My hunger has been satisfied

I waited for it.  I read it.  Loved it.  She always surprises me in her books.  The series has ended and I was very satisfied with the ending.  After I finished it, it was a "wow" experience.  Love Suzanne Collins and her "Hunger Games" series.

Our whole life is about Missionaries

This is our missionary with his first companion Elder Schmidt from Japan.  His dad is obviously in the military.  He's doing good.  He says teaching in Spanish is going better and he loves the "fountains of juice" in the MTC.  Devin has a page on missionsite.net   I've posted his emails and pictures there and it has his current address there.  It has a link over to dearelder.com  where you can write him for free.  You need to create a quick account for yourself(email and password) and then you can write him for free while he's in the MTC(til Oct.6th.)  You just need to know his box #(211) and his mission code (1006.)   If you forget, it is on missionsite.net . 

Kick 'em to the curb MTC style

Yeah, you heard it.  We now as families, because of the extreme behavior and overdoing it in every way farewells at the MTC, can either send our children on a plane to the MTC or do what I refer to as "kick 'em to the curb."  We kicked ours to the curb.  I'm not being cold, but factual.  You now have a few seconds to unload your missionary's luggage and missionary, while a host(a missionary at the MTC) takes said child and luggage.  You are informed to take all pictures and say all farewells before you get there.  I obviously broke the rule of taking pictures as he got out of the van and unloaded...I was going to keep the rule but saw most family doing "posing pictures" and no one stopped them, so I hurried and took unloading pics.  We had all of 30 seconds or less at the drop off.  I understand why they do it...it's an easier separation for the missionary, less drama, less extended family(oh you're only allowed one vehicle) and no big ta do's with banners and pics and long drawn out picture taking sessions.  Still, it feels like a drive by drop off to me.  Hard on us, well me, easier on him.  I guess they knew what they were doing after all.

Kevin's coquitos

My nephew, that is in Chile on his mission, was introduced to these tiny coconut-like nuts called coquitos.  Aren't they cute!  I think they would be divine dipped in chocolate!  (the  inside, that is)  Tick, tock.  This Sunday is Devin's farewell.  Our family's life will change forever...for the better of course.

Trek livin

Well no one told me I'd be crying randomly for 3 weeks after I went on the trek.  Every time I see a person that helped me pull my handcart or a person that was an "angel," I lose it.  It was so hard and so good.  It was so worth it because of the kids in my family.  They obviously wouldn't have bonded as a family so quickly if we hadn't have gone through really really hard things.  It was way harder than I could've ever thought and better too.  We had a great time, and are having our first official family reunion Friday.  We went to Toy Story 3 with our family the week after we got back.  Here's the pics.

the trek

I'm not going to lie about any of this.  David, my husband, volunteered us for a trek as a ma and pa.  The experience is something I would like to have.  Can I do it?  Will I survive?  I have allergies and asthma.  I'm trying to keep calm.  It feels like when I was pregnant, and I would never try to think about the delivery until I was actually in the hospital.  it would stress me out too much to think of it.  So I'd be there in the hospital walking around, and it would all come back to me, the pain, the length of time, the terror of it. . . and I would say to myself, " I promised myself this would never happen again."  And then I'd have a beautiful baby and forget it all.  And then it would happen again.  That's how I'm feeling about this trek, except I wasn't a participant in signing up for it.  I've walked on my treadmill,walked twin hills(a steep inclined hill/mountain in my town)rode my bike, and I thought i was pretty ready until we went to our training in Delores.Colorado.  Guess what?  Huge elevation difference, less oxygen, more stuff I'm allergic to.  After the training, a lady said that she feels so much better about the trek!  After the training, me and my friend looked at each other and said, "We are more worried about it than before."  My niece the nurse said when I voiced my concerns about surviving said, "Hey, if you die then you won't have to worry about it anymore."  Thanks, that helped.  Or when I asked my brother who was a pa last time, if I would survive, he said, "Miracles happen."  The list goes on.  So much positivity.  These pics are from the last trek 4 years ago.  Kelly and Linda(bro and sis in law)Kevin, Shannon and Devin(nephewin Chile, niece goin to Ohio, and son gointo s Salt lake city)   The last pic of Devin says it all.  UUUUHHH, TAKE ME HOME AND LET ME WASH EVERYTHING!

Devin's call video

Listen closely for all the loving comments of my family.

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