The 24th of July

It was a holiday week in Utah. In keeping with the local customs, my brain went on vacation. I started by going to church on Sunday without my missionary name tag on or my contacts in. All day long I was blind and I couldn't remember who I was!

Brain on vacation example #2: I have been keeping lotion in the car because the arid climate here makes my skin very dry and itchy. I love Bath and Body Works body cream, so that's the kind I put in the car. For some reason, when I used it, it didn't really rub in very well. It felt kind of sticky. And when I got some too near my eyes, they cried and cried. Finally one day, when I put some lotion on my arms, I decided there was something terribly wrong with this particular bottle of body cream. I decided that during our trek west a month ago, while it was riding in the car under the hot, hot sun, the chemical make-up of the body cream was altered and it didn't work right any more and I should throw it away. I took the container out of the car door pocket for closer examination to determine if my theory was correct. Only then did I notice that the body cream was actually shower cream. In disbelief, I rolled down my window and stuck my arm out. Then I took a bottle of water and poured a little on my arm. I rubbed it around, and sure enough, it lathered right up! In my defense, the bottle looks very similar to the body cream bottle. On the other hand, S H O W E R C R E A M clearly spells SHOWER CREAM! Most ridiculous of all is that I used up half of the bottle before I figured it out!! Sometimes, it's just embarrassing to be me!

Brain on vacation example #3: In Hockessin, when I go to the Acme to buy groceries, I get the groceries, load them on to the conveyor belt at the checkout stand, bag them myself, and pull the cart(s) to my car, where I load them in the back to haul them home. So, I move to Utah, where there are different customs. Last week, I ran to the grocery store to pick up a few items. When I paid for them, there was actually a lady running the cash register and another lady bagging my groceries! All I did was stand there and wait for the total. New experience. When the cashier was finished, she asked me, "Would you like some help out?" This meant did I want someone to push my cart out to the parking lot and load the groceries into my car for me. This was a foreign concept that did not compute in my brain. So my brain, being eager to understand what was being said, changed what the cashier said to me into something that I could comprehend, and I heard her say, "Would you like to help out?" Well, I'm a nice enough person, and I'm always happy to help out, but I wasn't really sure what she wanted me to do. I don't really know how to run the register, but I suppose I could bag groceries, the store wasn't really that busy, maybe she wanted me to go out into the parking lot and collect carts.... While my brain was processing this, I stood and looked at her for quite a few seconds with my best deer in the headlights imitation. Then I responded appropriately by saying, "Sure. What would you like me to do?" To which she responded in kind, with her best deer in the headlights imitation. After several moments, I replied again, "I'm happy to help out. What is it you need me to help you with?" All in all, the store employees had a good laugh, and I'm sure they chuckled about me all day.


I feel like I've moved to a foreign country and I don't speak the language. I'm not sure if my brain went on vacation, or I'm getting blonder, or I'm just getting old, or all of the above. But let me move on to the holiday at hand. It is called the 24th of July, or Pioneer Day. It is a commemoration of the day that Brigham Young led the first group of Mormon Pioneers into the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. Today, it is celebrated as a state holiday with parades and festivities and all manner of fireworks and celebrations. So we did our best to join in with the locals. Jenna, however, was not at all pleased about wearing a pioneer bonnet!

We went to downtown Salt Lake City for the parade, which included the customary marching bands and locally made floats.

The night before, local riff-raff slept overnight on the sidewalks to stake their claim for the best spots. We recognized some of that riff-raff!

Our missionaries were out in full force. They each had an assigned block, where they remained throughout the morning. They talked to people, made new friends, gave away DVD's and Books of Mormon, and collected names and addresses from people who wanted them them to come to their homes and share a message about Jesus Christ. I had a blast walking down the parade route and seeing the missionaries at work! I even added my very own first referral to their list of people to visit, when a young couple that I met asked me to send missionaries to them to tell them how they could become an eternal family. What a fun day it was!

One of our Elders is very talented at making balloon animals. The kids loved that he shared his talent with them!

While the parade was going by, we noticed a certain Judge riding along in a car. It was Delaware's very own Judge Jordan! We were so excited to see him! The entire Jordan clan stopped by our house after the parade for a quick visit. It was really fun to see Kent, Michelle and the family.

Then we had about 40 of our missionaries

over to our house for a barbeque.

Kristi and David were there too.

Jolene and Kristi found their favorite sister missionary in our mission.

She just happens to be Sister Williams, from Delaware!

A family picture at the end of the day. Rob, Jolie, Bruce, Nancy (with special thanks to the Maynerich girls for the cute apron!) Kristi and David.

Jenna has learned a new trick. She now knows where her tongue is.

Grandma and Alixa and Jenna went shoe shopping. Jenna thinks she's died and gone to heaven!

She was so excited, she called daddy to tell him about her new shoes!

I don't know why nobody else celebrates the 24th of July.

It's a perfectly fabulous holiday!!