Michael and Lilly came for a brief visit this weekend during which our youngest son served as a pallbearer for Dave Nelson, the father of his best
friends Chris and Tim. This
friendship began in high school and also included their father Dave, their mother Madge and
sister Tiffany. Dave, a simple man who Chris said "would have been outraged by all this
fuss," was called by his children “a
great example, a great father, a great missionary and a man with an unparalled
work ethic who served others and loved his family. He was a friend, a mentor, a hero and was
happiest when doing the Lord’s work.”
The funeral was also an opportunity to catch up with some of our former ward members and friends, including Michael's favorite scout leader and mentor Kim Wallace. On another note, it is common knowledge in our family Michael had "a thing" for Tiffany Nelson in high school. During the viewing, Madge - noting Michael's nearly white hair - whispered to Tiffany, "it's a good thing you and Michael didn't end up together. Your kids would have had white hair by the age of 12!"
While Michael attended to his responsibilities, we enjoyed having Lilly all to ourselves – even for just a few hours. We went to McDonald’s and on a mystery trip to the new St. George Children’s Museum where she “milked a cow,” experienced a wheelchair, explored a “cave” in the red rocks, got trapped in a giant bubble and left her shadow on a wall. It was a delightful day which ended at home with Wii bowling, tennis, baseball, golf, boxing and another viewing of "Ice Age." We so enjoyed their company, even though the reason for their trip to St. George was sad. Lilly is a darling little child and so fun to be around.
