No one likes to talk about their driving skills. Bethany is probably the best driver, and the hole in her bumper is because Mark claims he hit a rabbit on a trip to Smithfield. It must have been a freakishly large bunny because it is a really big hole! Frankly, we are all a little skeptical. . Rachel backed her father's car into her own car, and cracked the grill and bumper. Mark slid into a fence on a snowy day last winter and put a huge hole in the now deceased bumper of the van. So....none of the cars are pretty, and as we do not want to submit any claims for insurance ( we have a five hundred dollar deductible)---we drive them as is... We have just resigned ourselves to driving crappy cars and pretending not to care. Everytime I get ready to come home from school, I scan the parking lot and pick out a car that I wish was mine, pretending for a minute that it is.... then I climb into the van with the really big hole in the bumper and drive home. While I drive, I can't see the hole, and I pretend it doesn't matter, but it kind of does.... (bumper story to be concluded at end of trip and blog entry!!)
Our trip to St. George was a lot of fun. We stayed in a condo with a nice outside pool, took trips to the outlet malls to finish the shopping for the missionaries and went sight seeing. I had never been to Snow Canyon, and hiking up the red cliff rocks above St. George was awesome. Jerry and I managed to hoist ourselves up scary rocks despite extra weight (our own) and a lack of balance due to old age.
We had never viewed the city from that point and it was spectacular. We indulged in eating all of our favorite treats, and just relished the time spent in hanging out together. No friends, work, or interruptions made it a really relaxing four days. While shopping we told most all of the sales people that we were going to have four missionaries out and the responses were varied but positive. Susan at Down East was a big help, and our sales person at Eddie Bauer's told me she was expecting a new granddaughter about the same time we are expecting Ruby!! I have always loved talking to strangers, but there are no strangers in St. George. Everywhere we went we met interesting people who had great stories to share.
At night, we would sit together as a family and just talk. We have always been big talkers (Jerry, not so much) and found a subject he enjoyed as well. Mark is reading, " Rough Stone Rolling", a biography about Joseph Smith, and we had rousing discussions where Jerry could really expound upon his knowledge of the subject. Mark was able to find an answer to a question he had, and I was so proud of him!! Way to go , Mark!! These boys are going to be able to seek out answers to all of their questions through study and prayer while on their missions.
Yeah, the trip was great, but bittersweet for me as I experienced the last few days of being with the last four of my kids. It has been just the six of us for some time now, and we have gotten close. I feel kind of bad for my older kids because I am not sure they got to experience this type of closeness. When Ben, Adam and Emily were this age, life was crazy with four little kids. There really is only nine years between my first and last twins, but the oldest three grew up and out of the house so very quickly! Emily went off to College, and never really lived at home again, and both Ben and Adam moved soon after returning home from their missions. I scarcely remember the days when they were all so small. We were in survival mode, and I lament the fact I probably did not enjoy them enough. There is a part of me that wants it all back again...
Enough of that, I am starting to cry again and so I will tell the story of the part of us that stayed in St. George. That last night I decided to just hunker down and finish a book. Jerry likes to go and soak in the hot tub when it is dark. He says that way he won't scare small children in the light of day. The kids were determined to go do go-carts and left in our van for Fiesta Fun Center. As they were leaving, Matthew pulled forward into a concrete barrier smashing our probably already fragile bumper. Bethany claimed that Rachel got a little hysterical when they got out to surmise the damage. Matthew also hopped around for sometime berating himself for his stupidity. Mark was just glad to not be driving, and Bethany calmly called me informing me of the incident. The bumper was hanging by a very thin piece of rubber, and I told them they should cut it off, bring the bumper with them and come back to the condo. A nice man assisted them in doing just that, and they soon returned with our bumperless car. Jerry was pretty excited by the whole affair and insisted that we bring the bumper home with us. Money could be saved, he claimed, and he was pretty emphatic that we try to place this rather large piece of plastic and rubber into the non-existent space in the car. We were pretty piled up with our purchases and food, and since none of us are exactly tiny were not keen on wrapping a car part around our heads for a five hour trip home. Jerry thinks I always get my way, but in this instance I believe it was a no-brainer. Sorry, Jerry, no duct taping of that crumpled piece of bumper with an already sizable hole in it was going save us any money. We threw it in the dumpster and made for home..
We got in just in time for soup night, and it was a perfect ending to a great, little four day excursion to a warm spot in Utah where Spring is blooming. That first day, we had all stopped and stared in amazement at a Home Depot employee watering the flowers. It felt so good just to see them again after having four feet of snow on the front lawn that is going to remain there until at least July.
I know that Spring will come, and that every year brings another one. There is such promise in the re-birth of nature after a particularly nasty winter, and I hope that I can remember that there truly is a season for everything. Right now, it is the season for my kids to stretch their wings and leave the nest. I do not know why I am so reluctant to let them go. My heart is sore because after nurturing these baby birds for nineteen years, I cannot perceive of not seeing them for two years. It is foreign to my mother's heart and so I cry. Truly, I think it just means I love them. Realistically, I know I will not cry for two years. I will get a new bumper for my car, and I will get fantastic letters from the boys extolling all their new adventures.
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