Our plans changed a little bit when we heard that Carrie Carroll, a friend of ours, had passed away on Sunday and that her viewing and funeral would be on Friday and we wanted to make sure we could be there. She was married to one of my closest childhood friends, Dorian, and had been fighting leukemia since January. I talked with Carrie a few weeks earlier and at that point the doctors were trying a new procedure to see if they could finally kill the bad cells and let the good ones thrive, but to no avail. It was devastating to hear the news of her death and so hard to see Dorian at the viewing. I hugged him and couldn't hold back the tears. He was strong and even managed to smile...I've seen so many times the last few years as I've attended funerals for a baby, a toddler and now a young mom in the prime of her life, the power of the comforter to those who are mourning...it's so real. I remember leaving Whitney's hospital room right before William was born when she was just sobbing and almost inconsolable, then not even ten minutes later, going back into her room after he was born and she was as calm and beautiful as I've ever seen her...she was comforted by that same spirit spirit of peace that comforts during times of loss...it's hard to deny.
After the viewing, Garrett and I headed to the Timpanogos Temple. We always celebrate our anniversaries by returning to the temple, any temple...it's where our eternal family began 13 years earlier and where we're reminded of the covenants we made and where we renew the covenants we've made. It was our first time in this temple and we absolutely fell in love with the stained glass windows...beautiful!
We ate at Wingers and then drove up Provo Canyon with a quick stop in Midway to unload our bags and change out of our nice clothes into more casual clothes, so we could shop the outlets in Park City and enjoy dinner at Ruth's Chris. Everything was great from my afternoon nap in the car on the way to Midway to the delicious cheesecake dessert late that night.
Saturday we woke to snow in Midway, then carefully made our way to Falcon's Ledge. We finally broke through the storm just miles from Falcon's Ledge and it never hit us. G fished a little and I read the Lightening Thief, a book McKenna and Ashlyn have been wanting me to read ever since they finished it a few days ago. We enjoyed lunch at the Lodge and drove back to spend the night in Midway, dinner at Tarahumara and then watched some movies we've never seen...Iron Man and Avatar and more yummy cheesecake.
Sunday we slept in, attended the Midway 5th ward's sacrament meeting and headed home to see the kids...it's great to get away and it's great to return home again.
