Well, it’s been quite a long time since I sat down to write anything. I won’t make excuses or try to explain. I just simply haven’t made time since I got back.
I left the London Centre at 3:00 in the morning on Monday the 15
th. I slept about an hour. I was up for a while doing some last minute blogging and packing and then when I finally laid down I couldn’t fall asleep. I was so anxious. I think I was worried that my alarm wasn’t going to go off to wake me up. So I tossed around for a little while and then finally just got out of bed. I took all of my bedding down to the laundry and carried my suitcases down to the door. Then I sat by the phone and waited. Because I was going to be paying with cash the company required they be able to call me when they arrived. So I had to give them the pay phone number and then just sit and wait. Right at 3:00 the phone rang. It took about half an hour and 55 pounds to get me to the airport. I was expecting it to take much longer. I forgot that the traffic we had during the day coming in wasn’t going to be in the way and so it took much less time. So I was plenty early. I got to the airport and found it completely dead. Absolutely empty. Almost eerily so. Nobody was at any of the ticket desks at all. So I plopped myself down on the floor to wait. A little over an hour later people started actually getting in line by the different counters. So I joined in. I was standing by a nice looking lady. We both looked at each other and kinda sighed because it was rather obnoxious to be waiting. You are supposed to check-in for international flights two hours early but no one was there to check us in! She asked me where I was traveling to and I told her my final destination was Boise, Idaho. To my surprise that was where she was going to! She lives in Boise and works as a writer for one of the local papers. We started talking and she even knew one of my high school teachers! She ended up having all of the same connections that I did and it ended up being really nice to have a friendly face and someone to have a conversation with.
Definitely a tender mercy for the day. The airport finally came to life around 5:00 and I got checked in. But then when it came to check my bags I almost had a problem. My itinerary was showing up as only being to Amsterdam and for European flights you are only allowed one twenty kilo bag. I of course was actually traveling internationally and so had two huge bags. The lady that helped me was really nice and got it all fixed and printed me my second boarding pass as well. Then just a hop of a flight to Amsterdam. I said goodbye to beautiful England one last time and then fell asleep.
Amsterdam airport was well, an airport. Follow the signs and you can’t go wrong really. It was different in that security was at each individual gate and so I had to go through that again. But overall it was simple. Then I was in the air again for my huge flight. I flew from Amsterdam to Portland. It was a 10 and ½ hour flight (although with the time change on paper it was only 1 ½ hours). It was soooo long. Honestly I used to think that flying was SO cool, SO much fun. I’m done with it now. When you get two meals on a flight you know that you have been flying for WAY too long. Even though it was plenty long, I actually rather enjoyed it. I had bought Peter Pan to watch on my ipod and I also bought the book while in London. I am officially obsessed with all things Peter Pan. I love it. Reading it was so much fun to me. Peter Pan was actually originally introduced in a story called Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Peter Pan and Wendy is the second story. I loved reading about Kensington Gardens because I could picture exactly where he is describing and there are quotes that are perfect for what I experienced there. And the magic of his story is almost better when it is up to your head to do the imagining. I love it. SO much. I also spent time writing notes to friends and then a lot of time just listening to music and/or just thinking. I think I value time to just think a lot more than I used to. Customs in Portland was a breeze. I had been all worried about it because everyone always talks about nightmare experiences they have but honestly I didn’t have a problem at all. I just showed my passport and landing card, told them why I was there and with a smile I was through. Easy as that. Then I got my last boarding pass and waited. I got to call and say hi to my mom. It was rather weird to have my phone back. I had kinda missed it to be honest. I mean it was really nice to not be tied to anything for so long but I love how easily my phone lets me communicate with everyone. Then one more jump of a flight and I was home. Scott and Jodi picked me up with the kids and I got lots and lots of hugs. In fact, Kimber Jo just snuggled with me the whole way home. My grandparents came out to meet me when we got back and then came the little boys and my dad was back from work just a little bit later. I was so happy to be home. Missing London for sure. But happy to be back. With the time change, it had been exactly 24 hours since I left the London Centre, such a long day of traveling.
Tuesday I just spent at home. My mom and Megan were in D.C. and NY for a History Day competition and so I was on my own to take care of the kids and get everything ready to go again. I ran an errand mid day but most of it was just spent doing laundry and pickup and getting hugs. We did of course stop by the sno cone shack and I got my grape sno cone! Summer has officially begun. Although you wouldn’t know it was summer based on the weather. It rained a lot of the day which doesn’t happen in Idaho in June.
