When your Awesome Dad turns 80, you call your brother and sisters and tell them you have a flight to go see him! Kelly booked me a flight a few months back and let me know I could fly down to Tucson and celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday with him! Sooooo sweet! I was really surprised and happy about the trip. So I group texted all my siblings and plans started in motion. Everything for the weekend was planned and we were all excited to spend the time with our parents. Dean, Dianna, Sherry, Rick, me, Selena and Sherry's daughter Tiffany were all there. Tiffany is living with my parents in Tucson at this time. She's such a sweetheart and so fun to be around. So... Selena and I flew in to Phoenix on the same flight from Burbank CA, and Dean and Dianna picked us up in a rental car at the airport. They flew in from St. George the day before and visited their granddaughter for the day. All worked beautifully. We drove the almost two hour drive to Mom and Dad's and Sherry was there with Rick waiting in the car. We all went up and knocked at the door and WOW! DAD opened the door!! We all started singing Happy Birthday and watched our Dad's smile get bigger and bigger. He was surprised and so happy. We went in, took some photos and were all excited. We settled in for the night about 12:00. Dean and Dianna went to a hotel, me and Selena slept on a mattress on the family room floor and Rick and Sherry had the guest bedroom. Tiffany slept on the couch in the living room.
Next day was Saturday, Dad's actual birthday and he mentioned to Mom that he wanted to attend the new Tucson temple on his birthday! Well, we all brought our temple clothes and planned that outing. It was a beautiful day, not too hot, but pretty warm for this Oregon girl. The session was beautiful and full. It was the first weekend the new Tucson temple was open since the open house. I had a family name in my dress pocket to do an endowment session for. I was happy about that! I was also a little worried about my condition. Would I be able to sit through a 2 hour session, no bathroom breaks? It all worked out great. I got up early enough to have breakfast and be ready. After our session we went outside and took photos. It was a beautiful day and we all enjoyed being together. I didn't sleep very well there, but that's nothing new. My sleep is interrupted several times a night. Soon I'm hoping for relief and getting on a medication that works for me.. It will happen. Praying it will happen soon.
While we were at Mom and Dad's, mom had just gotten a new touch screen smart phone. Sooooo we all took a turn giving her a hands on tutorial about how to use it. She kept saying "I don't know how to work it" so we helped her and by the time the weekend was over, she was doing much better. We set up google photos, pandora, her text messages, her phone and her LDS tools and library for her. She was set. Then Dad said she is doing more with her phone than he knows how to do with his! So Dean gave Dad a tutorial about his phone and made sure he had google photos and everything he needed to work his phone. Lol. Dad's had a smart phone for over a year. :)
Selena was our designated photographer, and we took photos when we got back to the house. We took a LOT of photos! Lol. Individual ones with Dad, group photos, sibling photos... it was a fun time! Selena set up her camera and we posed for multiple family photos, all in our blues. Looked so nice! It was really fun. Love family photo sessions!
Then Dad blew out candles on his cake after we sang to him again. Funny, but the wind actually blew out the candles before he could get to them. :) We ate cake and there were a few more presents to be given. Selena painted a few scenery pictures and let Dad choose the one he liked the best for his gift.
This weekend with my parents and siblings was soooo relaxing and nice. We love getting together and when it's all over we always ask ourselves "When's our next get together?!" We need to plan that. Selena has a play she's in and that's in October in Simi Valley. Sherry's girl Kristin gets back from her mission end of November. There are things we could all get together for. Our house is getting finished and in the early Spring will be ready for guests, I'm hoping anyway!!
Love this family I was born into and I"m so grateful to have my parents still and feel their loving influence and prayers in my life. Mom calls quite a bit lately, and I love it. We are empty nesters, so talking to my Mom is great. Mom and Dad are seminary principals and are up so early in the morning every day. They LOVE the youth though, and they love them.
Happy Family time, I hope everyone has family they can turn to, laugh and cry with and get support from.
Alaina Muntifering
Herbalife Coach living with UC
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