This morning Stephen made a treasure hunt for me. It started out with this sign on my bedroom door:
It clearly says “START.”
Then we went into the hallway to find this sign:
Which says, “Go to the kitchen.”
In the kitchen I found this sign:
“Go outside.”
Outside was the final sign:
“Mommy’s rock collection.”
Just below the sign was my rock collection! Ha! What a fun surprise! Am I impressed by my nearly-five-year-old’s writing skills? Yes!
When I was about fourteen years of age, I drove my bicycle and carried a paper route about fourteen miles long. This paper route went down in Lehi, back up into the Mesa area, down Alma Road and then on home again. A canal ran around the northern perimeter of my route for about a mile, and this was the most dreary and desolate place. There was only one house on this whole stretch of canal bank. Two days before, the man who lived there was found murdered in his house, and the house had been burned. Now the day before that, authorities had pulled a drowned man out of the canal right in this area. I was scared to death to even go by there. Now this was in the middle of the winter, and it was dark as it could be, and it stayed dark until I finished my paper route. I didn’t even have a flashlight, but I would ride along this canal bank by staying between the seam and vapors coming off the canal and a bunch of willows along the other side of the road. I could keep from running either into the willows or into the canal. There were ruts, and it was bad. It was something I wouldn’t wish on anybody, but in those days we were expected to help earn our sustenance, and so I was happy to get this paper route because it gave me some prestige in the community..Side note: My Dad left out the part about the two dead men when he told Stephen the story…
I’d get up every morning about 5:45 and go down to the road crossing where the paper man left the papers. I would count out my 21 papers, fold them and put them into my paper bag which hung over my shoulder, and then pedal down the street. I knew every rut in the road. I knew everywhere to go without even seeing it. I would bundle up as much as I could so I wouldn’t be too cold. Vapor would come out of my nose. I was just getting through that. It was really, really rough.
But this time was coming down the canal bank, right down this desolate area, and all of a sudden something appeared right in front of me—right directly in front of me. I knew it wasn’t a human being, but I couldn’t make out what it was, but what it really looked like was a demon. It looked like Satan himself was standing right in front of me, and to make things worse, it was only about two feet in front of me when I stopped. It was huge. I t was bout four feet tall. I coud see steam coming out its nose and vapors. I could see a pair of glowing eyes looking at me, and I could even see horns there, and little hairy legs going down. I stood there frozen with my feet on the pedals. I couldn’t move. I just there frozen for fifteen or twenty seconds. Then all of a sudden it went “moo” and walked away.
When I was nine or ten years old my parents bought me a “new” (used) bike to ride. It was a faded red color and so I worked hard to paint it a nice metallic blue. One day I wanted to ride it and one of the tires was flat. I had seen my older brothers go next door to Robert’s Tires and use the air compressor to pump up their bike tires. I was confident that I could take care of my flat tire on my own. I went over and started filling up the tire with air. The only problem was that I didn’t know when to stop filling the tire. Without warning, the tire violently exploded with a deafening blast! The old mechanic (Robert?) came rushing over to me yelling and cussing at me—he was so angry! I couldn’t really hear much of what he was saying since my ears were ringing. In fact, I couldn’t hear well at all for a few days and to make matters worse, the explosion had caused my rear fender to bend and my bike wheel wouldn’t spin anymore. I was so worried about getting into trouble that I didn’t tell my parents about what had happened for a long time.That story made me feel so bad! Poor little boy was trying to be independent and instead got chewed out, deafened, and ruined his “new” bike!
My brother, Aaron came last weekend with his two kids, Anna and Jeremiah, who are the same ages as Stephen and Boston. His wife, Rebecca, just gave birth to their third child last week so she stayed home to take care of him. We did wish we could have met James Wilder Quist (doesn’t that name rock??) in person but that will have to wait! The cousins play together so well it is always so much fun!
Here they are watching Little Mermaid while waiting for yummy homemade pizza from Grandma. Gotta’ love those cheesy smiles!
Getting ready to head over to the splash pad. This picture cracks me up because they knew that they should put their arms on everyone’s shoulder but they didn’t quite get how to do it so they just rested their hand on the shoulder of the person next to them! He he he!
