Beneath the Wraps

            Bill and Kayla had planned on spending spring break with Bill's parents who live in St. George.   Their house gets quite packed with visitors when the entire family comes to visit.   They have five children and I think at least 5X that amount in grandchildren.   Bill had planned on getting the family a trailer tent to add to their comfort of an overly squished house.   But, evidently, Bill's parents either forgot or found another opportunity and booked for a cruise - that same weekend!           I don't know how long before spring break Kayla had contacted me to see if they could make their spring break getaway with us in Oregon.   What a fantastic birthday gift for Jenna!   I decided to keep it a secret - knowing they would have to leave before her actual birthday but would be spending time with us close enough (Jenna turns 14 today; the fam...

          I've always felt a sense of admiration to my sister, Kayla.  I suppose my admiration increased during this last weekend when her family came out to Oregon to visit our family.           Wonder Women flies in an invisible plane.  She can ward off bullets with her bracelets.  But we have never seen her clean up after a two year old hurricane or try to reason with a four year old or change diapers.           Sue Storm can turn invisible and sneak up on criminals.  She fights for justice along with her pals from the fantastic four.  It's impossible for Kayla to even try to become invisible as her children are always calling, "MOMMY!"  She is the leader of the fabulous five.           Supergirl can fly through the air to catch falling victims.  She defends...

  I don’t recall how long it’s been since I first looked into purchasing my first cell phone.   I believe that Corey was on his mission and that I was experiencing problems with my car.   I remember walking to a nearby strip mall after my car broke down.   Outside one of the stores stood two men with a table displaying information about cell phone plans with Voice Stream (which I had mentioned in this post ). I had asked one of the men if I could use his cell phone to call my mom – and that’s where she found me – being sucked into the world of cell phones.   I don’t know if I had already signed my contract before my mom showed or if I was about to.   But mom ended up showing interest in the convenience as well, and we ended up getting two phones on the same plan. I don’t recall how long we had our plan before the bills stopped coming from Voice Stream.   Funny how I hadn’t noticed – though I did notice a tremendous amount of garb...

When Jenna goes to school, I have taken the bus with her.   I normally have my backpack which contains my water bottle and a book.   Or at least I try to have a book – so I can read during the ride when Jenna isn’t with me. Jenna and I have ridden the bus all summer.   We’ve gone in a variety of directions.   But we have always started out on the same bus that we have taken when she’s been in school.   Instead of continuing to our normal bus stop near her school, we have been getting off at the college and making a transfer connection to a different bus. Just north of the college is a foot bridge that leads to the junior high across the street.   Jenna has always wanted to cross it.   I figured she’ll have the opportunity to cross it in two years – almost daily for the three years that she attends the junior high. My initial plan was to cross it with her, as I’d need to take a return bus home.   But this morning I learned that is ...

          I generally drop Jenna off at school a half hour before she needs to be there.   I also arrive on the lot before all other cars so as to not fight school traffic.   Jenna has always taken her time walking to school or across the field.   When I am the driver who is picking her up, I welcome her dawdling.   In first grade we were always the last car to leave the parking lot. I HATE school traffic.                   Kayla was looking for a sitter for her two and as Jenna’s school is the same distance from their house as it is from my own,   I figured I could watch them at Kayla’s house and then pick up Jenna.   I should have left her house the minute that Kayla came home.           It’s been four years since I had lived in that same neighborhood and wasn’t taking into account that the school in that area lets out...

When I dropped Jenna off this morning, I noticed several seagulls appeared to be basking out in the field.  The sun was just starting to peak its head over the horizon. It had rained earlier.  I’m certain that the lawn was wet.  I suppose they could have been looking for worms I was reminded of Roland’s answer to all of his children having asked, “Can we take one home?” And Roland would answer with, “If you can catch one, you can take it home.” The boys would wear themselves out as they chased the birds around – never having caught one, though I would imagine Biff came close.  He’s an animal charmer, that one.  Perhaps his magnetic charisma works just on the mammal group in the animal kingdom. I have home videos of both Jenna and Kayla approaching ducks and watching the ducks move at the same pace.  With Kayla, it was near the temple grounds in Idaho Falls .  Jenna was much younger when she sought out a particular bir...

          This post is dedicated to my sister, Kayla and our sister-in-law, Sunny.           Kayla has always been the strong silent type – both physically and spiritually.   She has always had tremendous faith.   She is a survivor.           When she was younger she could detect the slightest movement of a wrapper being pulled away from a food item (usually something unhealthy like ding dongs or cupcakes or m&ms) She wouldn’t even be in the house, but in the neighborhood.   Unwrap that piece of candy, and she would appear through the door.   But it had to be real.   We could never get her to come simply by crinkling cellophane or foil           She would say to my mom, “Can I have a piece of gum?” (or whatever)        ...

Roland and I had been married a couple of months before we met Bill Jolly – who totally lived up to his last name as he was always smiling and joking and overall really did appear to be happy.           He’d come to choir practice and often joke with the chorister.  It was rare that he presented himself as a person who was ever serious.           Overall he didn’t seem like my sister’s type, but I liked him and wondered if she would too.  Yet in the back of my mind it seemed like he had a wife.  I’m not sure why I thought that.  I never saw him with anyone.  It wasn’t until much later on that I learned his wife was homebound for much of the time due to failing health.  When she did leave the house it was usually to go to the doctor or hospital.  I would visit her periodically. It was disheartening to see her in such poor health as she was younger ...