Our Trip to Omaha part 2

I forgot to mention that Bryan was home from work Monday by 2:30pm and after having some lunch took Karl and me to the big gym on base. It is enormous. The track inside is more than a quarter mile around. You have to go only 3 ½ times to make a mile. There is also a full size lap pool and a free weight room plus a basket ball court, tennis court, racket ball rooms and a full sized soccor field too. The machines with weights is in the middle of the track too. (Everything but the pool and weight room are) We worked out about 35-40 minutes then walked around the track once. We went again on Thursday afternoon. Bryan took leave Thursday and Friday. He also had from noon on Wednesday off. Evidently they get the half day off before their leave starts. He had to go back Thursday afternoon to a meeting so Karl and I worked out for close to an hour while he was in his meeting. We took books with us and we read for about a half hour also. With those workouts plus the stairs here at the house, I feel I’m in pretty good shape. The stairs are so much easier than they were especially the first year and even last year too.
Helen and Al Bonneau (Sandy’s parents) arrived Wednesday early afternoon. We hadn’t seen them for two years since Jessica graduated. Sandy went to get them and I babysat Jason while she was gone. I fed him and changed him and when he went to sleep I placed him in his car seat. That’s where he is when he isn’t being held or in bed. (I learned that those carseats are every bit as heavy and awkward as they look.) He had just waked up just before they returned. I was holding him and Helen came over and introduced herself and Grandpa Bonneau to him and Jason made eye contact with each one of them (he doesn’t do that very often) and then me also and gave us each a cute smile as he did so. He even laughed out loud at Helen and me once. Not sure what brought it on but I don’t care. We watched The Chronicles of Narnia (that we brought with us) Saturday afternoon. Sandy had been nursing him and her mother needed help with her washer so I told her I would take him. He nestled down on my chest and went to sleep. Jessica and some friends came back (she came to show Jason off) and they each held him. Even tho’ he had waked up he nestled right back down and slept there the whole movie. Sandy offered to put him in his bed but I told her I really didn’t mind holding him. It was so nice to sit there and feel his little body next to mine. He is such a sweet, special little spirit. I know he will bring such joy to their family. He already has. Sara is just like a little mother to him. (Altho’ she refuses to change a messy diaper. She doesn’t mind just the wet ones.) It’s so good to see her enjoying him instead of being jealous of him. One can tell the babies who are born in this day and age are soooo special and sweet. We know that they are the elite and have been saved especially for this point in time. They must be strong spirits in order to withstand the advisary in this day and age. I’m thankful for the parents these special grandchildren have to lead the way for them and teach them correct principles. I’m thankful that I (and my sweetheart) was taught so I (we) could teach our children so they would be prepared to teach their children. The church and the gospel do certainly play a big role in those teachings.
Wednesday night Bryan, Sandy and Karl went to the awards night for the drama department for Chris and Bryce. Sara, Helen, Al and I stayed home with Jason. We watched Nanny McVee and Bewitched. We really enjoyed them. Thursday night Bryan, Sandy, Al, Karl and I went to Sara’s chorus conert. Chris had to work and Bryce stayed home with Jason. Bryce said he slept the whole time. Sara’s eighth grade chorus was very impressive. They sounded as good as many high school choruses. They started with 79 in seventh grade and had 96 this year. Friday night we watched Nanny McVee again and Les Miserable the musical that Bryce was in the last part of this year. Those high school kids were very talented and did an excellant job. We finished watching it Saturday afternoon. Then we watched Narnia. Karl and I had been the only ones to see it. We all enjoyed it. It also was very well done.
Sunday was Mother’s Day. Karl and I called our mothers Saturday night because we knew yesterday would be very busy. Since Church starts at 9:00 and there are eleven of us here that meant early showers. We got there on time and were all able to go in the van. We just stayed for sacrament meeting. Bryan gave Jason a beautiful blessing. A special men’s chorus sang a beautiful song about the mother making a house a home. They did a good job on it. I wouldn’t have been able to talk afterwards if I’d wanted to. (I can’t be emotional and talk at the same time.) We came home and Sandy put the roasts on to cook and the house was straightened and then we left for Omaha for Chris’s graduation. Chris left earlier. They had to pay $6 to park the van but we parked on the top level and rode the elevator down (it was only about 15 ft from where we parked) then able to walk just a short ways to our seats. When we went to Jessica’s graduation (they were both in the civic auditorium in Omaha, we had to walk up four steep ramps to get to our seats. It was torture for me. I could have done much better this year but Helen would have had much difficulty. Tho’ I wasn’t sorry that we didn’t have to negotiate the ramps either. We had a short wait before the processional started. The band played to entertain us before everything got started.