Birthday Buddies

Our baby came to town! And we got to celebrate his first birthday along with Erik who celebrated his 21st. Our little Ollie just gets cuter and chubbier every time we see him. With Erik and Ashlyn who both love to take photos, I've come to just let them do the snapping and then I pilfer the ones I want from them.

Erik got a Jazz jersey to root them on to a championship this year. He also got a crock pot to put be able to put his culinary skills to use at college in a few months.

P.S. Ollie went home and got his first hair cut. He sure looks like a little boy now and not a baby.

Photos

I've been a bit remiss with this blog. I've been on a huge learning endeavor in regards to education and reading and writing as I strive to become a better teacher. I've made considerable growth just from where I was two years ago. Sadly this little blog of mine had to take back burner.

However, my goal this Christmas break was to learn how to teach writing in a better way to little 8 year olds. If I want them to write better, I told myself that I need to write more.

That said, I'm leaving 2020 with photos instead. I didn't take very many as I sat and relished the moment of having our grandbaby and MOST of my kids with us. It was simply glorious.

Christmas break began with a quick trip to Ferron. This was a run/hike I went on one morning. It was absolutely beautiful with cool, crisp, clean air.

Nate accompanied the sister missionaries on a Christmas song. Thanks to some pretty remarkable technology, we were able to "zoom" in and watch.

The cutest baby in the world; no biases here.

Our traditional Christmas meal of Korean bulgogi was moved from Christmas Day to Christmas Eve since we were losing KJ and baby to the other inlaws. It was a great present to me. I LOVED not having to make a meal on Christmas day.

Nate left behind a bag for us open on Christmas (or any other time . . . We chose Christmas Eve). In September while he was busily getting ready to leave home for 2 years to bring people to Christ, he was also exemplifying Christ's attributes of thoughtfulness and kindness by preparing that bag for us. It was a bunch of random gadgets from work but I was touched that he was thinking of us months in advance.

I also discovered a shared family photos album where Nate had uploaded some photos from his mission. He hasn't been as diligent with attaching photos to his weekly email as Erik did. I was extremely happy to peruse and save.

Happy endings and beginnings

 “I don’t know how to speak about heaven in the traditional, lovely, paradisiacal, beauty that we speak of heaven – I wouldn’t know how to speak of heaven without my wife, my children. It would, it would not be heaven for me.” 

-- Elder Jeffrey Holland

These past couple of weeks have been pure bliss.

We prepared our home for Erik's return.

Kiersten came home with baby Oliver from Denver, and then we picked up Erik from the airport late one night. There is nothing that quite prepares you for welcoming home a child who's been away for a time. I imagine this is what leaving this world might be like.

Oh, how we missed that boy of ours. This was the last photo I took of him as we dropped him off at the MTC 2 years ago,

and this is one I snapped of him returning. Looks like same suit with a few more wrinkles and a bit more faded.

Bright and early the next morning we met at the stake president's office to release Erik and set apart Nate as a missionary before Nate entered home-MTC later that day. President Child commented how this was a first for him . . . having two missionary brothers coming and going on the same day.

Nate's P-day happened to coincide with Tyler's birthday later that week where we spent the morning at the zoo with ALL our children.

Sunday was Erik's homecoming talk and Oliver's baby blessing with family photos afterwards.

Photo courtesy Brian Leary

Photo courtesy Brian Leary

Photo courtesy Air and Ember Photography

Photo courtesy Air and Ember Photography

My heart has been so full. There are still good things to come.