San Fran

This last weekend was the weekend of long car rides. Thursday we headed up to Twin Falls to see Kaeleen get married on Friday. It was SO fun to see my old roommates again and to see Kaeleen on her big day. She looked so beautiful! After the reception there was a luncheon at a delicious Italian restaurant. Her reception was in Washington the next evening, and we had to head to San Francisco on Sunday, so we decided to head back home after a quick stop at Shoshone Falls-Beautiful!



We left for San Francisco early Sunday morning to get to Brandon's interview at University of the Pacific on Monday. We stayed with Ellisha's brother Joe and his family. They live in a former military barracks on a beautiful park called Presidio. They can see the ocean from their window and live less than ten minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge. This is where most of the married dental students live that go to UoP.


Monday morning I drove Brandon to his interview in downtown San Francisco (from his school you can also see the Bay). I stayed in the library for a couple of hours to study for my oral examinations. When I got tired of studying, I drove to Fisherman's Warf. The first thing I did was pick up a Starbucks smoothie so I would fit in with the locals...or just because it sounded tasty. I walked out on the warf, saw the sea lions, Alcatraz, the Maritime Museum, and the old ships. I stopped for a cup of clam chowder and then bought some chocolate at Ghiardelli Square. By then it was time to go pick up Brandon, and after a quick dinner we began the drive home.



Brandon had a wonderful interview at his dream school. He loved the school and the faculty, and his faculty interviewer told him to expect a call on December 1st. So it's not official, but we are planning on San Francisco next year and couldn't be happier. UoP is such a great school and Brandon has worked so hard to get there!


In other news, my final oral examinations, the oral test where your graduate committee can ask you anything about everything you have ever learned in college, are three weeks from today and I am pretty panicked. I have a LOT of studying to do.

Grandpapa Schofield

My Grandpa Schofield passed away this last week. It was hard because it is always hard to lose someone, and it is heartbreaking to see my Grandmother alone, especially because she doesn't always know what is going on. My Grandpa, or "Grandpapa" as we call him lived a full, amazing, and long life. For his funeral, he didn't want any eulogizing. He only wanted a short biography, two spiritual talks, and lots of music. My uncle Robert gave the biography, but Grandpapa didn't want anyone else in the family giving talks. Maybe he thought it would be easier; and I respect his wishes. However, during the talks at the funeral I couldn't help but feel that the speakers didn't know Grandpapa like our family does. I started to think what I would say about my grandpa.

Some of my earliest memories of my grandpa are at their beautiful house in Alpine. He would always take us to the creek across the street where we would cross the narrow plank bridge and play with the little tube plants that grew on the banks. I remember we held races in their backyard. Grandpapa was a senior Olympian and we always wanted to beat him. In the early summer we would drive the rocky road out to the old pioneer house in the poppy field. There we would explore all the old rooms and romanticize earlier ways of life. He took us to hunt for fossils and see old Utah historic sites.

A few years ago, a friend told me that I was only happy when I was on adventures. At the time I was really hurt, but I have since realized that statement is partly true. I am happiest when I am with friends and especially family out on some great adventure, whether it is a day trip to southern Utah with Brandon or sitting in a crowded airport with my whole family for six hours, waiting for our plane to Rome. I have always credited most of this characteristic to my mom, and I still do. But I think for her, it came from Grandpapa.

I loved what I learned about him during the funeral, and I have always loved hearing stories of him during his years in the CIA, tramping through Machu Picchu, exploring the Galapagos Islands, and hiking through the Andes.

Grandpapa loved books and learning, and although I didn't always pay close attention to his frequent talks and lectures, I learned to appreciate the importance he placed on education. I also learned that he was a man of great faith.

I didn't always agree with my grandpa, and I think he knew this. I wish that I had let him know better how much I really do love and respect him. I have been blessed with such amazing grandparents on both sides; each of them have qualities that I want to emulate and pass on to my children. I want them to know that Grandpapa Schofield was a man of, as my uncle Alex put it, "determination, idealism and energetic advocacy for the causes he believed in."