Dawn and Ed Came, and Kristie Got Married

Dawn and Ed Flinn (Jim's sister and her husband) came to visit last month.  They were scheduled to come last year but had to postpone the trip because of a family medical situation.  They arrived on a Saturday evening and flew out midday Monday.  'Twas a quick trip, but we so appreciated their coming down.  It was great to visit with them.  They were excited to see Ever since the only other time they'd seen her was when she was two months old and asleep the whole time. 

Saturday night we got a babysitter so we could go to dinner after we picked the Flinns up from the airport.  Ed requested Mexican food (he likes HOT food), so we ended up at El Torito in Oceanside.  It's a mediocre restaurant, but the food was fine enough. 

Sunday Dawn and Ed came to church with us, and then we introduced them to Vicious Gin (the whole darn thing) while Dolly took a long nap.  Then we ate dinner and went for a lovely walk on the trails around the perimeter of our neighborhood. 

Jim went to work on Monday morning, and I tried to go for a run with Dawn (and Dolly in the stroller).  My right knee started really hurting after a bit, so we ended up walking a lot of it.  I hate my dumb knees.  Sometimes they're totally fine, and then sometimes they give me such trouble.  It's been so long since I've exercised regularly; I probably just need to build them back up.  Anyway, after the jaunt we just had time to clean up and then head to the airport. 

In other news, Kristie Perkins got married last weekend.  She was my roomate in L.A. for years, beginning in 2002 right before I started law school.  The last time I talked to her before the engagement, she was despairing about possibly never getting married.  (She's 42, turning 43 next month.)  But then she met Howard Sharp (who's 51 and divorced), and they were engaged shortly thereafter. 

They were married in the Salt Lake temple on Saturday, March 2.  Our beloved babysitter, Mikayla Shirley, slept over on Friday night so I could leave for the airport on Saturday morning at 4:00 A.M. to catch the first flight out to Salt Lake.  (Jim was on a snowboarding trip with the Young Men.)  Ever usually sleeps for 12-13 hours and doesn't make a peep.  Not that Friday night, though.  I was on track to be in bed around 11:00 P.M., but then I think I woke Ever with my blowdryer.  She was inconsolable and couldn't/wouldn't go back to sleep.  At one point I thought I'd finally gotten her back down, but then she coughed for a long time (she's been sick, again) and eventually started crying again.  It was awful.  I finally got to bed around midnight.  By that time my throat was hurting, and I couldn't fall asleep right away because I was thinking that something horrible (like death) was going to happen to Dolly while we were gone.  Needless to say, I was hurt bad when my alarm went off at 3:25 A.M.

Nevertheless, I made it to the temple in plenty of time for the sealing.  I saw a few old L.A. aquaintances there, and the ceremony was really nice.  Kristie seemed so very happy.  (She did the cutest little giddy face and shoulder shrug when Howard's father, the sealer, pronounced them man and wife.)  When I was released from the post-sealing picture-taking, I raced to a nearby William Sonoma to get a gift and then to the wedding luncheon at a new restaurant called Caterina.  The food was delicious, and we got to hear from lots of family and friends while we ate.  Kristie gave a sweet, heartfelt speech, which she began by asking everyone who had ever heard her bemoan her single status to please stand.  Almost everyone stood.  Then she said, "I've been waiting a long time for this."  After the lunch I went to my friend Sarah Zobell's house.  We went together to the reception at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, where we saw more old friends.  I took no pictures of the wedding festivities, but I stole these from Kristie's Facebook:

(Somehow I ended up right in the front by Kristie.)

After the reception, I surprised Grandma Hastings at the Orem rehab center, where she'd just been transferred after another stint in the hospital.  She was so confused when I arrived around 9:15 P.M. ("You look like Whitney," she said), but the confusion eventually gave way to delight.  It meant a lot to her, and she said (jokingly) that she never would have forgiven me if she'd found out I was there and hadn't visited.  She also said I'd be glad and relieved that I had visited when she died the next day.  She talks as if her death is imminent.  (Remind me - I'm supposed to put a big, showy pink flower on her casket.)  At the same time, though, she wants to stick around long enough to finish her life story and see Danielle married.  (She told me that if I want to know how much longer she has to check in with Dani; as soon as Dani's settled down, she'll say goodbye.)  At one point, she said she feels as if she needs to get up there before Bob finds a young angel with pretty wings.  I said, "Grandma, he was so devoted; I don't think you have anything to worry about."  Then she got serious and said, "I never wondered about him."  I love their relationship so much.  I tried to leave much earlier, but Grandma detained me with stories until almost 11:30 P.M.  I felt so tired and awful I thought I might die, but I was super glad I went.  I wonder if that won't be my last visit with her. 

I got back to Sarah's around midnight, and then we stayed up until after 2:00 A.M. talking.  (It just felt necessary since she was putting me up at her place and we hadn't really had much time together.)  I had to wake up in the 6 o'clock hour to catch my flight back to San Diego, so I got a grand total of about seven hours of sleep Friday and Saturday nights combined.  My body can't take that in my old age! 

Despite the sleep deprivation, it was a great weekend.  Hooray for people finding companions in old age (at least old age in Mormonland), and hooray for wonderful, funny, spunky grandmas!