We woke up Friday morning and per the usual, John decided to check his phone (which happened to include Facebook). He saw that that very day was Nancy's birthday! She hadn't said a thing to us about it, so I wasn't sure if FB had it right. However, we walked out and asked her, and yes indeed, it was her birthday! She told us that she doesn't really like to celebrate birthdays because it just means she's one year older, but we told her that that just wouldn't do with the Kennedys around.
We already had some plans for the day, but we switched them around so that we could make the day her day.
The main plan for the day was to go to the Albuquerque temple together, and we kept that on the schedule for 2:00. We were just going to have leftovers at home, but she decided she wanted to go to Schlotzsky's for lunch. That was certainly fine by ME! ;-). Then it was off to the temple.
What a beacon the temple has been for us over the past year. Not only has it helped us through these really dark times of John's job being up in the air, but it's been a wonderful time to spend with friends and family. With Nance at my side, the session was more a time to laugh and have fun. There was a woman in the session who had been talking in the bathroom about how sick she was and how the people in the previous session had tried to move away from her and her coughing. So, every time she coughed in our session, Nance and I would choreographically lift our packets to cover our mouths and noses ;-). And bless the heart of the man who offered the prayer circle prayer--he wasn't very good at offering the prayer in short, succinct phrases, so nobody could accurately repeat what he said. I've never had that happen before, and it was hard not to laugh! But in the celestial room, it was so good to spend some final temple moments with John--it will be the last time we're in the temple before his hearing (because the Detroit temple is closed for the month). We have learned so much through this trial, and it's hard to actually voice, but we have been blessed beyond measure. The story of the rich young man came to mind while sitting in the celestial room--he went to Jesus, asking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life--he told Jesus that he already kept all of the commandments--and Jesus told him to sell everything he had and follow him. It's what our trial feels like. We're keeping all the commandments and doing our best spiritually, but can we continue to have faith and to believe when our physical world is falling apart around us? We can. We can leave behind everything that we thought was secure and continue to believe in Jesus.
(As a side note, I just got a text that we have a new bishop in our ward. He just so happens to be our "ministering brother"...the one who hasn't visited us in the past two years we've lived in Chelsea. Oof, talk about hard to swallow....)
Anyway, the temple was lovely. I was so glad to be there with Dave and Nancy and John and Mark.
We then swung by Baskin-Robbins to pick up an ice cream cake for Nance. Man, it was a good one too! Chocolate chip ice cream on chocolate cake.
That night, Dave and Nancy had an obligation at the Officer's Club. And by "obligation", I mean they were supposed to show up at the club as a "paid" audience for the Thunderbirds. Yes, THE Thunderbirds. I knew I wouldn't be able to even talk to them because I would be fangirling them so badly. I mean, I can't remember a time I didn't know who the Thunderbirds were! Nance told us that we would need to go out to eat afterwards because the food wouldn't be good, but holy smokes, she was WRONG-O about THAT! That put out a spread that would rival the wedding feast! Sliced, fresh turkey, peanut chicken kebabs, roast beef, fresh fruit (by the way, the fresh fruit in this area is AMAZING!), deli sandwiches, and so many desserts. It was fun too to have the whole Air Force presentation thing--lithographs, and exaggerated adjectives ("outstanding", "exceptional", "impressive"), and acronyms dropping like tics on a deer. We were ready to leave, but I insisted on a picture with at least one Thunderbird. I mean, if you don't have a picture, did it really happen? They were eating, so we asked for just a quick shot, but it was like a dance that they've danced a million times--they dropped everything, stepped back, told us where to stand, and stood for the picture. The craziest thing? There is now a female Thunderbird pilot. I can't even imagine what that woman had to go through to be selected. I wish I hadn't been so star-struck, because I would have loved to have asked her about her journey (although knowing the Air Force, she would have had very rote, politically correct answers).
