Water, Singing, Open House and Dead Sea Scrolls

This last week started off with an event that turned out to be both good and bad. On Tuesday morning Paul got up to go to work and when he ran the water for his shower no hot water came. He went downstairs to the furnace room to discover that our water heater had failed. It obviously was no longer heating the water, but it was also dripping (we have a floor drain there, so no flood—but still an unhappy moment. We both went to work as usual, but Paul came home and met a man from ACTION HEATING and PLUMBING and they evaluated the situation. It was no surprise that the water heater needed to be replaced. Additionally, some codes had been upgraded so with the change we had a new pressure valve installed and some new piping work and some other upgrades, tons of new fittings, our water situation is much better than it was before—so this was a good thing. Paul was home until about 3:30 with the workmen, who were really working, hauling out the old and putting in the new—and all the other work involved. They were actually missing some fittings and so the left with Paul and then I came home. Paul had to get back downtown for an important meeting at 4:00 p.m. I had talked to the workman on the phone and he told me that the gas had been turned off in the house. When I got home it was chilly inside. I never did take off my coat. I was supposed to meet the workman sometime between 4:30 and 5:00 p.m. The water was back on, but of course no hot water, and no heat. I waited—Paul wasn't sure what time he was going to be home, so I was the home guard. Soon it was 5:30 and then 6:00 and the workman still wasn't there. At 6:30 I finally called him again. He apologized for being so late, but at the previous job they had discovered a gas leak, which they were compelled to repair before leaving. Anyway, Paul got home before they arrived which was about 7:00. And then they hooked up the furnace and we could turn on the gas and get some heat. It was about 7:45 when they left and we started getting some heat in the house. I still hadn't taken my coat off. The next morning we had hot water for showers and heat to keep warm and so all is well that ends well. We have a better water system in the house now, with all the new fittings and the new pressure valve, and a new hot water heater, and so we are in much better shape than we were before. This water heater has been in the house since we bought it in 1995—so it is more than 19 years old. The average water heater last 15 years –so we came out ahead. And we have now completed another significant home improvement. One of the upsides of having Paul home all day, was that he did a ton of yard work, trimmed the sprawling apple tree, cleared out the beds and pulled weeds, trimmed the bushes. There were three big yard bags ready to go out with the trash. The yard looks terrific. This Saturday was a big day with a lot of things going on. Paul went out to the west desert for a ride in Puddle Valley. I was invited, but I had a couple of other things going on. The first was our Stake Relief Society Education day. I’m not sure that I would have gone to the event if I had not been part of it. I was invited to be part of a musical number; it was a version of Hillary Weeks’ big anthem entitled I WILL. The woman who was organizing it, a friend of mine, Becky Carter sold me on participating by saying that she was drawing a group of women together from several ward and wanted there to be an age spread. When I got to the rehearsal, there were five of us, three of the singers, including the lead vocal were Young Women. (They were 16 and 17 years old.) The other participant besides me was a young mother, I would say she is between 26-27 years old and then there was me—representing the more mature group. Even so it was fun to be a part of it and it was a very dynamic number and as a group the song came off really well. The conference itself was also enjoyable. There was a key-note speaker and then two break-out sessions. I attended one on music in the home and another on pornography. Both were very interesting. They served a light lunch and then I came home. It was one o’clock when I got home. At two o’clock until four o’clock on Saturday was the reception/open house for Chase Kimball (Chris and Linda’s second son) and his new wife Heather. We had received an invitation and I thought I should attend. Paul was still out on his ride so I went by myself. The party was held in the Wasatch Room on the 10th floor of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. They had a lovely dessert buffet and a few decorative tables with personal items on them and then the room was filled with round tables where guestS could visit and eat. I perceived that this event was primarily an opportunity for the Kimball children (Ed and Bee’s children—and their children) to celebrate with Chris and Linda’s son and new wife. I got there at about 2:30 and there was a good compliment of people already there. Paula and several of her children were there, I visited with her for a few minutes. Mary and David Dollahite and most of their children were there—I visited with Mary for a few minutes. Uncle Ed was there in his wheel chair—he actually looked very good, and we had a lively conversation. Sarah and Kevin were there and so was Joseph and his wife. There were also a few people that I didn't know. Heather Campbell Kimball , the bride, was a charming and delightful girl and her parents were also present, and I had the chance to meet them as well. I asked the question why the major celebration was held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. And the answer was very simple. Heather was raised in Albuquerque. That was her home. The couple was married in the Albuquerque Temple, and had a reception there. They were a really cute couple and seemed really happy. I was able to also have a nice conversation with Linda, but didn't have an opportunity to chat at all with Chris. Chris and Linda are heading back to Chicago for the spring and will be back in Utah during the summer months. After visiting with all the family members that were available to me, I left the open house and came home. Paul arrived home in the late afternoon as well. We had wanted to go to a local museum where they were doing a large scale exhibit centering around the dead sea scrolls and artifacts. The exhibit is called: Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times. The scrolls, themselves, have been called the most significant archaeological find of the last century. This exhibit has been dubbed as the most comprehensive collection of ancient artifacts from Israel ever organized, it had been at this private local museum since November and was closing in April. We had wanted to see it but hadn't gotten around to it. Then this week I discovered an offer for discounted tickets and decided to take the plunge and buy them. Now we were committed so we decided to go on Saturday evening. Dead Sea Scrolls: Life and Faith in Ancient Times includes one of the largest collections of the priceless 2,000-year-old Dead Sea Scrolls. Discovered by a shepherd in 1947, the Scrolls contain the oldest known copies of the Hebrew Bible. Paul and I both expected to see “scrolls” but what we saw were actually fragments. They were well displayed with enlargements as well and transcriptions of the documents translated into English. Some of the translations were scripture, but others were documents of other kinds. On display with the Scrolls are more than 600 objects from the Biblical to Byzantine Period in Israel, including many that have never been publicly exhibited. And we were also able to see a three-ton stone from Jerusalem's Wailing Wall, the remains of religious articles, weapons of war, stone carvings, textiles and beautiful mosaics along with everyday household items such as jewelry and ceramics. The Leonardo is one of only six U.S. Museums to display this priceless collection. The Utah engagement of the exhibition is made possible by the Utah State Legislature and the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. This exhibition was created by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) from the collections of the Israel National Treasures and produced by Discovery Times Square and The Franklin Institute. Paul and I enjoyed the evening—I had been to The Leonardo previously, but this was the first visit for Paul. After we spent the early evening in the museum, we went out to dinner—so we had a nice date. Erika an Jono came over to pick up some more stuff on Saturday evening after we got home so we got to see them, too. They are doing great—still settling into their apartment—still trying to find places for all their wedding gifts, including the ones that are still coming. They picked up a few more that had arrived at our house on Saturday night. Everyone was very generous with them.

