On Wednesday Mom and I went to the Redlands Temple to go through a session with some family names I had. It was a nice session but for some reason it took longer then usual to get through. Normally that would not be a problem but today it kind of was because we were supposed to meet Heather at Moreno Valley High School for lunch. She is a Science teacher at the school and did not have a lot of time because after her lunch period she had mandatory staff meetings to be at. By the time we got to the school we only had time to either walk around the school or go get something to eat, but definitely not both. Moreno Valley was my Alma Mater and I really wanted to walk around campus to reminisce and see how it had changed, so that is what we did.
My overall impression was that it was a lot smaller then I remembered. MoVal High is the oldest High School in Moreno Valley and so it was in the process of getting some much needed renovations and updates. One thing that had stayed the same was the big rock in the Quad. The rock has been there since the 70's I think and it was painted for holidays and homecomings, Big games and graduations, start of school and end of school...basically for anything the ASB and/or school wanted to paint it for to show school spirit. I was happy to see it was still there and had Heather take a picture of me with it, she also got the logo on the school gym in the background. It was fun to walk the grounds and to remember the good and the bad. I think it is fun that Heather is a teacher at our Alma Mater and I am glad that Mom and I were able to visit her and see her classroom.
After we left Heather Mom drove me by our old houses. The 12994 Alona street house was the earliest one I can remember living in. We had a lot of friends on that street and made some good memories. I remember skating parties and water balloon fights in the backyard with my Dad and sisters. We lived on the corner of a busy road and I remember sitting on top of the big wall blocking our house from the road with my sisters and brother yelling at cars as they passed by. I remember Saturday mornings doing yard work in the front yard and my Dad going to get us doughnuts and juice when we were done, also climbing around in the garage with Jeremy and Heather licking the salt pellets my parents had stored in there. The outside has been changed a lot and one of the saddest changes is that the owners took out the brick wall in the front that we helped my Dad build.
After that house we drove by 13290 Fieldcrest court. This house we moved into when I was in the fifth grade I think. We were all excited about the move and I remember helping paint the inside before we moved in. The wall we helped build in the front of this house was still there but the outside was painted a different color. Like the High School this house was a lot smaller then I remember it being. My parents moved out of this house to Riverside the week before I got married and that was a crazy and stressful time. I remember walking home from High School to this house and on the rare times that my Mom was not home and we found ourselves locked out I would jimmy the front window open and crawl inside that way. There was a playhouse in the backyard that was cool and fun to hang out in when we first moved in but got abandoned when we got bored with it. Heather, Emily and I would make up dance routines on the backyard patio and play college dorm inside our bedroom. I shared a room with Heather and Emily, then Erin and then Heather again. I remember Friday nights eating ice-cream watching TGIF and Sunday nights watching the Magical World of Disney movie. This was the house that I was accepted to Ricks college in and the house I came home from Ricks College to engaged to the Man of my Dreams. A lot of good memories growing up in this house with my family.
While I was in California Kenedy got asked to Rocky Mountains Homecoming by Drew Kashyap, a friend of hers from our ward. She sent me the picture of how he asked her and I loved it! It made me really happy to see he referenced The Office. I asked her how she was going to respond but she said she did when he came by with the flowers and box of pretzels. The past dances she has been asked to dances the invite was always left at the house and then Kenedy would respond by dropping something off to them. But Drew came in with his invite and after she read it he asked her "well?" and of course she said yes.
His Mom came in after the asking was done so that she could get a picture of the two of them. I was really happy that she did that and that she sent me the picture she took.
Friday night, the night before I was flying home Heather, Ashleigh and I went to watch Alec play in his Varsity football game. We got there in time to see him make a touchdown and we were so excited to see that and to hear his name announced over the loud speakers. We found Anita and Jaylynn and sat with them. I had fun watching the game and visiting with my family. Whenever Alec was on the side lines we would yell as loud as we could at him to get him to look up and see us waving at him but he never heard us...or if he did he did a good job ignoring us.
After the game which his team won we managed to catch him before he went into the locker room. We gave the stinky and sweaty boy a hug and made him pose with us for a picture. It was all good times.
The next day I was to fly home and while it was sad to leave my Mom and Heather I was excited to get back home to be with Kefford and my kids all of whom I missed.
I am always so grateful when I get the chance to be with my family and am able to participate in things that I would normally miss out on. Life is good.