Adventure in Utah

Many of you probably heard about our trip to Salt Lake city last week and I thought I'd summarize the details so everybody could read it, if anybody actually reads this. It's difficult to tell if writing here is worth it since there are never any comments made but I update it because family and friends ask.

The plan was to head to Utah on Friday and meet at the apartments that were rented for the weekend. We planned to leave about 15:00, right after a doctor's appointment but due to... lots of reasons now that I think about it... we packed very little before the appointment. Shara got done with her school work and the whole family promptly took a three hour nap at 15:00 instead of leaving for Utah. We were all very spent! But after some quick paced loading the car we made it to the apartment by about 23:30. Since we all napped so late we were all very awake when we showed up.

All this made me wonder if I really wanted to go. After the last several weeks we were ready to just stay home and rest for a weekend, but the trip proved worth on the way down. Having four hours free of homework and cleaning ended up being wonderful conversation time for Shara and I. It was like we hadn't seen each other for the past three weeks and we finally got to just sit down and talk. Talking can be wonderfully theraputic for any marriage.

So! Saturday rolls around and the whole family had tickets to the Saturday morning session of General Conference. We were excited yet worried how the morning will go. Shara and I hop in the car and head down to Herriman to leave Brandon at a friend's house and rush back to find a parking spot that is as close to free as we can find. Our prayers were answered and we found a free parking lot just west of the conference center. We got to our seats by 9:30 giving us time to sit and breath in the wonderful spirit of the world changing event that was about to happen.

Shara and I raced out of the first meeting (as fast as a 6 month pregnant woman comfortably could) so we could go pick Brandon up and be back in time for the second session at the apartment. As we reached the parking lot cars began chirping all around us as they were unlocked by remote. As we jumped in our car and headed for the interstate I began to realize the group we were with had their own reasons to hurry home and it soon turned intense as people began trying to get past each other on the road. Once we reached the interstate it felt like everybody was fleeing some natural disaster but luckily after about 30 minutes things calmed down. Needless to say, I won't try to be among the first leaving general conference ever again. :)

We picked up Brandon and made it back about five minutes before the next session started. After it ended we had a half an hour to nap until we had to leave for the Priesthood session. That ended up being another race because nobody actually set an alarm. We had to jog to the conference center after we parked and we made it just as the standby line was released.

When priesthood session ended and my brother-in-law suggested we look around temple square before we went home. It was a great suggestion. I hadn't been to temple square for several years. It made me want to come back sometime when our kids are old enough to understand a little and spend a day (or two half-days) touring the square. It is so impressive to stand there on the church headquarters and see the old marvels the original pioneers built right next to modern marvels that have been built in our day. It was amazing to think about the sacrifice so many people made to build these buildings.

On Sunday we had to check out by 11:00 so we spent the morning trying to get packed before conference. If family life could only work like that. :) We were still packing and cleaning and preparing lunch at 10:30. We listened to the second hour of conference on the road down to the Lofgran's house in Provo.

These friends had their first baby about seven weeks ago so of course there is a wonderful spirit about their home. We visited and played a game of Cities and Knights and watched the last session of conference and then turned towards home feeling wonderfully recharged by this trip down to Utah. Not recharged physically by any means, but spiritually and emotionally at peace feeling eager to continue our journey though life. Feeling very blessed to have wonderful family and friends and feeling very grateful that our Heavenly Father loves us enough to give us these blessings.