NLC Conference for Claude and Sandi Adventures While He Was Gone...

November 14th through November 19th Claude attended the NLC Conference (National League of Cities). It was in Charlotte, North Carolina. He had a good time. His only complaint was the repeated serving of macaroni and cheese as a side dish for every meal. He does enjoy these trips. 

While Claude was gone, I went to the Thanksgiving dinner held the week prior to Thanksgiving for the residents at the nursing home and two of their relatives. They really worked hard and provided a very nice turkey dinner for us. 

I also took the Mini's to see Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with the Louisville Symphony Orchestra. It was so much fun doing this with the Mini's. Sorry Claude didn't get to do this one with us but we had a great time nonetheless.

They had animals for the kids to pet. This is a dragon because dragons are in the movie. Bailey and Hayden both petted this one. 

They had a snake as there is a snake (basilisk) in the Chamber of Secrets. Bailey wanted nothing to do with it. Hayden was fearless. Found this interesting. Several years ago we took them to the Salato Center in Frankfort, Kentucky. It is nature center and that day they had a number of animals for the kids to pet including some snakes. Bailey was all about petting the snakes and Hayden wanted nothing to do with them. Times change. 

These great people in costumes were at the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone we saw several months previous. They were back and cheerfully posed for another picture with my Mini's. 

I got each of them a t-shirt. Then we went up to find our seats. This time we were in the next to last row at the top. Turned out to be great seats. Who knew. 

Bailey is a bit more leery of movies that might be a little scary. She was a bit concerned about this one scaring her. I took my purple scarf that Claude bought me. I stopped before we went in and told Bailey that her Grampa gave me the scarf and it was full of Grampa love. I explained that he would never let anything bad happen to her. I suggested that if and when we got to a spot in the movie where she was not comfortable, she should pull that scarf full of Grampa love and protection and around her and bury her head in it and she would be fine. She cheerfully took the scarf and wore it through the entire movie. I never saw her have to bury her head in it but she knew she was safe with it even if Grampa wasn't sitting there with her. And that is the pure power of Grampa love. 

I spent Friday night with the Marx family. The weather was bad and it was just a much better option. In addition, Hayden had to leave at 6am to get to Morehead, Kentucky for a band competition. Andie was going to take him and then come to our home for the day and go back in the evening to see the concert they would do. It occurred to me it would be easier if I just got up early and took him so she could sleep in a bit, then do her reports cards at her home where she already had everything and only go to Morehead in the evening to watch the concert and bring Hayden home. Andie was very grateful. 

Saturday morning Hayden and I got up before everyone else and got dressed and headed to Morehead. It was foggy and rainy still. Hayden took my pillows I keep in the car and a blanket I keep in the car and made himself a nest in the passenger seat and slept all the way to Morehead. That was a good thing. I left off a happy and rested young man for a day of band music.

As life has many turns, it was fortuitous that I took Hayden. Andie became very sick and didn't even make the concert. Good thing we went with the plan for me to take Hayden. Michael and his neighbor went and picked up their boys and listened to the concert. Michael sent me this picture of our boy at the end of his day. So grateful for cell phones and pictures and a son-in-law considerate enough to know I love pictures.

Saturday night while Claude was gone I attended a wedding reception for Shayanne and David Inga. How nice to see the beginning of a forever marriage.

Sunday Claude returned and I left. This is the story of our lives. There was a Face-to-Face Broadcast from Salt Lake City for the Young Single Adults. I drove two of them into Lexington to have dinner with the others and watch the broadcast with them. Elder M. Russell Ballard and Elder Dallin H. Oaks were the ones answering the Young Adults questions. It was excellent. Then I hurried home to see my guy. 

See, we don't have to be together to keep these lives full of good things. But I truly love it when we are together. And I love it even more after he comes home from one of his trips. What's the old adage, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder!"