10 years.

A decade seems like a long time, considering I haven't even completed my third.  In 10 years, I have gone from college freshman to graduate, to wife, to employee, to grad student, and now to mother.

A lot can happen in 10 years. 


It was 10 years ago that Heb and I went on our first date.  How could I know that it would be the ruggedly handsome guy in an REI backpack and jeans would be the one.  It was kind of an accident, the way it all happened. 

We met up again at a party (I found out later that the party was engineered by him so that he could see me again).  They planned a hike, I didn't expect a call the next rainy Saturday to cancel the hike.  He invited me to a basketball game (neither of us big sports fans but there's not really much to do in Logan).  We talked, we had ice cream, it was good.

Now, all these years later our lives are completely intertwined.  He is my home, where ever we are.  Who would have known that a chance meeting so long ago would change the course of my life forever. 

Choosing him was the best choice I ever made. 

The Blake's

If you've read our blog in the past year, you would recognize the Blake's.  It seems like every other week we are out on an adventure with them.  Jamie and Bryce have become our very dear friends and part of our East Coast family. 

Jamie and Bryce are some of the most caring and fun people we have ever met.  When we need help, we call them.  When we want a fun adventure, they're our first call.  When we need cheering up, we call them. We don't know what we'd do without them.

They are hoping to adopt.

We have watched part of their heartbreaking path to becoming parents and we would love nothing more than for them to have to opportunity to be parents.  Please help them.

http://www.bryceandjamieadoption.blogspot.com/

Let me just share one story.  Perhaps you shouldn't tell my parents about this one (it would make them too worried).

Last February, we took a trip out to Utah.  On the last leg, we ran out of gas on the freeway.  At 2:00 in the morning.  It's a long story about the car and the gas gauge.  Anyway, it was at that moment, I realized that we were truly alone out here.  Our close family is thousands of miles away.  We called the Blake's.  They got out of bed to come out and rescue us.  That's just the kind of people that they are. 

Please help them become parents.  They are some of the best people we know.

December

Why yes, I know it's the end of January but I wanted to remember.  As you read, most of January has been spent being sickies or out of town, I just haven't had a moment.  So here on this blog, the Christmas season really can last all year.  You're welcome.

We did some shopping in Old Town Alexandria and enjoyed the colonial inspired decorations.  We didn't really get the chance to enjoy the decor last year (with a newborn and all) so we wanted to be sure to get out and see it.  We especially liked the use of fruit in the decor.  It's very colonial.  Oh, and pineapples are a symbol of welcome and hospitality. 

Isn't that unlike anything you've ever seen before?

After all of that shopping, we did some wrapping.  Of course, Leo likes to help.

I was asked to help with the ward Christmas party nativity.  We ended up making 6 foot tall, 3 dimensional stable animals and a backdrop.  Turned out amazing.  Believe me, I was just the labor, I don't think I could ever have imagined that you could do that with boxes and paper.

Camel

I took a trip into the city with a friend to attend an interfaith holiday concert at the Jewish Synagogue.  It was quite the experience.

The moms got together to do a night out.  For first time moms, it's a pretty big deal to be able to get out without the babes.  Special thanks to Heb for letting me do that.

Went to girls night out at a Los Tascas, a tappas restaurant in Old Town with the moms.

Oh, and I got to spend time with this darling little guy.  Just had to throw it in.

We made gingerbread houses one evening.  One of my favorite holiday traditions.  The Blake's brought all the fixings over and we built our houses.  Some were more sturdy than others.

And of course, Leo loved the Christmas decorations. 

 We had a nice Christmas dinner before we embarked for Utah.

Leo right after his first steps.

Us and the Blakes at dinner

So there was the holiday season in Virginia. 

Saying Goodbye

We made our second cross country trip in ten days this past weekend. I have to admit that I was dreading traveling.  Who really wants to fly with a one year old?  There was no way that I could miss saying goodbye to Grandpa Dave, so we gathered ourselves together again (bags still not quite unpacked from our last trip) and made our way west. 

It was an incredible trip.

