AWOL

The mission president is never allowed to leave the mission. But the mission president's wife can. So, Bruce has to stay here, but I can sneak away now and again. I did just that on Monday and Tuesday, October 18th and 19th. My parents live in Boise, Idaho, which is only a six hour drive from Salt Lake City, and I went AWOL to visit them. I took my niece, Coralie, and her two little ones up with me, because her parents live near mom and dad. It was fun to have someone to chat with as we drove, and Darin and Angela were delighted to get to see Jaden and Baby Bailey. Oh yes, they were happy to see Coralie too. We all know how grandparents are!

We took off on Monday morning, stopping in Pocatello to pick up mom and dad at my sister, Lonnie's home, where they had been visiting for the weekend. We set a leisurely traveling pace, stopping for fast food or rest stops or to let the three year old run or nurse the baby or see the sights along the way. It was such a fun day, chatting with everyone in the car and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

When we arrived at the house, I was delighted to see dad's new three-wheeled bike parked in the middle of their living room. After dad recently took a few falls from his bicycle, he got the three-wheeled bike so that he could still get out to enjoy a bike ride without the worry of hurting himself. He loves his new bike, and until they could sell an extra car and make room for it in the garage, mom let him keep it in the living room. I don't know who this lady is, or what she did with my mother, but I'm thinking that the mother I grew up with would not have put up with a bike parked in the middle of her living room for a month! She must be softening in her old age!! That evening, we went out for a fun dinner with Darin and Angela and their family.

Tuesday, I drove mom to a doctor's appointment, did a little shopping with her and picked up a few groceries from Walmart in the morning. In the afternoon, dad and I took quite a bike ride! It was the perfect day, and we had such a good time! He rode me hard enough that I worked up a good sweat. Next time, we decided, we need to bring some bottles of water in those big baskets of his in the back. We worried a little garter snake back over to the side of the road so he wouldn't get run over, found the little stream where grandpa floated leaf boats with Alli and Madison last summer, found some horses that we wished we had apples to feed, rode about three loops around a cul de sac, headed over to the park and rode the mile long running trail there before resting on the bleachers where Beach plays baseball and Darin sells hot dogs in the summer. Then we headed back home, just as the school bus was depositing children into the neighborhood. It was fun to see them rambling home after their school day, and we waved hello to all of them. Mom was waiting for us on the front porch when we got home, and she snapped a picture of the two of us. After a delicious dinner, I got myself rounded up and packed up in the Expedition to head back to Salt Lake City. The babies slept all the way home, and Coralie and I pulled into the mission home garage at 2:00 a.m. What a perfect time we had! It was really great to see that mom and dad are doing so well! I hope that in 30 years I have half the get up and go that they've got! Thanks for the visit!