utah weekend

we had a great, quick weekend. it was kind of a blur.

it was filled with

yummy food,

the sweet tooth fairy,

talking, laughing,

creating (for me),

snowboarding (for G),

a HUGE cowboy-sized steak,

catching up with cousins, killer blender creations,

watching fantastic mr. fox with the fam, hanging with my sister,

and we even got some snow. (above pic was when we saw it snowing @ Rhonna's house- we raced home to see it- but the cyclonic snow cloud was gone as quick as it came. the boys got it at Sundance though!)

G about had a heart attack when on the way to the airport, he saw a buck just standing at someone's front door, we passed a bobcat out in a field, and to top it off, spotted a bald eagle perched on some bare tree branches. his heaven.

we went to see one of my favorite people of all time (aunt shirley) who is in the last months of life. she is gracious and patient and embodies unconditional love. it was hard to sit with her and talk. i cried most of the time. i will miss her so much. i have the greatest memories of staying at her house one summer. her home was in santaquinn, utah. it's a laid back, small, quiet town. she lived on a dirt road in the old bishop's store house. it was nice weather (you could actually spend time outside), we picked fresh berries and made berry pies, we made parched corn (homemade corn nuts), we walked to the school behind her house and saw a play, i drove to the public swimming pool with her niece that was my age, we had santaqueen's tasty shake/blizzards, i got to go down to her cellar and see all the bottled delights she stored, we went up Provo canyon and had a picnic, we even got to set off little fireworks (which was against the law, back home in AZ- too dry). it was a perfect week.

one winter we stayed at her house. we drove through a blizzard. i had never experienced snow and it was dark when we arrived. she had a bed ready for me with a bed-warmer (warmed, dry corn in a material sleeve) tucked under the covers at the foot of the bed. welcoming and cozy. we woke up to fresh, homemade orange rolls and her famous honey butter. heaven. she is always fun to talk to. she asks the right questions and is always interested in your response. she remembers details about your previous conversations, or when mom fills her in on your latest happenings. her laugh makes you feel like your'e home. everyone loves aunt shirley.

like G said, it really puts life into perspective when you talk with someone who is close to passing away. you re-think your priorities and what really matters. it seems silly to spend time or energy on trifles. you wonder if you've done enough. if you've loved enough, served enough, learned enough. i am so happy we got to see her and spend a few minutes talking.