This One's For Charina!

This past week was a joyous one, and I want to dedicate the description and the events thereof to our dear east coast sister, Char! This is a rather wordy and self centered blog, so if you could care less (which is likely and just fine) read no longer.

But. Char, you must.

On Tuesday I got all the way from Colorado Springs to Provo, barely making the SLC flight and traveling on the bus by myself! I was a lone traveling woman with all I owned in the bag on my back! I just imagined myself having to wait at this little rundown ghetto corner of downtown Salt Lake crowded with a bunch of foreign people and when i got to my first transfer stop it was just that! Regardless, I made it to Provo and campus is a glorious place!

There I met Elise!!!!!!! A joyous, joyous reunion indeed. We went to Ripple's the next day, which is the drive-in place in The Phone Call. This picture is the posts where Scott lays the board he breaks to warn his adversary, "Don't press your luck, Joe!" Cool, eh?

Then it was the Sports Camp Counselor Retreat! Char, so many people recognized me as your sister on their own free will and intuition and it surprised me! I was honored of course, and they were all happy to hear you are thriving (you are thriving, right?) and that I was the very flesh and blood of sisterhood related to you. I also had the honor of occasionally being identified as Sarah's best friend ("you're from Colorado Springs? Do you know Sarah then?" "Ha, do I know Sarah!? I am more bonded to Sarah than you are to your own mother!")(Just kidding, I didn't really say that) (sometimes)

There was a talent show, in which i performed my poem, thinking, "Oh, these people will appreciate the clever humor and true statements about BYU dating weaved within this ballad" but, no, they more appreciated the memorization factor. Alas, appreciation nonetheless.

In any case, here's a glimpse of friendship for you, Char, as well as a shout out to my newfound kindred spirit Josh Bolding, as I do believe he may check this blog every now and then.

After a glorious retreat full of an hour total of training, bonding beyond any before, and more people discovering my bellybutton trick than should have, Jamie and a surprise-CJ!- picked me up by providence in Provo!

Both of them even changed their son's diapers in Elise's yard which was hilarious becuase a) Elise comes from an all girl family b) there were strangers viewing her house at that time and c) the mom next door was mowing her lawn with her child strapped to her in a baby carrier thing. ha!

We bonded all the way down to Monroe, where our nieces and nephews were just abundant and big and where we visited two Monrovian spots, the quaint library and La Casita del Osi! It was way good and way hectic with Carters and Lindes coming out of our ears!
It was WONDERFUL to be with them all, though, and CJ and I stayed up late LAUGHING OUR HEADS OFF (see her blog) and discovering that we are actually NINE years apart, where we both thought it was only 8. I mean, i knew we had to be so far apart because the world couldn't handle both of us at the same time, but really? Nine!? We had no idea.

Jame and I then took off across the country with the kids in the back and snacks in the front (and all over Ally's carseat) at which point we proceeded to LAUGH OUR HEADS OFF for NINE hours straight! Some conclusions we came to after all this laughter: a) Dad is funny b) Mom is funny c) CJ is funny d) Char is funny e) Bum is funny! Hahhaa we have a funny family, and we told stories of each of you as the miles flew by! Definitely one of the top three road trips of my life! Thanks, Jame!

I spent a day in LA with Jamie and LaDon. LaDon and I ran the most beastly stairs ever ever ever, LaDon beasted up them and it was rough but joyous!

Sorry if this picture is inappropriate, but it is also the best one demonstrating the fatness of Daniel, which is fatness beyond your wildest imagination!

PHEW! SO..... What is the point of all this nonsense gabbering about my own life? CHARINA! You live so far away! I want to bond with you and Jimmy, for I have bonded with all the sistas but you this week and such yearning is in my soul!

Can I come see you on Thursday?