Preparing for the Farewell

Here are some snapshots of the mission farewell preparation and events interspersed with it.  The day before, Scott had just gotten back from scout camp.  He worked on the yard and got it looking spiffy.  I was pretty manic about the farewell.  I borrowed at least 10 tables and a couple dozen chairs, as well as 4 tent canopies and several water jugs.  We had tables and food set up outside, inside and downstairs.  I don't know what came over me.  Usually, I'm cool as a cucumber about hosting.  Usually, it's not this many people, though.

Tricia texted me that she would be my errand/emergency person.  She didn't take into account that I would be doing that freak-out thing where you have dreams that there's not enough food.  She ran to the store several times.  Thanks, Tricia!

Golda and Evyn.

Golda's last day working for Jay and Jo Marie.

Coco was in charge of chips.  I was worried there weren't going to be enough.  That's how wound up I was.  Good job, Coco!  Our menu started out simple and got more and more simple as time went on.  I just did not want to do the whole buffet of salads thing.  I made Hawaiian smoked pork and friends brought rolls, cole slaw, grapes and tons of chocolate chip cookies.  That's it.  The day of, lots of helpers were in the kitchen putting cole slaw in little cups and meat on rolls.  My hope was to cut down on congestion in the kitchen, so I had plates of rolls and cole slaw going downstairs and outside.  People just had to grab a couple sandwiches and chips and grapes, and they were good.  There were cookies and treats everywhere, too.  So if anyone left hungry, it was their own damned fault. ;)

My violin student Jetta and her mom, a lifelong friend, put them selves in charge of the decorating.  A word to the wise: you always want Michelle Barber to be in charge of your events.  She does the most fun things, and goes way over the top with excellence.  I loved these Chinese signs they brought.  Jetta borrowed them from her teacher in her Chinese Immersion class.  Thank you!

We put Sofia and Victor to work.  Nobody escapes! 

Except Ruby, who appears to be lounging around, watching Victor work. Lol

Oh, and we also had a recital that Saturday. I snapped this cute picture of Sarah and her mom, Julie, watching one of Sarah's kids play.  I love these women! Freestone was supposed to be playing his Vivaldi in A Minor, but he didn't quite have it memorized before he left for scout camp, so we opted to have him play it at his lesson and be done with it.  As willing as he is to go to lessons, he hates to practice so much that it's palpable.  Long story short, he's not doing violin anymore.  Can you feel my pain?  But...life goes on.  I love Freestone, so I share in his sense of freedom about not having to practice violin anymore.  Xanthe and Ptolemy played at the recital, then it was back to work.

Oh, and we also had family pictures taken Friday night...right after scout camp...during Freestone's ballet class/birthday party.  He wanted to invite all 30 of his ballet friends over.  It was a fun night with all those cute girls, and it was the thought of that party that got Freestone through scout camp!  Julie Medeiros did just a fantastic job of our photos.  I'll show you more later.

Friday, Golda and I got up early and went to the temple.  It was so fun to be with this ray of light.  She doesn't even know how powerful she is, with all that conviction and devotion.

The day after the Altieris arrived, they went to Lagoon.  Never a dull moment!

And I took Araceli and her fun friends to the pool somewhere in there.  We try to make it to the pool once a day in the summer, unless we are at a lake or something.

Eating leftovers with chopsticks, driving and giving orders to kids of who to text and what to look up online.

aaaand...taking a car full of garbage to the dumpster at Scott's office because I forgot to take the garbage out while Scott and Freestone were at scout camp.  Scott and Freestone are in charge of that!  It didn't even cross my mind.  And believe me, I paid. Ew.

Tricia and Emily helping with preparations.  I can't begin to thank everyone enough.  I felt so out of it at the end.  I had asked Christine to bring rolls, apparently, and then I forgot and asked someone else.  When Christine asked me how many rolls to bring, I told her how confused I was, and she offered to bring grapes instead.  In the end, when everything was set up, I reminded myself to relax and enjoy whatever came.  The day of, I didn't even worry.  I had logged all my worrying beforehand.  It was a beautiful day.