Millar Moments: MARCH MADNESS MEANS A TRIP LAS VEGAS AND LOTS MORE BASKETBALL

A true Cougar fan

That's right....more basketball. It's March and that means college basketball tournaments as well as the NCAA and NIT tournaments but first it was off to Las Vegas. At the last minute, we decided to take a trip to Vegas for the WCC basketball tournament held at the Orleans' arena to watch BYU play. When World Mark condos came available as well as tournament tickets, it was a slam dunk (no pun intended) that we would go to Vegas. We left Friday after the temple and drove to Las Vegas, arriving about 9 at night. Saturday was filled with basketball games, BYU playing their first game and winning.

A picture of our purchased seats. Luckily we only
had to sit in them for one game.

Hiko with Mom's home off to the right

Sunday, after going to church, we drove out to Alamo and Hiko, about an hour and half from Vegas. That is where Paul's mother grew up and we wanted to see that area and find her old homestead. It was a delightful drive after the torrential rains stopped. We were amazed at how beautiful the dessert can be. We found the home in Hiko where Paul's mom had lived as well as the graveyard where many of Paul's relatives are buried. Getting to the graveyard was no easy trick as it was on top of a hill and totally fenced off. Paul was determined, after having come this far, to see the gravestones so he hopped the fence and walked up the hill to it. He was so glad he had done that as he was able to take pictures of all the graves of his relatives, including his grandmother's who died before he was born. A very worthwhile trip.

Paul's Mom's old homestead in Hiko

We stopped in Alamo, hoping to get some lunch but the only place available to buy food was a convenience store. Alamo is so small there isn't even a Subway. We ended up buying some crackers and cheese to get us by till we got back to Vegas. We checked into the World Mark on Tropicana and waited for Todd and Kailee to arrive. They decided to share our two bedroom condo for a quick get away. They were later getting into Vegas due to traffic so we met them at the Bahama Breeze restaurant where it was decided we would have dinner....a favorite restaurant of Todd and Kailee.

Monday and Tuesday was more basketball. We watched the girl's team make it to the finals only to loose that game on Tuesday. After going out to pizza, Monday evening, I gave my ticket for the BYU/Gonzaga game to Todd so he could go with Paul. After sitting through three games that day, I was more than willing to stay in the condo with Kailee and play with Aria. Besides I didn't want the stress that game would bring. BYU lost but it was a close game. On Tuesday, the final games for both the boys and the girls were played. Of course, we watched them both. Todd and Kailee met us at TGI Fridays for an early dinner between the games. It was then home on Wednesday.

Aria's first basketball game

Of course, that didn't end basketball for the month as there still were the NCCA and NIT games, of which, Paul watched most of them. I joined him when it was BYU or Gonzaga playing. BYU made it to the final four of the NIT but lost in New York at the Madison Square Garden arena. Gonzaga lost before the final 8, but they beat Utah badly which was fun to see. I was not sad when the final games were played the last week of March and first few days of April.

Other happenings in the month included a High Priest activity - a pie night where the men were encouraged to bake a pie and bring it to share. Paul made a lemon sour cream pie which was a hit. He had never made a pie before so the Saturday, after our trip to Las Vegas, was spent with me talking him through the process, step by step. He successfully made a pie crust that was one of the flakiest I've ever tasted. The other High Priests didn't believe Paul had made the pie by himself because it was so good.

Mid month, we went to Lehi to have dinner at Jon and Mindi's before going to a school musical in which Olivia had two parts. The musical was Shrek and Olivia played a court jester and a priest. The play was amazingly well done for a group of 5th and 6th graders and Olivia did a great job. We could tell she loved being on stage. Her priest costume was amazing. It looked real even though the hat was made out of a mailing envelope. Mindi had to be very creative on that one.

The third Monday of the month was interesting. We agreed, several weeks earlier, to host the 'Friends' dinner at our home. Little did we know that I would be called to jury duty that same day. It took a little organization to pull it all off but we managed. After a quick shop at the store for the last minute ingredients, the morning was spent making chicken enchiladas. I had set the tables the night before so when I finally got home around 5, I only had to cook the enchiladas, make the salsa and guacamole, and put ice and water in the glasses. I was glad I wasn't selected for this jury as it was a child abuse case and that would have been hard to stay impartial. The dinner went well and made for a fun evening with16 friends in our home. The food was good and the conversation lively.

Tables all set on Sunday....yes with paper plates!

