Small Doses

Our trip to Nevada was short and hurried.  I tried to squeeze as much into the days as I could.  

I took a few early morning walks with my mom.  I love walking with her on those gravel roads.  We talk about our lives and the wildflowers and whether or not the black bull that escaped from some neighbor's field looks like a friend or a foe.

I spent a little time in my dad's shop.  I watched him engrave silver and I admired some spurs he's making.  I learned something I didn't know:  that Western silverwork is the cultural grandchild of the Moors.

Before Ammon and Melanee had to leave, I got some yoga advice from Melanee, chatted with Ammon about his job and was delighted by Cormac of the ever entertaining expressions.

I sat on my parents' front porch swing with Tabor on a warm afternoon.  We chatted about his career choices and he made me laugh approximately 3000 times.

I traipsed through the sagebrush to visit Jennifer.  I admired the smart way she'd set up her room.  I admired her air conditioning.  I admire Jennifer.

I tried to stay a little longer at Tabor and Katie's house to visit with them after Sunday dinner but I was so exhausted I had to give up.

I did take a picture of their Ruby though.  My latest greatest niece.  She's the sweetest little sugar plum I know:

 

There's a lot for me to love about this picture.  My mom's in the background, looking typically busy, Braeden's over Katie's right shoulder enjoying something witty from Tabor (I know it's Tabor because of the handlebar mustache).  Katie is looking sweet like usual and then that Ruby!  Purely kissable.

I got to spend time just visiting.  We sat around and sipped the ice water our mother frequently offered.  We talked about our upcoming reunion and made exactly no progress in deciding anything.   

The children got to ride horses a little (not enough for Mark's taste):

Hyrum and Mark

Emma Jayne

Emma got to spend all sorts of girl time with her fabulous cousins (and she got her hair braided...somehow in a family of hairstyling duds, we got Desi and Melanee, who also braided Emma's hair).

Desi, Emma, Clarissa and Liberty

I paid a visit to my entrepreneurial brother Enoch's taco truck and truck wash.  It's fun to see Enoch in the role he was destined to play.  He exudes charisma.  He effortlessly converses in Spanish with his employees, sells chrome to truck drivers and deals with his pesky visiting sister with panache.  I had to slip one employee of his some money for the tacos because Enoch said he didn't take Washington dollars.  If you're ever in Wells, Nevada, track down that taco truck.  Wow.  Good stuff.

I got my dusty van washed and had an argument with Enoch over how much he wasn't charging me.  He thought he won.  Did you find that cash on the counter Enoch?  You'll never win.  I'm the big sister.  Get used to it.

On Monday night, we had Family Home Evening at my parents' house.

There was an encore performance of Tina Trampalina...

...which delighted Carolina, their biggest fan:

Liliana and Ruben recited a scripture:

And Lili and Carolina got comfortable under my dad's chair during his lesson:

I like Family Home Evening in my parents' living room.  It brought back a lot of good memories.

Some things don't change much.

What's Family Home Evening without a little chaos?

I'm grateful for my little not-long-enough trip.

I'm grateful for my family.

I'm grateful for Starr Valley, Nevada in June.  It's the color of sunshine.