My Last (?) Trek to Alabama

We didn't like Alabama much when we first visited as a family back in 2017.   We were touring the Deep South as part of our quest to get to all 50 states and the part of Alabama we explored was kind of sketchy, so when Cami and Garrett got matched to the University of Alabama - Birmingham  for G's internal medicine residency,  we  were honestly a little nervous for them!   It  turns out, though, that we had nothing to worry about!  Birmingham is a far cry from Mobile, and it's turned out to be  quite a lovely and interesting place to live. 

The weather in Birmingham is mild (without the propensity for big storms that plagues much of the South), the landscape is green and hilly and reminds us of Virginia, the people are the very epitome of Southern hospitality, the shopping near them is way better than what we have here in Utah, there is a temple nearby, the traffic isn't terrible, and the church network is good.   Honestly, I would totally live there without hesitation if we had family nearby. 
 
Now Cami and Garrett are moving to Rhode Island this summer for his three year long hematology-oncology fellowship, and we were a little sad to realize that this most recent trek to Alabama was likely going to be our last.   

So we seized the day and tried to enjoy every moment!  

The main reason for our visit was to babysit the kiddos while C & G headed to Rhode Island for a house-hunting quest.  That meant we only had a little time all together at the beginning of our time there:  

And after a quick shopping trip and some adjustment time for the kids, C & G took off for RI.

 

 As I mentioned here, Glen had a bit more of a misadventure getting here than he'd hoped and he started his time in AL quite exhausted...

But he didn't mind a bit!  We still  had a lot of wedding dance parties, read a lot of books, went to the park...

Did some exploring in the stream during Oliver's nap-time.  

Had a lot of kitchen adventures and misadventures...and had to admit that I had forgotten how crazy it is to cook with littles around. Yes, plain butter was consumed...😂

I had also forgotten how crazy it is to shop with a very verbal 3-year-old who could articulately explain why almost everything in the store was on our shopping list that day!  And, no, I did not buy her any cereal, but I did spoil her a bit, since I am Gigi and that's my job! 

We took a trek to the McWane Science Museum in downtown B-ham...

I found A LOT of Lucie selfies on my phone...

And we definitely had some bedtime battles, grumpy afternoons, and early mornings...

But it was worth every minute to be here with them (and their parents when they got home a few days later)...

After C & G got home, I was excited to knock an Alabama bucket-list item off my list...Kelly Ingram Park, which is park filled with some pretty emotionally charged statues and monuments commemorating many of the Civil Rights struggles that took place in Birmingham.   It's crazy that all these horrific events took place in the decade before my birth.

We also visited Sloss National Historical Landmark.  We went too close to closing to really explore, but it was an interesting place.

 I left even more tired than I'd been when I'd come, but it was a great final (?) visit to Alabama...

And I'm already looking forward to next time...
 

I LOVE THESE SWEETIES!  💗💗💗

A Special Day for Ellie

As I mentioned in this post, Ellie's mission call took a while to arrive.   When she realized that the timing was likely to be close to Adam's return home, she made a decision that she wanted to  attend the temple for the first time in that window while we were all together in Idaho.   She was hoping that we could attend the Rexburg temple together on the way home from Island Park, since, after a year at BYU-Idaho,  Rexburg is now a place that is meaningful to her.  Unfortunately the Rexburg temple was closed at that time.   She debated about what to do, but decided it was too good of an opportunity to pass up, so she decided on the Idaho Falls temple instead.  It was still on the way home from Island Park AND it's the temple my parents were married in 52 years ago, so there's some special familial significance as well.

So, on the way home from Island Park, we stopped in Idaho Falls for the night.  We rented an Airbnb, which meant we all got to stay together, however we had not noticed in the description that there was only one bathroom.  That seemed like a bit of a stretch for them to advertise a place that sleeps 12 with only one bathroom, but it was only for a night, so we somehow made it work.   Ellie and I got up bright and early and WALKED to the temple (one of the  big perks about the Airbnb).  As her escort, I got to be with her while she met with the temple matron and went through the pre-endowment process.  

Later, Glen, Adam, Cami, Emma, and my mom met us for the endowment session.   Garrett stayed back to take care of Lucie and Oliver.  It was a wonderful feeling to be together in the temple and I loved being a part of Ellie making those  covenants that will bring her closer to the Lord. 

My mom had taken the shuttle up to Idaho Falls the day before, so she could be a part of this special day as well.  As I mentioned previously, her and my dad had been married there 52 years ago, but weirdly, she'd never been back.  The Idaho Falls Temple was the temple for where she grew up in Star Valley, Wyoming, but after their wedding, they never lived near it again.  The Idaho Falls Temple has some unique features to it, which made it an extra special first experience for Ellie and extra special to have my mom there for it. 

