Utah Mini Reunions Pre and Post the “Big” Reunion at Bear lake

With Lucy tucked safely into college, ups and downs abundantly abounding, I’m trying to catch up on record keeping around here. I want to post about our Bear Lake reunion but let’s start with pre and post reunion first.

Dave drove up to Utah with Lucy and all her college gear. I had to come from California separately so I brought Bo Jangles with me on an airplane. I’m not sure whether me or Dave got the short end of the stick on that one but we made it and I loved being greeted by this crew late at night when Bo and I finally arrived:

Now that’s a good greeting committee, am I right? I love them so much.

Dave’s dad had broken his hip while hiking before we arrived and oh, we felt so awful for him! But the good thing was that we got to hang out together more than we have before.

And the other good thing is that by now that man is recovering so beautifully. I love that he and Dave’s mom keep themselves so fit and walk all the time so his body could recover so well.

Dave’s family had been coming in and out to check on them during recovery so we also got to see so many Pothiers which was kind of magical.

It was pretty special that when we got there, James and Christy, freshly returned from their mission, were there. We got two late-nights with them playing games with our kids who came up…

…and just staying up late talk, talk, talking. SO much to debrief from their mission and it was pretty special to have them to ourselves after everyone else went to bed.

I willed my to-do list to sit on the back burner and tried to just go slow. Abby and I took the girls to explore all fun Utah things for toddlers.

We found a great park and a splash pad, but hit the jackpot at the rec center. There was a swimming pool with a waterslide Muprhy went down like 40 times and Grace, Claire and Dave came to join us too.

More James and Christy time.

A Missionary Homecoming

My nephew arrived home from his mission.

It was so fun to reunite with him and all my in-laws and cousins at Julie and Seth’s ward. So fun that Max’s mission presidents are in that ward and we got to catch up a bit, reminiscing about all that has happened since he randomly showed up in our ward in the desert when Max was in the MTC before he left for Taiwan. I talked about that and other “mission miracles” in a mission miracles post clear back then.

So much love spilling out of Julie and Seth’s house where we have made so many memories through the years. This was the tail end of the crew.

Off to Bear Lake

Then….we made the drive to BEAR LAKE where we arrived with the setting sun and endless little arms reaching out for Murphy and Ada.

That is pretty special to see.

I love that Abby came up almost a whole week early and managed those two little girls like a champ, as well as managing all those little helping hands wanting to grab those little girls any chance they could.

Dinner on the porch, sunset walk, cookies and love up at the Lighthouse with all the women, Abby enveloped in with love.

Bear Lake Eyrealm Reunion Coming Soon!

I’m dying to wrangle all the pictures from the reunion, and will record soon.

But for now let’s skip to when we all made it back from Bear Lake.

The kids went to check out the new Ballerina Farm shop:

Friend Reunion

Meanwhile we were at our own friend reunion to celebrate our friends returning from their mission. Another spot filled with goodness and old friends.

It just feels so good to have these two back, all is right in the world:)

The kids were all waiting for us, aside from Carson (with his family when his dad was so sick), and Lucy (Oregon), plus a friend of Claire’s. Late-night games, my heart wrapping so much love around each of my children.

Giddy to have these kids around. Togetherness stretched from games to a hike (as long as it lasted with two “babies” in tow):

The kitchen island made sacred even in the bustling from all stages of feeding babies, food prep and visiting. Because we are together.

24th of July Rodeo

…to the 24th of July rodeo.

Small town glory in golden hour, awe at those athletes on horses and bulls.

Lindsey Sterling Concert

Another togetherness with Eyres gathering for the Lindsey Sterling concert, Thai food and awe of what was stretching out to us from that stage, a girl dancing with her violin. I love my family. I love that mom has instilled so much music love in us.

Talking couches after, filled with people I love.

Hike in Park City

A sleepover with my sister and my mom, a hike with my beloved Saren up behind the condo, hopelessly lost lifting Bo through the brambles to brave a new trail to meet my mom at the top of the funicular.

Purple thistles shining in the morning sun that always remind me of my Grandpa Jacobson’s farm.

Hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon

Another hike with two friends I love huffing up Big Cottonwood canyon to the lake, fields of flowers stretched all the way up the mountain and the late afternoon sun starting to glint off of the towering pine trees.

Talking through loss (one of them lost both parents this last year, mourning together), and joy (getting the other back from her three-year mission adventure), both creating so much tangible grit and resilience.

Friends from China at Church

We happened to meet up with our China friends the Nichols at church, the ones our beloved Nichol’s pasta is named after:)

A Hike with Claire

I got Claire all to myself one afternoon. We hiked and had a special lunch and man, I love that girl!

Reunion with Friends

I got to meet up with two long-lost friends from college/early marriage days. It was so good to sit in the filtering-in morning light hearing all about what these incredible women have been doing for all those years. Then on to meet up with my high school girlfriends.

Sitting around Sara’s china-laden table each taking a turn to update on life. Oh how I love those women. With all my heart. They are a giant piece of me.

Straight to Provo to try to help Max and Abby pack up a bit.

Sacred business sitting at that unlikely gathering spot at the top of Max and Abby’s stairs where Murphy came out of her room after her nap, her giant personality filling up that whole space, killing us with her antics, cradling Ada, talking deep with Abby, joined by Claire, then Max.

Dinner at the Park

We had dinner at the park joined by Grace and then Elle, fresh from mourning with her in-laws.

We sat at a picnic table and cried with that girl of ours.

A drive-by of Max and Abby’s new place they were moving into, and a view from a parking spot on the mountain, the lights of the whole city stretched out below, our car headlights creating a halo on all my people I love so much.

Date with my Dad

My dad offered to take me on a special date in his old car and I wasn’t about to turn that down, especially in the wake of Carson losing his dad. Things like that sure help you remember to hold your loved ones as closely as possible. I love that man and loved experiencing a little Sprouts run to get things like a basket of turmeric (his love) and a special lunch to bring back to my mom.

We sat on the porch together, just the three of us enveloped in all that Mother Earth beauty. And I thought how lucky I am to still have them both, sitting there in real life smiling with me. How can I hold onto them forever?

I am the luckiest to call them mine.

I drove through emerald gorgeousness to get to the airport and fly HOME.

Along with my trusty travel companion Bo Jangles who acted as a vibrator under the seat in front of me packed carefully in her little duffel. My heart perhaps pounding even more than hers.

Phew! Keep in mind the majority of this happened AFTER school started in the desert. As we came in for landing I breathed a giant sigh of relief that I still had a whole month before I had to send my baby off to college. And another sigh of deep gratitude for all those reunions and goodness that live in that beautiful state of Utah.