Family Birthdays and Adventures

Last week we had two birthdays to celebrate. K.C. turned 30 and Philip turned 33. It seems quite incredible that we have children who have been around that long. It doesn't seem that long ago that they were just children here in our home. We were able to speak with both of them on their birthdays and that was nice. Philip and Camille are settling into their life in Washington D.C. although their situation as to going to the Ukraine is up in the air at the moment with all the turmoil that is going on in that country at the present time. Philip works on, but what will happen in the next six months remains to be seen. K.C. is in the middle of his last semester at MIT. He is looking forward to his graduation and his life after being a student. We are looking forward to our trip to New England and the Atlantic Seaboard in June for his graduation. Peter and Kortney went on a little adventure this weekend. They went on a hike in a slot canyon.

Little Wildhorse Slot Canyon is a classic slot canyon located in south-central Utah, near Goblin Valley. It is a popular hiking spot for families and youth groups. The main attraction is a long stretch of "narrows," where the canyon walls are so close you have to turn sideways to get through. The rock walls are sculpted and very beautiful. These canyons are normally dry, although they may have pools of water during the spring and immediately after summer storms. Peter and Kortney did encounter pools on their hike and Kortney said it was the coldest water she had ever experienced—painfully cold. Kortney's family had a family reunion in that part of the country last summer and she and her family hiked this trail.

