super secret birthday pie surprise delivery

It all started last spring when I was card shopping for a friend. I ran across a card that said, "Oh poo. I forgot my recipe for cake. I hope you like pie!" All said by a cow. It was cute and got me thinking that maybe, just maybe I should deliver a birthday pie to my boy, who hates birthday cake and loves my homemade lemon meringue pie.

The mission to surprise my Mister Missionary with a birthday pie began. I finally moved to VA, making a drive to his area possible. I was able to connect with a mom in his area who was willing to meet me and make the delivery for me...so I could give him a surprise and not break the mission rules.

Here is the pictorial story:

Super Secret Birthday Pie Surprise Delivery - Phase I: The PIE 

Super Secret Birthday Pie Surprise Delivery - Phase II: The DRIVE

I enlisted the help of both my girls. :)

Super Secret Birthday Pie Surprise Delivery - Phase III: The HANDOFF

Super Secret Birthday Pie Surprise Delivery - Phase IV: The DELIVERY

and then there's this

Let me start by saying, I love General Conference. I really do! The talks are always so uplifting and give me direction. I get answers, I get soft reminders of what I need to do better, I get direction on what to do next. I also always get a little bit of guilt. Yup, always. When I hear talks about the importance of family scripture study, prayer and family home evening, I wonder how in the world my kids turned out as fabulous as they did. We never did these things as a family. Honestly, I struggle with doing them personally. I tried to teach the gospel through every day conversations, through discussions after church, through moments when the Spirit was so strong none of us could deny the experience we were having.

I wondered if this foundation that was obviously lacking in some important elements was enough to help my kids make good decisions as adults. I still wonder if they will be able to stay strong in this crazy world and raise a family righteous in the Gospel. I wonder if they will be able to add important elements to their homes and create a stronger foundation than I did.

They both made the amazing decision to go on a mission. I knew going in that it would be hard for them. I knew they would probably feel they were lacking in some basic gospel knowledge, after all we didn't study the gospel every day for 18 years.

And then I get this little gem and it makes me cry.

From Kaitlyn's email exchange today:

I'm going to get booted off soon but Just know I love you, You're the best example I could have ever hoped for growing up. You are the reason I am on a mission. Without you our family would have fallen away from the gospel and I wouldn't be making the choices I am now. Without you, I wouldn't be who am I today. So I love you, and owe everything to you! Because of you I am free from Satan forever :D (there's scriptural references for the last bit, go find them)

holding on through all the curves

This has been my week... 

It's awesome! I had several companies CALL ME to see if I would want to be on their teams. Two of them will let me live anywhere, which means I could still enjoy VA for a couple of years and move back on my terms. I love this idea. I have not heard anything definite as of yet and probably won't for a couple of weeks, but this is great news. I am hoping to be able to move more into project management and out of marketing but will do whatever it takes to get a great job. For right now, I'm just holding on! 

uh....seriously?

Usually when I travel back to VA for work, I travel on Saturday so I won't miss any church. I had commitments on Saturday that meant I needed to travel on Sunday. I opted for a later flight so I could still go to at least Sacrament Meeting, which meant I didn't get to my apartment in VA until after midnight. Then, today I get to work and get an email at 8:30am stating that the AMCAD Board of Directors has opted to cease all operations and development for its justice practice of as 5:30pm today. Uh...I was like... 

Yup, seriously. For the second time in less than a year, I have been laid off. I have no idea what this means for my move to VA. I have no idea what will happen in the coming weeks. I am at a complete loss. Jennifer (my friend in VA) said to not give up on the idea of moving. Give myself a couple of days to process and THEN make some decisions. She is so wise. 

More to come. 

one special day in palmyra

When Kaitlyn started filling out her mission papers, I asked her through which temple she wanted to go and with whom. She quietly said "I guess it doesn't matter as it will just be me and you." I really questioned her asking if there was really no one else she wanted to go with. She said, "Well, the ones I really want to go with are Grandma and Grandpa Wells, but they are on a mission." So, I went to work to see if there was any way she could share this day with her grandparents. We got it all worked out and were able to meet them in Palmyra, NY. What an amazing day.

Kaitlyn flew in to VA on 6/29, we actually met at the airport as I had a business trip that ended that day. I was lucky to find two flights that landed within 10 minutes of each other. She met me at my gate and we walked out. It was nice a relaxing the way it worked out.

On 6/30, we decided to make a roadtrip out of our road trip and found a few detours to take along the already 6.5 hour trip. We wanted to share the day with Wells and took a Flat Elder with us. Isn't he cute?

