Weekend Three--UDSF Retreat, Reception, and BYU game

Back in the summer when I was planning my life...November looked open and available....so I bought BYU football tickets for Gary and I from a friend for Saturday night, November 17th.  Although years ago we had season tickets, it has been a long time since we have attended a football game.  It takes a big chunk of a day and it was hard to give that up on a Saturday.  I think the last game that we might have attended was with the Scouts on $5.00 night for Scout troops--in seats way up high on the endzones.  That was awhile back.  I was excited that we would have a chance to go together and hopefully enjoy a BYU win against New Mexico....................

Then we had to reschedule the UDSF retreat to November 16 and 17th at Bear Lake  (2 1/2 hours north east of Syracuse) and then a close friend of Jena's and ours got engaged and picked November 17 for her wedding and reception date.  We couldn't miss that, so we packed up, took a deep breathe, and we were off....

First to a cabin at Bear Lake for our annual retreat for UDSF.  We had an expanded group this year and it was a very useful and productive day and half of meetings mixed with some fun and game playing.  We played "Stipulations" at night which was a big hit.  Two people asked me the name of the game after we headed home the next day because they want to get it for Christmas.  This was another game we learned about at the Giberson family reunion and are now sharing with our part of the world. 

Like last year, we woke up to snow, but it quickly cleared up.

I love how the clouds are sitting on the lake and then...

the skies begin to clear and the colors totally changed.

A hanging chime by the front door of the house
where we stayed

We left at 1:30 and headed back to Syracuse, took showers, and headed to the reception.  They started early at 5:30 (because the bride's extended family are huge BYU fans and they wanted time to watch the game.) which worked for us.

Jena and Kalie (Watson) Jolley

The white flowers and the navy blue were
similar to the colors of Tosha's wedding
which happened also in November.

It was so fun to see friends from our old ward who were there to support Kalie and the Watson family.  After yummy tiny pies and other treats, we headed home, changed into layers of warm clothes and headed to the BYU game.

I am not sure why I love BYU sports so much.  Just being at the games remind me of my happy moments as a BYU student and how much I have been impacted by that part of my life.  And of course, I met Gary there so that was a bonus!

While I was in Colorado last week, Freya (who attended University of Nebraska) and I talked about football.  She was actually at the game a few years ago that BYU won in a last ditch "Hail Mary" pass into the endzone.  It broke their string of 22 home opener wins.  Freya said the campus was in mourning for awhile after that wondering why they hadn't picked a "cupcake team" for the opener.

So while waiting for the game to start, I sent her this photo and asked how Nebraska had done that day.

She sent this photo back and said they were cold, but they had won!  That is Freya with her boy friend, John.

So I did the following photo later in the game (when we started to get cold),

Go, BYU!!  I wonder if being family means I have to cheer for the Cornhuskers now.  Probably like I do for the Longhorns---I cheer for them except when they are playing BYU!

We won the game and made it home by 2:00 a.m.

Good thing I had the Primary lesson already prepared for the morning.  All about Job and his life experiences!  His story reminds me how lucky I am in my own life.  We have been so truly blessed and this weekend was simply another example of the blessings we are surrounded by.