Wrap up

I was scanning the obituaries in the paper as I ate lunch the other day with my best friend. I noted out loud to Jan that most obits included the hobbies and talents of the deceased. Knowing that there wouldn’t be much to write about me I asked her what she would say about my talents and interests in my obituary. She paused. I squirmed in my chair; if she had to think this long about my question it couldn’t be good.

Finally she said, “I’d say you were a devoted husband, father, and family man.”

“What? Did you just say that I voted? I said with astonishment. “Is that what you’d say, that I voted? Is that all that you could think of?"

She quickly restated that I was a devoted husband. Guess I didn’t hear clearly on that one.

It’s now become one of those jokes between she and I that make us giggle when I shake my head and say, “I voted. So, that’s all you can think of?”

This isn’t a very good transition but my A.D.D. has set in and I’ve gone off chasing balloons. So, now that the year is already 1/12 over I thought I’d take a moment and wrap up the past year.

It seems like there wasn’t much that happened during the prior year but Jan and I thought a little about that and discovered we actually did some great things. The year started with Jordan and family leaving after a great holiday season where all our kids came home. Jan and I took a quick trip to see Dad in the Bay area. In March Nicole and Noah came out for a visit. When Noah asked if we could wrestle, I felt I had arrived as a grandpa. I also felt a little bruised afterwards.

In April we struggled with career decisions and, looking back, for now any way, we made the correct choice. In June we visited Jordan and all the girls in Delaware. We went places we never had seen before and did things that helped us forget any struggles we had.

In June I also had a shift in church callings that required a lifestyle change.

In July we ate Crispy Cream donuts while sitting on blankets that lined the Provo 4th of July parade. We also brought Brittany and Maeli home to stay with us for a few weeks. At the end of the month Jan left with her sister Jeanne to take Brittany and Maeli home. That trip took nearly two weeks that included an extended expedition to Las Vegas and San Diego. It was memorable because Jan had fun, I didn’t. Later in September she took off again to Disneyland for a week. Jan had fun…I did not.

Not much more has changed.

The total ages of the cars we drive? 35

Total mileage for the two cars? 293,000

Total combined years of Jan and I? 85 (she claims she’s 29. I let her have this one.)

2011 will bring at least two grandsons joining the family this year. We have lots of plans.

What else will 2011 bring? What will be the combined years for Jan and I this new year? 86

Jan remains eternally locked in the age time warp.