Duck Creek, Utah (Cousin Weekend)

David's cousin (Becca) invited us to join her family at their cabin in Duck Creek on the first weekend of this month.  What I pictured in my head and what the area would look like (or feel) was completely different.

We got to the cabin before the Fellwock's did.  As you can see it was very sunny.  But within an hour of being there, the clouds came in and it stayed pretty cool for the remainder of the weekend.  Duck Creek is in Southern Utah and when you think of Southern Utah, you usually think dry, hot, and anything but green.  Duck creek wasn't anything we imagined.  It's this hidden beauty, small town, country feel.  We absolutely loved it!

 While we were waiting for Fred, Becca, and their children to get there we went site seeing.  We found a few scenic spots as well as some lava rocks.

 That night, the adults stayed up late just talking.  I was immediately reminded how welcoming Becca is and how funny Fred is.  We hadn't seen them in years, which is room for awkwardness when reunited, but that wasn't the case at all.

 On Saturday, Becca took us to Aspen Mirror Lake.  It was incredibly windy, which made it quite cold so we didn't last very long with fishing.  

Becca then took us on a little hike taking us to a tree swing in the middle of nowhere.  With all the trees around, it didn't feel so cold.

 There was so much to do there like 4 wheeling.

 This is my favorite picture of the whole weekend.  Sometimes I get sad when David tells me some stories of his childhood, but never is there anything sad when a story of Becca is involved.  I think it is easy to say that she is his favorite and he loves her dearly.  I enjoyed, so much, them reminiscing over their childhood memories that weekend. 

 These second cousins hit it off right away.  Ruger could not get enough of playing with her!

Brigham, Hyrum, Ruger, and I had to leave early on Sunday because of a commitment I had to attend to but Levi and David stayed and 4 wheeled to a cave that Becca showed them.  Look at David's beard!  Quite dusty!

Seeing David with Becca together that weekend made me so incredibly happy.  Not just because of what I mentioned before and the reminiscing, but also because when I see my boys with their cousins I know that their relationships can last even until adulthood as well.

Memorial Day 2020

I know Memorial Day is to remember those who died serving our country and has kind of morphed into a time to remember all of our loved ones who have passed away.  And while I did remember these things (especially when my Uncle Chuck Marco Polo-ed him and Grandpa at Grandma's grave), I was grateful all day that I had an extra day with David.  

As David says (and he says he likes it, by the way), I monopolize his time while he is home on the weekends.  It is true and I'm very picky about what we do and don't do.  I appreciate offers to do things with friends but if it means being away from David, its a no.  So when the Pitt family invited our family to have a BBQ with them, I gladly said yes since we could all be together...and it helps that I like them so much!

I don't think I've blogged about their family before.  I met Amy through church, was soon placed in the position of ministering to her, suffers from anxiety and issues that I do to,  realized she too only had boys who -BONUS- happens to be around my boys age, and just is a perfect match for me in my time of life when it comes to friendship.  Some friendships feels like you give more than they give back but I really think Heavenly Father guided the R.S. President in putting Amy and I together because we needed each other and we were both willing to give in this relationship.  A sweet reminder that the Lord knows me.  He knows how much friendship means to me in each of our moves.  He always guides someone to me.  Always.

 After we left the Pitts, our family drove to the Provo City Cemetery where David used to work years ago (before and while we were dating).  We did our usual finding of graves that were either babies/children or soldiers that had no flowers on their graves.  This year I got all of our family enough pinwheels for us all to decorate a child's grave and a solders.  It was special for David because he was able to decorate a friend's (that he grew up with) grave.  He has had so many of his childhood friends die at an early age, so I feel grateful we were there with him as, I'm sure, he reflected on his life and how very easily it could have been his story.

 When I found this above grave, I knew it was mine to decorate.  The year is not right, but the month and day is my sister, April's, birthday.  I think of her often, wish we lived closer together, and well, I just need her.

And then another sweet reminder that the Lord (and my sister) loves me.  We were walking back to the van to leave the cemetery when I got this picture through a text from April.  April is one of the few people who know what the time 11:11 means.  

When I was single, I had this fear that no one would ever really know me.  I mean, really know me.  I confided in her one day that I loved the song, "Unkown" by Chely Wright because, though my lyrics might be different, it was how I felt.  This song of needing someone to know all the little things that make me, me.  There is a line in the song that says, "I say a prayer at 11:11."  So every time I see that number on a clock, I think of that time in my life.  So afraid of being unknown.  And April always thinks of me. Awww, can you see why she was my best friend for years until David came into my life?  

Again, the Lord loves me.