Burley

I've wanted to make a trip to Burley for some time.
I needed to go.
On Friday the stars aligned and I was able to go.
Scotty kept the oldest three and wrangled soccer games, Saturday chores, and a late Friday night party.
I left Cole and Grace and Grandma and Grandpa's house.

 Grandma was busy baking tons of pies for the ward Scout auction. Mind you it was only 9 am, and she was wrapping up the last few here. 

Here's Grandpa with 2 new knees only a few weeks old. 

His therapist told him she'd never seen anyone with Dad's range of motion in such a short time.

Turns out he needs no outpatient therapy because he's done it all himself. 

No surprise there, Dad's a machine. 

77 this year- psh! He's got the knees of a 14 year old.

 I grew up in Burley, but my parents moved to Utah shortly after I was married.

I lived in one house until about 5 and then the other until I left for college. 

It holds all my childhood memories. Just driving through that little town

brings back floods of memories. 

Parades, early morning Mayfair sales, fancy jeans at Ropers, sidewalk sale days, waitressing at Perkins, making sandwiches at Subway, cleaning hotel rooms at the Best Western, and working at McD's with Jen, going to DQ after my baptism with the family, tree forts, weed forts, burning our own trash, walking the ditch banks with Mom, picking wild asparagus, running in the borrow pit to Shannon's house, sleepovers on the huge deck that Dad built, running through the sprinklers and sleeping on the trampoline, running across the street to Tonya's house, making Dad late for work when we missed the bus, walking home from elementary school, making a chalk city for our bikes, teen dances, taking our garden produce to enter it in the fair early in the morning. 

I guess for many people who know of Burley they wrinkle their nose up at the little town, but I grew up there. It holds so many fantastic memories with wonderful people.  

My real purpose for going to Burley was to visit my friend Shannon. 

We've been friends since we were 5.  

She recently had a Birthday and she has a lot going on in her life.
Her sweet baby Mallory has many medical challenges.
She is as sweet as they come and I think she particularly likes me.
I can get a smile out of her with ease. Shannon is a vigilant, valiant, sacrificing, loving Mother. 

She is also one of those friends that you get together with and pick right up where you left off. 

We had lunch at Spinners and chatted about life and High School and friends.
Then we stopped by our favorite Young Women's leader's house.
We visited and made plans to get back together later that night.

Shannon took her kids for haircuts and I picked up Wendy and went to see an old family friend,

 Mae Mabey (Jones) at the Care Center. 

This use to be the hospital and was the hospital I and several of my siblings were born in. 

Mae has suffered a stroke, and I was unsure of what to expect, but 

she was as spunky as ever. She cracked jokes and reminisced with us. I felt her sorrow for the loss of some of her physical abilities, but she told us all the ways she keeps her mind working- puzzles, sudoku, cards. Mom use to go to Mae's and clean house or help take care of Grandma, and oh the VHS collection Mae had. We checked out some great flicks from Mae. She was the Netflix of the 90's.

She was so happy to see us, and it was a stop I was so glad I made. 

Of course I had to drive down Sandy Glen and see the old lane. 

This is our house. Look at those bushes! Mom would be out there trimming those down yesterday!

My parents kept a beautiful yard and it was an acre of landscaping, garden, raspberry patch, and an orchard.

I felt a bit like a stalker here, but i had to show everyone that they took down the 

front room wall! You can see right out the back door. 

Shannon, Livy and I went out to Kiwi Loco to visit G.J. at work. 

I tried my best to embarass her and all I got was an eye roll. 

Ah well. 

These are Shannon's 3 oldest kids enjoying a pizza night with Daddy while we went out for dinner. 

After dinner Shannon and I visited with Janet until 2 in the  morning. We talked and cried and laughed until our stomachs hurt. Janet has lost two children. Her oldest was 5 years old and I was his babysitter.  She lost her baby after only 2 months because of the physical challenges she was born with.  I cannot understand the pain Janet has endured. She is a tremendous woman and a dear friend. 

Each of us has been through heavy trials, and it was uniting to talk about those and to share insight. 

Saturday morning Wendy made me breakfast with this rancid butter. 

Okay, maybe not rancid, but she keeps it in her cupboard like Grandma did. 

It's salted butter, so I'll forgive, but I had to tease her a bit. 

To wrap up the visit Wendy and the girls and I went to Kiwi Loco for breakfast yogurt. 

I stopped by Shannon's and said goodbye on the way out of town. 

This is what greeted me as I pulled into my parents. Looks like the kids had a good time.

And this is what we came home with. 

A cherry pie bought at auction by Cole and some of Grandma's chicken's eggs.

Grandpa told me Cole came in early Saturday morning from the coop with a grin on his face. 

"Guess what I have Grandpa?"

And then he pulled a warm chicken egg out of each pocket. 

Early this morning (Tuesday May 3rd) Shannon called. 

Mallory had returned home to her Heavenly Father. 

My heart is heavy.  I am so glad that I made this trip to be with Shannon. 

My testimony of the Lord's hand in our lives is strengthened.

He knows each of us. He knows our pain. He will succor us.