Memory Lane

Today was a perfect Saturday.  Family Day.  It's a pretty rare occurance to spend the entire day together as a family actually OUT doing something, all six of us, unless we're on vacation, so today was unique.  We started with Ryan's hockey game (the girls enjoy about the first 10 minutes, then are occupy themselves by wandering around the ice rink), then lunch at Hires, then a drive around neighborhoods and a visit to a home we're considering purchasing.  Just the excitement surrounding this home and the possiblities of our future move were enough to keep everyone smiling for the rest of the day!

After spending time at the property and talking with the owners we made it home to get everyone ready to head down to Provo for the wedding reception of a dear, wonderful family friend ours.  The reception was beautiful, the bride was radiant, and the time spent with old friends and neighbors was priceless.  We absolutely adore this family, they were our nextdoor neighbors for the eleven years we lived in Provo and we admire everything about them - hardworking, humble, genuine, brilliant people.  I would have to say that one of the greatest blessings of our years in Provo was having the Skabelunds as our dearest friends and neighbors.  When we moved into that home the summer of 1994, Analyn was 11 years old; today she married the man of her dreams.  It has been a pleasure watching her and her siblings grow up and become the remarkable people they have become, and I know they all have such bright futures ahead.

After the reception, we decided to take the kids on a trip down memory lane.  This is what really made our day one to remember -  reminscing and visiting different places that meant so much to Chris and me during our college years.  First stop, the house where I was living when Chris and I first met.  We pulled up in front, and Chris spontaneously turned off the car, looked at me and said, "will you kiss me again on the doorstep?"  OK, so sweet - we jumped out of the car, went up to the front door and kissed and hugged like it was 18 years ago just after a date.  The kids were giggling in the car, I was choked up, and then as we were walking back to the car, Chris pointed at a spot on the driveway and announced, "hey, I think this is where you spit on our first date before you got in my car!"  Alright, uncontrollable laughter right there and a reminder of how he must have been so enamored, that he wasn't turned off by my spitting phelgm on our first date . . . apparently I didn't think I needed to impress anyone that night :-).

Then it was a drive past the house where we climbed on the roof and had that first magical kiss, driving past Chris' apartment building, and then around the student housing near lower campus before making our way over to BYU.  We showed the kids the athletic complex, tennis courts, and lax field where hopefully Ryan and Caroline will spend some time when they come to school here; then we drove past the business school where Chris recieved his MBA, past the Humantities building where I spent so much of my time, the testing center where I my heart still races by just the thought of taking another test in that dreaded building.  We expressed our love for this campus, our desire for them to have the opportunity to come here, and especially what a wonderful experience it is to be part of such an amazing institution.

We ended our night with a visit to the Wilkinson Center for tacos and Creamery ice cream.  We sat in the CougarEat with our four children and continued to talk about such zoobie entities as International Cinema, the Varisty Theater, the library, dances, and class schedules.  I think the kids had a fabulous time.  There was a dance going on in the ballroom, so Chris took Caroline inside to show her what good, clean, college fun looks like . . . they even danced part of a song.  Now that's a memory I won't forget!