The pre-mission bucket list

quix·ot·ic  

/kwikˈsätik

This is an adjective I have often applied to Katie.  She's a dreamer, and dreams big and  sometimes with little regard to realism.  It's often hard for her to understand why we might look at her a bit cross-eyed when she comes up with a new idea.  Part of the

humor of it all is that she dreams it, and then expects our full enlistment in carrying

out her dream.  But it's part of what makes Kate, well, Kate, and we love

her for it and know that it will take her places others may not dream to go! Actually, it
takes us places we wouldn't dream to go too.

To that brings us to her 

Pre-Mission BUCKET LIST

Actually, it wasn't that unrealistic, but with everything we had going on, it did take some major effort and commitment to squeeze it all in.

She had just under six weeks after Winter Semester was over until she would report

to the MTC.  And some of us (actually all of us except her) had jobs, and work travel, and busy families etc etc etc.  But looking back, without her pushing and planning

we might never have had such a good time together in the weeks before she left. 

Live just gets busy and unless you really schedule and really push to make it happen,

it just doesn't happen.  

So here's a few things we did that were on her "bucket list".

ONE 

The house that built me. Northridge, CA

Katie wanted to make sure we went to California to visit her Grosvati, my dad.

She hadn't been back to their home since my mother's funeral ten years ago, and for 
some reason it was very important to her to refresh her memories of that home.

My dad is 92 and last summer I took him to Switzerland and met up with Kate
as she was concluding her hiking tours.  It was with me and my mom and dad that
Katie made her first trip to Switzerland 12 years ago while my mom was in
remission.  She has always shared with them a deep love for the outdoors and I wanted them to introduce her to their beloved homeland. 

This short visit, we took him for a couple day adventure to Lake Arrowhead, which is less

thank three hours from his home, but a lovely getaway from  the San Fernando Valley. 

Note Kate doing her customary trash pickup
and I love the picture of Grosvati working with
her on German pronunciation. 

TWO

A family camping trip was also on the bucket list.  This was actually  a 
bit of a challenge to pull off since the only night that was available in
everyone's schedule was the Friday of the Memorial Day Holiday and
most of the local campgrounds weren't open yet.  With two nursing moms
who weren't going to be able to spend the night, we also wanted to be fairly close 
to home so they could still stay for the evening.  We ultimately decided on
camping along the stream at Big Springs Park.  It was perfect and we all had a great time.

One lesson to be learned is that if you don't REALLY want to do something,
it just doesn't happen.  Our lives today have gotten so busy that it's easy
to not want to add more to the agenda. But often that means we omit that which is really
most important.  This campout was a good example.  I know it was so 
important to Katie to not only get her family together as often as possible, 
but to share some of what she loves most with these little nieces and nephews
that she will miss so much.  

THREE

Then Katie's friend James came home from his mission to New York North, Spanish, 10 days before Katie was to report to the MTC and so the bucket list took on a whole new dimension. They both love adventure and so the fun continued. 

We went together with the Hulmes on a trip to Goblin Valley.  Again, it would have been

easy to say that this was "pushing it" the week before she was to leave, but it was

really a lot of fun and I'm so glad we went and especially that Jesse & family were

able to come as well.  We left late Sunday afternoon and some of us went into

Goblin Valley in the dark that night which was awesome and then went back to spend

the night in Green River before going back to Goblin Valley in the morning to

hike Little Wild Horse Canyon.

It was so fun to watch Bella (5)  and JJ (almost 3)  have SUCH a great time.  It was hot, we hiked for quite a long time but they never complained and just had
such fun.  Katie, and many of the rest of us, had never been here
before and for being under 4 hours from home, this was just a 
perfect trip for the "bucket list".

FOUR
Going to a number of different temples in the area was also important to 
Katie.  She first went through the Timpanogas Temple and then during the
next weeks went through the Salt Lake Temple, the Manti Temple, and the
Provo Temple.

Katie with her grandma, Madeline Lewis

Katie with her cousin, Regan Lewis, who is 
serving in the Rochester, New York mission,  Spanish-Speaking

FYI  - The Lord has commanded His people to build temples from the days of the Old Testament. Much of the LDS temples mirrors things we have learned from ancient temples and ancient temple rituals. They are

sacred buildings, different from chapels where Sunday worship takes place. Temples are a place of learning and peace.  When a temple is first built, the public is invited to tour the temple.  However, after it is dedicated, only faithful church members participate in temple activities.  These include the "temple endowment" and the sealing of families together for time and all eternity.  Marriages that take place in the temple are blessed by the Lord to be not only "until death do us part" but for the eternities.  The blessing of eternal families is central to the Lord's plan of salvation and our belief that families can be together forever.   

FIVE

Squeezing in as much adventure as possible, Katie was also happy to be able to go with the Hulme family when they rappelled Bridal Veil Falls up Provo Canyon.   This happened the day after getting back from Goblin Valley and the day before Katie and James
went Hang Gliding at the point of the mountain (no pictures).  

SIX
One last trip to wakeboard on Deer Creek Reservoir and spend the
night at our cabin in Wallsburg was saved for Friday night.  We have
built wonderful memories there over the years so it was important to Katie to be
there together again just a few days before she left.  David was able to
come from Denver to join us for the weekend so that was great. We missed
Austin, Lizzy and their family but work schedules just didn't let it work to
have them with us :-(. 

We like to finish off lots of our weekend jaunts to the cabin
with a trip into Midway to the Tarahumara Restaurant.  We love
the food, and really love just sitting out on the porch all together. 

So thanks Katie for making a bucket list!   We couldn't get to everything, but I 
think we did pretty well and we certainly made family memories that
we wouldn't have without your dreaming and planning. 
We are going to miss this girl so much!