Peter was working and didn't come on the first day so he missed this part of the activities and wanted to have the opportunity, so they arranged with Kortney's brother Tyler and his wife Landen to go with them on the hike. They left early on Saturday morning and got home on Saturday night. Because they were leaving early on Saturday, Paul and I took Eleanor on Friday night, she slept at our house and then we had her all day on Saturday, which was really great fun. She is so delightful and entertaining. We had good time. I set up the pack and play in K.C.’s bedroom and she slept well, and then we did breakfast, lunch and dinner and read books, and watched a Curious George Video and played with toys and did games together. I enjoyed my “Grannie” day very much. She is two and a quarter now and is so verbal and able to express herself that it is just a pleasure to be involved with her. She says the cutest and funniest things and is a good hand at negotiation and very imaginative in her play. And pretty good at things like tossing and catch. I am going to do a couple of other overnight babysitting turns in the future, too. I am already looking forward to that. Friday night, before Eleanor arrived, Paul took me to the South Jordan Equestrian Center for the annual Horse Expo. This is a big annual event and among other things the Back Country Horsemen of Utah sets up a booth manned by members of the various chapters. (Paul actually had a turn at the booth on Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.—I didn't go because I was at home with Eleanor.) But on Friday evening there was a demonstration put on by the Utah’s Mounted Thunder—the mounted shooting association that Paul just recently joined. This was the first time that I had seen this group in action as I had not been able to attend any of the demonstrations or activities that Paul had been attended. Wow, it was so interesting and amazing to watch. I can totally understand why Paul thinks it is a fun and exciting activity to participate in. There were about six or seven riders who participated in the demonstration and they were amazing!! It goes so fast and is a very exacting activity. Paul has enjoyed this new dimension to his riding activities and Lakota has proven to be a good horse for mounted riding and shooting—so this has been fun for him. I don’t know if we have mentioned this, but for Paul’s birthday I am buying him a set of guns for the mounted shooting activity. He has already ordered them—and they will be coming to Cabela’s where we will pick them up and get them registered. I hope they are here by his birthday. Saturday evening, we got a phone call from Erika who was in the Atlanta Airport during a layover, waiting for their plane to Salt Lake City. She and Jono had finished their honeymoon in Nueva Vallarta, Mexico and were on their way back home. They had had a wonderful time and wanted to come over on Sunday and show us pictures of the things that they did and of the place where they had stayed. We were anxious to see the place where they stayed because we had provided it as an exchange from our Park City Condo and we hoped that it was a nice place where they could enjoy themselves in comfort with many amenities. They came over last night and had supper with us and then showed us pictures from their trip. It was a wonderful place! It was very nice and they had a terrific time. Erika said they dropped into a well-oiled vacation paradise. They did an outdoor adventure day, with ziplines, and ATV machines and mountain slides. They went on a marine adventure another day and saw schools of whales, and a national park and did some snorkeling. A third activity was swimming with dolphins which they really enjoyed. They had nothing but good things to say about the trip, their activities, the place where they stayed, the connections, the service and service people, the cleanliness of their facility, everything. We were really happy for them and happy that everything worked out so well. Their only angst was that it was all over and that on Monday they had to go back to work and to school and real life was going to have to start again. Not that that is a really bad thing, but that a really happy time was finished. They are a really lovely couple and we are pleased that everything is going well for them.

Trips: Near and Far

Paul is in charge of a Back Country Horseman ride in a couple of weeks and he wanted to find a new place to ride. It is still “winter” for horses and many of the horses in the group still won’t have had shoes put on for the summer yet—so they need to go on a ride which isn't too rocky or difficult for horses that don’t have shoes. In the past they have ridden in Puddle Valley which is out on the west desert between Grantsville and Wendover. There is a long wide valley there, with a large watering hole in the middle of it. There is also a herd of wild horses out there, too. But if possible he hoped to find a new place to ride—out of the west desert still, but closer to Wendover out in the area where the salt flats are. So Sunday afternoon after church we got into the truck and took a drive out to check out the possibilities that might be out there. It was a very pleasant drive—it was a bright, day and not even too cold—Paul and I made it without coats. It’s 120 miles or so to Wendover, so it was a good long drive but we had a nice time. When we got to the place that Paul had in mind we pulled off the freeway and found our way into the Bonneville Salt Flats State Park.

