trip to Utah

So mom and I get dropped off in the Hastings Am Trak Depot at 1:30 am. Bad news. Mark, the desk person tells us the Train is 3 hours late. That put us on 120 year old wood benches that have arm rests ever two 1/2 ft apart. So.....sitting erect, tired, after 3 1/2 hours our backs were killing us. We were kind of lost as to what we were going to do for those hours.....stare at each other? We had 15 hours on the train, would we run out of things to say? I told mom up front if I talk to much, tell me to ZIP IT. (she never told me to, but I'm sure she wanted to). (my wake up time was 7:00 am and I was on the go full speed all day) It was fun teasing Mark.

At the train station was a very large man. People say I have never met a stranger, I can talk to anyone, so we did. For 3 1/2 hours we talked with the MAN who was riding the train to Denver to pick up a pickup for the car dealer he works for. First thought was REPO man, and then he assured us He wasn't, in this case. later on we found out that he worked for the same car lot that mom just bought her intrepid from. LOL! Small world.

I think I got 2 hours of sleep on the train, off and on, collectively.
Food consisted of Dt. Pepsi, and an orange. (spent 22.00)
Then mom purchased two snicker bars. Another Dt. Pepsi. later on I bought a bag of trail mix.
We got into Grand Junction around 7:15 pm. Garth and Angie met up with us and we ventured off to Golden Coral. There I was good too. A little bit of protein, a spinach salad, some fruit for dessert and a splurg on Crab salad. Everyone said I made them look bad! Luckily I had a great weigh in and didn't want to blow it. 5.2 pound lost.

We got to Blanding at Midnight. I took the bedroom downstairs where there was a huge mountain lion on the wall. I was taking my shirt off over by the HUGE antlers and my sleeve got caught on it and I pulled the Head out of the wall. OH MY HECK, do I have the worst luck ever? It smelled like urine down there, I couldn't tell if it was the heads, or the bodies, or what. Luckily I prayed myself to sleep so I wouldn't be bothered by it.

Morning came quickly! UGH. I was sleeping in the bedroom I was in when I lived there 24 years ago. It was a little creepy when I heard the familiar footsteps on the living room floor right above my head.

Breakfast was blueberry pancakes, I think I had 2 small ones. Shower time was fun. Luckily I brought my own towel. haha.

I found the smell, it was a smelly diaper in the diaper pail.........smelled like it had been there for months.........I can still smell, it! But I came to the rescue and tossed it outside! YAY FOR ME.

We got busy getting the reception ready. Three irons were going. Ashlee (Sam's Ashlee) and I got to tying bows for the awnings, and wherever they were planned for (didn't do any good the wind blew them away, haah) Mom, Angie and Ashlee (Thayne's Ashlee) stood and ironed, with me taking a few turns for 7 hours. 50 chair covers, 50 sashes, 10 huge round table clothes, 3 huge 10 foot table clothes, and more. Whew! Our backs were really hurting us and I could feel it in my knees.

We got a break when we went to the store but as I was getting into the back of Angies sports honda, I think I blew a knee. It has been swollen ever since. I'm really scared that my knees will never heal. I walk like i'm 100 years old now. No insurance so no dr for me.

That was day one. Topped off with an ice cream cone. Lunch was a ham and cheese sandwich and supper was a hamburger off the grill.

Friday we spent the day getting tables and chairs set up and toelle covering all the rope lights that the boys had put up. Wow. What a chore. Enjoyed every minute of it.

Lunch was ham and cheese sandwiches and supper was the same for me.

Saturday was the big day at the Monticello Temple. What a beautiful sight to see. I will never forget the beauty. I regret to say that I wished Adriennes was that beautiful. Love filled the air. Respect from all of the family. It was so awesome to feel the LOVE everyone had for each other. Even when cute little kids were screaming and running around, the Peace and love that was felt was very enjoyable. We ventured of the LightHouse Cafe and enjoyed a roast beef and potato dinner. Sat with Jens and enjoyed the conversation.

Mom and mostly hung around with Thayne (my buddy, STILL) and his wife Ashlee and their little man VANN. What a sweetheart! Smiley, Happy, barely had his feet touch the ground, everyone wanted to hold him. How Precious! Thayne, you done Good. I'm so proud of you! We headed home with them to get a head start on the reception. Pictures galore were taken, so Mom and I cleaned and polished, and put kids to work with punch, and cheese cake.

Had a blast.
I was exhausted. I did talk to a few people I knew.
I was hoping to meet up with Mitzy Bayles. Went to the store with Angie and sure enough in the dairy section there she was. I gave her a hug, we shared a few stories and now we are facebook friends. The other two friends I had in Blanding were Anita Shumway and Leann Lyman. Both have been gone for quite some time. They are my angel friends!

So at the reception I talked with Jody and Phil. Jody is Anita's sister and Phil is Leann's Sister. Tears were exchanged with hugs and I'm glad I got to be in Blanding with wonderful happy feelings.

I never got depressed once. It was so nice to be healed! And loved! And Accepted! I wasn't the pregnant girl! I was Shanon Matson.....mother of 4, daughter, wife to one. So nice

We left around 8:30 for Grand Junction on Sunday. The train was running about an hour late. We got to GJ and we were going to stop for lunch but felt impressed to just get to the station. Good thing because it was running about 45 min late, not an hour. Whew. I picked up a few snacks at the depot, the depot called passengers to line up, but I was no where in sight, Mom panicked and went looking for me. She came in the depot and I said very loud and clear........MOMMY, I have my big girl panties on today! I don't know if she was amused or not! LOL I was, and so were the 60+ passengers in line! LOL

We boarded the long journey home. We packed a small lunch, ham and cheese sandwiches, with sun chips and fruit roll ups. I purchased another dt pepsi and that amazing trail mix (3.50 for a few ounces) and I bought an orange. I tried really hard to be good in the eating department and set a good example! God is truly giving me strength and I'm letting Him! (light bulb moment)
The trip home went faster for me, but mom was really getting antsy. I think she was just bored with me. :D
(never seen so many mooners in my life. Of course, they were all men. UGH I would say......OH MY HECK that guy is slapping his bottome and mom said WHERE? We just laughed)

Got to Hastings around 2:30 am and I fell asleep in dads bed. It was good to be home.