Life lately

Tuesday, I sent my sixteen year old off to Europe for 23 days hoping he would gain an appreciation for home and learn about history and life in a foreign land. So far I haven't heard a word from him, so I guess no news is good news! He wanted to go but was afraid he was going to miss out on something in Vernal with his friends. One day he will realize how insane that is - Vernal or Itally - they don't even come close when compared with each other. He went to the BMW factory in Austria on Friday, I checked his credit card balance and he didn't buy me one as I requested, so maybe he is mad at me, I don't know! I emailed him and told him it had rained everyday since he left and his good friend went to a family reunion so he wasn't missing out on any great motorcycling with his buddies.

We rushed home from Salt Lake that night and packed up to leave Wednesday morning to go to girls camp on Diamond mountain. Darren was assigned to come up as one of the priesthood holders and also to bring a few horses so the fourth year girls could do something out of their comfort zone. It was heaven for me because when we had free time, we got to go riding in some amazing country! It rained all day Thursday and the dirt roads became inpassable. One of my neighbors tried to drive up to get her daughter for a softball tornament and ended up walking eight miles with three little kids through the mud, rain and hail because she got stuck. Luckily it quit raining on Friday so we waited until about noon and it had dried up enough for us to barely get out. We had to leave the horses and that night I made Darren go back up to get them for fear they would discover the little white string penning them in could be broken through for greener pastures; miles and miles of greener pastures! It was amazing when we went back up there were only a few places that were still really muddy, for the most part we had a dust trail following us as we drove. Only in Utah can it go from being impassible and a muddy mess to a dry, dusty road within 24 hours! Anyway we made it home just in time because it started raining all over again yesterday and my neighbor said it was going to be impassable again.

Last night just as we finished eatting dinner with some friends, Darren got called out with his Search and Rescue squad to look for a lost ten year old boy near Spirit Lake. Brayden asked if he could join in on the fun and they didn't get home until eight this morning. They walked all night in the dark but didn't find him. Darren had to give a talk in Sacrament meeting and teach in Elders Quorum so he had to get back. I was sweating bullets before he got home that he wouldn't make it and I would be the lucky one to give his talk, which I stayed up late writing, so I guess it wouldn't have mattered anyway! After church he got a call that they found the little boy. Thank goodness because it is pouring rain again right now. I keep wondering if summer is ever going to come.

Tuesday is the big day my book comes out. It will be nice if anyone decides to buy it. I haven't received any response back from the newspapers etc, so maybe it will just be a family and friend book instead of a national best seller. Either way, if it makes one person feel good inside, it has accomplished what I set out to do.