It's 11:30 am on May 7, 2021. Mel turns 23 today. I'm sitting in the XNA Airport, waiting to fly back to Utah. I've been visiting Kamiko and Bekki in Rogers, Arkansas, for her graduation, and I'm feeling quite sentimental. Arkansas has been good to us. We've had a connection to this lovely corner of the US since 2014. Allie came to the U of A as a freshman in 2014, then Mel came here on her mission in 2017, and Kamiko and Bekki have called NW Arkansas home for over 2 years now. To quote Allie, "Arkansas isn't big enough for more than one Adcock at a time."
My first trip here was to bring Allie as a college freshman. I was so impressed with the campus, the kindness of the people, and the beauty of the green hills. I told her I wouldn't blame her if she got a job and settled here forever. Oddly enough, she didn't. She's a Razorback at heart, but transferred back to BYU via SLCC. Mel then came here on her mission. We learned from the current assistants to the president that they still speak very highly of Sister Adcock even over 2 years after she came home, especially in the YSA wards. They talk about a short missionary that was very creative in her ideas to find and serve people. What a lady! UPDATE: there was an elder from the BAM that was on my flight. I bought him lunch on our layover in Dallas and he told me that the mission president always talked about Sister Adcock when he was training YSA missionaries. He said that President Strong said Sister Adcock was the best YSA missionary they ever had.
Bekki came her to earn her PhD at the Walton Business School. She was here a couple of years before she met Kamiko. Her happy place was Crystal Bridges, the museum funded by the Walton family, owners of Walmart and owners of NW Arkansas. When Kamiko started dating her and said "guess where she's going to school" I would have never guessed U of A. What a connection! Shortly before the wedding and before Mel finished her mission, she was transferred back to Fayetteville and got to meet her soon-to-be sister-in-law and they even taught a lesson together.
Now we're all one big happy Razorback family, ready to watch Bekki graduate as DR. BEKKI tomorrow. Oh, and I'll miss it in person because after I bought my ticket, they changed the graduation date. We decided to stick with my original itinerary. It worked out great. I've only been her 1 1/2 days, but we got a lot done. We ate yummy food, went to Crystal Bridges to watch a cool light exhibit at sunset, went to the Momentary modern art museum (also Walton/Walmart), ironed Bekki's graduation gown and hood, played "Pomp and Circumstance," the graduation song, cleaned, got ready for a moving sale, had a moving sale, got boxes, and just had a great time being together. I can't believe this era is over for us. I really want to come back someday and see Bekki's name on the sidewalk on campus. They sandblast the names of all graduates on the sidewalk. Campus is covered with names. It's sooooo cool.
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| Every pedicure is better with a cold soda! |
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| Kamiko went with yellow toenails |
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| Bekki will greatly miss her nail guy, Tony. |
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Kamiko - Yellow
Me - Pink
Bekki - Razorback Red |
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| Kamiko's first pedicure and he loved the pampering |
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| Such a great Mother's Day gift! |
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| Seated and waiting for the "show" to start |
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| Lighting has started to add color to the room |
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| This is a really cool exhibit that's on a trail that's part of Crystal Bridges. You enter this circular structure that has a circle hole in the top. It's best to go at sunset. You watch the sky through the hole. As the sky darkens, LED lights change colors, illuminating the room and changing how the sky looks. The sky darkens and you see different color combinations from a gray sky to black. It's really cool. It took about 40 minutes and it was a good excuse to slow down. We're always so busy. It was necessary to remind myself to just sit and enjoy art + nature + family. A beautiful evening! |
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| On to The Momentary and an exhibit on color. Loved it. |
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| Me and Bekki in front of her favorite piece |
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| I loved this. I think I like old furniture and flowers. |
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| Couldn't resist the orange chair |
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| This piece reminded me of a quilt |
Here's the food we ate:
Parkside Public in Rogers: awesome burgers, sweet potato fries, onion rings, Caesar salad, root beer float, and fruity pebbles shake. This place came recommended by Michelle and Drew Blankenship, friends I have that live in Centerton.
Havana Tropical Grill: rice and beans! YUM. The most simply jasmine rice, but so yummy. I think it was cooked in well-salted water. Kamiko got some meat with his rice and beans. Bekki and I just wanted to keep it simple. I gave her my fried plantains. Still don't like them.
Yulianitas: CARNE ASADA QUESADILLAS. YUM! Got the meal that included rice and beans. It was sooooo good. It's one of Kamiko's favorite places.
Whataburger: Chicken honey biscuits for breakfast. I had heard about them but had never tried one. Loved it.
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| Last photo together before I drove out of their apartment complex in tears. |
My flight to XNA to DFW was uneventful. It was a full flight and I lucked out to have the ONLY empty seat next to me. I read a book that we're reading for book club called "Two Old Women." It's an Alaskan tale written by an indigenous women. I really liked its message. During our layover, I treated Elder Hansen from Provo to lunch at Panera Bread. The flight to SLC was fine too. I had a window seat with an empty middle seat. I watched a movie, finished my book, and took a nap. I was tired! Mario, Allie's boyfriend, had flown to SLC and arrived a couple of hours before me. He waited and I drove him to Provo. We had a terrible windstorm unlike anything I'd seen before. I wondered where in the world I would find my garbage can that Allie had so kindly remembered to put out for me. I got home and found it next to my garage door, safe and sound. My cute young neighbor, Chandler, had pulled it in for me. He had seen it blowing down the street and rescued it for me. So nice of him.
So I'm back home. Saturday I went walking with friends, then went grocery shopping. Then I settled in to watch Bekki's virtual graduation. Allie and Mario came over to watch with me. We're so proud of her. She was such an enthusiastic graduate. So typical of her. She really is a light. I then took a nap and went to mom's to spend time with her. We played 5 Crowns, visited, and I vacuumed for her. Happy Mother's Day, mom. This morning I slept in then went to church. Great lesson in RS about intentional parenting. Allie came over and gave me the cutest sweatshirt with California flowers on it. I LOVE IT. Kamiko and Bekki were on the road, coming to Utah. Mel is on the road, going to California. Allie and I visited for a bit, then took naps. We then had jerk pork with avocado mango salsa, then baked. We made Mel's birthday cake and 2 batches of cookies for a going away party for Allie that I'm hosting next Sunday. Love that girl. I will miss her.
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| Allison was watching and texted me when I took this screenshot. I think her reaction is so cute. |
In addition to Allie moving, Mel is going to the Hamptons for the summer. She will be a nanny in the upscale community on the beaches of NY. She will care for 2 boys AND work in the interior design department of the dad's architectural firm. It's a dream come true for Melia. She's always wanted to live in New York and she loves design. It's like it's meant to be. Such a miracle. That family will be fortunate to have Melia as their guest for the summer. AND she gets paid. She will have a car and her own room and bathroom.
I get emotional when I think of all the changes. They are all good changes, but it doesn't make it easier to say goodbye.
