“A grandchild is God's reward for raising a child.” Bill Cosby

As mentioned in my previous post my wife and I just returned from a quick weekend trip to visit our daughter Stefanie, her husband Matthew, and two of our grandchildren (Michaela, and Lucy). I discovered long ago that three days away from work is about all I can handle. Even when we are away for longer periods I start thinking about what is happening and what problems I will encounter upon my return - so I may as well be back in the stirrups. I also wrote that I would share some of the details of the trip in my next post. Here goes.

We left Montrose, Colorado early on Saturday heading to Denver where we would lunch with our daughter Jennifer, our son Adam, his wife Kara, and three of our grand children (Quincy, Tessa, and Paisley). We did see Jennifer's husband Nick  for a few minutes but he was not able to join us for lunch. Following lunch and enjoying the interaction of three small girls playing together, Adam took us to Denver International Airport for our flight to Nashville.

The flight was delayed about an hour and twenty minutes so we had time to sit and watch the people on the concourse coming and going. I noticed several birds that have made their way inside the terminal where there are plenty of dropped crackers and other treats for them to feast upon. Shelter from the elements with treats, what more could a little songbird ask for? The flight was uneventful.

Upon arrival at Nashville International Airport we were collected by Stefanie and we went and grabbed a late fast food dinner on the way to their home. Matthew and the band he is part of (The Matte Gray Band) were playing at "The Stage on Broadway" in downtown Nashville so he was not at home at that time.

Sunday morning we awakened to our granddaughters excited greeting. Granddaughters are the best. Michaela had been looking forward to our arrival for nearly 3 weeks and was very excited to greet us. It took a little longer for Lucy, who is 17 months old, to warm up to granddad. We enjoyed a quiet morning with Miki sharing some of her artwork with me. She even autographed a drawing for me. She discovered that her name and mine are almost the same and it really surprised her. We went to church where Stefanie sang a duet then we returned home to have lunch with Mitch and Beth. A good visit with them. He seems very happy with life right now and Beth deserves a lot of credit for that.

Sunday evening we attended the Nashville Symphony performance titled "Let Freedom Sing". Kelly Corcoran conducted with the Nashville Symphony Celebration Chorus, the Celebration Youth Chorus both performing. Stefanie sings with the Nashville Symphony Chorus and a few of those members joined the Celebration Chorus for the evening. What a great celebration they performed. Kudos to all the performers and soloists. A very enjoyable evening of music and history. I did not know that Nashville played such a prominent role in the civil rights movement. A very informative evening for me.

Monday we spent the morning and early afternoon at the Frist Museum. My sweetheart has always been a big fan of Norman Rockwell art and the Frist Museum has on loan from the Norman Rockwell Museum a significant amount of his artwork including all of the covers he did for the Saturday Evening Post and several other publications of the era. The history of america as told by a keen observer of the day. His civil rights pieces I have never seen before - they are somewhat disturbing especially if you take the time to read about the events that led to their creation. The history recorded on the cover of the magazines he painted for is significant. I am no art critic, but the display and description were very worth the few hours spent.

I will just mention briefly that I am married to one of the most wonderful women I know. She is game for many things that are surprising to me and has tried to embrace some of the technology of the modern world. I won't tell the stories here but let it be sufficient for me to say that she had a bit of a struggle with her iphone, the computer kiosk at the airport terminal, the camera on her phone, and the list goes on. I will save the specifics for my own late night amusement.

Tuesday home. I wrote of that journey in n earlier post. Let me add just one comment - 5 granddaughters smiling and running and jumping and climbing in 3 days time made for a very memorable trip. I enjoyed all the other things we did while on this adventure. I loved the time spent with those little girls. They have won my heart.

Thanks for checking in. More to come soon. See you then.

Homeward bound!

Cindy and I took a long weekend trip to visit our family in Nashville over the MLK Jr. holiday weekend. It was a busy few days filled with family, friends, music, art, and much humor. I will blog about the trip and the activities next time. For today I want to share some of my musings about home, specifically about returning home after a journey.

As comfortable as I am visiting new places, sleeping in unfamiliar accommodations, spending time with new friends, and making new acquaintances along the way. I was reminded that I am really a homebody. I love the familiar. Some might look at my life in Colorado and think that I am stuck in a rut. And, from a distance, I suppose it does look that way. However, I don't think that I/we are any different from most of the rest of the world. We live where we live because we like it. We do the things we do because it satisfies a hunger we feel. When that want changes, or we discover a new want in life we make adjustments and fall into a new pattern (rut).

