This post comes to you from Meridian, Idaho. I'm at my in-laws' house for the weekend. I'm currently in their formal dining room, looking through the glass doors at Stephen and Bruce (my father-in-law) as they play a computer game together. They are wearing matching orange shirts, and I find it far too precious. Michael and Brandon, my 6-year-old and 4-year-old brother-in-laws, are literally bouncing around them, jumping from one screen to the other, not being able to decide where to focus their attention.
I love spending time here. Stephen and I have been planning this trip for a few weeks now. Teresa, my mother-in-law, invited us up to surprise Bruce for his 50th birthday. Heidi and Scott, Stephen's older sister and her husband, are also coming today to surprise Bruce. The initial plan was for us to all come today, on Friday, but as I talked with Stephen, I expressed how fun it would be to come up for Halloween and take the little boys out trick-or-treating. So we made arrangements and made it work.
We drove up yesterday, me rocking out to music from my childhood, Stephen doing homework in the car. It was a fine drive until we hit Boise and got stuck in rush hour traffic. As we were crawling along, Stephen pointed to a maroon car a few cars ahead of us in the other lane. "That's my dad!" he said, and sure enough, Bruce was stuck in the same traffic jam for his commute home from work. He was obviously obvious to us. However, we tried to be as stealthy as we could in a bright red car in order to not spoil the surprise. We got of on the nearest exit and took the back roads home.
Stephen and I stalled a bit and then were given the cue from Teresa. We then drove up to the house, walked up to the front door, and knocked. When Bruce answered the door, we exclaimed "trick-or-treat!" (brilliant idea, if I do say so myself). He was sincerely surprised and hugged us and invited us in. The little boys were surprised too, and excited to see us. It was very memorable.
The family ate dinner and then Stephen and I joined Bruce as we took Michael and Brandon out trick or treating. I had forgotten how much fun it could be for children. They were adorable to watch and listen to, as Brandon hoped out loud at each house that they wouldn't have a dog, and as Michael would share only the candy he didn't like, saving all the good stuff for himself. It was totally worth all the sacrifices to come a day early and be here for Halloween.
It's always nice to take a vacation, even if it just for a weekend. Stephen has had a lot of large projects due lately, meaning he has been extremely busy. He still has work to do this weekend, but has more time now to spend with his family. I love watching him be an older brother. Our families are similar in many ways, and it feel a lot like home with young children running around and screaming. It's a great vacation for me to get away from Provo and relax a bit.
In other news, Stephen and I hosted our first dinner party on Sunday. We invited his home teaching companion, his wife, and the two couples he home teaches over for dinner. I made enchiladas that were a huge hit. It's fun to cook for just Stephen and me, but when Stephen likes everything and has yet to tell me something I've made is bad, I begin to loose faith in his opinion. But feeding other people reminds me I'm blessed that my hobby is something productive and helpful.
Well, I'm being invited to go play more games with his family, and I think I'll do just that!
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