From the exit there was a road that lead to a “commercial center”—consisting of an all-in-one Mexican and American café, convenience store with a sad little display of trashy souvenir type items and the usual compliment of soft drinks, chips and candy and some trucker style showers, laundry room and bathrooms. There is no camping in this area so it was not a big hub or anything—more like a trucker stop. About a half mile or so from the “commercial center” we found a scrubby looking sign in an unimproved, dirt parking area with a couple of dirt and gravel slightly improved but still pretty primitive roads heading out in two directions. Paul and I started off on one of the roads which essentially circle some very ragged, vegetation-less and rocky, low “mountains” and then off the gravel semi-improved road there were a number of dirt tracks, used by ATV’s and jeeps. We took off on one of these dirt tracks and did some serious off road traveling. Paul was looking for a horse trail possibility—but after a couple of miles of this and finally stopping the truck and walking for about twenty or thirty yards, he decided it was too rocky for bare foot horses and besides----while the flats include a variety of micro environments and in some spots the soil is so salty it prevents vegetation growth, it isn’t the “beautiful mountain splendor” kind of ride. I thought it was very unique, but Paul thought a lot of it was really ugly. So, in terms of finding a nice place to ride, it was kind of a wasted trip. But for a Sunday jaunt, it was very interesting. On the way back, I paused to remark on the art piece that is on the stretch of road that is virtually straight and flat for 40 miles across the Utah West Desert. I’m sure you have seen it, but I asked Paul what is was about. It is called The Tree of Utah, sometimes called the Tree of Life, and it is an 87-foot-tall sculpture that was created by the Swedish artist Karl Momen in the 1980s and dedicated in 1986. The sculpture, which is constructed mainly of concrete, consists of a squarish 'trunk' holding up six spheres that are coated with natural rock and minerals native to Utah. There are also several hollow sphere segments on the ground around the base. The sculpture currently has a fence surrounding the base to protect people from falling tiles. Inscribed on the plaque are the words from Ode to Joy by Friedrich Schiller; also used as the chorus of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It has been said that Momen was moved to create the tree after having a vision of a tree while driving across the desolate Bonneville Salt Flats. Following the dedication of this work of art, Momen donated the sculpture to the State of Utah and returned to Sweden. I looked up on the internet to see if I could get some more information about it and I came across a funny review written by the blog: Roadside America. This review is as follows: We give some credit to the State of Utah for at least tolerating experiments with environmental comedy. "Metaphor: The Tree of Utah" can't be serious. Metaphor is an 87-foot tall sculpture poking up out of the white plains of the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Tree was created in the early 1980s by European artist Karl Momen. It is also known as "Metaphor: The Tree of Life." It was dedicated in 1986 as "A hymn to our universe whose glory and dimension is beyond all myth and imagination." Artist Momen doesn't have to look at it; he bought patch of land, built the thing, and went back to Sweden. Near the base of the Tree, there are several fallen "leaves" -- large spherical segments intentionally scattered on the salty ground. It's where your traveling companions would pose if this were a tourist attraction instead of a work of art. Not that they could pose even if they wanted to. Utah doesn't want you to stop, and Momen didn't spring for the cost of an exit ramp. There is no parking lot or pull-off. For years there were "Emergency Parking Only" signs along the highway, although a surprising number of emergencies happened right there, always with vehicles that had people with cameras. In 2008 the "Emergency Parking Only" signs were replaced by a metal, barbed-wire-topped fence that now surrounds the sculpture. We're not sure what kind of a metaphor that is, but it doesn't seem very friendly.

