcome to full adulthood.  This is going to be a big year for you as you graduate from high school, move away from home,  and live independently.    You already keep your room, car,  and clothes clean and tidy.  I love this about you.  You always have and continue to enjoy doing things solo,  and have added solo hiking to your list.  I hope you always have the confidence in your own skin to do things alone.   During a difficult time recently you identified that you struggle with trust.  As you enter adulthood, I am hopeful that you see trust as a choice and decide to risk it with people worthy of your trust.  Dad and I are very proud of your work ethic, particularly at your internship and job.  We are always thankful that you join us for scriptures and prayer at night.  We know you have tremendous potential for good in our world because of your natural abilities to make friends and understand social skills.  You continue to be a healer and connector in our family.  I hope you know how loved you are and how much I love our special relationship.  

Happy Thanksgiving

When you live in St George, everyone prefers to come to your house for Thanksgiving!  It's warmer here, great hikes, bicycles to ride and Tony makes the best turkey on the planet.  Our house fit 30 comfortably and I love the excuse to use china.  Tyler and Chelsea added mac and cheese to this year's feast menu and Jeff and Stacey brought a "pickleboard" with pickled eggs that must become tradition.  The weather was warm so there was lots of bike riding,  hiking and pickleball.   Tony played in a "butterball" raquetball tournament.  On Friday we got to wish Harlow a happy 3rd birthday.  She is starting preschool soon and is pure sunshine.  She is not a big fan of camera's right now and taking pictures makes her very sad.  

On Saturday, Sam, Tony, Max and I drove up to Provo to meet Eliza and Cooper . Cooper came down from Boise and had a tender mercy.  His car engine blew up so he got a much safer rental car to drive!  We met at the Grid and drove electric cars with The Hainsworths.  The first race was a ton of fun, but we all regretted the second race.  Both Tony and I had to bow out and Eliza threw up as soon as she got home.  That night we had the hungry pilgrim feast at Betsy's house.  We had amazing pies thanks to Brooklyn including the famous pear-cranberry and a new winner: mascarpone with rhubarb.  We got to celebrate Anna and Luke's official engagement and meet Emma's new boyfriend Rob.  Cooper, Max, Sam and Tony went to the freezing cold BYU game.  Only Tony lasted to the end of the sad BYU loss.  On Sunday we attended sacrament meeting with Betsy and Jeff.  We love attending their diverse ward and were blessed to hear the testimonies of people from around the world such as Africa, China and South America.  While it wasn't our trypical Fast Sunday activity, we had a wonderful brunch with all the kids at Village Inn before heading home.  The weekend was wonderful.  Being with family is always full of big emotions that range from regret, gratitude, fear, relief and love.  I'm thankful for friends who help me navigate it all.  I'm thankful for God's plan of happiness that give me a longer, wider, better perspective.  

Relief Society Re-engagment

My new calling in the RS presidency is as I expected.  Overwhelming, time consuming, sacrifice requiring and above all else an absolute blessing.  I benefit from the relationships of a presidency.  I benefit from the perspective of knowing other people's challenges and difficulties.  I refocus on hearing and following the spirit in specific ways.  I have had several experiences of heavenly Father putting people in my path, receiving specific direction and more opportunities to feel peace.  Our RS Gratitude Gala focused on how gratitude helps get us through hard things.  We brought fancy dresses from the past with their stories.  It was fun to take Grandma Rippy's dress that she wore to her niece's wedding and that I wore to her funeral.  I also took the prom dress Mom made me and Eliza's prom dress that Covid ruined.  Relief Society is heavenly Father's priesthood organization for women.  I hope we can expand it in our ward to accomplish it's purpose of relief, not just friendship, fun and Sunday lessons.    I love being in primary,  but it's time for me to re-engage.  

Kimmie and Luke get married

 We had the pleasure of participating with Luke and Kimmie in their wedding and sealing this weekend.  We are so happy for them.  Eliza, her boyfriend Luke and Max joined us at the reception and it was a happy night.  The extra great part of the the weekend was a little time with Betsy and Jeff including a quick hike up the canyon. 

Happy Halloween!

 

Dylan Williams

 We have had the pleasure of getting to know an amazing man.  Addy found him first and decided to marry him.  Since then we have been apart of his baptism, confirmation, priesthood ordination and temple recommend!  He has a genuine heart and wants the gospel of Jesus Christ and he structure of his church for his future family.  We have been inspired by his sweet testimony and heartfelt prayers.  We are so thankful he will be part of our family.  

Fall Break

 Our lovely friends Steve and Jenny Waldrip rescued us from a boring Fall break by inviting us on a canyoneering adventure.  We repelled down Water Canyon just outside Hilldale on a stunning, perfect Fall day.  The guides literally talked us off cliff after cliff.  Some of us even. jumped into frigid cold water (not me or Tony). It was both terrifying and thrilling.  Tony said he would do it again anytime.  Me, not so much-one and done.  

On Saturday, we drove up to Provo for a mini Blughesworth reunion.  Betsy hosted a tailgate dinner with so many Blughesworths!  Eliza, Max and Sam were all there to help celebrate my birthday!  Brooklyn made my favorite apple cake.   It was so fun to see all the kids interacting as adults.  The 6 of us went to the BYU game.  It was another beautiful Fall night and the stadium brings back so many memories.  The game turned out esspecially fun because BYU won in the last minute and resulted in a very happy Dad and Jason.  

53 looks good on me

 I say this every year.  This is going to be my best year yet, and I mean it.  I celebrated this year by taking my paddleboard to the "lake" on a 103 degree day, perfect water temp and solitude.  I did yoga and swam and enjoyed being alive.  

Feliz Cumpleanos en CDMX

 There is no better way to celebrate a birthday than with an adventure!  Our adventure to Mexico City was wonderful.  We had great food, a perfect place to stay, lots to learn about history and art and beautiful rainy weather.  Everyday we had mexican hot chocolate and pan dulces.   Everyday we discovered good tacos or pozole.  With the help of very kind people, we managed to figure out the metro system and our VRBO.  We also got to experience a true Mexican protest with hundreds of people dropped off by buses at the central square.  The valuable buildings were barricaded by metal walls and all the businesses were boarded up.  One shopkeeper suggested that it was the government hiring thugs to  make the protestors look bad.  The only problem for us was that public transportation shut down and we had to walk home.  Even that turned out to be great when we ran into a delicious panaderia and Mexican China town (with no Chinese). We spent a fascinating day exploring the pyramids of Teoticuhacan.  I was most fascinated by the design that perfectly imitated the surrounding mountains.  Tony couldn't believe the sheer size.  We watched for symbolism of current temples.  One of the highlights for me was a private art tour explaining the murals in the palacio de bellas artes.  Another of our fun traditions is to always eat food in museums.  I had the most amazing yogurt parfait of my life with fresh plums and Tony had a relleno without egg in red suace that he loved.  I get so overwhelmed in big cities trying to understand how God knows each of us individually and how Jesus knows all the pain of the world.  60% of Mexico lives in poverty, so the pain and suffering is staggering.  Tony and I are compatible travel buddies except when he walks too fast (Lundberg trait) and leaves me in the dust.  It's so fun to learn and experience together.  I hope not to sound ungrateful when I suggest that fun trips like this just make me excited for the next one.