Weekend: home means Nevada to me

 I am home from our weekend reunion in Starr Valley and it was a nice weekend.

Adam went earlier in the day, but the rest of us joined the party at Marianne's late on Friday because Emma and Mark and I went after work.  When QE saw me, she ran to hug me and said, "I have missed you!"

I. Could. Not. Love. Her. More.  

Too soon after we got there, Braeden took her back to our house to go to bed.  We celebrated my mom's birthday (which had happened in April) by sharing memories about her.  Marianne also asked one kid from each family to tell a family history story.  Mark was selected from our family.  I loved how each story basically boiled down to ways Heavenly Father had protected us and answered our prayers.

Our family was in charge of breakfast the next day and we served fruit and yogurt and granola.  I was  upset when I realized Mark had eaten some granola.  It had gluten in it and I told Adam when we bought it that that was fine because Mark didn't like granola.

Well, Mark had eaten some.  He trusted his mom to serve food that wouldn't harm him.  Ugh.  I felt so terrible.  I am grateful that Mark did not get sick.  (He hadn't had much granola.)

We went to Elko and had a talent show at a rest home.  Some of us (me) weren't super excited about that.  In the same way that I don't like Christmas caroling (here, let me sing at you), I thought it was weird to inflict our talent show on unsuspecting residents.  They seemed happy though and I was too busy with QE to feel too uncomfortable.  My favorite part was that Olivia (who was the architect of the activity and does in fact like Christmas caroling) had Hyrum lead us all in the Nevada state song at the end.  I watched the residents' faces light up and they joined in.

I don't know.  Nevadans like that song and that is all.

Tabor texted me a picture of our kids at the rest home (I took zero amount of pictures).  They sang a song together, which I always love.

From there we went to the visitor's center (it is a temporary fixture in a trailer) by the Elko temple site, which is under construction.  Some senior missionaries were there and they gave us a presentation about the temple and it was really good.  I loved being crammed into that tiny trailer with people I love, contemplating with gratitude that we'd be together forever.  When we used to go on roadtrips and would be equally crammed together in the back seat, but not quite so...congenial...all the time, I never could have imagined how our family has grown and added beloved members.

Adam had taken QE out by the time this shot was taken.  She was a champ to be patient with all the goings on, but even a champ needs a break.

Our parents treated us all to lunch at the Star, which is a delicious Basque restaurant.  

Here those beloved parents are now (photo courtesy Olivia):

In the afternoon, Adam and our boys worked on getting a bathtub, that Hannah and Jeff are getting rid of, disconnected to bring to our house.  We have a bathtub, but I prefer the shape of Hannah and Jeff's tub and Adam is the dream maker.  Or maybe Ammon is.  He was there to help too and Adam said they never would have figured it out without Ammon there. 

That night we had dinner at Olivia's house and we again shared memories, but this time of my dad.  (His birthday was August 22, so we were more timely this time.). Edgar had made us delicious food and we had a nice time.

I fell into bed.  It was all equal parts exhausting and wonderful.

Yesterday we went to sacrament meeting and then went home and got things squared away to leave the house and for Adam to go with Braeden and QE.  I was telling her that we were going to put her in the car and she was going back to California (she was excited to go see her mother and Anna was excited to see her too and the rest of us felt like we'd missed out not having Anna with us!).  QE said happily, "Nana is going to California with me."

I wish I could have!  I cried when I hugged them good-bye, in a surprise to no one.

Our other two kids left early too (Mark's friend was in town only for the weekend and Mark wanted to see him), so it was just me that went to lunch at my parents' house (hosted by Ammon and Melanee).  

I drove home feeling a little melancholy, but I had an audio book to listen to.  I made pretty good time and feel ill prepared for another week at school, but that has never stopped me before.