Wednesday I spent the morning packing and then was on the road about 12:30 which put me in Provo about 7:00. For the first time I actually really enjoyed driving by myself. Normally I go crazy just sitting. But I was rather happy just thinking. But at the same time I was SOOOO excited to see my roommates!!!! I had been frustrated with how little they had written/talked to me over Spring term but I couldn’t hold onto any of that frustration as soon as I saw them. HUGE hugs and the happiest smiles. Oh I missed them. I realized that I really had only been half home in Caldwell because honestly my home is half here in Provo right now. Home is where people who love you are and I sure feel that down here. We left just after 8:00 to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House. It was so amazing. A couple of thoughts: I LOVE THE TEMPLE. So much. I love its beauty and that much of its beauty is so simple. I love the feeling inside the temple. There is a peace that cannot be found anywhere else. This temple felt almost like a home inside which I really loved. I love the art that is chosen for the walls. I love the sealing room. They brought us in and stopped to talk to us for a few minutes and while they were talking to us I couldn’t help but think about how much I want to be ready to be married inside the temple someday. That is all that I want. My greatest desire is to be sealed to a young man inside the temple so that we can have an eternal family. The last room to visit was the Bride’s room. I think I will truly feel like a princess when the time comes for me to be there. I was so happy to be there. I was with Eva and Lyss and Austin and one of the new friends the girls have made, a boy named Ryan. It was such a lovely experience. By the time we came out it was POURING. But Austin pulled his car up and we didn’t get too wet. Ryan hadn’t eaten so we stopped by Wal-mart to get some food and then went back to Austin’s house to eat and talk. I was so happy all night. I don’t think you could’ve taken the smile off of my face if you tried. Quote from the night: I said, “My happy thoughts are mail.” What Austin and Eva heard, “My happy thoughts are male.” Ha. :)
Thursday was a rather unproductive day but was a happy day nonetheless. I slept in late (the first time all week I had managed to sleep past sunrise). I helped with some random moving things that people were doing and talked with Lyss some. I went to lunch at J-Dawgs with Eva and Jessica and of course dumped ketchup and mustard all down my shirt. Yes, you can laugh at me. I laughed at myself. I spent the afternoon with Eva, we walked up to campus on an errand for Lyss and did a couple other random things. Heather got locked out and so she needed a ride to go get a key to her apartment. I drove her and was so happy I did because it gave us a chance to talk for the first time in a long time. I hadn’t heard anything about her boyfriend or really about her Spring term at all. So she told me the stories and we talked and laughed just like normal. I was really glad we got the chance to be apart for Spring. Not because I like being away from her but because I think we both learned and grew a lot and are both ready for fall to hold different experiences than it has before. I’m so grateful for Heather. She has blessed my life so many ways and so many times. I love having her as a friend and roommate. Thursday was also Jordan’s birthday so Austin invited us up to South Jordan to celebrate. Heather was going to be with Christian for the evening and Eva and Lyss were planning on leaving for Wyoming but I drove up by myself. It was so much fun to be with the boys again (although it wasn’t the same without Patrick) and to see Jordan with his family. I had a really fun night. Heather and I slept on the couches and she left at 4:00 in the morning to go home to Michigan for the summer. Eva and Lyss had been busy and so didn’t get to leave until early in the morning.
Friday I got up and got ready for the day, worked on lists and planned out some of the things I needed to do over the next little while. Then I drove up to campus and Sean and I had lunch together. It was so great to see him. Seriously I was blessed with the coolest friends last year. Our ward brought some of the most amazing people into my life. We had some really good conversations and I was so glad he was patient with me (he’d been trying to get together since Wednesday and I hadn’t done my part). Then I went straight out to do some shopping. Allie’s wedding was purple and she wanted the bridesmaids to be wearing light (lavenderish) purple but the best I had been able to do was a blouse and so I went looking for a dress. I didn’t find a lavender but I did find a dark dress with a lighter coverup and so I bought it and decided I would let Allie choose what she wanted me to wear and I would return whichever I didn’t use. I also had stops at Victoria’s Secret and Target for gifts. Then I went home and packed for the evening and ended up falling asleep. I woke up just in time to go pick up the things we needed for a bazookie and get to Allie’s for the bachlorette party! We went out to dinner at Mimi’s Café and then went back to Allie’s for presents. Most of the evening we just spent helping her get ready for the next day and pack for her honeymoon. We ate the bazookie (yummy!) and then went to sleep around 12:30.
We were up at 6:00 to help Allie get ready. She did her hair and makeup and finished throwing together the last few things she needed. She left with her parents at 7:30. Amanda and I got ourselves ready then and were ready to go just after 8:30. We stopped by my apartment to pick up an umbrella and then went to White Willow (the reception center) to pick up the flowers. We were supposed to be able to pickup the flowers by 9:30 which was just barely going to be enough time to get us and them to the Timpanogos temple by 10:00 (which was about when they would be coming out). No one was there but we were early so we just sat down to wait. But by about 9:25 when there still wasn’t anyone there we were starting to freak out. We were calling every couple of minutes but no one was answering. This is the kind of thing that happens in nightmares but not in reality! We were starting to formulate a plan to buy lilies on our way and make a bouquet for Allie and a boutonnière for John when someone answered. She was surprised that we were waiting, said that she hadn’t gotten that message and said that she would send someone over. There was a girl who lived a couple doors down who came running over in pajamas. We left Provo at 9:50. We did not make it in time to see them walk out of the doors. But we were close. Because my mom reads this I won’t tell you how fast or how illegally I drove but I dropped Amanda off with the flowers at 10:05. That may or may not be a record. Also, for the record, I don’t usually drive quite like that. But for the morning I was a bridesmaid on a mission. The weather ended up working out perfectly because it wasn’t raining while they came out but started to pour just after. But we had all of the group shots to take and Timp has some gorgeous covered archways that the photographer used and it didn’t make a difference at all. Then just as we finished the group pictures the rain cleared out and Allie and John got to go take their pictures all over the grounds. We followed along after with all of the bags and umbrellas. It was fun. I really like Amber and I hope we get to spend some more time together. Right at the end the wind picked up and it started to rain again but all that was left was the ring and shoe pictures so it didn’t matter that we were back under the arches. Here are a couple pictures from Amber and from John's Mom.