And that night, we played Cover Your A$$etts for several hours, laughing and laughing some more. We waited on Nance hand and foot (she seriously loved it), and we ended the evening watching the first episode of Killing Eve.
We already had some plans for the day, but we switched them around so that we could make the day her day.
The main plan for the day was to go to the Albuquerque temple together, and we kept that on the schedule for 2:00. We were just going to have leftovers at home, but she decided she wanted to go to Schlotzsky's for lunch. That was certainly fine by ME! ;-). Then it was off to the temple.
What a beacon the temple has been for us over the past year. Not only has it helped us through these really dark times of John's job being up in the air, but it's been a wonderful time to spend with friends and family. With Nance at my side, the session was more a time to laugh and have fun. There was a woman in the session who had been talking in the bathroom about how sick she was and how the people in the previous session had tried to move away from her and her coughing. So, every time she coughed in our session, Nance and I would choreographically lift our packets to cover our mouths and noses ;-). And bless the heart of the man who offered the prayer circle prayer--he wasn't very good at offering the prayer in short, succinct phrases, so nobody could accurately repeat what he said. I've never had that happen before, and it was hard not to laugh! But in the celestial room, it was so good to spend some final temple moments with John--it will be the last time we're in the temple before his hearing (because the Detroit temple is closed for the month). We have learned so much through this trial, and it's hard to actually voice, but we have been blessed beyond measure. The story of the rich young man came to mind while sitting in the celestial room--he went to Jesus, asking what he needed to do to inherit eternal life--he told Jesus that he already kept all of the commandments--and Jesus told him to sell everything he had and follow him. It's what our trial feels like. We're keeping all the commandments and doing our best spiritually, but can we continue to have faith and to believe when our physical world is falling apart around us? We can. We can leave behind everything that we thought was secure and continue to believe in Jesus.(As a side note, I just got a text that we have a new bishop in our ward. He just so happens to be our "ministering brother"...the one who hasn't visited us in the past two years we've lived in Chelsea. Oof, talk about hard to swallow....)
Anyway, the temple was lovely. I was so glad to be there with Dave and Nancy and John and Mark.
We then swung by Baskin-Robbins to pick up an ice cream cake for Nance. Man, it was a good one too! Chocolate chip ice cream on chocolate cake.
That night, Dave and Nancy had an obligation at the Officer's Club. And by "obligation", I mean they were supposed to show up at the club as a "paid" audience for the Thunderbirds. Yes, THE Thunderbirds. I knew I wouldn't be able to even talk to them because I would be fangirling them so badly. I mean, I can't remember a time I didn't know who the Thunderbirds were! Nance told us that we would need to go out to eat afterwards because the food wouldn't be good, but holy smokes, she was WRONG-O about THAT! That put out a spread that would rival the wedding feast! Sliced, fresh turkey, peanut chicken kebabs, roast beef, fresh fruit (by the way, the fresh fruit in this area is AMAZING!), deli sandwiches, and so many desserts. It was fun too to have the whole Air Force presentation thing--lithographs, and exaggerated adjectives ("outstanding", "exceptional", "impressive"), and acronyms dropping like tics on a deer. We were ready to leave, but I insisted on a picture with at least one Thunderbird. I mean, if you don't have a picture, did it really happen? They were eating, so we asked for just a quick shot, but it was like a dance that they've danced a million times--they dropped everything, stepped back, told us where to stand, and stood for the picture. The craziest thing? There is now a female Thunderbird pilot. I can't even imagine what that woman had to go through to be selected. I wish I hadn't been so star-struck, because I would have loved to have asked her about her journey (although knowing the Air Force, she would have had very rote, politically correct answers).
And that night, we played Cover Your A$$etts for several hours, laughing and laughing some more. We waited on Nance hand and foot (she seriously loved it), and we ended the evening watching the first episode of Killing Eve.
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| I love this picture. It's obvious that Nance and Mark are going to have some fun over the next three months. |
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