Four Photos

I returned on Monday night from a four-day trip to Rexburg, Idaho, and then to Provo, Utah, to be with David for his graduation from BYU-Idaho. He and his wife, Holly, moved directly from Rexburg to his new job in Portland, Oregon, and since their daughter, Arora, doesn't travel well, she came back to Portland with me on the plane after a two-night stay in Provo, where I got to visit with Kendra and Katie and their families. (Kendra and her husband Chris, and their two children, Abbi and Charley, met me at the Salt Lake Airport and then we traveled together to Rexburg. It was wonderful to have them there for David & Holly's graduation, and they were a huge help with David & Holly's move.)

Here are photos from the trip--one for each day.

Holly, Arora, David, me. Arora sat with me and Kendra, Chris, and their two children, Abbi and Charlie, during the Convocation ceremony. Holly and David were among the last group to cross the stage, and Arora was getting pretty restless by then, so just before they walked across the stage, I slipped down to the main floor and handed Arora off to them. She crossed the stage with her parents, which was fitting, I think. David told me that one of his main motivations to stay focused and finish college on time and with good grades was having a wife and daughter. (Holly's cap & gown are blue because she completed an Associates Degree.)

David shaving - using the window as a mirror. This was taken Saturday morning. We arrived on Thursday night, and then we spent most of the day Friday loading the moving truck before going out to dinner and then to the Convocation. Saturday morning we were working hard to get the apartment all cleaned and ready for the final check-out. By the time David remembered to shave, both bathrooms had been thoroughly cleaned, and he didn't want to get in trouble for getting stubble in the sink. Voila - the window became a mirror. Yes, that's snow on the ground behind him.

After Kendra's family and Arora and  I returned to Provo, we had time for some playtime with Katie and her family, too. The weather was beautiful - blue skies, snow on the ground but not the roads. We took the kids for a brisk, invigorating walk. Kendra and Katie amaze me with their creativity in managing life with small children in small spaces--the Wymount apartments require space efficiency! These women are pros.

Have movie will travel--here's Arora in the Salt Lake Airport, watching "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" on my laptop for the 300th time. She was great on this trip. She's not quite two, so she traveled free with me--my first time traveling with a lap child. I was a little anxious about how this was going to work! She's only met me 5 or 6 times since she was born, and she is very much a Mommy-Daddy girl. Before the trip I sent her a book titled, "Arora and Grandma Kathy Ride on the Airplane," which showed her parents packing everything into boxes and driving a moving truck from Idaho to Oregon while she and Grandma Kathy chilled on the airplane. It must have helped, because she was a delight. (Of course, it also helped that we spent two days in Provo with Abbi, 3, and Charlie, 2--what fun to have cousin time--where Kendra is an experienced mama of preschoolers who has flown many times with children; she gave me some very helpful tips.) I'm not a fan of children watching lots of TV/movies (Arora doesn't), but what a godsend on this trip to keep her entertained with some delightful children's stories in video format.

Now it's 7:00 am Wednesday morning, and we're loading up the car--we're heading to Colville (1.5 hours north of Spokane) to spend Christmas with my parents. They live in a very small home, so Mark and Maleena and I are staying in a nearby cabin. We were hoping for snow, but it's all melted in the last week--great driving, but not so picturesque--oh, well. I haven't spent Christmas at my parents' home in over 30 years, so I'd say it's about time. Merry Christmas!