We started the day (2/7/13) uncertain as to what we would be doing.  I had had online trouble trying to make reservations and so I feared that it would not happen.  I had to wait until 11 this morning to call, but when I did I was quickly able to confirm our original plan.  During the day my wife took the car to have our headlamp replaced as we found that it had worn out.  She also got the oil changed and new wiper blades.  I got my office work up to date (sort of) and we got prettied up and left before 5.  We took Trax uptown and had a really wonderful meal.  (Trax-$9.40  food $110.00 w/a generous tip[our most expensive meal of the week, but the best--it was really scrumptious and as much as I ate it didn't spike my blood #]).  Then we went over to the 'square' and saw the temple model (per Sherri) and then into the tabernacle for the choir practice (not chiropractor, Sheila will need to do that soon-next Monday)) where we just relaxed as best we could with full bellies and very hard benches.  We actually spent almost 2 hours there listening to the orchestra and choir rehearse.  I,m not sure how much Sheila enjoyed it (hard benches mostly), but I was quite immersed in the music.  Seeing the antics of actual people singing was a little bit different from seeing them during conference on tv.  It was really cold, but our wait not too bad for our ride home.  We only got hit up once for a 'motel 6 donation' by a guy and his 'wife'.  We made it home (with good headlights) by 10:30 and I proceeded to stay up until almost 2 watching the 2 BYU ball games on tape delay (1-1).  We did sleep in until 8:15 this morning and my first chore when I got into my office was to check up on Cortney's game.  I found that I could have watched it on 'live-stream' if I had been home last night.  Then I looked at the score and saw that I only missed seeing Cortney doing very, very well in a most lopsided game (72-23!!)  I called upstairs and told Sheila and she just said that it was because she wasn't there that Cortney played so well.  (humbug!)  Saw that a young sister in our ward got called to serve in Japan.  Now we have a whole day ahead of us with no firm plans yet.  But we will do something (sorry Shelli, no bowling! and we also decided against that couples massage.)    So far we have enjoyed quite a week, and we have 2 more days to go. 

The actual anniversary has now come and gone, but the celebration continues. We planned on it being more low keyed, mainly in the food area.  And then I had so much work to do that it was a pretty normal work day until about dinner time.  We went to Zupas for soup and salad.  I had shrimp and sausage gumbo and we both had pina colada salads.  ($17.23)  Then at 8 we went to see The Hobbit and got home at 11.  ($12.50) (I remembered that I hadn't listed the $8 it cost to get into Cortney's game on Tuesday.)  Even-though it was a productive work day and I was mostly concentrated on that I was also able to ponder on the wonder of 'us'.  I find it hard to use words, even in my own head to describe the way that I feel.  They seem so inadequate to the task.  It has taken 44 years to make and it takes more then mere words to define.  One thing I know: 'we' understand the meaning of it all, and 'we' are grateful for 'it' and 'us'.  (And now look at what 'us' has turned in to!)

 

Right now I am not sure what today will bring.  I was frustrated in my efforts to secure reservations for tonight.  So I am considering a plan b as well as a plan c.  Regardless of the plan it will all be good. 

 

Last night driving home late was quite an adventure.  It was so foggy that driving was a problem.  And our head lights seemed to have about died.  We need to address that before we do any more night driving.  That might also affect our plans for tonight.  Whatever, we do know that we have each and all of you on our minds and in our heart as we continue to celebrate today.  

Well, today is the actual day, but the whole week will be our celebration.  Yesterday was our biggest travel day.   We put on near 200 miles.  As was our plan, we dined at Maddox's in Perry, Utah.  Sheila had been thinking prime rib, apparently for some time, and was concerned that they might not have it available.  But they did and she ordered a 'small' cut which ended up being big enough for the two of us.  I considered bison (buffalo), but decided on lamb.  Both our meals were excellent.  Even the well-water was better.  Last night was alright, but this meal was wonderful.  The total was $50.00. (a lot more then $15.00 better!)  Cortney's game was a treat too.  Pretty, not exactly. but dominating, mostly.  It was a contest of a lesser team scrapping and fighting against a better team.  The outcome was never really in doubt, but the action was intense.  A good one to learn from. Cortney said that she was pretty mad during the game.  She had been doubled and singled out for some pretty aggressive treatment.  I'm sure that she will see that a lot more in the future.  She will only get better being tested this way. Our trip home was marked by the highlight of being passed (didn't know it at the time) by our oldest daughter, who apparently learned how to drive from her father.   We reviewed our day and agreed on it as a keeper.  We still have to decide just what today will bring.  But so far the 'groceries' are being delivered!

Sheila told me yesterday that she wasn't going to count our family meal on Sunday as # 1 of our anniversary week.  I didn't have to cook, but she did and that disqualified it despite its magnificence for her.  So, for her, last night was # 1 (2 for me).  We went to the Texas Roadhouse early enough to get that early special price and I actually did order off that menu, although I was tempted with the more pricy variety.  It seemed a pretty normal eating out time, but being Monday made it different.  And as the week continues I believe that we may even tire a little of being served our food.  But, some of the more tasty and special places are still to come.  Tonight, for example, we will dine way up in Perry, Utah at the Maddox Ranch House Restaurant on our way to Hyrum, Utah (Mountain Crest High School) for Cortney's basketball game.  It will be a long trip with a lot of driving, but as I think about it I realize that long trips with my co-pilot are as 'delicious' as fine meals are.  So I look forward to all of the trip.  On special event days like these I have a tendency to overlook the joy of plain old office work.  I hope to not do that today.  I want to just dive in and work hard and get done what I can before our adventure begins this mid-afternoon.  Oh, by the way, so far $35.00 is the tab.  (for those of us who are counting)  I feel quite rested, and kind of excited to see how this week will continue to play out.  Never done such a thing before, probably never will again.  So one down (2?) and five more to go on our 44 grocery special anniversary week celebration.   