So if you have ever wondered about this sculpture as you have driven by on your way to Salt Lake City—now you know. The costs of building the tree, reportedly over a million dollars, were provided entirely by Mr. Momen. The tree now belongs to the State of Utah. We left home at about 1:00 and didn’t get home until about 6:30. It was over two hundred miles that we covered, but became familiar with a little corner of Utah that we didn’t know before. In other family news: This week Philip turns 33 and K.C. turns 30 with their birthdays coming on Tuesday and Friday. We won’t be celebrating either birthday with them, but Paul and I are starting to plan our trip to Boston and the Atlantic States now that we don’t have to be thinking about a wedding anymore. We will be there from the 1st till the 8th. We are really looking forward to this trip. Speaking of trips: Erika and Jono left on their honeymoon trip to Mexico on Friday night. We haven’t talked to them, but Erika texted that they had arrived safely and all their connections worked out just fine. Later Jono texted that the resort condo where they are staying is wonderful and big and was everything that was expected and hoped for. So they sound like they are happy and enjoying their time there so far. We are happy for them. And Peter and Kortney are happy as can be because they will be going to Puerto Rico on a trip to celebrate their graduations. They want to visit the Bioluminescent Bay which Kortney did a report on way back when she was in Elementary School and has always wanted to go there. Until now, I had never even heard of them and looked them up to see what it was about. Here is the information: Bioluminescent Bay Puerto Rico Bioluminescent Bays are Puerto Rico’s one-of-a-kind ecosystems situated in three locations – Fajardo, island of Vieques and Lajas. Bioluminescent Bay in Fajardo and Mosquito bay in Vieques, Puerto Rico are the best-kept bioluminescent bays in the Western Hemisphere, conveniently reachable from San Juan by car, ferry or a short plane flight, with plenty of tours offered by kayak and electric boat operators. Marine microorganizms that glow at night, when water is disturbed, make visiting bio lagoons a unique experience. Bioluminescence is truly a special representation of rare and fragile environment. Even though the luminescence appears all over the planet, only few places are categorized as a biobays. There are only five of them in the world. Three actively glowing bays are luckily located in Puerto Rico. Jamaica’s Luminous Lagoon in Falmouth is in risk of eradication because of heavy construction development and absence of environmental control. Bioluminescent Bay (often called Bio Bay) is Puerto Rico’s key tourist destinations. The water luminescence is triggered by dinoflagellates, oceanic plankton which is able to generate an emerald green and ultramarine illumination when water is physically disturbed. Dinoflagellates are incredibly delicate microorganisms and are very sensible to the environment conditions such as balance of salt in the water, local climate, deepness of lagoon, air and water pollution, etc. Each one of these the aspects make bio bay a one of a kind, vulnerable ecosystem.

Unique light is an ordinary chemical response forced by tiny creatures which typically respond by giving off the light collected in the daytime. As a result, the best possible view of bio-luminescence comes after a sunny day. The ideal time frame to encounter the luminous bio bay water phenomenon, also referred to as phosphorescence of the sea, is at night. Having said that, the conditions might be affected by moonlight and extreme surrounding lights. Despite the fact that kayaking with a full moon is a memorable experience, it is not the most desirable period to explore the glow of bioluminescent bay. Plan in advance look at the moon calendar. Moonlight is usually too bright for the first 6 days prior to a full moon. Normally, the darker sky, the more desirable watching conditions are. The intense neon illumination happens to be more noticeable with least light pollution.

