This afternoon under heavy summer rain clouds, we said goodbye
to the Jones family, who spent over a week with us.
This has been one of the most joyful weeks to date.
On the car ride home from the airport, with tears dripping
my eyes, I told Christian why I love Lindsay so much.
She is so easy to be with, she is wise and so accommodating, and
her children are good and calm, and products
of a loving gospel-centered home.
We are bosom buddies, friends forever, and sisters.
Lindsay described our friendship to our girls while
we sat on the warm beach one day:
"I've seen Stephanie literally without skin, and so our friendship is
more than skin-deep."
And that's the truth, Lindsay has been with me
before my accident, during (, especially during), and now.
She has brought her family to my door
no matter what state I've lived in or how far away.
She is loyal in every way.
She and Spencer are our dearest friends, and saying goodbye
after another fantastic family vacation was hard.
Before they left, we planned another trip in the near future, and off they
went, covered with their masks, through the airport door.
Last Friday, we celebrated the Utah holiday Pioneer Day
and so on Sunday, during our combined home church,
we discussed our family's pioneer heritage.
Spencer and I share the same 4th great-grandfather, Daniel W. Jones,
which means our children do too, so we talked about his fantastic stories,
profound courage, and faith, which in some circumstances, literally kept him alive.
Our children are fortunate and have a lot to live up to.
It's been super cool to have shared two home church services
with our best friends.
Before the Jones family left, we took them to our
favorite North Carolina ice cream creamery and enjoyed delicious
summer flavors. We took photos by the cornfields and cried
about parting ways while ice cream dripped down our hands.
We talked about when we took an aggressive river
rafting trip a few days before.
It was longer, and tricker than our families were
prepared for, but we did it and loved every second!
(Except for that one time when Spencer and Lindsay capsized).
Oh, and when Avrey and Jane capsized.
And maybe that other
the time when Livvy and Claire fell out of their boat during rapids which caused pretty impressive tailbone bruises.
I am looking forward to the next Joneson adventure!
Other Highlights:
Jonesons visit a fun park:
Beach at night:
On the last day at the beach, we walked out onto the porch, ready for
a full day in the sand, and it started to rain and
didn't stop until 8:00 that evening, so we
went and bought Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a bunch of fireworks instead:
Giant Uno games with everyone:
Meals together:
Let's do it again VERY SOON!
