More Happenings

So, I have posted just a little bit about California and then my niece's funeral. However, I am just going to now post a brief synopsis of the time from when we left for California to now.

We drove to Atlanta Wednesday, April 30, so we could get on the plane bright and early May 1st. We flew nonstop (definately the way to go) from Atlanta to Los Angeles. Then, we got settled into a hotel right by Disneyland. If you ever want a nice, clean hotel chain, I highly recommend Staybridge Suites. The next morning we went to Disneyland, and we stood in line right at the beginning, so Jackie could see the princesses. While we were there, she saw Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, and Princess Minnie. She also got to see Goofy and Max. She loved seeing the characters. Then we went on a couple rides and left at noon, so Rob could go to his tux fitting. The tux shoes didn't fit him, but that's really no surprise. That night was the rehearsal dinner. It was lovely. The kids were really good, and the couple really seemed happy.

The next day was the wedding. We needed to have Rob at the church in time for pictures, so I dropped him off and went to target for some new shoes for Jackie and Ben. Then I took the kids back to the church lawn. The kids got a picture with the groom and then we had a pizza picnic on the church lawn during the wedding. At Target, we also bought the kids some bubbles, so they could blow bubbles when the bride and groom came out of the church. The kids loved that, and the groom thought it was a little fun.

Then, Rob rode to the reception in the limo, and I drove the kids to a park. The children fell asleep, so I read a book while the kids slept in the stroller. Then the kids played on the slide until almost the end of the reception. At the very end of the reception, I realized that Rob had left the wedding present in the back of the van, so I braved the wrath of the bride's mother and took the kids to the reception. My children were angels. They were perfectly well behaved, and the reception was lovely.

We went to church on Sunday, and then we checked into a resort in Oceanside, CA. The beach was right there, and the view was spectacular. We went to dinner then put the kids to bed. Monday we went back to Disneyland and had a ball. Then Tuesday, we went to an owner's class at the resort and then went to the beach. The kids loved the beach. It was great. Tuesday night, we got a call that my niece was dying. Wednesday morning, we found out that she had died, so we packed our bags and booked the first flight to Salt Lake City.

I've already posted about the funeral, which was lovely, and I got to see so much of my family. That was great actually. Sunday night we flew home and then we drove back from Atlanta. Jackie ran a fever on Monday, and I contracted strep throat while we were out there, so all last week was spent getting over illnesses. Then, we stayed home from church on Sunday, so we'd be sure not to get anyone sick, and we got a call from my brother. My dad has been diagnosed with cancer. He is now in the VA hospital in Salt Lake City.

Now, you know all of the happenings from this neck of the woods. I hope to have some more optimism back in a few days. Good luck to everyone with the end of school. Jackie finishes Friday, and Thursday is my last day of Seminary for this year. I have been asked to each early morning seminary next year, so we'll see how things go. Good luck to all.