As we boarded our flight to return to Denver I noticed that my attitude was changing. We had just said goodbye to our daughter (Stefanie), her husband (Matthew) and family (Michaela and Lucy) accompanied by the minor pain associated with the knowledge that we will not spend more time together for several months. When I realized that I was already beginning to shift back into my Colorado/work/relaxation mode. I had not noticed a shift as we headed toward Nashville and family, but did feel that change as we headed home.

The excitement grew as we returned to Denver International Airport and continued to build as we headed west in interstate 70 toward Grand Junction. By the time we exited the interstate and turned south toward our home in Montrose I was again energized by the familiar. Other parts of the country fascinate me. I want to know the history of places. I want to see the sights and experience what those places have to offer, but, that final turn toward home and what is familiar has always had a profound effect on me.
  

The lyrics for the song Homeward Bound by Marta Keen Thompson appear below. This is from the arrangement done for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir by Mack Wilberg. A beautifully performed piece that has made its way around the globe in many different interpretations. I have heard it performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir on Music and the Spoken Word and it is also available on youtube.com for you to enjoy.

On a quiet misty morning
When the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing
And the sky is clear and red,

When the summer's ceased its gleaming
When the corn is past its prime,
When adventure's lost its meaning -
I'll be homeward bound in time

Bind me not to the pasture
Chain me not to the plow
Set me free to find my calling
And I'll return to you somehow

If you find it's me you're missing
If you're hoping I'll return,
To your thoughts I'll soon be listening,
And in the road I'll stop and turn

Then the wind will set me racing
As my journey nears its end
And the path I'll be retracing
When I'm homeward bound again

Bind me not to the pasture
Chain me not to the plow
Set me free to find my calling
And I'll return to you somehow

(softly)
On a quiet misty morning
When the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing
I'll be homeward bound again.

That last line is a wonderful thought to me. "I'll be homeward bound again." The journey is always a joy the turn homeward is joyous for me. 

That is it for now. Thanks for checking in. More to come soon. See you then.

"I intend to live forever. So far, so good." Steven Wright

Yesterday was the anniversary of Mom's death. I know that many of you can relate to what I experienced throughout the day. Overall I would say that it was a good day.

As I was headed out the door to a church meeting in Delta, Colorado yesterday Cindy asked if I planned to go to the cemetery. I had not even considered the possibility. Since the previous evening I had pondered calling my Aunt (moms sister) to see how she was doing and to offer whatever comfort I could. I just had not made any definite plans for the day. While driving toward Delta I decided that I would attend my meetings for the morning and then drive on to Grand Junction and make a stop at Veterans Memorial Cemetery, then stop by my Aunt and Uncle's home to see how they are getting along, and then on the way home I would stop by the home of a friend who lost his father earlier last week. The plan was made.

It was a very good day in church with a lot of good fellowship and several very good messages shared in the leadership meetings prior to sacrament meeting. Followed by a couple of great messages in sacrament meeting. I then headed out to follow my plan.



I sat on the bench just in front of the niche marker and thought about all of the things that happened over the past year that she missed. All have been written about in previous posts though I will briefly mention some of the most notable. The birth of another great grand-daughter, the marriage of a grand-daughter, a graduation, and many others came to mind as I was sitting there. I stood after a time to enjoy the view of Colorado National Monument. Mom always thought the placement of Dad's remains was so appropriate since he had spent much of his youth living there. I wonder at the things that run through my mind in moments like this.

I left the cemetery and drove to my next destination where I was greeted warmly. My aunt had clearly had a difficult day but she was pleased that I stopped by for a visit. They were glad I had already stopped by the niche and asked about my family and how we are all doing. We talked some about the feelings and emotions of the previous evening and of the events of the same a year ago. It was good to spend the time with them.

The last stop on my journey was as uneventful and just as meaningful as the first two. I think it good to provide comfort and show concern for someone with whom you have shared similar experience. Grief manifests itself in many sundry ways and we each react according to our own belief and understanding. The comfort of friends, I think, is universal.

My brother posted on his Facebook wall yesterday of missing her in his life and of reaching for his phone from time to time with the thought of something he wanted to share with her. Followed by the abrupt realization that that was not a possibility. I too have those moments. Family members become such an important part of life that the reality of them not being available is difficult to always remember. Our daily interactions become almost automatic thus making them hard to do without.

She is missed.

Thanks for checking in. More to come soon. See you then.

"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened" (Dr. Seuss - Theodor Geisel)

I love that quote from Theodor Geisel.

