My nephew Brandon had his missionary farewell last weekend, so we went down to Oceanside for the weekend. Eli left Thursday, because he was going to give a ride to a family in the ward that just moved up here. They were going to rent a u-haul in L.A. and drive some stuff they left in California back up to Utah. Then Dad, Tanner, and I flew down Friday evening. The reason Eli left a day before us was so that he could pick us up at the airport. Connor stayed home because he had a job interview on Saturday.
Dad did really well! We stayed in a hotel, to help alleviate any confusion of why someone else's "stuff" was in his bedroom at Suzy's. His sense of geographical placement (I'm not sure how else to explain it) is pretty much gone. Most of the time I had to remind him we were in California for the weekend...he usually remembers that he lives in Provo now.
Every Saturday night, at bedtime, I remind dad that tomorrow is Sunday and I will be waking him up at 10 to start getting ready for church at 11. He then will set out his church clothes, so that he is ready for the morning. The next morning when I go in to wake him up, he either tells me he's too tired or will says okay and promptly go back to sleep once I leave his room.
Saturday night I reminded dad that tomorrow was Sunday, and told him that even if he woke up tired he was going to have to go to church. I explained that it was Brandon's farewell and that was the whole reason we'd come down, so he was not going to be able to sleep in.
Sunday morning dad got right up! Yay! No having to go back and wake him up a second time. Suzy's ward meets at 9:30, so we left the hotel at 8:45...just in case it took longer to get to the chapel then I thought it would, not that I thought I'd get lost or anything...
We arrived about 5 or 10 minutes before the meeting started at the same time as the Pickett's, so we were able to walk in together. There were quite a few other families arriving at the same time and the foyer was full of people greeting each other. One gentleman from their ward saw us walking in behind them and asked, "What's going on with the Pickett's that they have so much family here today?" Just after I shook his hand and introduced myself as Suzy's sister, another brother that was nearby caught sight of dad. All of a sudden his eyes lit up, and as he hurried to go greet dad he happily told the brother shaking my hand, "And see, Scotty's here!" He was the first of many of the ward members to dash over to greet dad with a great big smile and a hearty handshake. It melted my heart to see the joy in dad's face to be recognized by all these old friends!
