I am not by nature an Event Planner

Andrew comes home from his mission soon.

Full of love and good feelings and a desire to see all his family and friends.  Some of those people have no desire to see each other.  I get to try to work things out.

I have tentative plans. 

It would help if I knew exactly when he is coming home.  Everyone who can/wants to is invited to the airport to welcome him back to Sacramento.  If he comes home early enough in the day, we will have a picnic.  Probably invite anyone and everyone to come - potluck if they can, but not required.  If I don't think a picnic will work, I will take close relatives to an all-you-can-eatery. They will go to "pubic places/events".  We will have a couple of family dinners so Andrew can be with family who don't want to be together.  We will have an Open House so anyone and everyone can visit.  I am still debating with myself whether to have the Open House at my house or at the church.

Blessings, blessings, blessings! on the wonderful people whose kindness and hard work has made it possible for me to even think about having people at my house!

Benjamin became an Eagle Scout in December.  We both wanted to wait for Andrew to come home before having his Court of Honor.  Besides, spring weather is nicer than winter weather and it is so appealing and appropriate to have the Court of Honor in the outdoor amphitheater (or whatever) that Benjamin renovated for his Eagle project.  

Try finding a date that works for all his special people!  Can't happen. After much consideration and finally with some desperation, I picked a date and MOST of the people that he particularly wants were good with it, so I booked the amphitheater, mailed a request to Representative Matsui for a flag to be flown over the US Capitol the day of his Court of  Honor, and sent out the first wave of invitations via Facebook. Positive responses started coming in immediately. Well, just found out that a 2nd VIP person cannot make it after all.  (actually 3rd, but one cannot come any Saturday so almost doesn't count for these purposes)  Do I try for another date or realize that we just cannot get everyone?

We decided to have the Court of Honor on a Saturday afternoon rather than (any) evening because 1) the Nature Center will be open and restrooms available - else I would have to pay for staff to be there off hours so we could have restrooms and 2) (I want to say B like my "strange and delightful" daughter, but should probably not trespass) people could enjoy the park with their families after the Court of Honor.  A Saturday afternoon in mid-May should be lovely.  A Saturday afternoon in mid-June - next option - might be getting a bit warm for sitting in the sun for an hour or so.  And who's to say that all our VIPs could make that?  I am thinking about changing the date to accommodate, but I am not sure I am up to it.

Watch!  It will be the one rainy, miserable day in May.  For which I do have a back-up plan, the Relief Society room at our church building.  And June will be gorgeous.