rock of ages

We went to our old ward (church congregation) today.  I’m having a lovely time on our vacation here in my old stomping grounds, but I do find myself routinely having to blink back tears.  I miss it so, so much.  We drove through the area that husband and I had our first dates and fell in love.  I see people and places that WonderGirl loved that I know the Dude would too.  I’m not romanticizing here.. okay, maybe a little.  There is just so much more here… more cultural and educational things I could expose the kids to - not to mention the convenience of a major metropolitan area (i.e. SHOPPING, and awesome food).

But the thing I may miss most of all was something I got to do this morning.  We ran into one of the counselors in the bishopric on Thursday and he asked me to play violin in church - so set the right tone for fast and testimony meeting.  So, my father in law and I worked up a lovely duet of O My Father and Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.  (side note to anyone that was there - the violin I used was one that my MIL got by trading a painting for it in college.  So the tone I managed to get out of it was monumental, in my opinion, and I’m not even Dallin.  Just sayin’.) It sounded lovely except for one sad high C… the intensity of how magical it is to create music with my FIL overwhelmed me and my bow arm started shaking.  I made it to the end and found my way back to my seat, where I had to just cry and get the tears out.  I miss this.  All of it.  WonderGirl drew a picture of me crying and showed it to me, so I smiled and asked her to draw one of that.  I don’t want to spend my vacation feeling bad about what I miss, I want to just enjoy it.  And I’m managing to, I think.  But that music thing was just a little too much.