Anyway, Elizabeth told me that she had some really big news. Marriage ran through my mind, but I didn't think was dating anyone.....it must be something related to education and her plans on where she was going to go next. I was surprised but giddily excited when she said she was putting in her paperwork to serve a mission! A mission!!!! She shared with me how the spirit overcame her with promptings to serve a mission during the General Conference in Oct.2012. In April we find out that she has been called to the Dallas Texas Mission.....one things for certain, she probably won't be cold there. This girl will wear hoodies in the summer because she's cold! Crazy!!
A month or so later, she asked if I would be her escort while going through the temple the first time. She planned to fly east and go through the DC temple. Cheri and Robert came with her, thus we had five of seven Stumm kids here for the event. Wish it could have been everyone, but school, elite choir commitments, and a brand new cutie patootiey.... Eric's new little baby Hayley kept Sarah and Josh, Robert's Sara, Cheri's Nate (job commitments) and Eric and Stephanie from coming. Barry would have been there too, if I hadn't screwed up his work schedule. I thought he was on day shift, but really he was on midnight's He was also overwhelmed with school work of his own. Of course Mom and Dad wanted to be there too, but a big ocean and mission work of their own kept them from joining us. Honestly I'm glad, if mom had been there I wouldn't have had the amazing experience of being with Liz that wonderful day.
Suffice it to say, we had most of us there and it was a wonderful day. I love the spirit, joy, happiness and peace of being there.
Friday morning, Cheri, Risa and Bob headed out for a quick run while Liz and I got ready and traveled north to DC. We had to be there two hours earlier than they did.
Liz and I visited the distribution center (love the caranessa fabric!) and then went to the temple at the appointed time of 1:30. Sister Pratt, a matron (she and her husband recently were the mission president of the Houston Texas mission), she spoke with Elizabeth and I about the covenants, doctrines and principles that we would learn in the temple. I have been able to attend the temple since my marriage 23 years ago and I learn sooooo much more from sister Pratt this one day than I have the past 23 years. For this reason, I'm glad mom couldn't be there. If she had, I wouldn't have been there with Liz....purely selfish, I know, but it is true!! Thanks Elizabeth for letting me share your special day. Thanks mom for being in Africa and not in DC on a day I know you really wanted to be there for.
Next came: Dinner at Cafe' Rio. Ohhhh how I love their salads!!!
Finding the hotel in Tyson's corner....and seeing that the Cheesecake Factory was just across the road, Cheri treated everyone to a scrumptious, decadent dessert!
Sleeping, sleeping, and more sleeping.....except Logan and Brennen didn't get the memo that it was night time and thus time to sleep. Brian and Risa were AMAZINGLY patient. Risa says of the night that they only woke up every half hour to cry....except they were each 15 minutes apart from each other. Thus someone was crying every 15 minutes till about 4 am. By this time, patience had worn thin and "mean momma" voice came out "Enough!! go to sleep!!" and they did. Maybe mean momma voice should have come out around midnight or 1am.
I definitely haven't lived in a congested area for quite some time and let Elizabeth drive....hate the traffic there.
The next morning, or should I say late morning, we had breakfast at 11:30 am at Dunkin Donuts. Cheri has been craving their donuts. Now we're off to shop at the outlet malls. Elizabeth needs more clothes. Her wool and warm clothes for norther climates just won't do for Texas.
Cheri treated me to a new top! The one you see in the pictures of us grilling our dinner when the electricity went out for an hour or so....of course right when we began to make dinner.
From there we grabbed a dinner at Chick-fil-A and then we were off to Pulaski. My kids were so excited to see everyone.
At one point I called home and chatted with Cailin about her busy busy weekend (she had two sleepovers and birthday parties. With Beryl, she went to Stanton to see Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and with Celia, she went to a race car/buggy driving range in Salem. She had soooo much fun!!
Anyway, by then she was home and I asked her how the house looked. She was truthful "Well mom, it's been worse, but it isn't great either." I asked her if she would mind straightening things up. Barry says that she then became a miniature me....drill instructor....or slave driver....however you wish to call it. She got those lazy boys off the TV and on to cleaning. The house looked amazing!! She did a great job.
We decided to try the grill. I wasn't sure if we had enough propane, but it was worth a try because I just didn't want PB and jam sandwiches.
I worked and a few minutes before dinner was ready the electricity was on so we baked the bread and ate a delicious dinner.
These guys wanted to enjoy that breakfast and not think of all those calories, so we headed off for a run. (Connor is taking the picture.) We went 4 miles. The plan was 5 but the bridge was closed due to flooding from the recent rains so they had to stop at 4.
I have only run 2 time since the 5K in September....oh my, I was sooooo sore! for days I was sore. I really need to get back into the groove of things. I couldn't keep up with the running, the rest of the group went on ahead of me. I really enjoyed my personal time ( had some great homeschool prep ideas for next year!)
Cailin amazed us all. She ran and ran and ran...never stopping....and she could have kept going. Ria and Cheri are planning to run a 10K...and maybe a 1/2 marathon with her sometime in the future!
Connor has amazing fortitude, he never quite either. These two love to run!
In the afternoon, after Barry got home from court we headed off to Macado's.....a most wonderful eclectic place to eat, the kids were NOT happy about not coming, but they got a pizza.
After good food, good conversation and entertainment from two little boys (who by the way have a great throwing arm! much to the chagrin of the other patron who was brushed with a flying fork!) Cheri, Bob, Elizabeth and Risa climbed into their luggage overloaded van and headed north to Harrisonburg.
What a wonderful Stumm Family weekend.
We love the pictures...glad it was such a great day. We do wish we could have been there, but are happy all went so well.
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