Tucson and Stuff

 For over a year Layne and I have been promising one of our Mongolian daughters that we would visit.  Finally, we decided to just pick a date and stick to it.  So several months ago we picked this past week.  Tuesday, early, we flew to Tucson to visit our Brynn and her family.  All airlines require masks now and the Phoenix and Tucson airports were vacant of shops and eating places.  No food served on the airplanes either.  It was strange indeed,  

Roy and son Tyler picked us up.  Tyler is 4 and was, at first, very quiet.  But he soon warmed up and became quite an animated boy.  We were greeted by many welcome notes by the two boys and lots of general enthusiasm.  Brynn's two boys are darling (4 and 6) and very eager to play.  So that's what I did most of the time.  Early morning walks took me to the LDS chapel just a few blocks away.  Down the road from there sits the beautiful new temple, with a dome top and Moroni beckoning on top.  That would be such a blessing to our Returned Missionary Brynn.  Except she has walked away from the Church.  So thorough has it been that she has forgotten much of the gospel and wonders about God as if she had never known any different.  That was a major surprise and disappointment.  Her sons know nothing of God.

But in spite of that disappointment we enjoyed Roy and Brynn and their family.  They treated us like jewels, giving us the best of what they had.  They live on an acre or so of desert in an older development, away from the density of the city.  I found it lovely, but Layne was assured that he would not like to live in the desert.  Here's the front of their house, with Tyler barefoot in the gravel, followed by a scene from their yard.

I found the desert scenes beautiful.  It isn't my favorite look but I could be happy in the desert I think. 

Early during our stay Layne made the boys, Eric on left and Tyler on right, some paper airplanes.  They played with them, inside and outside, all day long. 

 

Brynn is a wonderful cook. She fixed amazing meals, always delicious.  On Wednesday night we picked up grandson Miles, who is beginning school at University of Arizona.  He had dinner with us.  Then he made the boys paper airplanes after the pattern of winning racers.  Wow, what a hit those were.  He was engaged for the whole of the evening making those planes and racing them with the boys.  Miles is happy at U of A even though all classes are remote right now.  Here we are with Miles.  Roy and Brynn are below.

Roy and Brynn are very embracing.  We had a sweet time with them.  They prepared a lunch to delight for our last meal on Thursday.  Roy fixed King Crab, served with melted butter and Brynn baked salmon.  Served with cabbage, it was all so very good.  I guess I've ever had King Crab before because this was so delectable and worth the effort it takes to get the meat.  I'm definitely going to fix that at home!  Our flight home went through Phoenix again and got us home late.  It was an interesting flight.  The cabin was in the total dark the whole flight.  I've never experienced that before and I wonder what it was so.

The kids were in good shape when we saw them Friday morning.  They go in to school half of the time now and the other half is online at home.  Masks are required at school.  They just had school pictures taken and we have them already.  

Friday evening we hosted our CA dinner group.  We featured Layne and gave him a little birthday celebration.  Buddy Lisa made him a delicious cake.  We watched the video on his life that I made for the family reunion in August.  Here's Layne with his cake, followed by all of us being served cake and homemade ice cream.  Yum.

I love this group of 10.  They are such good people, with uplifting conversation, and are all faithful to the gospel.  It is a joy to hang with such a fine group.  We are blessed.  And I'm tired!

 

A California Wedding

 Grandson Isaiah planned to spend this past summer on own in Rexburg, working remotely.  But Audrey talked him into coming home to Mountain House instead.  He was a little reluctant but he did it.  While at home he experimented with a dating site and found a cute blond named Avery Banks that lived nearby.  They began corresponding, then talking, then dating.  It was a major "click" and as the summer progressed they moved into a serious relationship and then an engagement!

Very soon after that a wedding date of August 29th was chosen and a scheduled at the Sacramento Temple.  But soon after that the California governor closed Churches and Temples back down.  So the wedding and reception was moved to Audrey and Cliff's house.  The family kicked into high gear to get ready.  Avery's mom ordered the flowers.  Isaiah's family took over all the rest.  Rayne planned the house arrangement and decorations.  

She also made the cake!

Isaiah and Avery gently shared it.

Cliff, being a bishop, has the authority to marry, so he married his son in a sweet and sometimes emotional ceremony. 

The newest Mr. and Mrs. Adams-Hart.

 

The audience was small; only 40 of us were allowed to meet together for the ceremony thanks to the virus.  We transformed the living space into beautifully decorated tables for the meal that followed the ceremony.  Cliff made all the food and it was delicious!  Cliff's deacons served us.

Not all of our family was able to be at the wedding, but, happily, Reed and Dorothy and our Jessica were all there.  Here's Jessica and me.

Layne was happy to connect with Avery's grandfather, who worked in the Oakland Temple with us.

The wedding party made up just about half of the attendees.  Avery's bridesmaids L:  Amelia (cousin), Allegra, Rayne, Emily (cousin), R:  Eden (sister), Alli (soon to marry Avery's brother), Morgan and Makayla (stepsister).

Isaiah's groomsmen L:  Avery's older brother and younger brother (Ben), Dominic, R:  Chase and Avery's brother-in-law.

Here are the bride and groom with both sets of parents.

Audrey with her girls, Rayne, Morgan and Allegra.  Below she kisses her granddaughter, Hazel.

It was a lovely wedding.  We arrived a week ahead to help but also found time to connect with some precious people.  We visited our Sunol neighbor, Beverly Trutner, and one of the ladies we home taught, Anne Kelly.  It was good to see them.  Here we are with Anne.

We checked in with our foster daughter, Michelle and her daughter Kelsey too.  Michelle has been losing tons of weight.  She looks so lovely.  Take a look; here she is with Kelsey.

We dropped in on Ben and Jessica and kids too.  We shared dinner with them in their back yard.  They are very careful because of the virus.  We only stayed an hour and a half but it was so good to see them.  Here's Jessica with Abigail, and Ben.

Dorothy rented a house in Tracy for us to share the weekend of the wedding.  Our Jessica was there and Scott and his Jessica also.  Being with them was such fun.  We enjoyed a home Church meeting on Sunday, with everyone sharing insights on the scriptures.  We flew home on Monday with Reed and Dorothy.  So fun to be with so much family!

This weekend the newlyweds spent a couple of nights with us on the way back to school in Rexburg.  We celebrated Reed's birthday on Sunday.  He is such a fine man!  Dorothy, Angelica and I took Avery shopping today and it was such fun.  We gave them a goodbye dinner and sent them on their way. 

School starts tomorrow!  Online only for now.  The kids are primed with laptops from the school and priesthood blessings from Layne.  And so the school routine returns, after what seems like an eternal summer.  Bring it on!