We are so proud of Ellie and the decision she's made to serve a mission and to covenant with the Lord in the temple.  

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Are you familiar with the temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?  If not, you may have questions about terminology and other things I've mentioned in this post.  

Here is a little synopsis that may help you understand a little more:

WHAT ARE TEMPLES? 
"Temples are places of reverent worship where members strive to commune with God. Members are taught important gospel truths, such as the plan of happiness offered by our Heavenly Father, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the divine nature of each person and the great blessings offered to all of God’s children. The primary purpose of temples is for members to participate in sacred ceremonies rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ."   Source

ABOUT THE ENDOWMENT:

"The word endowment means gift. Those who receive the temple endowment receive various blessings, such as greater knowledge of God’s purposes and the power to resist temptation and follow Jesus Christ.

The endowment ceremony teaches of God’s love for all of His children and His plan for their happiness. Participants make special promises with God called covenants. They covenant to obey God’s commandments and follow Jesus Christ. In return, God promises wonderful blessings in this life and the opportunity to live with Him as eternal families after this life." Source

 

Together in Island Park

Adam returned from his mission on August 21st and  fall semester at BYU was starting  September 4th, which meant we had a whole lot of things to squeeze into a little less than two weeks' time.  In addition to needing to let Adam decompress for a minute and have some time to go through his stuff, he needed to write and give a homecoming talk and we hosted an open house, we needed to get Adam settled into his new apartment before the semester began, we needed to do a little shopping for him to update the shoes and clothes he'd been wearing for 2 years straight, and, most important of all, we wanted to be able to gather all together as a family for the first time in 2 years. 

Whew!  It makes me tired just looking back and thinking about all the things we squeezed into those couple of weeks!  

I touched a little on the first few days he was home in this post, and now this post will be dedicated to capturing our family gathering we held in Island Park, Idaho the following week.  We picked Island Park because we wanted to go somewhere within a reasonable driving distance of home and also because our family has made a lot of good memories there over the years.  

We had a loose schedule for things we wanted to do while we were there, but we tried to leave some flexibility built in, so we could allow the kids (who are actually all adults) the freedom to help plan as we went along and also to allow the actual kids (Lucie and Oliver) time to take naps most days.   One of the spontaneous activities the kids got excited  about was choosing t-shirts for each other and then wearing them all at the same time. We drew names and spent a few hours wandering around West Yellowstone shopping for each other, which is where these pictures were taken. 

 The results were hilarious and we laughed as we went to dinner at the Gusher in these, then onto see Anastasia at the Playmill.   Both the Gusher and the Playmill are traditions for whenever we visit Island Park/West Yellowstone! 

 

Don't ask me how or why this next part developed, but Emma, Cami, and Adam somehow decided they were going to run a 1/2 marathon together in Island Park.   Adam was fresh off his mission and clearly hadn't trained at all.  The girls had a little more running under their belts, but it was a stretch for them as well.   They wended through cow herds and through the beautiful scenery and all three accomplished their goal.  Glen, Denali, and I met them along the way to bring them water, and to cheer them on! 

We also had an ongoing quest to eat as many s'mores as possible, which meant we had a campfire going  most nights. 

We toasted and ate a lot of marshmallows and just enjoyed the opportunity to sit around the campfire together.

Then campfire time would usually morph into appreciating the night-sky time.  The stars were amazing! 

We did some exploring in the area, including this trek to Big Springs to see the ginormous fish and gorgeous scenery. 

We saw some wildlife...

We hung around the cabin (which we'd rented on VRBO) and sent some postcards (of course)...

We took Lucie on a little nature walk and she filled a bag with all sorts of interesting things she'd found while wandering around the cabin. 

We  wandered into Yellowstone on the  last day of our Island Park adventures, including visiting Artist Point and Old Faithful.  The kiddos were very tired this day and we'd checked out of the cabin, so we kept things as easy going as could this day before trekking to Idaho Falls for the night. 

All in all, it was a great five days together and we very much enjoyed lots of good food, gorgeous scenery, and time together.  The only downside was that Spencer didn't end up being able to come.   We hoped that by picking somewhere somewhat close to home (a 5 hour drive), that he'd be able to come for part of the week at least, but, in the end, it ended up being too hard finding care for Kiwi, so he stayed home.  😢

And, no,  I'm not done yet with the late August/early September updates.  Stay tuned....

Thailand HXP: A Life-Changing Experience

Ellie and I just returned from an experience that was completely life-changing.  Words and pictures could not adequately capture the depth of what we experienced in those 2-1/2 weeks, but here is my attempt to document it here on the blog for our posterity and for anyone else considering a similar experience for themselves or a child.