Here we are just getting into the car for this epic adventure.















Our first stop was a random covered bridge. It has some historical significance but we didn't really stop to see what it was. It was a little difficult to find but thanks to Kaitlyn's amazing map reading skills she learned in Ireland, we finally made it.

We made a brief stop at Gettysburg. Not as long as I would have liked but we still had such a long way to go! Here we are visitin' with Abraham Lincoln. We then made our way to the National Cemetary and walked around a bit. Then, we gave up trying to find the auto tour of the battle grounds and just stopped to have some lunch. 

Walking around downtown Gettysburg, we happened upon this cute little diner with Phosphates (honestly we had to ask what they were, think old time soda fountain and you would be right). I ordered a Raspberry Phosphate and shared with everyone, including our Flat Elder! 

The Southwest Nachos were amazing as were the above the rim shakes. We were stuffed and ready for our next adventure.








 This is one of the longest mason bridges in the United States. It is currently used by the rail roads and spans the Susquehanna River.



  On our way we found this giant dragon and had to take a pic.

We had a few other stops scheduled but realized it would take us another 12 hours if we stopped at everything so decided to start driving and see how long it took us. We had a long slog of about 4 straight hours in the car but pulled up to the hotel within minutes of Grandma and Grandpa. A yummy dinner at Chili's and then to bed.

We left the hotel about 7:30 am to get to the temple by 8:15 for orientation and paperwork. This is Kaitlyn's BEFORE picture. She was excited and nervous, as to be expected.

 And...here we are AFTER. All smiles. It was a beautiful day in the temple. And Palmyra is just stunning.

After having such a full day in the temple, we decided to see the sites. I think the perfect follow up to the temple was spending some time in the Sacred Grove. There is an amazing spirit there. You have to walk up the hill though to really feel the power of that place. I heard stories of families spending 2-3 hours there and now I know why. It is truly inspiring. 

After the Sacred Grove, we walked around the Smith Farm, toured the Book of Mormon print shop, and drove to the top of Hill Cumorah. That right there was a full day. I really wish we could have spent more time in Palmyra itself. Someday. :) 

Afterwards, we started the long slog back to VA. No stops this time except for fuel and some snacks. We drove the 6.5 hours straight and ended up back to my place at 11:30pm, exhausted but happy. Luckily church wasn't until 2:00pm the next day so we were able to sleep in a bit. 

It was one amazing weekend. I'm so glad we got to do it. 

let's bump into each other one day

At long last, we have a big, white envelope and a girl in the same place at the same time! Kaitlyn got her mission call and didn't read it like you expected her too, silly girl. She likes to bend the rules a bit I guess. It will be interesting to see how that plays out on her mission.

Yup, Cincinnati OH. Want to know more about Cincinnati? They put chili on their spaghetti, on purpose, and they like it. :)

some comic relief from two thousand miles away

Oh, life right now is COMPLICATED!! Seriously....




There are many moving pieces and I have to rely on kind neighbors to help me move them in the right direction. Today is one such example of moving pieces that didn't move as planned but still got moved and provided some comic relief in the meantime. Here's the story.

1. One of my neighbors went to Brazil for a month. Her mother is in town watching her children part time until some time next week then will be watching them full time. Said neighbor asked if her mother could stay at my place at night to give her a break from the kids while her husband took care of things. No problem, I'm not there anyway. She locked the door to the garage, complicating the entire day.

2. Kaitlyn's mission call was assigned last week, which means there is a good chance it is in the mail right now! I am in Virginia and was going to go straight from the airport to Cedar City to support Kaitlyn in a couple of plays and have some Easter time via Cleveland to drop of some things at the storage unit. I'm getting to SLC late Thursday night and need to be in Cedar City by 6pm on Friday. Not much time to run to Logan, go back down to Cleveland and then get to Cedar City in time for the play. Enter neighbor #2 who has broken into my house and done little things for me before. I called her to ask if she was willing to check my mail to see if it was there. She has the garage code, but the inside garage door was locked. She decided to wait until tonight to try and get in.

3. Neighbor #3 decided to buy my piano and asked if they could come and get it today as they had movers lined up to help them. Of course, I said! Just go in through the garage. Problem again as the garage inside door was locked. So, they called neighbor #1 who has a key to house who freaked out because there was this random phone call asking for permission to move a piano. Said neighbor was just trying to watch out for me and decided to call me first but was having a hard time finding my number. In the meantime....