This is my report of day one of our 'grocery anniversary week'.  I wasn't thinking of including Sunday in this celebration, but as it started to take shape and I stood in the chaos of the family gathering just before we started eating and looked at the spread before us it seemed appropriate to use it as a start of the week to commemorate our marriage of 44 years.  In retrospect I believe that it was a good choice.  The day and evening were both fulfilling (in different ways!).  I really did enjoy the hectic noise of the evening.  After-all, here we were with most of my very favorite people together and seeming to enjoy the opportunity.  I did tell them about our plans for the week, but they have changed a little as we have felt to modify them a little bit.  For example, tonight we are going to the Texas Roadhouse instead of Log Haven.  We still plan on what we decided for most of the rest of the week, but certainly there could be some modification.  I admit that it is an extravagant plan.  But I do want it to be something special for my 'something special'.  Usually we are a little dull, and maybe just going out to dinner (or lunch) seven times in a week is also dull.  But we do have a couple of other things going on, and what wife wouldn't appreciate not having to cook like this for a whole week?    If we balance it with a few 'cheaper' meals it won't be so extravagant, but Maddox's and The Roof are must-dos for us in such a special time.  We are planning on many more anniversaries, but really, who knows just what the future holds.  Maybe the earth will end next month!  But if that happens at least I will have recorded our seven days of 'groceries' and then some. 

When Sheila read my last entry her first comment was"  "I was thinking of a new car."  Then she asked me what 'shysters' meant.  It made for an interesting conversation as I was able to convince her that I had written a really interesting piece.  I guess that it really should have been 'brothers and sh-isters' though.  Last night we talked to Sherri about Cortney's ball game from Thursday.  Sherri said that she didn't like the game at all.  When I printed off the Tribune and Ogden papers articles about the game I understood why.  The difference between Cortney's 1st half and her 2nd half would have been frustrating and then her hitting the game winning 3 with about 10 seconds would have turned her mother's nerves into knots.  Grandma also expressed that she would not have enjoyed that game because of the stress.  It was a good game for them to learn from, but learning can sometimes be painful.  Anyway, my Saturday is nearly over.  I had to do a lot more work today then I wanted to do.  So my Saturday wasn't the normal relief that it is usually.  But I intend to finish here and then just chill in my room before I finally go to sleep.  I will do my 4th 62 and invite the opportunity to tell how my experience was used in the Relief Society meeting on Thursday last.  Jennifer Hilbig told me that I might have sisters coming up and wanting to feel my muscles.  If you are curious you could ask me or the good wife.  I just need some good chill time right now and then change gears for the Sabbath and our FHE tomorrow night.  Sheila just tapped me on the shoulder.  Didn't scare me, but she did sneak up on me.  So now I will sit with her here for a few moments while she reads this and then Shelli's catch up blog entry.  Then I will go chill.

Early this morning my mind was sorting through the ideas from the last couple of days.  I was pondering on a contest of ideas that I've dealt with all along my journey.  I wasn't able to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up (until very recently) and I remember considering striving for excess (success) in areas that would bring me fame and/or fortune.  They were never bad ideas, but something always made me dismiss worldly achievement and 'settle' for just trying to be a good Mormon and 'available' for service there.  During the years I never felt like I really achieved much.  Life was pretty normal and in a worldly way: dull.  Even to this day I am not able to judge  my life worthy of accolade.  I just did what I did and in most cases not very much, and not very well.  I am just barely learning that I have been wrong to a degree.  Here I am, 66 years old, still working, the house isn't even paid off, and we struggle (not necessarily a bad thing) to keep on keeping on.  (My social security will definitely help out in that area.)  I see the process we have been in about celebrating our 44th wedding anniversary as an example of this too.  We could be extravagant (especially now with a pending s.s. payment), but we choose not to.  If we can just get Sheila's dream list finished, well, that is what we really want, and maybe a 2nd car (used, of course).  Then a different idea started to force its way into my consciousness.  Maybe I have been wrong.  Maybe Sheila is right when she tells me that I have been too hard on myself.  Maybe I had all along just what I wanted, and just didn't see it.  Maybe I'm much closer to my 'measure' then I ever dreamed.  Consider the following:

 

"SH" ISTERS

It was given to me this morning to understand that I am a very rich man.  I just used the above (Sh-isters) to illustrate that blessing, but it goes beyond that.  To me it represents not only our daughters, but our sons and all of the in-laws and grand kids.  To me it represents family.  When I ponder on 'that' I really feel something wonderful and powerful.  I still don't see how I did much for all of that to have happened, but I am so blessed that it did happen.  I see each of you in my mind's eye and feel your persona in my heart.  And I am thrilled.  I have 'joy and rejoicing' as promised and it completes me.  In another way is motivates me.  I want so much to be worthy of that.  I want you to feel good about me and what I am.  And when I beat up on myself, I don't.  I feel that you are so much better then I was and am.  I have such faith in your success.  And I share your triumphs and your pain.  Sheila and I sometimes talk about how your hurt is more painful then our own hurt.  We would have it that you never suffer, but we know that that is just not possible.  So we stand by and wait to see if and how we can help.  Sometimes you don't ask and sometimes you do.  Sometimes we give our advice anyway.  Sometimes you listen and sometimes you dont'. 
We understand that.  You are mean't to live your own life (lives).  Just don't ever think that you are living in isolation.  You are never singular.  You have been, and now are and always will be a significant part of this family.  I am just learning that and I hope that you know that to be true too.  (shisters--pretty good, huh!)