Spring Break - Day 4 - Family Fun

Like everyday in this trip, I have wanted to do more things than I had the time. I really wanted to visit with a few of my old professors, but I had to make a few choices and allow myself to enjoy this trip instead of feeling frazzled. This morning, Gillian accompanied Sarah to the high school play rehearsals that Sarah is helping direct. Mom stayed home to relax, while Elijah and I took the boys to Elijah's brother, David. He and his family just moved to Rexburg, and they have four children, the older two the same age as Jefferson and James. Needless to say, my boys were very excited to play with their cousins.
We left them there playing, eating and just being happy for being together. Elijah and I stole a few minutes for ourselves and headed toward the temple for some temple work.
The temple was as beautiful outside as it was heavenly inside. Although I wasn't able to visit with old friends, I was happy I had made the choice of attending the temple with my husband. It was a time well spent and enjoyed.

While Elijah and I were attending the temple, and the boys were spending time with their cousins, Gillian was having a great time herself with her aunts. Sarah had taken her to the rehearsals as well as to the drama class she is student teaching. Gillian really enjoyed that. Countless times she has told me she would like to be an actress, and all this dancing and singing and acting was down her alley. Afterword they had picked up Rebekah, and all three of them had eaten out at a fancy pizza restaurant, followed by some upscale cupcakes and candied apples. Having always treated Gillian as an adult, she fit right in with her aunts in conversation and judgement. She told me she had had a grand time.

We all got back at Sarah's around four in the afternoon, and tried to relax by watching some special on the upcoming Royal wedding of Kate and William. Hoping this one wedding would end in happiness, we couldn't wait for the next day to see the whole ordeal.

Elijah's brother, David had invited us for dinner at his house, so around five thirty, we got everybody in the car and drove to his house. We couldn't believe how much Rexburg had changed and how many more houses and apartment buildings had been added. At David's house, we had a wonderful time. Dinner was delicious, company fun, and the children happy.

After dinner, we all played a funny game that got many laughs out of everybody. One person got blindfolded, and would sit on someone's lap without knowing who the person was. The person sitted had to make an animal sound and the person blindfolded had to figure out whose voice it was. Sarah could make some really good animal sounds without letting her voice being recognized. Because our crowd was made of little people and big people, there were some funny moments when we couldn't stop laughing just looking at the big people sitting on the little people.

After we had had all the fun we could possibly have, Elijah treated everybody to some ice-cream at a new ice-cream shop.
Afterwards, goodbyes were in order, and Jefferson kept saying that Hyrum was going to visit him soon, I think mostly to keep himself from being too sad and burst out crying. Before driving to Sarah's home, we took the children on a ride around BYU-Idaho campus, showing them all the places we used to live, eat and have fun. Driving by the temple was the last thing we wanted the kids to remember. And what a sight to behold!

Spring Break - Day 3 - Provo and Rexburg

Elijah and I were so excited to show our children Provo. This is a place with lots of great memories for us. Elijah and I met and fell in love while attending Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho). Ricks was a two year college then, so Elijah and I got married in between finishing Ricks and starting BYU in Provo. We lived in Provo for three years. (I decided while finishing one degree to get a teaching certificate as well, so I had to extend my stay.) Toward our last year, we decided to have an addition to our family. Gillian was born in Provo two weeks before we left for Georgia. For Gillian, who loves church history more than any one I know, the fact that she was born in Utah, the pioneer state, is very special.

We showed our children our first apartment that Elijah and I lived as a married couple. It was within walking distance to a grocery store, the Senior MTC where I worked, and BYU, which we both attended. We lived there for a whole year, and it was very fancy for a newly wed couple.
We took the kids for a drive around campus, and of course showed them the buildings we most frequently attended.

The second house we lived in was very close to the Provo Temple and the MTC. I remember being a temple worker for over a year and walking there through snow and heat. To this day, Elijah is amazed that a night owl such as I am would wake up early every Saturday to be on time for my 5:00 a.m. shift. To tell the truth, I personally don't have an answer to that except that the Lord helped me to be awake and alert. I enjoyed working at the temple, and especially having it so close to home.

We also made a stop at the hospital (Utah Valley Regional Medical Center) where Gillian was delivered, and then after that it was time for lunch. Of course, Cafe Rio, where Elijah and I would eat very often while living in Provo, was the no-competition choice.

Leaving Provo behind, we headed toward Idaho. The weather was good, the lunch delicious, and the drive relaxing. When we got to Rexburg, we were greeted by the Rexburg Temple situated right on top of the hill. White and majestic, it absolutely felt as if a piece of heaven was placed on earth. Very beautiful indeed! What a blessing for those students to have such a spiritual edifice right on campus.

While in Rexburg, we were going to stay with Elijah's sister, Sarah and her husband, Jacob. Elijah's other sister, Rebekah, who is attending BYU-Idaho at the moment, was at Sarah's house when we got there. We were all excited to see each other, and the children couldn't have enough of their aunts and uncle.


After an awesome evening with delicious food and wonderful company, we decided to call it a day. I have to say that I was absolutely impressed that we got our own private room. Sarah and Jacob had done a fantastic job decorating their home, and had it more together than when Elijah and I were newly weds. Thank you guys for showing us a good time! Those steaks were just unbelievably tasty!