A Hello and Goodbye Month

Wow, This month has zipped by way too fast!  First things first!  Happy SWEET 16 to my sweet number 4 kiddo. We were going to have a plan to take her and her friends tubing but all of her friends are working and have many things going on in their lives to get together.:(    She wanted Hawaiian haystacks for dinner and a fancy lemon cake for dessert. 

    We have been on some quickie trips around Utah and stayed in forest service cabins here and there. My dh has taken pity on me several times to let me rest my head a little more often on a real bed and not the ground.

     While up at Hyrum Lake, we heard that Grandma B had been taken to the hospital. We packed things up quickly and drove home. We spent much of the night at the hospital and then she died the next afternoon. It was a surreal experience for all of us. A few days later was her funeral. All of our neighbors were so kind to us during that time. DH did a beautiful job with all the preparations and speaking at the funeral.

     We went to her home last night to make sure everything was out of her refrigerator and cupboards that were perishable. It was so strange not to have her wobble around the corner of the front room and say hi to us. It still had her smell, her sweaters hanging in the closet and her cute little purse still where she left it. I will miss going over and taking her out for lunch or going on an ice cream run. She was very kind to me and I miss her terribly.

      On a lighter note, my three sweeties and I just got back from girl's camp last week. I was in charge of the crafts and spoke at one of the morning devotionals. I have never laughed so much in such a long time. We made new friends and strengthened the friendships of others. I was renewed and refreshed.

Missionary is Home!

What an awesome experience. I was so thrilled to finally see him face to face. Two years went really fast for us. The times when it slowed the most was during holiday times. Looking back, there were a lot of things that happened while he was gone.
   It was funny that we drove into the driveway from the airport and told him we wanted to take him out to eat for his first lunch back. He asked us if we could just stay home and eat peanut butter and honey sandwiches with milk. He said that he really missed them. Note to self:  return to buying an additional two gallons each time we go to the store. 

   Yesterday we went to buy him some new clothes and toiletry items. He was shocked at the lack of fruits and veggies in the grocery store. Much of his food on the mission was fruit.  He loves to talk with anyone remotely looking latino. He still can't get used to the airconditioning. Tomorrow we will zoom up to the University and check on a place to live and get registered for classes.  I won't say too much more here because my dd echoed much of my feelings about his return on her blog. (cupcakes&jellybeans) We had a great homecoming party for him on Saturday night and a very nice report of his mission on Sunday...so grateful for everyone that sacrificed to drive long distances to come. Families Are Forever!

Our Missionary!

FOUR MORE DAYS!   We can't hardly wait to kiss his neck! What a great time for all of us. Lots to do before he comes down the escalator. We have been preparing all month. We are thrilled to see all the relatives and friends this weekend. More pictures to come so stay tuned.

A Great Getaway

Last week my dh and I went to Island Park for a few days with a few of his co-workers. The boss rented a beautiful cabin/mansion there. Every day we set off on a four-wheel adventure to somewhere. Unfortunately, many of the trails were snowed over or washed out. It was still fun! The best part of the trip was when we hopped into some canoes and floated down the river. Many parts of the stream were so shallow, dh had to get out and push us out of the rocks. We saw four moose grazing on the side of the bank and they allowed us to get quite close. It was a great few days to relax. It is so beautiful up there in the Yellowstone area, wished we lived closer to take advantage of it more.

Happy Graduate!

Our sweet #2 just graduated from the small college in the southland. She is so excited that her general ed. requirements are fulfilled. She can now get down to business, so to speak! She is headed to that dairy capitol university up north, in August. For now, we wish her a fun summer. We are happy to see her excell!