I went as a parent chaperone for an HXP trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand.  That meant, me and a dad were the adult presence for  19 teens and the 2 young adult trip leaders.    The young adult trip leaders were the ones officially in charge, but I quickly became the Mom presence/nurse/trip documenter.   The kids turn in their phones at the beginning of the trip and my documentation of the trip on instagram was the only contact the parents had with their kids for those 2-1/2 weeks, so I felt a lot of pressure to make sure I did it as well as I could.  (Click here and look for GROUP 4 posts to see how I did it).    My documentation proved to be a little out of the box, but I got good feedback from the parents and I felt like I was still able to be present with the kids, so I am satisfied with how it went.  
 
The purpose of the trip (in my own words) was to travel to Thailand, work with locals to help build a school, to visit local sites, experience the Thai culture, interact with the Thai people, support the local economy, to strengthen our relationship with God, and to develop friendships with people who had previously been strangers. 

I was stretched outside my comfort zone a million times over, but in that stretching have an increased love in my heart for the 21 strangers who I now consider my bonus sons and daughters and for the Thai people who captured our hearts so completely. Theirs is a beautiful, welcoming, and peaceful culture and I’m grateful for the opportunity that HXP provided, so that we could share those experiences together.

Here's a little glimpse of our time there:  

This may be my favorite picture from the whole trip, because it encapsulates so well our time there.  We got uncomfortable and  dirty, we got up close and personal with uniquely Thai people/places/animals, we strengthened relationships with one another, and we had magical once-in-a-lifetime experiences together.  

Being the trip documenter was a role I simultaneously loved and hated at the same time.  While I did enjoy trying to capture the trip in a comprehensive and creative way that would resonate with the parents and eventually with the kids after it was over,   I was also a little jealous of the screen detox the kids got and I definitely did not!     The picture collages became my way to minimize my screen time and maximize the number of photos I shared. They were a HUGE timesaver for me and I got to the point where I could whip out one of those collages in 2-3 minutes flat!  
 
We started the trip in Krabi—a coastal town near Phuket  that had the loveliest clear waters I’d ever seen.   We island hopped, sea kayaked, snorkeled, and hiked.   It was a fun and relaxing way to start our adventures.  

Also, there in Krabi, we got to participate in a Thai cooking class, which was right up my alley! As you all know,  I love to cook and it was fun to make EVERYTHING from scratch—including the curry paste I usually buy premade from the store.   Much of the food ended up a bit on the spicy side, but I found it all delicious! 


After Krabi, we headed to the elephant sanctuary--one of the places I was most looking forward to visiting on this trip.  Ever since reading “The Elephant Whisperer” and “The Elephant Company,” I’ve been mildly obsessed with these intelligent creatures and it was a dream come true for me to meet them in real life! The elephant sanctuary is a place for elephants that have been mistreated in captivity to go to wander around the 40 acres and live the best life they can. We fed them, gave them a mud bath, and then rinsed them off.   It was magical!



We visited several Buddhist Temples in Chiang Mai and Bangkok while we were there and each was unique and beautiful in its own way. I loved that we had to remove our shoes and dress modestly to show our respect before entering.




We were the 4th of 5 groups that came through to work on the school this summer, so we ended up with more finishing work than actual building, but it was still hard labor that wore us out.    I’m under no delusion that any work we performed there at the school was essential, but we did work hard side by side with Thai locals (who often redid our work as soon as we finished), and that sweat and frustration was a huge part of what endeared us to the Thai people. Someday those sweet kids we grew to love so much will learn and grow in that school that we played some small part in building!

One of the nights, some  performers from Chiang Mai University came to show us some traditional dances.  We got to wear traditional costumes and then try out the dances ourselves.  
Another night, we went to the church and helped the missionaries with an English class and another night we participated in a Sports' night.  Both nights are run by the missionaries and dozens of people come from the community to interact with the missionaries and to practice their English.   It was fun to see our builders make some one on one connections with the Thai people. 



This was not an activity I would have chosen, but the Muay Thai boxing class resonated with many of the kids and it really was cool to see that it is a sport steeped in Thai tradition and respect.   Another night we attended a Muay Thai boxing match, which was quite an experience itself!  




This collage shows two separate activities—the Sticky waterfall, which rocks contained minerals that make them non-slippery. We walked up and down the waterfalls in our bare feet! Then there was the Grand Canyon water park. Totally not my vibe, but super fun for the kids.  The water park was exactly the same kind of place that Adam dislocated his shoulder on his HXP trip a couple years ago, so I was a little extra nervous.    Thankfully, we were able to avoid injuries.


