Amber, Jason, Keira and I just got back from a 4-day trip to Las Vegas and back. Jason was participating in a hockey tournament there and played 4 games in 4 days, including the championship round. He and his team had a pretty successful run and Jason was named "Defensive Player" of the tournament -- like an "all-star". He came back with some bumps and bruises and was pretty sore after so much skating in such a short amount of time.

Amber and I bummed around, watching most of his games and we all managed to see a few of the Las Vegas sights. One of my favorites is the water show at the Bellagio. They were just changing up the seasonal display at the Bellagio's Botanical Gardens and were nearly done, but we weren't able to make it back to see it completed.

We had a great lunch at Thai Spice on W. Flamingo. We noted before we went in that it had been voted best Thai restaurant every year since 1994, and we weren't disappointed. Keira was even happy with her helping of chicken satay, pad thai and rice. I definitely want to remember it for my next visit to Vegas.

All of us with the exception of Wyatt (who had a previously planned engagement) went to check out the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay. It wasn't terribly large, but it was about what I expected for the $15.95 admission fee. There were multiple aquariums--the best were the shark tunnel and large one fashioned like you were inside of a sunken ship with views all around (including overhead and underneath). We enjoyed it and probably would have stayed a little longer if Keira had been willing. We will forgive her though because she is teething and wasn't feeling well.



Lindsay and Wyatt fixed us a couple of very nice dinners that I will have to try and replicate for the family here. I'm always happy to learn a thing or two! I'm coming home armed with three great dishes to fix: Grilled shrimp, carne asada tacos and pan roasted broccoli! Can't wait to try them out myself.

Amber did all of the driving on the way to Las Vegas and some of it was pretty grueling. She did a stretch on the Pacheco Pass that was 1 lane and construction barriers on both sides in the dark of the early morning and in the rain at the start of the trip and a couple of hours of sitting in traffic that barely moved as we hit Las Vegas. Jason was pretty tired and had an ice pack taped to his arm as we left and Amber hadn't gotten much sleep with Keira waking her up at night and getting up early. It ended up being a good thing I came along for the ride because neither of them were really up to driving home.

I managed to get us all home in one piece despite our scenic tour of Las Vegas on our way out. With traffic and all both going and coming the trip ended up taking about 11 hours each way. There needs to be some better roads between here and Las Vegas. The 152 is getting better, so I won't complain about that, but the 46 and the 58 have lots of room for improvement and I don't recommend traveling back on a Sunday night--any week of the year! The delays caused by the agricultural inspection (even though they didn't stop anyone with California plates) was ridiculous. That alone added at least an hour or more to the trip because of traffic moving at barely a crawl for about 15 miles.

On Valentine's day, we learned of the tragic death of the sweet daughter of friends of ours who was Chandra's friend. In a dark moment, she made a decision to end her life. We attended her funeral today. The chapel was filled and overflowing with friends and family. Oh, if she had only felt the care and love shown today. The talks at the funeral were great, especially the last one by Bud Wilson. His brother had committed suicide and he was given some great counsel and was comforted by friends to directed him to talks that had been given by church leaders. He reminded us that it isn't for us to judge--we leave that to God--and with his great mercy and his plan for our eternal salvation, isn't it reasonable to believe that God will forgive her for her momentary lack of hope? He also said that there is a plan for each one of us. Only God knows our timetable. If it weren't Jennifer's time to go, wouldn't he have inspired someone to intervene on her behalf and rescue her before things went too far?

I was trying to find the talks that Bud referenced, but hadn't yet when I ran across The Broken Bowl written by Karen Athay Packer. Her story of her father's suicide reminds us to treasure each of the shattered pieces left when a loved one dies and use them to remember the wonderful and happy times we have shared and learn from the lessons they taught with their life. God be with you 'till we meet again, Jennifer. We will miss your sweet smile.

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Chandra had been shopping at Valley Fair when she heard of Jennifer's death last Thursday. She was upset, but had to get back across town to get to work. As she was changing lanes on highway 17, she thought she saw a car behind her in the lane she was entering. She jerked back into the lane she just left, but traffic had slowed enough that she clipped the back bumper of the car that had been in front of her. The end result was both she and the driver were forced to try and retain enough control of their cars to keep them from being hit by other cars in busy freeway traffic. Chandra managed to get her car off to the side of the road, sustaining damage only to the front corner of her car. The other driver, however, careened off the side of the road, barely missing a large tree, but picking up a section of guardrail that went up and over the hood. From Chandra's perspective, it looked as though the driver might have been impaled with the guardrail. With her heart racing, she sprinted back--prepared to administer whatever comfort and help she might be able, expecting the worst. By the time she reached the car, the driver of the other car had exited her vehicle and was looking at the scene counting her blessings.

As I looked at the photographs Chandra took at the scene, I can attest to the fact that God does have his own time line. It wasn't that innocent woman's day to die, and it wasn't Chandra's day to learn a tragic lesson (the guilt of which she might carry forever). The tree barely grazed one side of her car and the guardrail with post attached slid up and over the hood--stopping short of even cracking the windshield. Her airbags didn't even deploy.

Reality is, the Lexus is totaled this time..no doubt. Our insurance will be paying for a stretch of guardrail and whatever damage the other car sustained. It makes the money we pay for car insurance seem like such a deal. The real blessing is that no one was injured--not one bruise--not one scratch--and for that we are very grateful.

Other car:

I have been working on uploading all of my parent's photographs from my mother's hard drive. While I was sorting through them, I found a couple more "Alike" photographs that coincidentally occurred over the years.

My mother on the rock at the top of Angel's Landing in Zion National Park (1985) and then me in the same spot (1985) just a slightly different angle.







My mother and her father, Jesse Lewis Fish at the top of Angel's Landing -- the same day as above; and following that, my father, Sherman Levi Nay, and I in the same spot!

We all have so much fun playing "reindeer games" during the holidays, I suggested to the kids that we should have a regular "game" night every month or so. They all thought it was a good idea--especially Evan. In fact, he and his friends have been having regular weekly game nights ever since then!

They have been having crazy times playing Apples to Apples, Balderdash, Cranium, etc.--all night long! These guys don't need a wii to have fun (although they have borrowed Amber's and played all night here with that two).

I'm happy to have them here, but boy--are they ever LOUD!