Weekend

On Friday afternoon, after we got back from Ruben's graduation party in Wells, my dad and I tackled the behemoth juniper or possibly some kind of cedar.  (It was mostly him.)

I had ridden to town for the party with my parents (Adam was working) and on the way back, my dad said he'd have me drive the excavator up the road.  I said, "I don't know how."

He said it was easy.

I said, "I don't know how.  I don't want to.  I can't."

My mom said, "Don't make her do that.  She doesn't know how."

My dad said, "The Cobian boys can do it."

I said that was irrelevant.  I'm sure there are a great many things they can do that I can't do.

But then there I was climbing up into the excavator.  My dad gave me some very cursory instructions and I was on my way.  I guess I should feel complimented that he thinks I'm more competent than I actually am.

When I was about 10-12 years old, I was moving cows with my dad and it was winter and I was cold.  My dad told me to put my horse in the trailer and drive the truck up the road a ways and wait for him.  I didn't know how to drive a stick shift and so my dad briefly explained it to me and away I went.

He didn't tell me how to stop and I couldn't stop (because I didn't know I needed to push in the clutch) and ran over a marker post.  It made a sickening scratch down the whole length of the truck and then the horse trailer and I thought I was going to be in big trouble, but my dad laughed when he saw it.

So he also didn't tell me how to stop the excavator.  He told Adam to tell me to turn off the key and I didn't know where the key even was and I started panicking and then I ran into my dad's truck and Adam yelled, "Just let go!"and I did and then it stopped.

Adam went to tell my dad, who was using the chainsaw.

I sat there with the same amount of dread as when I didn't know how to stop the truck.  There wasn't a lot of damage thankfully and he laughed again and said, "Oh Thelma!"

He didn't have me drive the excavator any more though.  

He dug up all the bushes and I mostly watched and said, "I'm sorry I hit your truck," whenever I had an opportunity.  

Here is the before and after:

I texted my siblings the picture and Ammon said it looked like when Enoch shaved his beard.  I also told them about the excavator situation which opened me up to some mockery from Enoch.

My role in life is to make other people feel better about themselves.

***

Saturday I walked with my mom and sisters and Marianne and my mom was going to go to Rachel Moore's house for her son's graduation party.  They said I should come.  I said I hadn't been invited.  I'm socially awkward at best, I don't need to be inviting myself to parties.

They said, "It's the Knudsens!"  

When I got home, my mom called me and said, "I feel very strongly you should come to the party.  Marianne is picking me up and then we will get you.  Go get ready."

So I did.  Ultimately, I cave to peer pressure.  I told my mom if it was awkward, it was her fault.

But it wasn't awkward.  It was after all, the Knudsens and they have been our family friends for generations.  I am closer to them than I am to a lot of my cousins.  I was glad I went and glad to spend time with Marianne and my mom.

When I got home, Adam and I kind of lazed the afternoon.  He had finished mowing (I know, I didn't think it was possible) and he did some church stuff and we talked to Emma and Braeden and Anna and most importantly QE.  

After dinner we went visiting to my parents.  It was rainy and some lightning and thunder was happening.  We lost power during the visit, but the flashlight on my phone is maybe one of the handiest things I own.  Power was restored later that night and we finished watching Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris.

Church in the Wells ward was good.  I always feel like I stand up straighter after going there.  I remember where I am from. 

Sunday afternoon I read memories about my grandpa Dahl's ancestors on Family Search.  I started on the left with him and I'm going to move right and read as much as I can about as many as I can.  I learned a lot of things I didn't know and then talked to my parents more about it.  I know the least about my grandpa Dahl's parents than any of my great grandparents.  My great grandpa Dahl died before my dad was born and my great grandma Dahl died while they were in Virginia and my dad was only 5 when they moved to Virginia.  

So I have a lot to learn.

We convened at Marianne's at 6:00.  We had dinner, provided by Olivia, and planned the reunion some more.  Let's just say there will be enough food.  Olivia left early because she goes to bed early and the rest of us stayed and visited.  The men in the sunroom and the women in the living room.  We got a good start on solving all the problems of the world, but didn't get there yet. (We've so far identified a lot of problems....)

Today we are heading back to Utah and Mark.  It will be good to see him again.  I kind of wish I could stay here forever though.  We don't have a washer and dryer, so that's problematic, but we know people who do.