Amanda and I stopped for gas on the way home and also stopped in Wyview to pick up some cans to tie to the back of their car. We stopped back at the apartment and to our surprise found Allie and John just sitting on the couch watching the office waiting for the luncheon. I don’t really know exactly where I expected them to be but it sure wasn’t there. The luncheon was lovely. The flowers had almost been a disaster that morning but White Willow did a very good job with everything else. It looked fantastic. There were the toasts of course which were sweet. John sang to Allie which was probably my favorite part. They cut the cake and shoved in each other’s faces. While they were serving cake we went outside and made the car look a little bit better. :) And got soaked while doing it. I am pretty sure that it has rained more here in the week that I have been home than in the entire time that I was in London. We came back in and watched them dance, and dance with their parents. So sweet. Then the bouquet toss [which I did not catch :D] and the garter toss. And then goodbyes. We blew bubbles and let balloons go and they got in the car. But they didn’t quite make it anywhere because John’s brother was hiding in the backseat. :) It was pretty funny. Then some hugs and we were off. Having it at White Willow was pretty nice because it meant that we didn’t have to do any of the clean up. I came home and packed up some random stuff and then drove myself up to Grandpa’s house in Logan. Uncle Nathan was there too and it was SO happy to see them. I love my family SO much.
I slept forever and then spent the morning just with Grandpa and Nathan hanging out. I went to Sacrament meeting with Marianne and her boys and then came back up and fell asleep while I was waiting for Mom to arrive. She had just dropped Megan off at an auditioned Opera Camp for the week in Pocatello and then came down with the boys. It was funny to me how much I wasn’t missing her. That probably sounds bad. I just was back to feeling like I was at school and it was normal to not be with her and so while I was excited to see her it wasn’t the same desperate need I’d been feeling sometimes in London. We had a big family dinner and then spent the afternoon just talking and playing. Grandpa got a tetherball pole and so we went outside and played that which was a lot of fun. I hadn’t played in forever. In the evening the all the little boys and I watched Herbie: Fully Loaded. Herbie has always been a classic in our family so it was fun to see this new movie Disney put out. Goodnight and bedtime!
Monday morning we got up and got ready and went to Marianne’s house to help with some yard work. She had a lot of logs that needed split and weeds to pull. Although I didn’t help with the work very much. I spent more than 2 hours just playing on the trampoline with the little boys. I had SO much fun. Laughing and giggling and smiling just like I was a little girl again. We played so many fun games. I love my brothers and my cousins. SO much. I had the funnest time playing with them. Plus I finally got some SUN! What a lovely day. We came back and I spent the afternoon just chattering my mom’s ear off. About a million things. I haven’t had anyone to listen to my random thoughts for an awfully long time so all the things that my brain has been working on came spilling out. And I mean spilling. I was really talking fast. But Mom puts up with me and laughs at me. I came back to Provo for the evening and went to FHE with the girls and got to meet some of the rest of their new friends. They seem like really great guys and they are staying here for Fall which is super fun. I also had time to sit and talk with Lyss which was just wonderful. I have missed that time so much.
And finally today, good grief it took me a while to get caught up to here. Well, today I woke up and went running (and for the first time actually appreciated the difference that elevation makes). I came home and showered and then did scriptures and some other reading while Lyss and Eva were doing their workout. We all ate lunch together and then I spent the afternoon doing random things while the girls did their homework. For one, I worked on catching up my journal! For dinner, I ran out to the store and picked up some fresh veggies and then threw together Pasta a la Rachel. It was whole wheat angel hair pasta with chicken, broccoli, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, onion, garlic all tossed with olive oil and basil and whatever else I decided to mix in there. Don’t ask me to make it again though because I’m not sure exactly what I did. Basically Eva and Lyss asked for pasta and veggies and I did what I could. I think it turned out okay. The girls raved about it but they would’ve raved about anything I cooked for them even if it was burnt and tasted like a shoe. So who knows how good it really was. I liked anyway. And regardless I was so happy to back in the kitchen again. I’ve really missed cooking while I was in London. Tonight we may watch a movie, we may not. If not I’ll probably curl up with Pride and Prejudice or one of the other books I brought with me. No promises but I’ll try to not get so far behind again. I really loved reflecting on my day, everyday while I was in London and that is something I really would like to make an effort to continue.
