On Thurs. Ilene and I ( the blond ) went to Taco Thurs. as it is now dubbed, with other members of our tap class and the teacher. We found this nice little restaurant in Payson that makes marinated pork tacos. It is basically a corn tortilla with pork and cilantro and lots of onions. They are .99 cents. Great with lots of salsa. The test came afterward when we went to class to see if I really did know my dance steps. I was happy to be caught up! Hurray. I can still think in sequence! We left Ilene's car at the restaurant because the radiator was steaming and got a ride to class. She went back that night with her husband and said they enjoyed great burritos and got the car fixed. If you have to leave your car somewhere, it is always a good idea to have it in the parking lot of a good restaurant.
Kim shifted his schedule and we went to our first play of the season at BYU. We got season tickets for the first time in several years. Now that the Stake is divided, he seems to have a little more time. The play was Tuesdays with Morrie.
They decide to write one final thesis covering everything from family, love and money to regret, the world and death. In the process, Mitch and Morrie discover that “when you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”
We really enjoyed it. I didn't cry at all but the girl in front of me sure needed Kleenex and I have become the keeper of such and could not find one for her!
Friday was my third week working in the temple. I was so happy to get one hour on my shift where I didn't have to remember anything but could sit at the front door and greet people. The best part came when Sister Porter came in. She is the wife of who was once our branch president when Kim and I were at BYU. Kim was a counselor to her husband and she was working at the temple when we moved back to Utah County. I remember how excited we were to see them when we went to the temple. I asked how her husband was and she sadly told me that he is not mobile and was at home. I said we would make sure to go visit soon. Later as I thought on that, I thought how sad that we wait until people are sick, etc. before we think to visit them. It is so easy to let life fly by. That is what the play was all about. I am really enjoying the opportunity to serve in the temple and have learned more in the few weeks I have served than the many years of attending as a patron. I also listened at the front desk to a father and a newly returned missionary son from one of the Brazil missions. The family had put one son in the MTC on Wednesday, had their oldest son return on Thurs. and were saying that the brothers were meeting at the MTC for a little time so they could see each other. It reminded me of Bryce and Dallin and the tears came. I am so glad they were able to spend some time together.
I promised one of my former Primary 8 year old that I would go roller blading with him when he got his arm cast off. We went to the River trail and he kept asking....Can you go a little faster? I was sure trying. Then he wanted to visit his grandparents that didn't live very far away at all and off we went off the nice familiar trail. Little did I know that he was going to take me on a busy street and up a very big hill...one the I would eventually have to go down. Needless to say, I was very grateful when our adventure ended, I was still upright, and I slept really good that night.
We hosted our first street party that evening. When we moved here, we continued the tradition we had started in Brigham of having our neighbors over for a get together but let the tradition drop after a few years. This summer, I decided to start it up again. We had a great turn out and had the fire pit going for the kids to roast hot dogs while the adults cooked up whatever they had brought. We had potato salad, shrimp salad, mushroom salad, watermelon, fresh peaches, home made root beer, cucumbers and green beans from the garden, salsa, and the best home made ice cream in the world. My zucchini cupcakes were a big hit. Now does that sound like summer! We sat around the fire after everyone was stuffed and wrote two things we wanted on our Bucket List and then while I read them out, we guessed who wrote them. My favorite one was...Take Pat to Ireland. That was really hard to guess but we came through and named Pat's husband.
After all was cleaned up from our wild party, Kim and I returned forgotten items to the owners and walked over to the cemetery to see the moving Vietnam Veterans wall that is Washington DC. Before reaching the cemetery we toured our neighbor's new wake boarding boat. It was very big and nice. It even has a bathroom. We were so sad when they invited us to Lake Powell to try it out next week...what a deal. We have Lion King, a marriage seminar, and Kira coming. Hopefully there will be another time!
The Vietnam wall was all lite up and very sobering to see the diamonds that were in front of the names of those that were identified as killed in action and those that had crosses that have not been identified yet. Kim worked with a woman whose son was killed as he went back to help the very last member of his platoon. He had rescued many safely but was shot by a sniper as he retrieved his last comrade. Fern had never seen the Wall in DC but she got to see it when it came to our cemetery. I can't imagine how that must have felt. I know when I see anything new about Bryce that I am deeply touched and moved.
Life is very tender. It is full of wonderful moments if we are looking for it. This week was sure crazy and it was filled with many amazing experiences. People make all the difference in the world. Today I get to help Brooke bottle peaches while Whit fishes. The magic of fishing with Whit at 4 a.m. has worn off and I am excited to finally have someone willing to can with me...I remember many times trying to recruit my kids to help with the peaches and now I have someone that is going to actually volunteer! Whahoo. Life doesn't get better than that!
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