As you read before, we have been pretty exhausted around here.   With so much sickness going around, we've been just trying to hold it all together.  The thing is, the trip was uplifting and I came home not tired at all.  I think it was recalling Grandpa's life and seeing all of the love and support that we received.  It made me want to be a better person.  To care more about my community.

At Grandpa's funeral, there were hundreds of people who came through the viewing or attended the funeral and even more that called or stopped by the house.  My Grandpa was 83 when he passed away and people from all over turned up to honor him, old, young and everything in between.  There was family and then family of family (all of my mom's immediate family came, even though they are not related to Dave) who came out to support us. 

There were people from all walks of life,  nurses from the assisted living center, men in work clothes and cowboy boots, and women in black dresses and heels.  I can tell you that Grandpa Dave would have loved it all.  He loved people and people felt that genuine spirit.  It didn't matter who you were - stranger or friend, rich or poor, educated or not, there was a "hello there" with a twinkle in his eye and a funny story to share. 


I was blown away by all of the flowers, I have never seen so many arrangements at a funeral before.  So many people shared stories about how he'd helped them out in some way or touched their life for the better.   There was a beautiful meal provided by the church.  So many community members who serve and give with no thought of reward. 

So we said farewell to Grandpa.  He's given me so much over the years and as his final gift, he reminded me about who I am at my roots and to always be proud of that.   I want to give like he did and to be a friend like he was.

Me with  my sister's and mom at the funeral.

Dad L.

Leo and Aunt Carly.  He liked her, can you tell?

Me with Mom L. and Aunt Melody

Me and Aunt Star

Me with Leo's biggest fan, Grandma Barbara.

Me, Mom L., Grandma Barbara and Baby Leo

Grandpa Dave

David Norton Lawrence Sr.

1929-2013

Dave Lawrence passed away peacefully on Jan. 14 at the age of 83 in Grantsville following a short illness. He was born on March 21, 1929 to Elbert and Goldie Judd Lawrence in Reno, Nev. He was 3 years old when the family moved back to Grantsville where he lived the rest of his life.

Dave was a veteran of the Korean War who served in the United States Army as a tank mechanic. While on leave he married his sweetheart Lois Pike on June 2, 1952. They were lifelong companions for 58 years until her death on Oct. 12, 2010. They were very proud of their three sons: Dave, Matt and Dan. 

Dave owned and operated Lawrence’s Texaco his entire adult life. He also farmed and ranched with his brother Bert for close to 60 years. He was known for his ability as a stockman and was selected as the Tooele County Cattleman of the Year in 2001. He was a fixture of Grantsville and touched the lives of countless people for good. He was known for his humor and wisdom. He was a good listener and a friend to all. He quietly helped many widows and people who were down on their luck. He was often the first person people would meet when they moved to town. 

Dave was a member of the Grantsville Lions Club, Sons of the Utah Pioneers, the Tooele County Cattleman’s Association, served on the board of the North Willow Irrigation Company when the Grantsville Reservoir was built, and served on the Ophir City Planning and Zoning Board. 

Every summer for 30 years Dave and Lois attended the Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City. They always loved to spend time with their family at their cabin in Ophir. He is survived by his sons Dave, Matt (Lori) and Dan (Denise), nine grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, his brother Bert and sister Betty Drake. He is preceded in death by his wife, parents and sister, Alice Wills. 

The family wishes to express their deep gratitude to the staff of Diamond Jane’s Assisted Living Center where Dave made his home for the last 18 months. Their love and concern for Dave’s every need will never be forgotten. The funeral service will be held on Jan. 19 at 81 N. Church Street in Grantsville at 1 p.m. Viewings will be held at the chapel on Jan. 18 from 6 to 8 p.m. and January 19 from noon to 1 p.m. prior to the service. Interment will follow the services in the Grantsville City Cemetery. Services entrusted with Didericksen Memorial, 277-0050.

Read more: Tooele Transcript Bulletin - David Norton Lawrence Sr

Grantsville

I grew up in Grantsville.  By most measures, it's not an impressive place.  Home to about 6,000 people when I grew up there, it doesn't have too many businesses or things that are flashy about it.  Not a sophisticated place like Portland or Chicago, it's just a humble little town.  There's only one grocery store, a hardware store, a video rental place.  There are still places for horses and plenty of sagebrush.