Post Wedding Reflections, Cache Valley Cowboy Rendezvous, Family Dinner

I should probably write a long entry about Erika’s wedding and festivities. Maybe I will when we get the photographs from the wedding photographer. As we have reflected on the whole experience there isn't anything that I would have changed. It was just a very happy day for Erika and for the rest of the family. We are now waiting on the pictures, I can’t wait to see them. Erika and Jono are now spending time every evening writing the myriad of thank you notes that are owed—a gift or two arrives every day at the house—our friends and Jono’s family’s friends were very generous with Erika and Jono and they received many nice things. They are really looking forward now to their trip to Mexico for their honeymoon. It has been a wonderful and exciting event to look forward to. They are as cute as can be and are really happy. Paul and I had a very nice weekend. We were really happy to have a get-away with fun activities and luxurious accommodations. We went to Cache Valley to participate in the annual Cache Valley Cowboy Rendezvous. Paul was signed up to perform four sets and then he picked up two more while he was there. We left in the afternoon on Friday and drove up to Cache Valley. We stopped at Petersboro on the way and checked out our property to see if any of the pounds of grass seed that we planted last fall had sprung up yet. We saw the tiniest little green spears starting to come up, both from existing grasses and from the new seeds. It has been above freezing for a few days and there has been rain—so it is the ideal climate for the beginnings of new grass; we are so hopeful for a luscious, thick grass pasture to emerge in the next couple of years and we are well on the way to that. Then we headed to Hyrum, UT where the event was being held at Mountain Crest High School, which has a lovely and large auditorium. Paul was performing his first set at 5:30 p.m. He was checked in and went to the Green Room to warm up and then he did his set. We bought tickets to the main event for the evening the headline performer—Suzy Bogguss. The preshow started at 6:30 p.m. so we settled ourselves for the evening. There was a lot of preliminary entertainment including a couple of numbers by Dave Stamey, other cowboy poets and performers and then a fine performance by Suzy. Paul and I really enjoyed ourselves, the concert was very good and then we headed into Logan to stay at the Marriott Springhill Suites. Our room was very nice with a sitting area and a lovely bedroom—very comfortable, we slept well. We had a nice breakfast in the hotel breakfast room and then headed back to Hyrum for the second day of activities and performances. Paul did a very nice job in his performances. He is now performing with his guitar, putting music under the poetry. This was the first time that he did this and so it was a new experience, but he rose to the occasion and did fine performances. I enjoyed listening to him and we also sat in on some of the other sets as well. It was a rainy, cool day—not a day to golf, or do yard work and so the attendance was robust. We have participated before and this was a really good crowd. There were a number of vendors, as well as performers. I walked through the vendors several times, and finally succumbed to the Pampered Chef booth. I have wanted a good quality vegetable slicer for a while now and the representative was doing demonstrations and it looked so appealing that I decided to do it. I didn't actually get it at the show, I ordered it and it will come to the house, but I’m really looking forward to getting it. It was a bonus for the time spent wandering through the vendors. We had a dinner at my mother’s house last Sunday and Peter, Kortney and Eleanor were there, Jono and Erika. My sister, Liza was back from visiting her newest grandchild in Virginia and was heading back to Washington State on Monday so it was a fun gathering including a nephew and his girlfriend and Stephen and his son Steve. My dad commented that it was an occasion when three of his four children (Stephen, Liza and me—David not present) were under his roof—that doesn't happen too often. Usually it is just Stephen and me. We always have a companionable time together so it is always a pleasant evening. My mom is still interested, willing and eager to put on these large family gatherings. Sometimes but not always, I bring a piece of the dinner and I always work in the kitchen when I get to her house, but she is still the queen of the kitchen and still enjoys the challenge of putting on a big family dinner. They are always very pleasant times.

Grandchildren and Wedding Preparations

Even though our lives have focused a lot on Erika’s wedding in the last couple of weeks, we have been happy to have Philip and Camille and their two adorable children back and close. We had another dinner this last week with them. It was especially fun because Peter and Kortney came to dinner with Eleanor and Jonathan and Eleanor had a chance to play with one another. They were very fun to watch playing together. Jonathan finds Eleanor a more interesting playmate than Andrew who is only six months old and doesn’t talk or walk or participate in any significant way. Andrew is an adorable chunk of a baby though, and I think he is just as cute as can be. We put the leaf in the table and had a big crowd eating and talking and laughing. I’m glad that we can pull everyone together from time to time during this period that Philip is in Utah. Erika had two more showers this last weekend. These were both “Friend” showers, to which I was not invited. One was hosted by the wives of Jono’s friends with Erika also inviting some of the women that she works with at South Jordan Middle School. There were about twelve total people at the shower and it was very fun according to Erika. One of the things that happened was that the hostess set up a “photo booth” which was just a piece of wrapping paper attached to a blank wall and a bucket of props next to it and the guests could put on a few props and get their pictures taken. Erika and Jono posed for a picture together, which makes them look like they had a great time at the shower. (Jono didn't really go to the shower, but came when it was about over.) I could hardly recognize Jono with that funny nose and glasses on, and even Erika looked quite different with the glasses she was wearing. There have been many things going on the last couple of weeks and Paul and I have been coming and going to many things—many days. I feel like there is something to keep me busy every single day. But Erika is handling this busy time with great aplomb. Last night she conferred with her comprehensive “list of things to do” and remarked that she had accomplished everything that needed to be done by this point. So we feel like everything is under control. We have added one additional member to the wedding party. K.C.’s girlfriend from North Carolina is coming to Utah to attend the wedding and reception and festivities. When we learned that she was coming, Erika and Elizabeth corresponded and we told her what the women in the wedding party were wearing. She bought the skirt and we ordered another necklace and she will be part of the group. We are very happy that she will be joining us.

