September. . .New Seasons. . .SLC/Schooling . . . Serendipity . . .Settling In

School time has arrived. Megan is now settling in nicely, it seems, in SLC at LDSBC, right in downtown Salt Lake. We spent 2 days getting what she couldn't pack and bring and didn't get lost even though I was driving in new areas of the town. I love the layout of this city; the N-S-E-W designations work for me. What a great location for Megan to attend school-- the weather has been great, and when we call we hear she is busy and doesn't have time to talk!! We think that is a good sign, but hope to have her share her first week experiences with us in more detail soon. Mom and Dad remember how exciting it was to be away from home at last, so we empathize with her new life "on her own." That makes our life's season transition to "empty nesting" much easier.

SLC is a favorite place for me. I love the shopping, and now with Janice Morgan there, it allows me to spend extra time to enjoy, too. Janice is our great friend who we hometaught for 7+ years in Hawaii and was also a part of our FHE combined families' group once a month. After 2 days of getting Megan settled, Janice had me turn in the rental car and we attended a Greek Festival right downtown, near where I'd been staying. Yummy gyros, salata, and baklava--a good crowd and lively music and dancing entertained us that afternoon. Stops at other malls--there seem to be TONS of them so close by--then home to enjoy our light supper at her house. Finding Halloween treats that are hard to come by was just one of the "serendipity"moments I enjoyed. Walking barefoot through the grass in her yard was another, too. SOOOO soft! One of her yellow roses blossomed overnight to a gorgeous flower... we visited Temple Square to appreciate the pink roses and other garden delights... got PAF working again on her computer...and found a great message to remember: Grant me the patience to deal with my blessings. Eating a peach or two...reminiscent of Brigham City Peach Days in olden times for us from Logan days. Enjoyed peach pie, too, that Janice made. I even had some alone time to play the piano!!! Ahhh...all of this made for a relaxing break in my usual school-busy life.


Friends and acquaintances just popped up out of nowhere! While moving Megan into the dorm [it's the PLAZA HOTEL property at West Temple/South Temple] we saw and greeted Laura Ditto, our former bishop's wife, and Autumn Keys from Laie [Megan's bandmate from KHS a few years ago] who is also a student now at LDSBC, and her mom, Judy [a family history buff who also volunteers at the LFHC] and visited with Jack and Marsha Peterson who came to see us from Logan on Friday evening. Actually, Marsha was picking up her new car, but we worked into the plan anyway!! We always have fun visits, even if it's just a brief time at dinner. Marsha and I laugh lots when we have these rare chances these days to meet. That was a treat...especially enjoying their company, plus Matt P. and Betsy, too. Cheesecake Factory, always one of my favorites, was our dinner setting...and yes, my favorite --sweet corn tamale cakes-- and regular cheese cake with cherry topping for dessert pleased my palate tremendously.

MORE good stuff: That, plus the visit to Olive Garden for Megan and me Thursday, AND successful shopping at my favorite store just a few blocks from Megan's dorm, meant a packed yet productive time in those 4 days in the mountain-view city--now like an urban ghost town in the downtown area as CityCreek is developed. Although I didn't venture beyond SLC, it was great to connect with this crew of friends. I'll be enjoying having Megan in SLC for as long as she is thriving there! Many people to see and other things to do next time...but this was all so relaxing AND enjoyable for me. Since Megan didn't come home with me on the companion reservation, I had TWO seats to myself. But, as always when I travel, it was great to get home.

We now enter a new season of our life...as Mary would say, each new season is a beginning. We enjoyed a bit more freedom and in some ways, less worry, this week. School demands and Bill's work, plus "student conference week" for me filled my days. Fun moments were the positive finds for students in FH, celebrating Trevor's Super Citizenship at Laie Elem., and enjoying "Sunset on the Beach" here at Kakela. Visited with Ken and Lisa there...Lisa said she is jealous that we can be at this stage of our lives...we remember when they used to come and visit us next door sometimes at the townhouses, staying up late [they had no kids then], sometimes until almost 1 a.m. on a school night for us! Yeserday we enjoyed our visit to the temple, yardwork and closet cleaning, then off to Honolulu for a movie and dinner. Hmmmm...are we supposed to like this so much??? :D

I guess what helps is knowing we've tried to do the best we could in raising these girls. We tried to provide a steady, conservative, predicatable-in-many-ways, gospel approach and routine to life with values they could count on as young people and now as adults. Much help along the way, and good examples in friends and family, helped these things stick. Life is not perfect for them, for us, but we are confident that with prayer and other divine assistance, their lives and ours can be very worthwhile and successful.

Here's to 28.5 years of parenting in the home [roots]!! Here's to happiness for them all as they remember their roots...and take wings and fly!!

Tagged!

This looked like fun!!

1 rule: use one word that comes to mind to answer the question...but if you have to use a few, it's okay!!!
1. Where is your cell phone? drawer
2. Your significant other? forever
3. Your hair? natural
4. Your mother?thoughtful
5. Your father? reunited
6. Your favorite thing?napping lanai
7. Your dream last night? unremembered
8. Your favorite drink? A&W
9. Your dream/goal? celestialized-family
10. The room you're in? computer
11. Friends? been close a long time
12. Your fear? driving
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? mission (or travel)
14. Where were you last night? home after class
15. What you're not? discontent
16. Muffins? no thanks
17. One of your wish list items? bedroom redo
18. Where you grew up? Iowa
20. What are you wearing? 'jamas
21. Your TV? off
22. Your pets? allergies
23. Your computer? Dell
24. Your life? daily gratitude
25. Your mood? unpredicatable family loves this! --not!!
26. Missing someone? Family (grateful for blogs, chats, Skype)
27. Your car? Camry
28. Something you're not wearing? Shoes (Hawaii!)
29. Favorite Store? Christopher and Banks --tomorrow :D
30. Your summer? Traveling
31. Like someone? Bill (and love)
32. Your favorite color? any
33. Last time you laughed? yesterday [Running-boy Avery]
34. Last time you cried? Goodbyes (saying goodbye to family)

Sorry, one word is just NOT me!!!