Hinckley Blog

Last weekend we spent Saturday and Sunday in Mallorca. We flew over in the morning and interviewed all the missionaries, and I then interviewed a young sister who is getting married in the Madrid Temple next month. I interviewed her fiancee in Zaragoza the prior Thursday.

Prior to a meeting with the district president at 6:00, the Thompsons met us and we drove up to Valldemossa for lunch. It is a lovely little town up in the mountains, only about 15-20 minute drive from the chapel. Chopin spent a season here and once wrote that he thought is was the loveliest place on earth. It is a very picturesque village.



On Sunday we attended the Manacor Branch where Elder Thompson was the speaker (in addition to los Hinckley). Following Church, the counselor in the branch presidency held a lunch/barbeque at his newly purchased home in a little pueblo about 30 minutes from the chapel. It is his daughter that is getting married, and the Sunday lunch was in honor of her marriage and a house-warming for their new home.


This is an Argentine family, and somehow that found a home in Mallorca that looks like it was transported from Argentina! I felt like I had just walked through a time and space warp and was back in Argentina 40 years ago! The grill was filled with meat, the smoke filling the patio, a couple of lazy puppies wandering around, a rooster crowing beyond the wall. Following the lunch, Hermano Tiberi gathered everyone into the living room as he dedicated their new home - it was a wonderful afternoon!

  






The Thompsons took as back to the airport for the flight back to Barcelona. We spent the night in our own bed, then left of Monday for Valencia!

We don't spend much time in the office - in fact, we spend as little time there as possible! Things tend to be busy and hectic, especially on Preparation Day when many missionaries come in to pick up supplies. We have a great office staff who can do just about everything. But we do have to spend a some time occasionally in the office...

So our birthday tradition is to actually go away for the night and stay at a Parador. For Kathleen's sixtieth, we spent the night at the Parador de Vic-Sau, about an hour north of Barcelona but worlds away from the big city.

 

 

To celebrate your big day, here are 60 of my favorite memories with you . . .

1. Mother’s home preschool with our miniature wooden school desks

2. Learning how to sew with a needle and thread as you helped me repair my Orphan Annie doll

3. Savoring cider and donuts at Robinette’s on crisp autumn Saturdays

4. Mesa Verde campsite 32

5. Stopping at the Amana Colonies on our cross-country station wagon treks

6. Eating Hiker’s Stew at Phantom Ranch

7. Eating Thanksgiving dinner at Cedar Ridge

8. Birthday cakes!

9. Cooking absolutely everything in an electric fry pan, crock pot, or microwave during the Yucky Cookbook years

10. Roofing in the Arizona sun

11. Running to the bus stop in your nightgown with forgotten sack lunches

12. Watching you dress up for the Symphony Ball and hanging on every word as you gave us the “blow-by-blow” report

13. Teaching the Motherhood class at Cocopah career day

14. Taking us to browse at Jabberwocky toy store followed by cookies (or stuffed croissants) at the bakery next door

15. Saturday night baths in the Davies’ swimming pool

16. Art walks in Scottsdale including the Suzanne Brown Gallery and gigantic Gary Ernest Smith paintings

17. Sledding on the hill behind the Troy library after school

18. Getting manicures and pedicures together

19. Coming home from the U for lunch with you

20. Reuniting our entire family in Madrid for the temple dedication

21. Sitting together in the VIP seats of the Huntsman Center for my college graduation.

22. Birthday tables

23. Favorite lines from You’ve Got Mail made into hearts dangling from the chandelier on valentine’s day

24. Favorite James Taylor lyrics made into hearts dangling from the chandelier on valentine’s day

25. Olympic themed Christmas

26. Going to Boston for the first time when I was 14 and falling absolutely in love

27. Going back-to-school shopping at Marshall’s and putting the clothes on layaway

28. Meeting you in Dallas for spring break while I was at Tufts

29. Eating what is “probably the world’s best ice cream” in Polpero

30. Staying at Home Farm

31. Going to Odensa to see Karen Marie’s childhood parish

32. Sleeping on a tall ship in Copenhagen

33. Driving to Dallas with Joy Cilla and driving home from Dallas with Maria.

34. Finding Cabbage Patch dolls at JC Penny in Lansing and buying enough for us and all the neighbors

35. Doing perms

36. Painting nails together

37. Going shopping on sick days

38. Eating Piggly Wiggly fries at the Maricopa State Fair after the Cocopah marching band performance and then checking the exhibit halls to see what ribbons we had won

39. Finishing morning walks in Barcelona with a stop at the bakery to pick up some Napoletanas for breakfast

40. Spending 8 magical days in Barcelona with you!

41. Going to Education Week with you and staying in Deseret Towers when I was a teenager

42. “Food Share”

43. Watching you sew on the gray Singer and holding my pencil eraser on the handwheel as it went around

44. Eating corn dogs on the poolside all summer long

45. Joining you on your morning walks when I was in college

46. Meeting you in Nauvoo with my newborn Eliza

47. When you came to 178 West Canton Street after Eliza was born and helped me adapt to my new life

48. Sending a baby shower in a box while I was on bed rest with Eliza

49. Being there when I needed you most during my pregnancy (and early months) with the twins

50. Babysitting my kids on the phone or Skype when I need a moment of sanity!

51. Shopping for prom dresses at Azteca

52. Nursing my heat stroke with doses of Gatorade and Natrum Mur

53. Heroically pealing me off of the chandelier while I was being shocked

54. Playing dress-up with your Dr. Pepper Queen tiaras

55. Listening to stories of your fashion design and Tyches Teen Board days

56. Getting the royal treatment when I was sick: the brass bell to ring for room service and juice served in a silver pitcher delivered to my bedside

57. Supporting me in my artistic interests with lessons from BBAA and Trish Mayberry and endless art supplies

58. Attending Bario Dos and Zone Conference for the Hopsitalet and Barcelona Zones

59. Brisket and sheet cake

60. Eating Wendy’s chili with Glays Knight and family

Pretty great life so far!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

xoxoxoxoxoxoa