Its Mother's Day tomorrow and I wanted to post about the wonderful mother in our family, my Dear Aris.
We are just finishing a wonderful trip to California and in consistent style of being a mother of her children, she planned the trip around the kids and gave them each input into how the trip would go and what they wanted to do. They each got to pick an activity or plan days of activities and it has been a great trip centered around things the kids would like to do together and with us as a family.
We went to Yosemite National Park. Johannah likes national parks, Ethan loves the stories of Free Solo and the Dawn Wall which both occurred in Yosemite and so we visited the park and toured the paths and scenic overlooks and explored one of the natural wonders of the world. We saw El Capitan where Alex and Tommy climbed with and without ropes and amazed the world and us.
We saw waterfalls, mountains, rivers and all sorts of other beautiful things and hiked till our legs and feet could not move for the pain and suffering we inflicted upon them. But we had wonderful experiences and enjoyed them together with the kids.
We went to Alcatraz and Chinatown both places Mark and Johannah wanted to visit as Alcatraz is another national park and Chinatown is just cool and we ordered Dim Sum in Chinatown where all the old Chinese people were eating. Because we did not know what to get, we just told the nice Chinese lady to give us food for 5 and for 72 dollars she gave us dumplings, Pokemon like red bean paste filled tasty treats and we had food for 2 days that tasted good and stayed healthy for two days. I liked Alcatraz because its and old prison and had old buildings and ruins and we listened to the stories of the prisoners and the guards. It really struck me how when you lose your freedom and are humbled even the most basic of human functions seem really special, like eating some decent food and having something to do. One thing that really struck me was that when hardened criminals were beaten down by the system they were more respectful and appreciative then so many of the free people of our current day society. It was also sad the lengths they would go to to keep their minds occupied, like toss a button into the air in the dark and spend whatever time it took to find the button on the floor and then they repeated this to keep their minds occupied, time and time again. The kids really liked it as did Larisa and I and we also got cool swag because it was so well priced.
We visited Glo's mission friends and some of her areas and we saw her friends Augustin who makes delicious and spicy tacos, we met Hermano Miranda who hosted them many times for meals and trips to the temple, Brother Nelson who used to be a rocker but now plays guitar for spiritual music, and we visited Sis Edwards who let us pick oranges and lemons which were so fresh I could peel and eat the lemons fresh off the tree like an orange. Roaming Glo's mission made me remember how much it means to be with people in a mission setting and how great it is to talk to them and get to know them.
We visited the Oakland temple today and it reminded me of a pyramid with the true spirit of god in it rather than the majesty of false gods and lost truths that the Egyptians believed in. The grounds were so beautiful and peaceful and I was thankful to have visited another temple. We also saw an Oakland As game with the kids, we got free hats, ate hotdogs and saw them beat the Tampa bay Rays which was all fun.
The thing was we got to do it with our four children and even though they are adults, we got to spend time with them and have them to ourselves for a week. it was awesome. I hope mommy realized what a gift it was for all of us that she gave us and we all gave her.
I am so thankful for mommy and her being the mother of our children. She is a great mother. she is smart, hard working, motivated, good with conversation and at teaching the kids, she is a good spiritual example and she has accomplished amazing things with our kids. I am very thankful for the wonderful mother she has been to our kids. This fun and organized trip that look so many hours of planning and effort is just another in a string of successful activities and events she has made for our family over the years.
I always say she is the director to the beautiful story of our lives and I am the producer. She is the ship that carries us through the galaxy of our lives and I am the fuel cell that powers the journey. Sometimes I malfunction and sometimes she doesn't know which way to go but we always work it out and have made such wonderful journeys together with our children as our crew and passengers.
I also am grateful for the beautiful wife and friend she has been to me but I know she gets tired of me saying that she is beautiful and just what I want so I won't say that, but I am eternally thankful for who and what she was when I found her, what she has been for me and the kids all these years and the person and woman she has become through all the experiences of her life and our life.
Thank Heaven for sending Larisa Ann Apgar to me and to our children. We love you! And I sure love you!
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