So, now I have two neighbors trying to get into my house and neighbor #1 with the key who is not willing to share. I called and asked that he (the husband) please go to my house and let everyone in, only to find out that one of the movers helping neighbor #3 jimmied open the door with a credit card. So, I quickly called neighbor #2 and told her the house was open and she could go in and get the mail key. So, she went over and grabbed the key, just as neighbor #3 was finished up the move, just as neighbor #1 showed up with the key thinking he was going to let everyone in only to find out that everyone had been in and was getting ready to leave!

And, still no mission call. :(

it ain't about how hard you hit

Today, I spent a beautiful sunny day in Philadelphia. This birthplace of the nation has been on my bucket list for almost 20 years. Seriously. I love it when I get to cross things off my list! Problem is, I really enjoyed my visit and am now making plans to go back. And, that is only a problem because it means other places will have to wait.

This was a shorter trip than I expected. I'm really struggling with fatigue right now for some, weird reason and suddenly just couldn't go on. Knowing I had a three-hour drive ahead of me, I decided not to push my luck and headed home. Philly, for those who don't know, in addition to being the birthplace of a nation is also the birthplace of Rocky Balboa. At the top of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the famous steps Rocky runs up in the movies, is a statue of Rocky in his famous pose, fists in the air. I didn't make it to the steps but a famous quote from Rocky came to mind as I was driving out of the city, saddened that I didn't get to do everything on my list.

It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.

Next time, I will keep moving forward. Of course, next time I plan to have company so the journey will be easier. :) It was still a beautiful day in a beautiful city.

There is this wonderful area of Philly called Fabric Row. All this? $14/yard. Seriously! I need to go back to Philly just for the great pricing on fabric. I also need to go back with a plan and a lot of money so I can stock up and make it worth the gas money and toll charges. 

Rows of leather. Yes, leather! I want to pick the most unlikely color and commission a quiver. That's period, right? Colored leather? 

Independence Hall in all its glory. What a stately building! I didn't get a ticket to go inside but will makes sure I do next time. Oh, I bet these walls could tell stories. 

Congress Hall next to Independence Hall. Imagine those trees filled with leaves. Beauty personified. 

And who doesn't get excited for the first signs of spring!!!??!! 

Cobblestone streets.

I bet this alley is striking in the summer with all the leaves. I love how it is bordered by history, just to dump out in the modern world. Such a peaceful spot. 

The railing around the courtyard of the Second National Bank (in full view next picture). 

A recreation of an 18th Century Garden. Very English don't ya think? Everything is just starting to green and grow. It is small but will be lovely in the summer. 

More spring! Yay for bulbs! 

This is a "ghost" house and church in the middle of Franklin Square. The house is roughly where Benjamin Franklin's house would have been. Behind it is the printing office, book bindery, and post office...all businesses in which Mr. Franklin was heavily involved. I had studied Mr. Franklin before and knew of his works, so it was nice to walk to same paths as he did. And, if you have not studied his life, you really should. We owe libraries and fire stations and post offices to this great man. He started so many programs we take for granted today. 

The next few pictures are from the Christ Church Cemetary. What is a visit to a historic city without visiting a cementary? I mean, seriously? I'm always amazed at the orderly but uneven rows of headstones and wonder how people were really buried there. Did they have head and foot stones? Or just buried on top of each other? There was actually one vault that had seven names on top, so I guess they are layered a bit. Such history in this cemetary. Five signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried here including.... 

Benjamin Franklin himself. I love the plaque near his tomb. Not surprised that Mr. Franklin was as particular about his death as he was about his life. 

All in all it was a great day. I can't wait to go back and see more of the City of Brotherly Love! 

rejuvenating my spirit...with golf balls

Remember that story about the golf balls? Remember when I said my testimony is a golf ball?

This past week, I seriously considered driving to Philadelphia, PA for a day trip on Saturday. Phillie has been on my bucket list for close to 20 years. I have tried several times to get there, but it has never worked out. Now, it is only a short 2.5 hour drive from my new home. I was so excited to discover how close it was. Finally, I get to cross something new off my bucket list!! I made a list of all the places I wanted to go. I started to map out how to hit everything in just one day. I considered taking the train (just for the experience), but then discovered all the things I would miss, that can't happen. My excitement just grew and grew and grew. AND then, I remembered it was General Conference weekend. And my testimony is a golf ball and travel is gravel. So, I made the decision to stay home and watch General Conference. I am so very happy that I did. So many nuggets of hope and healing and growth and happiness. So many MEMES!! Phillie can wait. My testimony can't. Here are a few of my favorite thoughts from the weekend.

And my favorite....