One of the reasons we went to St. George this past weekend was to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday. Linda is now 70 years old. I can't believe it. She does not seem 70 to me at all. Rinar and his siblings decided to throw a surprise party at the Golden Corral. I was not really paying attention to the details of this shindig, so I was almost as surprised as she was.
Rinar and I went over to their house. I fed Noelle and then we made our way to the restaurant. I thought that it was going to be just Rinar's immediate family. When I went into the back room I was surprised by all of the people in there. Linda's brother and many close friends came for the occasion.
The tables were the farthest possible location from the front door. Lynn did not want to walk all the way back there. Luckily, because I can be kind of pushy and insisted they come to the back, they acquiesced. They didn't want to be disagreeable. I guess some times a strong personality pays off. Linda did not suspect a thing and was really surprised. It was a memorable moment. I am glad that I could be a part of it.
A couple of Linda's Hawaiian friends were there. One of them even brought a ukulele. When the lunch was wrapping up, the two of them sang a bunch of Hawaiian songs. It was quite nice.
Before we hit the road, we went to my grandmother's ward. It was a blessing to be able to see her once again. She is getting old. It must be hard. Grandma has a hard time talking and holding things because of her tremors. Her arthritis is really debilitating. It is hard to walk, stand, sit, and just move in general. She puts on a brave face and does her best, but I know it is exhausting for her. But I really do cherish the little moments we get to have with her.
Like this one...
During sacrament, Grandma put Julia on her lap and admired the dolls Julia showed her. What a lovely moment in time I never want to forget.
Grandma loves to be at everything and to be a part of our lives. I am so grateful that I have been able to have so much time with her. We love Grandma!
And then it was a surprise to see Matt Holland and his family sitting in the back of the chapel. I caught his eye as I watched Julia go out to get some water. Matt served with my dad in the bishopbric in Durham, North Carolina. He is the young one on the right.
I talked to them after church, Matt and his wife Paige. Matt is now the president of Utah Valley University. Back in Durham, he was a PhD student at Duke. When my parents moved back west to Wyoming, we all went to lunch together at the Training Table in Salt Lake City. They are such a nice family and it was a highlight to reconnect with someone from long ago. I always love that. I really enjoy meeting people, making friends, and reconnecting with old ones. I think that people are what this life is all about.
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