Fun in Fresno, Soccer in Sonoma

Our trip to California to visit Kris, Erin and Tylre (and her family) and Charlene Sappington and her family was tiring, but very fun.  It’s a long drive to Fresno and Sonoma so it was nice to have family happy to see us on the other end.  While we were at Charlene’s we enjoyed catching up on all the family news.  Todd and Naoko, already married in the eyes of the Japanese government, will have a formal ceremony on August 8 in Japan.  Tyson will marry in August as well, so Charlene has a lot of travel ahead of her.  Tiffany and Bob are close to finalizing the adoption of little Abby … and Bob is scheduled to have weight loss surgery very soon.

On Monday night, we enjoyed a delicious dinner and fun conversation with Tyson and his kids, Tiffany and Bob and their kids and Charlene.  On Tuesday, we had a lovely day with Charlene.  We stopped by the Fresno Temple (didn’t bring the right clothes so were not able to attend), then toured the Forestiere Underground Gardens.  It didn’t look like much from the street, but it was beautiful and intriguing.  If you are ever in the Fresno area, it is definitely worth your time to see this one-of-a-kind subterranean home and garden hand built by one man between the years of 1906 and 1946.  On Wednesday, we took a swing through Yosemite National Park, including the Pioneer Yosemite History Center.  It was a lovely day despite the fact there was NO water in the streams and only a slight mist coming off the mountain side where a world-famous waterfall was supposed to be. 

On Thursday morning, we loaded up the car and headed to Sonoma for a visit with Kris and Erin.  On the way, we stopped for a brief visit with Troy and Linda and their family.  It was fun to see how tall their girls are getting and how much they are enjoying their beautiful third baby girl.

Kris wasn’t able to get Friday off, but it gave us the opportunity to spend time with Erin and meet Kris’ co-workers and her boss, Jeremy.  We had lunch and hung out that evening with Tylre, Jaeson and their adorable Memo (Guillermo).  I made Master Mix for EJ, we cleaned the kitchen for Kris, took in a movie and cheered Memo at his first ever soccer camp.  All in all, it was a very fun weekend, just not enough time together.

On Sunday morning we headed back to Charlene’s for dinner with her family and so our trip home wouldn’t be 10 hours in one day, but rather 4 hours on Sunday and 7 hours on Monday.  It was nice to get home, but we sure enjoyed being with everyone, even for a little while.

The Golden State is Now the Brown State

After four years of serious drought, compounded by environmental issues relating to the endangered smelt, the Golden State of California can now, more realistically be called the Brown State – at least in the central California valley in and around Fresno.  The drought is caused in part because of a lack of rain / water shed ... and partly because environmentalists are standing in the way of the building of dams and catch basins for any rain water.

Referred to as America’s fruit bowl, Fresno’s once thriving agricultural region, has annually shipped countless truckloads of oranges, lemons, grapefruit, pistachios, grapes, pecans, olives and other produce to communities all around the nation (maybe even to some parts of the world). 

But in the summer of 2015, there are millions of acres of prime agricultural land which is not being cultivated and probably that much again which is not being grazed by beef cattle.  It’s pretty unnerving because the cost of everything is going to go sky high.  Better get your food storage!

Two Weekends in the Row, Tuacahn and a Cat with Diabetes

Stacy has a friend at the hospital.  She is a cute, single mother of two and a respiratory therapist.  Stacy told her about her divorced brother and they connected on FB.  Michael came down last weekend from Pleasant Grove to meet her.  We all went up to Pine Valley to get out of the heat and cook burgers … then Michael came back again for the 4^th of July!  

On Friday night, Ed and I got free tickets to Tuacahn where we volunteer regularly, so we took Stacy, Taisley, Michael and his new friend Miranda to see “When You Wish,” a new Disney play which was created on the Tuacahn stage.  It was delightful and we enjoyed a fun evening together.

David and his family came from Denver for their annual week on Jan’L’s family houseboat at Lake Powell.  It’s been awhile since both of my sons have been here at the same time.

Then there’s my mother’s cat Penny who was diagnosed a week ago with diabetes.  I ordered the insulin and, since Friday, have been giving the cat a daily shot.  She is 15-years old and the center of my mother’s universe so I am doing my best to keep the cat alive until my mother passes.  We’ll see!

And then, we went to Allysa's to celebrate Daxton's 6th birthday ... and Ed sold my Jag.

I’m also sad about the passing this week of Pdt. Boyd K. Packer.  My thoughts and prayers are with his family and with all members of the church who loved this man who wrote his commitment of agency, soon after he came home from his mission:  ‘I’m not neutral, and you can do with me what you want. If you need my vote, it’s there. I don’t care what you do with me and you don’t have to take anything from me because I give it to you—everything, all I own, all I am.”