On Road Trips

Okay, so we are back from our semi-annual marathon across the dessert. Byron and I have decided that we are just getting too old for this. We managed to leave for Utah by 8pm on Thursday night (that was two hours better than in June!). I had some weird allergic reaction happening in my eyes - which felt like they had both been bruised, AND I got the Hobbit to listen to on the trip (one of my favorite stories) and the narrator put me to sleep almost immediately. Still, we made it by breakfast time (thanks for the bacon Brian) to the Slagle Mansion. Byron and I have decided that if we actually get this house we are trying to buy that we will call it the Thompson Love Shack ... TMI?

Byron spent Friday helping my father tile my brother's new house, and I drug around with Brandy - literally since I was so hopped up on allergy medicine that I doubt I was coherent even half of the time. There was supposed to be a family temple trip Friday night, but I managed to leave my recommend at home so Byron and I had kid duty ... at the mansion ... with real TV ... We actually watched HGTV to find remodelling tips. If we don't get this house, I am definitely going to cry - we have had more fun planning this than I can remember. Another "age" note, Brian and my sister Cyndi made to one of the midnight bookstore parties for Stephenie Meyer's newest book, Breaking Dawn. Brian had the coolest "Edward" costume ready. He even managed to get his hands on a few pairs of colored contacts to turn our eyes yellow. He was going to take my all of us "girls" with him as his "coven" (yes, we are just that weird). Unfortunately, Brandy was still getting things ready for Saturday and I just couldn't do it (tired, sick, eyes, etc.) ... and for those of you who know how I feel about getting to plan dress up, that is saying something. Bummer!!!!

Saturday we attempted family pictures at a nearby park. It was 102 in the shade! We could have stayed home for that! My kids definitely do not do pictures well. My cousin, Nathan, was the brave photographer and I cannot wait to see if/how they turn out. He had a great idea to have individual families walk toward him across a bridge for family shots. Of course, in my family's case, it was a run ... hope the bridge was long enough Nathan! After that, we went over to watch little Spencer get baptized. It was great ... a couple of fun parts include Nick forgetting a dry shirt (good thing everyone lives pretty darn close to a church in Utah). Also, during one of the confirmation prayers (not Spencer's thank goodness), someone's kid (thankfully not mine) pulled the fire alarm. The father giving the prayer was a pretty good sport about it. As he finished, he looked up and said "No one told me about the 5-minute prayer limit!" Still, a great day for Spencer. We all then made our way back to the Mansion (notice the capital?) for a great lunch. I am sooooo glad that Brandy has such a large house AND that she is such a good sport about messes. There were so many people it would have been horrible anywhere else. As it was, it was fun to visit (and I got to start on the new Stephenie Meyer novel too) and the kids just went riot. There is a toy room to die for downstairs and the coolest playground equipment out back. Josh and Ben were in 7th heaven. We headed back to the church after lunch for Brooke's baptism at which no one pulled a fire alarm, but Brian got to dunk Brooke twice (I think he planned it so as to have a better story than Spencer's fire alarm). All in all, it was a great day. I loved the warm fuzzy feeling when I saw all of the worthy priesthoodholders from our families place their hands upon those children's heads to bless them ... I am so grateful for a worth priesthood holder in my life, I just can't tell you!

We left that evening - about 6pm - and headed back across the dessert. My eyes were still not working well, so poor Byron drove the entire way. We made it home, without incident (although Byron still cannot remember actually driving through Primm which is rather scary) at about 4am. We even made it through church!