Family Hopping

 

We had made arrangements for Ryan (aka Tony) to come pick us up from the bus depot.  He met us at 6:15 in the morning and took us to my sisters house where we would sleep – or attempt to anyway.  We were introduced to the family dogs Sadie and Donny.  Gary was asleep on the couch where we’d be sleeping – or trying to and Jerry asked if we would give him permission to use us in a youtube video.  He then taught us a geography game which I had assumed he wanted us to play while filming for the youtube video.  But that is a far as it got.  Perhaps we weren’t worthy subjects for his channel?

          For the most part we spent time with Ryan and his family while Ryan was off and before the kids had to go back to school.  We played games with them and then Ryan took us all to Dee’s for dinner.  After he brought us back to my sister’s house, we played games with her family.  Playing games with different family members really was the highlight of our being there. 

          On Saturday we helped Todd (aka Bill Jolly) with cleaning the church.  Later Ryan came for us and we went to the park.  It was hot and the kids wanted to go swimming.  Jai or I had suggested going to Fairbourn to run through the fountains.  We drove from the park toward the Fairbourn station and Ryan parked in the lot of West Valley Library. As I was getting out of the car I realized that I had left my backpack at the park.  Thus we did not make it to Fairbourn as we stayed in car and headed back toward Vista Park. So grateful that my backpack was still there when we returned. 

        We chose not to go back to Fairbourn but to the apartment where Ryan's family lives.  He and the kids played in the pool while Jaime and I played games with our very pregnant Chelsey.  Jaime and I had brought our suits to Utah but they were in our suitcases back at Todd and Shelly's house and I didn't think returning for them would be worth the extra amount of driving it would take as       Utah is under construction.  Every spring and summer it always takes longer to get from point A to point B than in the fall.  So many roads.  So many polycones, barrels and signs.  So many detours. We crawled through traffic each time we were in the car 

There was construction on the road, on buildings, parking lots . . . very overwhelming.  So happy I had not driven.

     Todd and Jaime were watching an episode of Star Trek: Strange New World. I was talking to Richard on the phone and excused myself and went downstairs as to not disturb Todd's program watching.  Sadie was down there and had chewed me out for being in her territory.  Fine, I did not want to be there anyway.  Richard said I sounded tired and should get some sleep.    I slept great on Saturday night. Apparently I was out the minute my buttocks hit the couch.

          On Sunday we went to my sister’s ward.  There was a youth that gave the closing prayer in Sacrament meeting.  What an awesome prayer.  So refreshing hearing a youth give the prayer in Sacrament meeting.  There are two wards that meet in the building.  Each ward has their own sacrament but will combine for the second meeting to account for more activity.  That is a brilliant idea!  Wish we had that option.

Day 3: Games, Aunt Julie and Alex

 Richard’s initial plan was to spend a day or two with each boy.  However we had Tony drive up from Salt Lake over Saturday and Sunday as both off for the weekend. Both work graveyard jobs and would rather spend two days with us together than just one day with each boy.  Biff and Tony are the oldest of the three.

We slept in finally.  Called the boys and asked them to meet us for lunch. Before they arrived Jai and I walked from the food parking lot to an adjoining that had a Ross.  It was cold and had started to snow.  I bought a few items for myself but we did not find anything of interest to Jaime.

 We went to MOD pizza – which I had never heard of before.  Jai told us it was almost identical as to going Subway in which there are a variety of choices on display and the customer can choose what will go into it.  I chose a miniature pizza with white sauce, spinach and bacon.  It was divine.

Biff was the first to arrive – but had not brought Claire or Ally as Ally was not feeling well.  In the excitement of having the grandparents and Aunt Jaime come, Ally’s medication had been forgotten and she is suppose to have shots twice a day.

Tony was not dressed appropriately for the weather.  He had on shorts dressed like he’d be going to the gym.  None of them were wearing coats even though Rochelle had said that it had been raining in Salt Lake. There was a Target across the street from the complex that housed Mod and so after we finished eating we all went across the street and Richard bought coats for almost everyone.  (Neither Jai nor I found a coat to our liking - we both already had coats anyway; I had mine on when we had gone to Ross)

We all met back at the hotel and played games in the breakfast serving area and played one game in the lobby. Tony had brought a bunch of Disney theme games and an interactive card game called Happy Salmon that reminded Jenna of Pit - but with physical interaction.   

While we were playing games when Aunt Julie dropped by for just a few minutes.  She is the sister of the boys biological mother.  She did not stay for very long but it was fun to see her and a surprise for the majority of the family because they did not know I had invited her over.

Richard had told Tony that we would drive down to Salt Lake and take them to Olive Garden, but Rochelle thought it would be more practical to eat in Layton.  Surely they would have an Olive Garden closer than the drive back to Salt Lake.  Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Rochelle.  So after we had finished playing games, Biff returned home to check on Claire and Ally and the rest of us drove to Olive Garden where Biff later met up with us.

After the boys had gone, Jai and I dressed for the pool which was very cold and the Jacuzzi was quite crowed.  We sat at the table where we had played games and ran lines for a while.  After we finished several pages and stood up to leave, we heard a comment from the desk, “Now I will never know how it ends”

Jai and I decided to go upstairs to change and returned to the lobby so that our “fan” could hear more of the play.  The play she is doing is called “Saving Grace” One of the character’s name is Alex – which was also the name of the clerk behind the desk. He clapped after we had finished reading. That is when he told us his name. Jai and I left to turn in for the night.  We were impressed with Alex’s mannerism.