We joined Tim on one of his whirlwind tour segments, and it was exhausting. Mostly because for 3 days I didn't sleep more than four hours a night, all the hours of sleep were interrupted by nightmaring children and fussy dogs, and then we ran ran ran all day. Tim did a morning show, opened for a concert, helped his college group learn to evaluate shows, went to a wedding with me, and drove something like 25 hours in 4 days. I visited family, went to a wedding and reception, got my hair shaped (my sisters insisted), and tried to see every member of my family. The kids played with cousins and played nintendo.
Funny thing that happened: we left the kids with Aunt Beth while we went to the wedding, and when Dan woke up and found her there, he actually thought it was me. Beth and I look something alike--except we have different hair, different skin coloring, different noses, different eye color, and she's 4 inches shorter and 50 lbs lighter than I am. Still, Dan was legitimately confused when I showed up on the porch. He looked back and forth at us and said, 'Mommy! Another one! This one. This one. This one. Another one!" Finally Beth showed him the family picture and told him who she was, and he got it. But not until he clung to her instead of me (as if I were the babysitter) and asked repeatedly, "Where's Dad?"
We had a nice trip. The wedding was nice. It's always amusing to watch musicians and their musician crowds networking ("schmoozing" Tim calls it). The music, as usual, was far too loud for the space (Look at what living with a sound guy has done to me!). The reception was in the McCune Mansion in SLC, a restored Victorian mansion. I could have spent all year exploring that place. It even had a turn of the last century luxury bathroom--it looked like a spa. Benjamin was so impressed that he threw up all over the floor.
It was a very introspective trip for me. I learned that I did, indeed, lose my girlish figure, but what I gained (four children so far) was so so so much more valuable to me that I wouldn't go back, and will never mourn the loss of my figure. I realized that doing prominent things isn't the same as doing important things (a very nice article about Jane Clayson--she's LDS!--and why she quit her job to be a mom helped solidify this for me), and that I'd really rather be doing important things. I realized that when you are married to a musician, so many people are counting on them in a totally unique way that you really have to fight every step of the way to be a family--and it is worth it. I realized that the truly Christlike behaviors are not big--they are in completely tuning in to other people and doing the small things that make their lives easier and their memories more precious and happy. I learned that the General Authorities of the LDS church are not really Great Men in the world's sense, but they are most definitely great servants--humble people willing to do whatever the Lord wants--and that, given the choice, I'd willingly follow one of them over any of the Great Men the world has to offer. I'd much rather spend an hour with Elder Hales than an hour with the President. And I want to be like those great servants, even though it means I will never be a Great Woman according to the world.
It was a good trip.
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