Preparing for our family reunion

 I'm so excited for our family reunion.  I want to make it special for everyone. 

Mark and I will drive down from Rexburg, ID to Bear Lake to open the condo.  I have rented one with a view of the lake directly across from the Bear Lake Marina. 

In preparation for this I have ordered t-shirts, I'm even going to modify an adult shirt into a child shirt for Cayson.

I also created a Google doc for everyone to list the activities they want to do; the three times they want to cook (three meals), the food they will need for their meals (Mark and I will provide it), and any needs they may have!  I love organizing and planning out events!  

Jessica and Tate are coming Thursday thru Monday

Devon and Sierra are coming Thursday evening thru Monday

Marissa and Michael will drive down separate from us, but around the same time and stay until Tuesday.

Robert made plans to go back with Tate and Jessica to do an intership at Tate's company, so he is leaving Monday evening too.

Mark and I will leave Wednesday morning.

Peace with Robert

 I have really had a hard time adjusting to Robert's return from his mission, as I said earlier.  I love having him home and with us, but his demeanor 

Trip to Idaho to see Marissa (add text and photos)

 June 11

I drove up to Rexburg, ID - it was a 4 hour drive - not bad.  I arrived pretty late, but Marissa and Michael were there to greet me.  It was so nice to finally see Marissa again - see her apartment - and meet Michael. She made lots of plans for us while I am in Rexburg.

On Friday - horseback riding

 

 

On Saturday - tour gardens on campus, picnic, river

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Picnic 

Float Warm Slough

 

 

 

On Sunday

 

Sunday Morning Marissa had a meeting with her Bishop - I stayed at the apartment and waited for her to return.  She was offered a calling as a RS counselor.  We drove out to Michael's in separate cars, so that I can leave straight from there.  We had Church with Michael's family - it was so nice.  I learned some new ways of doing things - she shared how she is planning and organizing their family reunion.  Great Ideas!  Church was wonderful.  I stayed for lunch and then had to head out by 2:00 PM to return the rental car on time.

It's not a bad drive back to Salt Lake City - it's three hours on a mostly non-busy road.  I returned the rental car and took the shuttle over to my hotel.  It was a nice room, but everything was closed.  I was bored so I ordered dinner from Uber Eats and did work on my computer for the rest of the evening.  I also had the chance to talk to Markel - she's going through a hard situation with her dad and step-mom, and I also talked to my sister!  

Monday morning I flew home to Texas!

Jessica and Tate are Expecting

On my last day in Provo - literally - on the drive up to the rental car at the airport, Jessica hands me a card and says, "Cayson drew you something."  So I open it up and it says, "I am going to be a BIG brother ..."

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!

I am so excited and so happy for Jessica and Tate. 
She said that Cayson already knows a baby is in mommy's tummy.  It's so cute! 

After she told me she called Dad, Marissa and Devon to let them know. 

Trip to Utah ... then Idaho (other post)

 I am traveling for the first time since COVID-19 broke out.  It is a little eerie and unsettling not knowing if anyone around me has COVID, but I am moving forward in faith that I will be fine on the trip. 

The first part of my trip is in UTAH visiting with Jessica, Tate, Cayson, and Devon and Sierra.  I arrived on June 6, 2020 (Jessica and Tate's Anniversary).   I bought them flowers and brought it with me to their apartment. I was blessed enough to be able to babysit Cayson so they could have a night out.  Cayson loved the flowers too. 

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Jessica and I had lots of time together.  We took Cayson on walks and to the park.  I love being a grandma.  It's so much fun to have such a special bond with a precious child of God.  He is terrific. 

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Jessica, Sierra and I took Cayson to the Provo Rec center to play in the water.  Cayson is so cute in the floatie that I bought him.  I love how much he loves to play and swim in the water.  

 

While there we ran into a friend from ENGLAND - Morgan Halpenny - she's married now and goes by a new last name, but she recognized me immediately - called me by name.  WOW!  That's incredible.  She was amazing.  She really helped me while I was the Young Women's president. 

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Each day I was there I got to babysit Cayson - what a treat.  WE had some truly special times together, playing and singing and goofing off.  I brought an outfit that I made for Cayson - he's just about outgrown it.  I should have made it bigger, but I had him model it for me.  

One day Jessica and I took him to the Y with us.  He was so cute. 

  

One morning I was there I took Cayson to the Provo Bakery for donuts and then we went to Pioneer Park.  We played on the playground - slid down the slides, walked the bridges and swung in the swings, but the best part was running around on the splash pad.  What a joy!  Cayson and I had not planned on doing that but we did it anyway. 

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Finally I had a chance to see Devon and Sierra.  Devon works so much!  Devon, Sierra and I decided to hike Bridal Veil Falls.  It's a moderate hike - a little more than Sierra wanted, but she was an amazing trooper and kept up with Devon and I.  For some reason, Devon and I were very adventuresome that day!  Maybe it was the super clean, crisp air, or the alluring tall mountain, but whatever it was it was calling, even beckoning me to go higher!  We had a blast!  

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One of the last things I did before leaving was to get Cayson a helmet for while he rides his scooter.  He is super fast on it and it made me nervous.  I'm so glad I could get him such a cool "Spider Man" helmet that he LOVED!!!

  

On my last day in Provo we went to the Provo Rec Center, but this time we went to the outdoor pool.  For some reason this week the temperatures were much lower than the previous weeks, but that's okay.  We had so much fun!  We joined Lolla and MacKenzie at the pool!  It was Lolla's last day in Provo.

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Tomorrow I'm back in Texas!