We spent some time with Todd and Kailee this month helping in their yard. They had rubber chips that needed to be spread in the play area so Paul helped do that. I played with Aria so Kailee could be outside, too. Another day, Paul dug out some grapevines from under the deck so Todd can eventually bring in rock. I helped with a little weeding but mostly played with Aria.

The hunt is on....

We also had Todd and Kailee and Kailee's family up to dinner after the Provo City Temple dedication, Sunday, March 20th. Then the following Sunday, which was Easter Sunday, Todd and Kailee, Jake and Nicole and their two girls came up for an Easter ham dinner and an Easter egg hunt outside in the backyard. It seems like most ever year someone has an Easter egg hunt in our yard and we love it. Bean and Sadie were so excited to find so many plastic eggs filled with treats and surprises.

......So excited to find all these eggs

Braydon with braces, the
first of 6

Twice this month I went to Jon and Mindi's to babysit their children as they both needed to travel out of town for work. The first time was when they took Clark and Braydon on a trip to New York as part of 'take your child to work' program. I went to Lehi early so I could see Clark and Braydon play a basketball game. I then stayed the night with the two girls and got them off to school the next morning. The next time all three children were there. I was at their home when they got home from school, fixed dinner, got them to bed, and then off to school again. It was pretty easy babysitting except when we thought we had lost Clark. He said he was going to a friend's home after dinner and would be home no later than 8. At 8:15, I got a little concerned so I got Carly to go with me to the friend's home to discover Clark wasn't there and never had been. Really nervous now, we returned home only to find that Clark had been home all the time. His friend couldn't play so he had slipped up to his room while I was doing dishes and didn't hear him come in the house. A little scary. Jon said that has happened to him and Mindi before so I don't feel quite so incompetent. Mindi is working on the weekends to help pay for braces for their children. At least, six of their eight will need braces soon. Braydon had his put on this month. Oh the joy of teen age years with children and braces.

We did our patriot duty this month when we attended our precinct's caucus. We went because one of our ward members, Brother Lund, begged us to go. It was an interesting procedure but the only thing we did was vote for next year's officers and the delegates to represent us at the state convention. The last vote we took was for president of the United States. Of course, we voted for Ted Kruse as did over 80% of those in attendance. Ted Kruse won Utah by quite a big margin. No surprise here in conservative Utah. We were hoping to hear some talks by representatives of the candidates but that was not the case. During this whole procedure, we kept checking the basketball scores. BYU was playing one of their games toward the NIT final four. They won so we went home and watched the game we had recorded. It was much easier to watch, knowing the outcome.

The last things that happened this month were three chances to meet with mission friends. The first was with Lyndsi Tolbert, a former sister missionary who served in our district and whom we came to love dearly. Through Facebook, we connected and decided it would be fun to meet for dinner. After our temple session one Friday, we met her at Red Robin where we enjoyed our teriyaki chicken sandwich and great conversation. It was so fun to talk with her again and to catch up on what is happening in her life.

Erica in her hat and pearls. That was the theme
of the shower - an afternoon tea with hats and pearls.

The following Saturday, I attended a bridal shower for another of our wonderful sister missionaries, Erica Hawkins. She was in the first sister companionship of our mission and a great missionary trainer. We came to love her and were so excited when we learned of her engagement to friend from her hometown. Her aunt gave her a bridal shower to which I was invited. It took me over an hour to get there as it was in Herriman but I was so glad to have been able to go. It was great to hug Erica and feel of her excitement for her upcoming wedding. Sister Sorenson, a former Moscow mission president's wife, was there. It was good to finally meet her. We had heard so much about the Sorensons as they served just before President and Sister Borders under whom we served.

The third event was meeting with some dear friends whom we came to love in Russia, Luydmilla and Nick. They were in our YSA program in Moscow, until they married each other. Luydmilla attended our institute and Pathway programs so we spent every Thursday evening with her for 12 months of the 18 months we were there. We were so thrilled when they alerted us that they would be coming to Utah and wanted to see us. We picked them up at the Provo airport, Thursday the 31st, and took them to lunch. We wanted to give them an all American experience so it was back to Red Robin. Again, we had our chicken teriyaki sandwich and enjoyed it as well as our visit with Nick and Luydmilla. We got caught up on all our dear friends in Russia as well as what was new in their lives. They speak good enough English that conversation was easy. After lunch, we drove them around Provo, especially to see the MTC and the two temples. Our visit ended when we dropped them off at a former senior couple's home with whom Luydmilla served on her mission. We were so excited that she was going to be able to attend her mission reunion in Salt Lake City the following day. What a once in a lifetime experience for her.