Three Weeks til the Wedding

This weekend we moved into February and that means that we are now in the month that Erika gets married. It seems like it is really going to happen now. On Friday the 31st of January it was three weeks until Erika’s wedding day. We have been steadily working away on the activities and plans, but it seems to be more intense now, and the things that we have been planning are actually happening now. Erika had her first shower last Thursday evening. It was a very lovely event, hosted by Julie Bult’s book club. Her book club hosts a shower for the child of every member when they are getting married. I think I mentioned this last week. There are ten women in her book club so it wasn't a huge shower, but the members are very generous. The one that was held for Jono and Erika was themed “Days in the Life” of the to-be-married couple. I was assigned –Company Coming to Dinner—the other assignments were varied and made for a wide variety of the types of gifts given. Other topics included: Birthday (gift was a cake plate and dome top, cake pans, candles and a cake server), Inviting Friends Over (gift was a collection of snacks and a snack tray and some group games and card games), Laundry Day (gift was a laundry basket, filled with detergent, fabric softener, bleach, and dryer sheets, etc.), Meals in a Hurry (this gift included the fixings for tacos, a Panini grill), --you kind of get the idea—other days included Emergency, Sick Day, Baking Day, Cleaning Day, Picnic Day, Payday’s-not-for-another-week Day, Make-Up After a Fright Day. A nice dinner was served and then the group gathered in the seating area and asked questions of Jono and Erika: How they met, when they knew they were meant for each other, questions about the proposal, etc. And then they opened gifts. These women are all good friends. They have been in this book club for 25 years. So it was fun to see the interaction and friendship and how supportive they are of the successes and happiness of one another’s children. It was a very pleasant evening and a good time. The women were very friendly and happy to be participating it seemed to me. We have never done anything like this in either of my book clubs, but it seems like a satisfying idea. We will be attending a Bult Family shower tonight. The party continues. Paul has found a new area of interest. He may have already told you about this, but he went to the Equestrian Arena a couple of weeks ago when he thought there was an open ride, but it turned out that it was a group that does training and competition shooting black powder guns at balloon targets on poles from the back of a running horse. It was so interesting and fascinating that he went back and joined. They have had a competition in the last couple of weeks that he attended, too. It is just one more fun thing that you can do with horses. He is going again tonight. He has had a bit of fun with it himself, and Lakota is a natural. He doesn't object to the loud noise of the gun report, and he has figured out the poles—running serpentine through them—and Paul is just having a riot with this new way to enjoy himself with the horses. Philip and Camille and the little boys came to dinner on Wednesday night. It was a really great time. The boys are just as cute as can be. Jonathan is chatty and happy and easy to amuse. Andrew, who is now six months, is a solid little guy, who smiles and laughs and sits up by himself and is responsive. We had a great time visiting with them and catching up. They are coming again on Thursday when Peter, Kortney and Eleanor will be joining us.

