Life is a Dance

The other day while biking through campus, I passed the Eliza Roxy Snow Performing Arts Center. Then called my sister and asked if they had planned that their newest daughter was named Liza Snow, and their other daughter is named Roxy. Like the Handys, the Ramsey's will be excellent performers. They are also beautiful kids. I'll have to say that I have the most beautiful nephews and nieces ever. Ten from the Webbs, and Ten from the Handys. 

Mary and I also went to my Sao Paulo, Brazil East mission reunion in North Ogden, Ut. It was very exciting to see the Caldwell family again, including their little boy who shares my name, Lucas. He is a fun boy, in a good family, and so I am sure he will become a great man. 

Following the reunion, we drove up to Burley. Like normal, it was loud & crazy in the Handy home with Grandma watching almost all of the grandkids. Mary & I needed to escape. Clayton & Jenna joined us for a peaceful hike in the canyon around Lake Vineyard. The same place where a dozen of my friends and I had gotten lost during High School. Since then, I have been back a hundred of times to enjoy this beautiful, remote, desert oasis. 

Unfortunately, the Handy party was short lived because Mary caught the stomach flu the next day. I am so glad she is better. 

Finals Week has come and gone, including the week break between semesters. Phelipe & Lauren came up for a short visit because Lauren graduated with her associates online. The men, Phelipe, Lauren's Dad, and I, ditched the girls to get some gifts to surprise her with. When Lauren called us and asked why we didn't go with them to visit the gardens, I told her that gardens were for girls. Lauren's graduation was fun & a special memory for us. We know she will accomplish many other fantastic things with her life.

Thursday of this week, Clint and Keila (Mary's brother and sister-in-law) officially picked up their roots in Raft River and came to join us in Rexburg. Mary was so excited to have them here that she made a casserole for them and went to go help with the move. 

Later that day, we stopped by the genealogy center. I am so excited because familysearch.org built warehouses of data storage, genealogy storage, the cloud, for anyone to upload unlimited amount of pictures and stories of ancestors. Now anyone, anywhere in the world can login to this network and work on family history and accomplish what others have done in their family for their ancestors. One of the workers said that 1.7 million names are added to this database daily. I hope anyone who reads this takes the time to try out these tools, and at least share a story or two that they have of their heritage in these online annals. 

Following that, we partied at the Madison County Centennial Dance and must have done well, because the local newspaper put this picture of Mary and I in yesterday's edition. I love being here with Mary. It has taken me a while to adjust, but overall, it has been a very positive experience. The hospital that I currently work at is a nonprofit, county run hospital called Madison Memorial Hospital. I work with the director of Public Relations, Doug McBride, who captured the video below, and have found this fellow BYU MPA graduate colleague to be one of the most verbally supportive and positive individuals that I have ever worked with.  

   

Keila has offered Mary and I dinners for a few evenings a week and I am super excited to have real Brazilian food again. Keila is an angel for cooking for us.  Clint & Keila just started their semester in Rexburg. Between them, Hyrum, Kat & Eric, the Reis kids, and the Hepworths, we feel like we have family nearby, and feel like this place is home. In fact, Mary & I are starting our first garden. Wish us luck as we embark on yet another semester filled with new experiences at work and at play. If by chance you'd like to pay us a visit, our love cottage is open to whomever would like to stay.  

Love, 

The Handy Family