Over the course of the 2 full weeks we were in the country, we went to 3 different night markets.  The elephant pants and shorts and the Muay Thai shorts were favorites among the builders.  There were also a lot of elephant figurines bought.    Between all the souvenirs we bought, the locals we hired, the places we stayed, the food we bought, and the classes we took, we were definitely supporting the local economy!


I already liked Thai food, and like it even more now that I’ve experienced the authentic deal, but I won’t lie..it’ll be a while before I want rice again!   I was able to eat most of the foods we encountered, but had a couple gluten filled meals (especially on travel days), where I had to eat the snacks I packed instead.    Here's a glimpse of some of the deliciousness we consumed along the way! 
 

 

And here are some of the crazy Thai fruits we tried....



About the durian ^^^^
We spent most of our days drenched in sweat and when I found a fruity popsicle at the local 7-11 (which are as ubiquitous in Thailand as McDonald’s are here in the US), I eagerly bought it. Too bad I didn’t know that durian is banned in public places through most of Asia for its malodorous scent! It smelled like a cross between armpit and gasoline. The good news was, that me trying it (and then letting all other interested people try it) proved to be great entertainment.  haha! 



Oh, how we loved the Thai kids at the school.   We were building an additional three classrooms for them, while they were in class across the courtyard.   Every lunchtime would end with some play time with the kids. It was very sweet to see how genuinely the builders enjoyed that precious play time and it was hard not to joy a little at seeing a glimpse at the caring, doting parents those parents will be someday.  The officials at the school (Mr. Wee and Mr. Boy) were exceedingly grateful for the work being done and we loved the goodbye ceremony and thank you notes the kids presented to us at the end of our time there.




One of my favorite aspects of our time in Thailand was the spiritual aspect.  We started and ended each day with devotional time and it was such a joy to see the growth in each builder as we dove into the scriptures together and discussed our true identities and God's love for us.   Each of us are in such different places in our spiritual journeys, but I think that each felt God's love more keenly as part of that experience.  I also  loved being able to attend church for two weeks in Chiang Mai.   The first week, we sang "Peace in Christ" as a musical number, the second week one of our builders bore their testimony and 2 builders sang together.  I loved the feeling of singing the hymns together --us in English, the locals in Thai.   We also were able to attend a baptism and visit the soon-to-be-dedicated Temple in Bangkok.  I feel like we got just a small glimpse of what a blessing that temple will be for the Thai people and it was a privilege to see it. 


 
“Love God, Love People” is the theme of HXP and this experience encapsulated that and much more!


I've had a protective wall around my heart for a long time now and I needed this experience and a relationship with these builders more than I knew.  Each of us are at such different places in our journeys in life, but  each came to Thailand with open hearts, ready to work hard, embrace the culture, and love the Thai people!  

Here are 20 REASONS I LOVED THE  BUILDERS (taken from my final instagram post about the trip)

1-they put away their phones for 2+ weeks to be fully present and engaged in a great work
2-they sacrificed a chunk of their summer to serve and love people they didn’t even know
3-they worked hard in the heat and humidity for hours a day
4-they made me laugh a million times over
5-they were vulnerable and shared their hearts with us at devotionals
6-they are full of spiritual insights and wisdom beyond their years
7-they looked out for the one to make sure everyone had a good experience
8-they showed compassion and patience when they played with and loved the kids at the worksite
9-they worked without {too much} complaining
10-they kept the 7-11s of Thailand in business for another year
11-they took a huge step outside their comfort zones to come to an unfamiliar land with strangers to do a good work
12-they were willing to accept critiques on their work (plastering corners is hard)
13-they are all in different places in their relationships with God, but each one is a shining light in this often dark world
14-they weren’t afraid to get dirty as they worked
15-they taught us new teen slang. I’d say we slayed it. W
16-they taught me that portrait mode is lame and .5s are awesome
17-they rocked those elephant pants like no other Thai tourist before them
18-they were patient with us old people trying to keep up with 21 energetic young adults
19-I loved watching how they interacted with each other on the plane ride home when they easily could have been lost in movies and other entertainment. It’s clear that, after two weeks of laughing, working, crying, and playing together, a group of strangers has become friends.
20-they opened their hearts and loved selflessly

I am proud of them and feel like this intense time with them was one of the huge reasons why I needed to come on this trip.  They are a big part of why this was as impactful an experience as it was for me and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

I love you, Aidan, Annie, Ashton, Brooklyn, Chloe E, Chloe G, Ellie, Eva, Gordy, Haylee, Holly, Jack, Jacob, Josh, Kate, Landon, Malia,Paul, Sarah, Sophie, Stella, Talan, and Tyler! Thanks for inspiring me again and again, while we served the people of Thailand together! ❤️🇹🇭❤️