Fourth Week of January

We are entering the final month before Erika gets married and it seems like scheduling will just continue to get busier until the wedding date arrives. The wedding and preparations for it are a major priority right now but there are also other things that are going on as well—so we just feel quite busy. We have been working on the invitations to the wedding this week. We picked them up on Monday and they are just a cute as can be. The pictures that will be inserted in the invitations came on Saturday. This week we will finish addressing the envelops and stuff and they will go out at the beginning of next week. It is beginning to feel like it is really going to happen. This week is also the first bridal shower that will be held in Erika’s honor. This one is being held by the book club that Julie Bult, Jono’s mother, belongs to. Apparently the club puts on a shower for the children of the members when they become engaged. It will be a small shower, there are only twelve or so members of the club, but it looks like a nice event with a dinner. I received an invitation as well and will be attending. This group assigns out a “theme gift” to each guest. I was assigned “Compnay coming to dinner”. So I am supposed to bring a gift that Erika could use on an evening when company was coming to dinner. This worked out perfectly for me, because since Erika was in Elementary School, I have been collecting silver plate table ware, serving pieces and a silver box. I talked to her about it when she was young, but haven’t mentioned to her for years. I’m not sure she even remembers. So I will give her the silverware, and a tablecloth and eight napkins at this shower. I just wrapped it up this weekend and so I am all set to go. Friday night Paul and I hosted a dinner for some friends of ours that we knew when we were living in Frankfurt. They have a complicated living arrangement, since Marsha lives in Provo with two of their children and Mike works in Singapore. I see Marsha frequently, but it is hard to catch Mike when he is in town. He has been here since Christmas, but we just managed to get together. They came on Friday night we had a really nice evening with dinner and conversation. Mike and Marsha are one of our couple friends and we enjoy them very much—their experience is similar to ours in that they lived as a family in Europe for many years and they localized their children in the public schools and attended the local wards and learned the language. Paul and Mike have many similar interests and Marsha belongs now to one of my book clubs. They have been a couple friends for many years. It is fun to get together with old friends. Erika was just a lifesaver that night. I was in the middle of some really fussy work activities and didn't leave work until after 5:00. I still had to stop at the store to pick up a few things for dinner and I didn’t get home until about 5:55. When I got home Erika had set the dining table for me and had spiffed up the bathroom and then helped me get the appetizer tray ready and generally moved the meal along. Mike and Marsha were a little late and by the time they arrived everything was ready to go. It made me think how helpful Erika has been while she has been living at home. I appreciate all the ways that she has been helpful and this time that we have had to spend together. Sunday night, my mother hosted a family dinner at their home. Invited were my brother Stephen and his son, Steve, Paul and I, Philip, Camille, Jonathan and Andrew, Peter, Kortney and Eleanor, Erika and Jono and my brother David’s son, Crawford who is a student at BYU. We were disappointed that Jonathan and Andrew were both under the weather, Andrew had fever and so Camille stayed home with the children, but Philip came. It was the first time that we had a chance to really talk with Philip since he came back about some of the experience in Djibouti and it was very interesting and entertaining. He gave us some insight into what he is anticipating with his time in Washington D.C. and also his next assignment in Ukraine. It was just plain a fun family evening. Eleanor is becoming such a funny little person. We tended her overnight last week and it was fun to see her again this week. I just finished making the dress that she will wear at the wedding and passed it off at the dinner and we think she is just going to look darling as a “Junior Bridesmaid”. The dress is the same color scheme as the bridesmaids with a red skirt and a white top and matching jewelry. I just ordered some fleshtone tights for her so she will match all the other girls in the party. This last week was our Sundance week with our Westgate Condo in Park City. Paul and I share it with the local family members and try to slip in a couple of days ourselves. This year we gave Sunday and Monday to Peter and Courtney, Tuesday was going to be for Paul and me, Wednesday was for my parents, Thursday and Friday were for Philip and Camille and Paul and I had Saturday to Sunday morning. Even before the day arrived, it was clear that Tuesday was going to be complicated for Paul and me. In the first place, because that was the day that Philip and Camille flew in from Djibouti and we planned to see them at the airport. The plan was to go straight up to the condo. It is a busy work evening for Paul because he makes two, one hour long calls to the Philippines and Japan on that evening, but we thought that we could get to Park before it was time to place the calls. As it turned out, Camille’s mom who came to pick them up didn’t have room enough in her car for four people (two car seats) and all their luggage—so I ended up driving to their rental house in Ogden that evening while Paul went to do horses and then go home. By the time I drove to Ogden in rush hour traffic and then drove back, Paul had started his calls and we just didn’t make it to Park City. So one of the two days assigned to us went unused, but all the other days were filled with contented and happy vacationers, including Paul and me. Everyone had a great time, we have gotten reports from everyone. Paul and I arrived on Saturday about fwo o’clock. We settled in and had some lunch and then went to the relaxation area where there is a steam room, a sauna, a hot tub and a relaxation pool. It is a particularly nice area because it is adults only, so there aren't children or teens playing loudly. It is just adults relaxing and it was very relaxing and soothing for Paul and me. It is one of the things that we enjoy most about our trip to Park City.