Why Not Summer?

Well, we're home from a much needed trip to St. George and Las Vegas. We attended the midyear convention of the Utah League of Cities and Towns. We left last Wednesday and came home on Saturday night. (We told everyone we weren't coming home until Sunday.) Surprise Eric, Sara, Kim, Brindy and Brielle! They were at our home watching the Jazz game ... so we rang the doorbell! They were shocked, but excited to see us! :-))

We attended meetings all day Thursday and until noon on Friday. Mark Eubank even spoke to us about Utah's great weather! Thursday night was an outdoor dinner in the St. George Square. We had a real good meal with BBQ ribs, chicken, etc. and enjoyed entertainment by Brenn Hill, a cowboy singer/songwriter from Hooper, Utah. He did a great job! Jane reminded me I had hired him for a credit union function when he was just starting his career, back in the mid 80's. Small world, huh?

Friday afternoon we got in the car and headed for Las Vegas. I wanted to check out a new project Hugh Morgan and I are able to sell called "Manhattan West". It's a walkable community being created from scratch and is going to be beautiful. We are able to sell condominiums in a couple of the units for $1000 down, a person's good credit and a bond taken out to secure a persons down payment at closing. They are able to purchase now at today's prices and not have to close on the loan or make payments for, up to, two years. It's a nice concept.

On our way back from Las Vegas we stopped in Mesquite and met with Colorful Cousin Carole and her friend from Connecticut. I believe her name was Mary. We had a nice Mexican meal and visit before returning to St. George that evening.

Saturday, we got up, filled the car and went to Jane's cousins home in St. George. Jan and Bob Smith live in a beautiful home with a view that will knock your socks off! They offered to take us on an excursion in their yellow, Jeep Rubicon, open aired vehicle, to the Petroglyph's located outside of St. George in Nevada. It was ton's of fun! I don't know if we enjoyed the company, the sites, or the ride best. It was all good! It was fun to watch Mom and Jan catch up on old times when Mom lived with Grandma B in Napa, California when she was a teen. Jan's mom was Aunt Phylis who was Grandma B's sister.

Well we came home, watched the remainder of the Jazz game with the kids, and then went to bed. We got up early Sunday morning and went down to Music and the Spoken Word. Eleven of my friends were retiring and it was nice to be there for the occasion. It brought back memories and the whole experience was sweet!

The spoken word was entitled, "A Lifetime of Learning". Here are some snippets from the message:

"An elderly man sat in his easy chair carefully cradling a book. Magazines and newspapers lay on the table in front of him. 'My books are like friends to me,' he said. 'I share so many memories with the old ones, and I enjoy learning form the new ones. And there is always so much to learn?' This from a man for whom learning had been a constant practice for the better part of a century. ... to consume a good book, to digest a report of current events, to savor the words of great thinkers past and present is to feed the soul and nourish the heart. We are never too old for such a feast."

"And learning is found not just in books. People and places are great sources of new information and experience. We can ask questions and enjoy discussions with friends and family members, learning from their points of view. We can visit a local museum to hear the story of a historic landmark or inquire at a public library about any topic we choose. Or we can visit the Internet, where a world of information is right at our fingertips."

"Formal education may be designed for the young, but the young at heart can enjoy a lifetime of learning. And when we leave this life, though our earthly goods will be left behind, the knowledge we have gained will be ours forever." -given by Lloyd D. Newell, April 13, 2008.

Since we were still on vacation, we walked around Temple Square and took time to smell the flowers. We then found a Sacrament Meeting in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. We walked in a little late and sat right behind Lloyd and Karmel Newell and their sweet family. We played incognito through the meeting and watched the interaction with their "well behaved" boy's and girls. If I remember correctly they have two boys and two girls. What fun! Lloyd wasn't even married when I joined the choir, so I have seen this little slice of heaven grow.

After the meeting Lloyd turned around and recognize me and said, "I thought I heard a great voice behind me". I smiled and told him he was too kind! We found out they were on a Park City vacation and also took advantage of this sacrament meeting. It was the Eighteenth Ward of the Salt Lake Ensign Stake. Bishop David M. Berrett conducted and the speakers were Arthur and Joyce Walnum. They spoke of how the Holy Ghost has played a part in their lives.

Well, we came home around 2 PM, kept our curtains closed, only answered important phone calls and enjoyed the rest of a wonderful sabbath day.

St. George and Las Vegas temperatures were in the mid to high 80's. As I look out my window I still see snow on our lawn and the promise of more white precipitation threatening us. My outdoor thermometer reads 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Hence the title of this post, "Why Not Summer?" --Don't you think? or at least Spring?

Why does Ali want me to update my Blog?

Well, Ali keeps hinting I should update this blog. I don't know why! Nothing has changed! Except, Jane wants you all to know she passed her "Rational Expressions" test. This is really something since the test was full of "Irrational Answers"! Quite a dichotomy, don't you think? Also, Jeni and Jason were able to sell their dog, for a profit! Also, again...Jane and I both picked the final four in the NCAA tourney. It went downhill from there. Jane picked Memphis to win the whole thing and I picked UNC. Congratulations to Ethan and to all those who picked Kansas...it was a lot of fun to brag about brackets during the past month! Now, we'll turn our attention to the Utah Jazz! How 'bout them Jazz!!!!?