13 Days in Utah

I don’t know what I’ve been doing, but it hasn’t been much. I have intended to write a few notes about the time I was able to spend with Jacque and Trace and Wyatt while they and I were in Utah. We all had a lot of things going on, but I was fortunate enough to be able to spend time with them several times.

One of the first things I did was go with them to be set apart as missionaries at 8AM on Sunday the 19^th of August. They were set apart by a stake president by the name of Rasmussen. The blessings he gave them along with the setting apart were incredible. They were promised so many great things. I was very impressed and happy to hear those promises, one of which was that they will be safe and well while they are on their missions. Another was that their children will be well and safe and will make good choices while they are on their missions. Jacque was promised that the language wouldn’t be a problem for her and that she would be inspired about the things she needs to do. Trace was blessed that he would immediately recognize the things that need to be done and that he should not procrastinate the inspirations that come to him, but that he should act upon them and take care of them or get the information needed to the ecclesiastical leaders so that they together could solve any problems. I wish I could remember everything he said but I’ve let it go too long and have forgotten much of what he said. It was really cool that he asked Wyatt to come and put his hands upon each of their heads with the stake president. Wyatt felt honored to be able to do that.

While Jacque and Trace were in the MTC from Monday through Friday I did get together with Brenna and her fiancé Steven and Wyatt for lunch where Brenna works – The Maui Bowl. She serves a delicious fruit concoction with fruit and granola on top. She and Steven became engaged on Friday last week and are planning a 28^th of December wedding in San Diego temple.

Another time we were able to go to dinner together with them, Wyatt, Eileen and Jeff and Dayna at a restaurant where Dayna’s husband Joe is the chef. We had so much food that we could hardly waddle out of there and it was very tasty. They are in the process of introducing a new line of food into the restaurant and Joe did a great job of cooking it. The two owners were there to welcome guests and gush over Joe’s cheffing.

I was able to visit Carly and the baby several times at the Primary Children’s hospital. She is a beautiful little girl and you would never guess that things inside her body are kind of mixed up. I’m happy that they have now been able to take her home. She is probably going to have many surgeries before everything is done. But it is much easier for Carly and Conrad to be able to have her at home now that her arrhythmias have stopped (or at least slowed down). They are both trying to take the classes they are signed up for. Carly is registered for 20 hours of coursework at UVU and Conrad takes welding classes twice a week. It seems to work out pretty well for them to alternate taking care of the children.

I was happy to be able to stay at DeAnn’s house and help out with the things she and her kids needed to get started with their school classes. They are all busy, busy and I hope everything is going well for them. The 2^nd day I was there, DeAnn performed another miracle with a big ward party for her ward. She had sold her car to have the money she needed to register for her classes for her MPA program, so I was able to help her get the rest of stuff she needed. She had a lot of purchases already made. They had a swimming pool in someone’s back yard and she hired Wyatt and Cody to come be the lifeguards. There were several hundred people there and it was another big success.

McKenzie Kline, Jack’s niece, came to stay at DeAnn’s house for a week or so and it was fun to get better acquainted with her. She is Denny’s granddaughter. She returned from a mission to Spain in the spring and she’s getting ready to be married in December. Tyson and Ryder are working in Roosevelt Utah (about 2 ½ hours away) with welding jobs. Ryder is getting his papers ready to send in, when he gets his remaining 2 wisdom teeth pulled, for a mission.

I came home on Thursday last week and found that Jack had survived my being gone 13 days. In fact he may have enjoyed the peace and tranquility of aloneness. I did get to spend the night before I came home with my sister Marilyn, in Salt Lake City.

I am hoping that Jacque and Wyatt will send me some pictures to add to this when I put it on the blog.