The street I last lived on.

The old drug store

When I would tell people I was from Grantsville, I would quickly explain that it was a great place to grow up but that I would never want to live there again.  I began to think it would have been better to have been from somewhere bigger or more impressive.

I was wrong.


During this trip home, I learned something about Grantsville and about myself.  My brother spoke at Grandpa Dave's funeral and he said something that really hit me.  He said, "no one grew up like I did."  He was so right.

I grew up one block away from both sets of my grandparents and most of my extended family lived less than 15 minutes away.  We spent several evenings every week visiting with family and there was often a Sunday dinner with all of the cousins.  I knew all of my family and our lives were all intertwined. 
Grantsville is a town where people know each other and always lend a helping hand.

Grandpa Dave would saddle up the horses and have them ready so that we could ride in the local rodeos.  Decked out in cowboys hats and boots and a set of spurs, I had little blondie curls that bounced as I rode around the corral.  Grandpa was always there.  I learned on this trip that he had to have someone watch Lawrence's Texaco so that he could be there.  But that's how our life was, our family attended everything and supported us in all of our endeavors.

After kindergarten and through much of my elementary school years, I would spend afternoons with Grandma Barbara in the Grantsville City Library.  I would push the old stool around and read Bearanstein Bears and Dolch books.  Grandma would give me a dime so that I could run over to the Bluebird for penny candy.

I would often hop on my bike, ribbons streaming from my handlebars and ride down Main Street to Lawrence's Texaco to see Grandpa.  He'd help us cross the big road and then I'd sit up on a ripped red vinyl stool and sip a grape soda with Grandpa that came out of an old machine that didn't even work but that he kept around for us.  I can still remember the smell of that place. 

Grantsville is home to the Old Folks Sociable.  For 128 years, the community has gathered annual to celebrate Grantsville.  There's a program, dinner, dancing.  There are displays that commemorate the people and places in Grantsville.  Every year for almost 130 this has been happening.

This was my childhood.  This was Grantsville.  It may not be impressive or sophisticated but it was wonderful.  It was filled with family and people who cared about us.  I knew my family and interacted with them daily. 


Now that I've moved away, I can see that no one grows up like that anymore (not even Heber).  I'm proud to have grown up there.  In fact, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

Chocolate Lover.

I came home from an errand tonight and found this. 

Leo had unlocked the cabinet and discovered a bag of chocolate chips.  He was quickly stuffing chocolate into his mouth.  That's my boy. 

Exhaustion

It's been weeks since my last post.  What's up with that?  Well, it can be explained in two words..sinus infection.  The worst one ever.  We all got it, even Leo.  It caused utter exhaustion around here and pretty much a total lack of motivation to do, well, anything. 

We got back into town last Thursday.  We arrived home at 1:00 in the morning (ok, so technically Friday).  We were right in the dregs of sickness but all we wanted was to get home.  There are few things more unpleasant than being sick while not at your own home.  We braved the full day of traveling with a one year old.  I'm sure that we infected others but I just couldn't think about it.

By the time we made it home, we were so tired.  I don't think I've felt so exhausted in my life.  Just one experience comes to mind.  We were living in the red brick house in Logan.  A friend invited me out cross country skiing.  Do I cross country ski?  No, not really but it's good to try new things.  Perhaps I should have vetted this trip more carefully and found out if there were hardcore skiers going along, but I didn't and we basically went straight up a mountain...for hours.  Driving home in the car, I couldn't keep my eyes open.  I was so physically spent by the time I got home, that it was all I could do to collapse into bed.

When Heber came home, there was a trail of snow gear all the way up the stairs and me completely passed out.  I felt like that on Thursday, except throw in an excessively congested nose and sick one year old.  I have never been so happy to be in my own place.

So we are finally home and there are so many things to write about, so many that I want to record from this past month.  Please, let this sickness go away so I can think again.