Jeremiah was hilarious at the splash pad. Each time the water would squirt him in the face he would laugh and laugh! Such a funny kid!
Since it is so hot here we had to wait until the sun was going down to head over to the splash pad. It was really neat because the jets of water are lit up with blue lights at night.
They are back in California now and we already miss them. 
Why does so much of my family live far away??
My little sisters Chery and Celsea went back up to Provo to start fall semester last week. Each time I would think about them going up there I would get so sad and I just kept thinking how badly I wanted to go with them. Then my brain started churning and I thought up a crazy idea that I would tag along on their road trip. After convincing Scott he wouldn’t miss me for four days and somehow tricking my fabulous in-laws into helping with the kids I was all ready to join them. I kept it a surprise from my sisters – telling only my parents. We went over to say goodnight on Sunday night since the plan was to leave the next morning. I actually cried even though I knew I would see them for the next four days! Here is Celsea sitting with my boys the night we said goodbye – they miss her so much already!
(I know it isn’t the greatest picture – I took it with my phone in the dark…)
My mom is so clever and conjured up a story about needing to stop by my house on their way out of town so that Scott could help my Dad check the trailer they were pulling. As they sat out in front of my house early in the morning, Scott and my Dad put on a great show of checking the trailer. I grabbed my suitcase and ran out the door, shouting like a maniac, “wait for me!! I’m coming with you!” They were so surprised (I wasn’t sure if they would be or not). I love surprising people like that – I get such a kick out of it. Then we were off on our 12 hour road trip!
We had a great time talking and laughing and listening to music. Sigh!
The first evening we were there I got to see my friend Tina (one of my former roommates) while I was there and reminisce about the good old days. Over the next few days we moved Celsea into her dorm in Heritage Halls and Chery into her (3rd floor!) apartment off campus. Whew enough stairs to last me a life time. I needed all those stairs after eating at Brick Oven twice, chowing cinnamon bears from the bookstore, guzzling BYU Creamery chocolate milk, and gorging myself on BYU Creamery ice cream (Earnestly Chocolate in a waffle cone, thank you very much!) Soooo tasty!
Here is Celsea getting to eat “real” food (non-blended) for the first time in the six weeks since her jaw surgery! Did you know you could forget how to chew?
Chery, Celsea, and I in front of Celsea’s dorm building. Yes, I am a shrimp next to my elegant long legged sisters.
The girls with my Mom. We have all lived in Heritage Halls as freshmen at BYU!
Proud Mom and Dad…isn’t my sister adorable??
Celsea, striking her “foxy” pose in front of Fox hall.
It was truly a wonderful trip! We also got to spend time with some extended family while we were there. I had so much fun living vicariously through my sisters. I look back on my BYU experience (especially freshman year) as one of the very best parts of my life! I learned so much and had soooo much fun! There is such a great feeling walking around on BYU campus. I can’t really describe it but I crave being there. The gorgeous mountains, sky, and cooler weather were a (literal) breath of fresh air!
I am so excited for Celsea to start her BYU adventure and have the time of her life. (Chery and I spent half of our time together regaling Celsea with all of our fun freshman year experiences…I can’t believe Chery is already a senior!) I also got to meet several of Chery and Celsea’s roommates, which is nice because I like to know who they are living with.
Here we are in Celsea’s room in front of her cute bed and shelf.
I am still going through BYU withdrawals even after being home for several days. I am already planning my next trip up there…maybe for Homecoming? This time I will bring Scott and the boys with me – why should they miss out on the fun? It was wonderful to come home to my sweet little family and be the queen of my home again – no sharing a kitchen with other women, and not answering to anyone else for messes I leave for later is nice. I also definitely like my current roommate much better than any of the others!
I miss Chery and Celsea so much already! Celsea is the baby in our family and it is the strangest thing to go to my parents’ house and have her missing. Tonight Boston asked where she was and while we tried to explain it to him you should have seen the look on his sweet little face. He was so sad and kind of angry and as my older brother was teasing him by saying that a cougar named Cosmo had her locked up in a cage he looked shocked and upset! Poor little guy! He loves his Aunt Celsea and can’t imagine her being anywhere but home. (Chery was up at BYU when he was born so he doesn’t know any different with her, though he loves when “Chery-choke” comes to visit).
