Wow, right here in little old Cedar City!

Tonight I decided to treat my girls and take them out to dinner. I almost never take them out to eat any place other than Wendy's or Arby's, so I decided that with Gene at work until nine, I would just let them get dressed up and take them to a restaurant. They both love shrimp (who doesn't-HELLO!) so we decided we would go to the Chinese place called the Lucky Buffet here in town. However, I wanted some cute new pictures of them so I decided to bribe them just a little bit and tell them that if they would let me take some pictures of them on the beautiful SUU campus, then I would take them to eat there.

So we got some pictures done and decided that it was about time to go and eat. We went in to Lucky and sat down to eat our food when I glanced up just in time to see two men dressed in very nice suits walking into the restaurant. The second gentleman caught my eye and all of a sudden I realized that it was Elder Dallin H. Oaks! They were being seated just across from our table. I turned around to check out the table behind me and noticed that the couple seated there were looking in his direction as well and when they saw me look at them with a questioning look on my face, they nodded and mouthed the words "it's him" to me. I noticed, however that no one in the whole rest of the establishment even knew who he was. Either they aren't members, or they don't pay too close of attention to General Conference! I leaned over and told my girls that there was an apostle right next to our table. If any of you know my Lani, you know that she was absent the day they handed out "shyness" -there's not a shy bone in her body! She wanted to go over and shake his hand, and of course, I wasn't going to stop her! I let her and she went right over and smiled and said "Hi Elder Oaks!" He was so nice-he looked up, smiled and shook her hand warmly and spoke to her. I couldn't quite make out what he said to her, but when she came back, she told me that he had thanked her for coming over to say hello. The people who had been seated behind me wound up being from St.George and said that they had just come up to Cedar to shop at Cal-Ranch and then wound up staying for dinner. They ended up paying anonymously for Elder Oaks and his friend's dinners. I guess it's not very often that you get that opportunity! Anyway, after our dinner, I noticed that Elder Oaks was about done himself, so I decided that I would like to go and shake his hand, so I took Kiara over and we said hello, of course apologizing for interrupting his dinner, but I told him, "you know, it's not every day that we get to have you here in Cedar City!" To that he replied "I know, it's not everyday that I get to come here!"

Anyway, I was very excited that my girls got to meet an apostle of the Lord and shake his hand. What a wonderful experience! I was thinking that I have probably already met him in Samoa. I was fortunate enough to get to meet so many of them as a kid. Having grown up there attending an LDS school, they came to visit us there quite often. I have met President Spencer W. Kimball, President Howard W. Hunter, President Gordon B. Hinckley, President Monson, President Boyd K. Packer, Elder Jeffery R. Holland, Elder Dallin H. Oaks and probably many more that I can't remember. I think about how special my childhood was because I had met such wonderful Church leaders growing up and I am so thankful for that.

What a good night, right?! I hope my kids don't forget this night. I guess they probably will, but at least I can tell them about it and remind them how special it was! I guess it really was one "Lucky Buffet"!