Parallel Paths

Alan went to Minnesota on Wednesday to spend some quality time with Nathan, Briana, and Emmaline.  The quality time with Nathan consisted of watching ten hours of basketball Thursday and Friday as March Madness began.  He met Nathan's Webelos as well.  Briana didn't choose to participate in the basketball marathon, but had a few minutes to herself to go to the gym and work on her talk for Sunday.

Alan and Emmaline bonded by conversing in beet-a bott-a boo language which Alan said they shared back and forth. Emmaline also shared giggles and raspberries as part of her contribution to the conversation.  Mostly Alan enjoyed holding Emmaline, whether they were awake or asleep.

 Do eyes get bigger than this?

My week's path took me in a different direction.  I needed to stay in Utah to supervise students at the History Fair and to finish out the third term.  I also got to bond with our other two children.  Brian and I had dinner together on Wednesday night at his new Costa Vida in Clinton.  He shared great ideas with me about what he and Brandy have learned since they got married.  I can share this wisdom with Erik and Alicia.

Alicia and I spent a glorious day together on Friday.  I was excited all week because I was to attend Alicia's

geography class with her (her favorite college class of all time), and then we were to go shopping for wedding dresses--the best of two worlds.

I got to hear a lecture on Middle Earth--not really--Middle Asia.  Specifically, the professor spoke about Afghanistan.  It was a great hour--both of us taking notes furiously.  After class I told Alicia I was almost as excited  to go to the geography class as I was to go dress shopping.  She said she was equally as excited for both, so I admitted I was too. How could I be so lucky to have a daughter with enthusiasm for some of the same things as me?  We followed up class with walnut shrimp at Panda Express, another favorite we have in common.

Next it was on to wedding dresses.  I wondered how my daughter--who loves ponytails and no makeup--would like trying on fancy dresses.  In addition, neither Alicia nor I love to shop, so I wasn't sure how the afternoon would progress.  At the first store she tried on four dresses and two of them were beautiful on her.  Neither had lace, but one had a gigantic bow at the hip that was really cute.  We could have bought either one, but nothing felt perfect yet.

Briana said to be sure to try Veronica Michaels in Spanish Fork, so next we headed south.  Alicia told the shop owner she wanted something simple, white, and no fancy lace.  The woman gave her dresses like what she asked for, and then handed her an ivory-colored dress and suggested she try it on.

Alicia put the ivory dress on, and I couldn't figure out how to lace up the back, so the owner put Alicia in front of a big mirror and laced the back of the dress for her.  As she continued lacing the dress, it looked prettier and prettier.  It fit perfectly--like someone who knew Alicia's shape, style, and personality had made the dress just for her.  Alicia protested it was too fancy because the bodice and parts of the skirt were beaded, but as we took pictures and showed her I could tell she loved it.

We returned to the dressing room, and I asked if Alicia was ready to try on another dress.  She said, "No dress can ever match that one," and pointed to the one she had just tried on.  I asked if she wanted to buy it and she did.  After about 20 minutes in the shop, we bought the dress, and she will be beautiful on June 23.     

It's like the dress showed Alicia who she really is.  It brought out the beautiful young woman I've always known was inside.  Alicia met the person she has always been, but never knew was really there.  She was "dressing up" when she tried on the other dresses, but this dress was the "real Alicia."  It was a beautiful moment.

No pictures until June 23!