Busy weekend

It was a busy week & a busy weekend. On Friday evening we went camping with our friends The Haws. First let me say we're so amateur! Jeremiah & I have only slept in a tent once I think in the 7 years we've been married! We bought a tent a couple months ago & this was the first time we used it. First tent camping with the kids. We got to our destination after dark which of course wasn't good trying to set up a gigantic tent for the first time! I forgot to grab Ellie's socks on the way out so I had to sit & keep her poor little toes covered up until I got her pajamas on. Callie had a hard time with flashlight etiquette & kept shining it in everyone's eyes. I'm a complete idiot & didn't take my tennis shoes! Well the place we went to was a beach & so I thought sand, right? Which even if there had been sand I should have taken my tennis shoes since it's cold at night! But I just wasn't thinking. So I guess those were the biggest problems. In the morning we met a loon that was camping closer to the water. He told us he'd ridden his bike with his son to the place we camped from CA. First of all, I don't know where in CA he meant, but even Needles, CA is an hour from Kingman. And then this place that we camped was an hour from Kingman. Not only that, but the last 20 mi was a ridiculously bumpy dirt road. Turns out the guy's "son" is his fat cat. The cat rode in the bike trailer that parents pull their children in. Later I start walking down to the water with Ellie because everyone else is down there already & I hear the guy having a conversation. I thought he must be on a cell phone but then I realized there's totally no service where we were so that's great, he's just talking to himself. There was another little group of people camping together so I thought I'd be okay taking Ellie back up to camp when everyone else took the row boat out on the lake but then the other group leaves. So there's no way I'm walking back past the crazy guy with my baby when the guys are out in the water! Then the crazy guy starts shouting obscenities & talking about heaven & hell & which one he might go to if he shoots himself in the head. I was a bit concerned. We didn't stay too much longer & I was relieved to leave the crazy guy. For all I know maybe he really did ride out with his son who he killed & threw in the lake! I've watched CSI! And even if crazy people seem harmless you never know if they're gonna snap! But aside from the crazy guy camping was okay. Okay enough that I want to do it again, but never again to that spot. There was no sand, it was just desert with some water. I tried to imagine we were cowboys out on the range to make the campsite more fun in my head. It didn't work. Jeremiah chose that place (called Greg's Hideout) because he's gone fishing there a few times & it usually has good fishing but there were not fish caught.

After we got back from camping we got cleaned up & picked up a babysitter & drove to Laughlin to see Eagle Eye with my parents & brother Stuart. Laughlin was great for these reasons: The movie theater was having a grand re-opening because they'd got new seats so they had dollar drinks, popcorn & hot dogs! Eagle Eye was a good movie (at least I was very entertained). Ellie slept through almost the whole movie. I got to go into Gap & Osh Kosh before the movie (it's an outlet mall & those are my fav stores!) & Osh Kosh had some really cute $7 long sleeved shirts which was just what I needed for Jack. And the cherry on the cake was learning that Carter's is coming soon! Woohoo!!! Not that I love Carter's more than Gap or Osh Kosh (or even as much), but I've always thought that if they would just get a Carter's in I'd be set! So I'm pretty stoked.

Today Jeremiah had to give a talk in Sacrament meeting. The funny thing is when he'd heard who the other speaker was (who happens to be Jonny's girlfriend's mom) he was thinking that she'd take up plenty of time & that he probably wouldn't need to prepare more than 10 minutes. He had 15 minutes just in case. When he sat down before the meeting started she told him that she was only speaking for 10 minutes & that she doesn't like it when people go over. So he was already thinking oh crap. Then (and yes, he timed her) she only spoke for 8 minutes. Several people noticed the face he made when she ended & laughed about it. He talked for 25 minutes! I don't know how he pulled it off but he did & he did great! People were listening the whole time (he's a good story teller). If you know Jeremiah you know that he's totally into wrestling! He was even a state champ in HS & went to nationals so he was pretty good! He talked about how in wrestling there are some very basic moves and his dad drilled him & his bros over & over & over for months on those basics before they ever got to wrestle a match. When they finally wrestled in their first matches as "beginners" they schooled everyone & were moved up to advanced. Those basic moves were the foundation for all other moves & throughout his wrestling career he still had to continually practice the basics. Just like the gospel. You have to do the basics all the time: pray, read your scriptures, attend your church meetings, fast - the seminary answers. If you're not doing those basics you're not going to grow & get better & it's going to be hard to withstand the opposition. Anyway, he did a great job. And to conclude our weekend we went to our friends the Porter's for cake & ice cream for Nate's birthday.

The end.