Allison and Kati Riding the Rails

At about 5:45 this morning I picked up Allison and Kati at the Hastings train station. They were scheduled to arrive at 0300 hrs, but were delayed. They rode the Amtrak from Salt Lake City to Hastings to visit us for this weekend. The entire trip was a long 24 hours, but it sounds like it was fairly relaxing. Like someone at my work who reguarly rides these trains, you can't be in a hurry and make the train ride part of the trip.

Kati spoke about how the train would rock back and forth and you felt you had a few too many when you tried to navigate down the hallway. At one point she almost was pushed into a room that held a somewhat surprised man.

Dinners were served in the dining car and Allison wondered how the waiters could serve a platter of food without spilling them off onto the floor. They were asked if another passenger could sit at their table, to which they politely declined. They later learned that it is typical on trains to have the guests crowd into tables, even if others are empty. It seems to either simplify the serving, or allow for expansion of services on a limited dining car. Later, they had chances to eat with people traveling from Vermont, Montreal, and Colorado.

They spent their time watching DVDs, which was a real treat, and the took a number of naps. The route is filled with stops, some longer than others. At Grand Junction, CO, they were able to get out and stretch their legs. At the longer stops, the train takes on fuel, food, and removed garbage.

They stayed in a sleeper which also came with their own attendant. Their purpose is to provide coffee, water, and other amenities to those in the sleeper car. The attendant also let them know when they would be arriving at the Hastings station.

We spent today at the kids' school for lunch (lasagne and salad) and we were the celebrities of the lunch room. All the kids like to sit with visitors and I like to quiz them on a variety of topics, including math, science, history and current events.

Tonight, Allison and Kati presented gifts to the kids; transformers to the boys, a camera and photo album to Meile, a doll for Daina and a glowbug toy for Matthew. Then, we were introduced to a little tradition of Allison and Kati's: cookie decorating. The boys spent their time attempting to push the boundaries of their cookie/icing ration. The ladies were generally more interested in design.

Daina has spent the entire day calling Allison "Cindy." I don't quite know why. We don't know a Cindy, there is no Cindy on either side of the family, but she just won't let it go. So, now we are having fun with her and calling Allison "Cindy" as well. So, Eric better be careful when he returns, his wife might be going by another name.

Tomorrow we are going to visit the Stuhr Museum, an outdoor pioneer history park in Grand Island. The family has a yearlong membership and there are a ton of great things to learn about the first settlers of this area.

A note about my sisters:

During our recent visit to SLC, we had all the sisters at the house and I was so very impressed with what wonderful women they have become. It is interesting to think of these ladies, who I knew best as playful little girls, crammed into bedrooms 2 or 3 at a time. I think of their giggles, their fights, the work getting ready for church, and the arguments about clothes, hair do-dads, etc. Now, they are largely grown, with families, jobs, college educations, and wonderful lives. I like being impressed by them. I like being proud of the fine grown ups they are. I am so happy to see them gathering together now, as adults, and still laughing, joking and being close. I am so happy to see them growing in the Gospel and making wonderful choices.

Some of my favorite people in the world.

In this age where girls and women seem to be devalued by so many worldly influences, I hope that each of my sisters know of their immeasurable value , of the extent of their wonderful influence, and the wonderful impact they have in my life. I love the fact that I have 9 fantastic sisters. Always know that I love you ladies and you are so very precious.