Good Times and Thoughtful Friends

I am so excited about a gift I received this past weekend that I have to share the news. Our good friends the Holmes, brought over dinner Friday night (since my husband wasn’t too eager to go out in public with the stitches on his nose and the swelling still in full glory) and along with their food and company, they also brought a gift. A wonderful, long sought after, very coveted, gift. Books. A set of books, actually, written by my boss, when I was a student at BYU—Larry C. Porter.

For years I have yearned for these, but never thought I would be fortunate enough to actually own them! Yet one day while searching through the donated books at Deseret Industries, they were found, purchased and now delivered to me. What a treasure! The books are beautifully written and illustrated, and totally out of print.

To own them is such a thrill for me and the thoughtfulness of our friends is a gift I will never forget!

The food they brought was pretty good too! We were expecting take out, but instead they arrived with hamburger patties, buns, bacon, mushrooms, and pasta salad, as well as onions and zucchini to batter and deep fry. And that officially put an end to our new year’s resolution to eat better!

Forty-five minutes after their arrival, we were ready to enjoy our fattening feast. And enjoy we did. (I have since repented. It is veggie sticks from here on out!:-)

(You can probably feel your arteries clogging by just looking at it!)

After dinner we worked off a few of those calories with wii bowling and golf. (If you get a sore arm from wii bowling, does that mean you are just a wii bit out of shape?) How grateful I am for good friends, good food, and the fun we had sharing the evening with them.

After staying up late visiting Friday night, on Saturday Wes and I slept in. That is a luxury in which I rarely indulge. During the week I am up at 4:30 for seminary and on the weekends I am always moving by 7, but our daughters were on a snow trip and so we were home alone. With nothing pressing to do, and no one to set an example for, we slept--until 11. It was like being a teenager! We then got dressed, went to lunch and shopping for a bookcase to put my new books in. Saturday night was also spent with friends cheering the Cardinals on to victory.

Both Friday and Saturday were wonderful days and ones for which I am very grateful. In a way they were like a blip on the radar screen of reality. No responsibilities, no pressing engagements, just good relaxed fun. Sunday was quite the opposite. My husband left home at 8:30 a.m. and returned 13 and ½ hours later, having been in meetings every minute in between.

But I have decided that although our lives are often consumed with chores, worries, responsibilities, meetings and demands, the occasional lazy day, or relaxed evening is as much a reality as the other. Although having a lazy day may not be a frequent event, it is those times, as well as those spent with family and friends, that are ---as one bloggist wrote me—the sprinkles on our cupcakes of life. They are what often give color and dimension to our lives, and bring such great . . . joy to our journey