A very good time was had by all.

Milestones in life.

Mrs. Mahan and I traveled to Nashville, TN over Labor Day weekend. The trip had nothing to do with the holiday however. We went to visit our daughter Stefanie and her family at their home in the Nashville area. We enjoy visiting the city but don't take the opportunity as often as we should to make the trek. I am not a fan of the high humidity since I have spent all my life in the arid Western United States. We go where family reside.

Our son-in-law (Matthew) has been telling us for some time now that the Nashville area has become a favorite destination for bachelorette parties. I must say there was ample evidence of this reality. On the second leg of our flight there (Houston, TX to Nashville) we shared the airplane with several different brides to be and varying portions of their bridal parties. I sat next to one of these women and her maid of honor, there was another party in the row right behind me, and there were at least two others seated several rows in front of Mrs. Mahan.

We arrived in Nashville in time to have an early birthday celebration with our soon to be 6 year old Granddaughter. Our oldest (Jennifer) and her oldest and youngest daughters had arrived the night before so we were able to have a very enjoyable birthday party for Lucy - that allowed her to be the center of attention for a few hours before her older sister would be baptized the next day.

I think Lucy really had fun with everyone focused on her for the afternoon.

That night the Matt Gray Band was scheduled for a couple sets at the Wildhorse Saloon, so we decided to go listen during the earlier set and enjoy a quality dinner. The menu is American fare with a Southern flavor and the food is always good. The Wildhorse Saloon is a family friendly atmosphere during the afternoon and dinner hours. the grandchildren all had fun line dancing and horsing around while we waited for dinner to be brought to the table while listening to the band.

We left after the first set and while Mrs. Mahan and I were waiting outside we quickly noticed wave after wave of twenty something women each group dressed in matching clothing and grinning from ear to ear. I mean dozens of them. Each party bus/wagon/carriage seemed  to also be filled with celebrating young women. I must not have believed it when Matthew first told us about this phenomenon but seeing is believing.

Saturday was a day focused on Michaela. She would be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints that afternoon. The morning was spent getting the room for the reception that followed the baptism set up and bringing all the food that had been prepared and placing it in the refrigerator and freezer in the kitchen. It was my privilege to perform the baptism and then to confirm Michaela a member of the Church. It was a wonderful service with about 50 friends and family in attendance.

We spent the evening just enjoying time together as family. The grandchildren all got to bed pretty close to their normal bedtime with the adults spending some quality time together talking and just being together. Jennifer did retire to bed a little earlier than the rest of us as she and the girls had to catch a flight home early the next morning. They were beginning to miss their family and were anxious to get home but also didn't want the weekend in Nashville to be over.

Sunday was a normal day for us - church and then more family time before we headed home to Utah. That trip began early Monday and was uneventful. It is always good to arrive home and this day was no exception. We (read as I) made the decision to fly early so we would have the afternoon to prepare for the coming work week and begin to settle back into our routine. We did.

I am amazed at how quickly these grandchildren are growing up.

I once had a conversation with a man I consider a friend, even though we haven't spoken in over a dozen years, who asked me about the closeness and evident love between our family members. "How did we do it?" he wondered. I'm not sure I understand it even now. My best guess is that we were a large family (8 total) living in a small house with 1 bathroom. We were together a lot.

Cindy (Mrs. Mahan) and I did our best to provide a safe haven for our family. A place of love, respect, and safety. One of our daughters recently wrote a short note to Cindy and me that included, "I loved sharing a room because it meant I never had to be alone when I was scared. I loved our house because it was a safe and happy place to be." ... "The home you and Mom made was a place where I was never embarrassed, and I can't say that about every other place in my life as a kid."

My purpose in sharing the above paragraph is to simply set up this; I see my grandchildren growing up in homes not unlike the one described above. Kudos to our children for continuing the tradition of safe, respectful, and loving places for their families to grow up.

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