Weekend

We took a brief trip to Nevada over the weekend. Adam has been fighting a cold so we left later than originally planned on Saturday morning.  I wanted him to sleep as long as he could.  Mark came with us and Emma joined later.  We had a nice trip.  I drove about half of the way and we listened to more of the 13 Minutes to the Moon podcast.  It is fascinating.  We listened to the episode that described the Apollo 8 mission and heard the recordings of the awe the astronauts felt when they saw the Earth.  They tried to make sense of their place in the universe.  That reflection led them to, unexpectedly to anyone back on Earth, read Genesis aloud on Christmas morning.  They said it was their message to the world.  

So picture me driving across the Salt Flats with big tears rolling down my face.  It really got me.  

Adam did some yard work and I did some inside work.  After I had swept and wiped off the counters and made beds, I went over to Olivia's and my mom and I helped her work on the graduation quilt she is making for Ruben.  We rolled one side which is such a good feeling!  I enjoyed sitting with them and talking.  I think sitting together and doing some work like that is one of the most pleasant things to do.  I would have been really great in Jane Austen's time as a lady of the manor sitting around doing handwork in the ornate drawing room.  Except no indoor plumbing would have been problematic.

We all had dinner at my parents' house.  Ammon and his kids were there as well as Edgar and their boys and Marianne and Robert.  (Olivia had a stake dance to attend.)  I love spending time together and then going back to our little house. 

Sunday morning I got dressed for church and then put on tennis shoes--because I have seen big snakes in the orchard.  I went out and picked a few crabapples for my children to sample (and also two apples from the "Big Tree House" tree--there are only a few broken boards left of the treehouse that used to soar above the orchard except it really isn't that tall as an adult).

Anyway.

I went inside and took a bite of one of the tiny tart apples.  Mmmm.  I said, "This tastes like my childhood!"  Then I noticed there was a little worm inside.  Emma and Mark lost interest very quickly in trying one of the apples.  I ate them all the time when I was a kid and we would play in the orchard.  We just ate around the worms.  

 

As a bonus at church Marcos and Marianne both spoke.  I told Marianne, "I didn't know you were going to speak!" The meeting was all about the report of their youth conference and Marianne is the young women president.

She said, "Well I didn't really know I was, they had said maybe."  Leave it Marianne to give this poised seemingly well thought out talk extemporaneously.  She's a wonder.  I always think it.  Olivia is too.  Ruben was ordained an elder after church and Olivia and Edgar have such a great family and I am always impressed.

After church we convened at Marianne's to celebrate my dad's birthday.  My mom had frozen cherries off their tree and pulled them out to make pies for the cherry pie fete.  Besides pie we also had roast and potatoes and rolls and salad which was pretty much Sunday when I was growing up and I loved it.  When my dad was slicing the meat, he pointed out the end cut and said, "This is for you, Thelma."  The night before I had blanched at the sight of my pink hamburger.  I like my meat well done!

We headed home and Emma and Mark rode together and Adam and I rode together.  Emma sent us a cryptic text.  (She is the master of the cryptic text.). She wrote:

You're going to wonder and the answer is Weezer.

There was a Weezer concert at Saltair apparently and traffic was BACKED UP from Salt Lake.  

I was grateful when we made it home.  Now for another week of school!