Even with several very low lows in 2013 I can take a few minutes to look back and smile at many things that occurred during the year. I have long suspected that one of the quirks of my personality that can be frustrating to Mrs. Mahan is that I do not spend a lot of time thinking about or dwelling upon the things that happened yesterday or last week. I try to quickly learn what I can from the day or week and move on to the next.

Some of the things that brought a smile to my face last year include a loss, a wedding, a graduation, a vacation, another wedding, and another granddaughter (number 7).

How in the world can the loss of my Mother (Betty Irene Mahan) bring a smile to my face? It is simple really - she lived for almost seven years without the love of her life (Dennis) and looked forward to the day when they could be reunited. That day came on January 12, 2013 very early in the morning. Yes, there were tears and sad moments associated with this loss. Yes, each holiday or event throughout the year brought a moment or two of missing her. Overall, though, I find a small smile on my face when I think of that reunion. One of our daughters (Lisa) wrote this on her blog shortly after Mom passed;

"In the summer of 2006, a few months after Gramps had passed away and my parents made the courageous decision to leave their home of 20+ years and move closer to their parents, I got to go for a drive alone with Gram after we had helped move my parents (and Kelli) into their new home. We chatted about lots of things, but the conversation turned quickly to relationships and finding the right person to spend eternity with. Gram's advice was to find someone who could make your knees go weak even after 50 years. She told me that with Gramps, sometimes when they were out and about he would catch her eye from across the room and wink at her. And my 67 year old Gram told me with her hand fluttering over her heart like a teenager that she would just turn a bit red and say, Oh, Dennis!

Gram had two of her sons, their spouses or loved ones, and all the Mahan grand kids to love and care for even without my Gramps, but we've all known that she would never be truly happy again until she was reunited with Gramps."

I smile and agree!

Our youngest was married in June of 2013. What a joyous occasion that was for our family. This was the only time we were all together during the year.

We had a great few days to renew our acquaintance and celebrate together. What a blessed few days. My sweet wife blogged about this with her year end post as follows:

"For the Mahans, the highlight of 2013 was Kelli's wedding.  On June 28, in the Mount Timpanogos temple in Utah, she married her best friend, Tyler Esplin.  Of course we were thrilled for them both, and just as thrilled for the opportunity to have everyone together.  As you can see, we are becoming quite the crowd.  These are the people that mean more to me than anything in this world."

I smile and agree!

Kelli (our youngest) graduated from Colorado Mesa University in December. Another smile. Cindy included this on her blog;

"...she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Elementary Education, Math emphasis.  The icing on the cake---she has been hired at New Emerson Elementary, where she did her student teaching, as the 5th grade Math teacher!  The 5th grade teachers job share, so it's a part-time position, but what a blessing!  Especially for a new college grad halfway through the school year!  She loves the school already..."

I smile, and agree!

Each year for the last 15, or so, we have taken as many of our family who are available to Mesa Lakes Resort or Powderhorn Resort on Grand Mesa over Labor Day weekend. This year we were few in number because of all the other events that involved family members through the summer months. It was a quiet relaxing weekend for me which allowed some much needed decompression and introspection. There may be prettier places on earth, but this one we have shared as a family through trial and joy.

The view from the top.

Our oldest (Jennifer) shared this comment on her blog;

"This year, at least a small some of us were able to make the trip for our usual weekend. It was a small group. Really small, but it was so good to get away. As usual, turning into the long drive leading up to the condos, my jaw loosened, my grip became less white knuckle, and I am pretty sure my heartbeat evened and slowed a bit. I love this place. More importantly, I love the people with whom I share this place."

I smile and agree!

When our son (Adam) was at the Language Training Center in Monterey, CA while serving in the Marine Corps he met another Marine named Matt Thorne. They became good friends. Matt became an honorary member of the Mahan gang and his wedding this summer was quite the event. Holly wrote about it in her blog:

"When my brother was in the Marines he met a man named Matt. He brought him to Powderhorn to meet us and he joined our family. Matt got married in New Jersey in August, so Eric, Mom, Adam, and I were able to attend. It was a great excuse to make a trip to NYC."

"The wedding festivities were everything I hoped they would be. We got to sit and listen to Matt tell the many adventures of his dad, the bear whisperer and other stories. The wedding was a fusion of Jewish and Christian tradition. I am grateful to the bride and groom for letting us be part of their day."

I smile and agree! (There are photos - I cannot locate any to post here).

Much has been shared about Mara Mahan Guzman so I will just comment that we are so fortunate to have all these beautiful, healthy granddaughters. Including this newest addition.

 Many other events transpired in 2013 and I am looking forward to another fantastic year filled with joys, sorrows, and many in-betweens. 

Thanks for checking in. More to come soon. See you then.