Sweetest girl

Sweetest little darling and the robot she made for school today.
Ack, I just love her so much.

A weekend in St. George for these four

Ben had a soccer tournament in St. George this weekend and Jacob insisted on taking
the two youngest along, to give me some time to breathe. I was especially thankful
because I found out I had strep throat while they were away and so appreciated the
time to rest and heal. I'm so grateful for Jacob and who he chooses to be. In general,
but especially as a dad and husband. Sure love these four adventurers a whole lot.

Campaign brunches and fake photographers

Because I was already helping to staff the event, when I was asked to take photos of a campaign brunch this morning, I was all in. Because you people know how much I love me some photos.

What I wasn't expecting was the Park City country club event coordinator to approach me at the end to see if she could hire me for some future events put on by their business.

What I wanted to tell her after laughing out loud, "Oh ma'am I am so not a professional photographer. And while I am beyond flattered, I think that having six children, a husband who travels for work, going back to college to earn an additional degree, handling the books for a friend's successful horseback riding business, running a sporadic organization blog and IG, recently agreeing to be the Director of Volunteers for Ally Isom’s campaign (while also apparently taking pictures, putting together slideshows and creating template invites for her events) and occasionally putting dinner on the table for my family is going to have to be my limit. But did I mention I was flattered?"

What I said instead after a more dignified smile, "Oh, I'm certainly not a professional photographer, but thanks for thinking that I might be."

Which only resulted in her making me promise to send the link to the photos I took today, so she could decide for herself.

I should have gone with my first reaction.

Six months

She left Maryland last Friday, arrived in Uruguay on Saturday, attended the temple in Montevideo
yesterday, celebrated six months on a mission today and has her mother's heart now and forever.

Sun Valley ski trip...again

A second year (I believe that makes it a tradition folks) of Jacob and the boys going on
a weekend trip to Sun Valley with friends. It's kind of the best I hear. Sure looks like it.

Siempre, siempre, siempre

I love our new flag out front. And especially the girl that inspires it.

Just a few days ago, right after she wasn't able to fly to Uruguay as initially planned,
she wrote the following in her weekly email. And I can't quit thinking about it.

"As for a spiritual thought, I've had a ton of people ask me if I'm okay, which has made me think.
Because of course I'm okay! Some people never get to their original assignments, some people have
to wait more than a year. Some people have like, I dunno, actual hard things in life. And if the Lord
needed me to be spending this week in Uruguay, I'd be there. Of course I'm a little sad, mostly because
I was literally traveling to summer and I had to come back and put a coat on, BUT the song "I'll go
where you want me to go" has never hit so hard as this week. That song is a banger. Because if I'm still
here, there has got to be a reason for it, someone's life I need to touch. So I might as well reach out to
every single person I can this week. I guess in short, my spiritual thought is that everything happens for
a reason. God is in control. And not the whip snapping drill sargeant kind of control, the fatherly parent
kind of control. The one where He gives you everything He possibly can in order for you to succeed.
The kind of control where sometimes you don't learn everything, because that thing could be too hard
or too heavy or you just don't need to know it right now. The kind of control where you are given gifts
because you worked for them, and gifts just because He loves you. The kind of control that you can
lean on and put your trust in, siempre siempre siempre. Because no matter how faithful you are to Him,
He always is faithful to you. He's always been pretty dang faithful to me, so why would I doubt Him now?"

Her goodness and light and testimony just overwhelm me.
How I love our missionary girl. Siempre, siempre, siempre.

Sweethearts Dance

Sweethearts dance for these two darlings last night. Oh my word, I adore Matt’s girlfriend, Edie.
She’s honestly amazing in every way. Just like my Matthew. I’m so, so grateful he’s ours.

This darling girl

While the boys were gone on a ski trip for a couple of days, Grace and I had some fun.
Dinner out, pedicures and finally a new Xbox game she had asked me about several
weeks ago. It’s literally a game where you unpack boxes and organize the items in
different rooms throughout your house. And if that last picture is any indication, she
kind of loves it a lot. Good grief, raising mini Linn is quite an adventure. Love her so.

A truly wonderful day

My baby girl.

I’ve spent the entire day just so happy and excited for her, that she was finally going to be able
to go to Uruguay. It just felt like the best news. And then tonight, as her final flight took off for
Montevideo, I was unexpectedly overwhelmed with emotion. I just started to cry and couldn’t stop.

It made no sense to me. Until I realized that it felt like she was leaving us again.
I already miss her enough, having her even further away just felt hard in that moment.

But then an understanding friend validated my feelings and
I guess that’s all I needed. The happiness and excitement came back.

Six more hours and my darling girl is officially a missionary in Uruguay.
I’m so proud of her. Even if my mother’s heart is having a hard time with the fact
that this picture was definitely taken about three weeks ago. Four at the most.

My amazing Annie.

My Hermana Allen.

My baby girl.

One amazing boy...and his incredible dad

Our amazing Nate has been so tremendous to get up each morning, in well-below freezing weather, to practice his soccer. He was talking to his dad about how he could improve and this was one of the solutions they came up with and of course, our boy went all in.

On this particular morning, after our Nate had been out there about 10 or 15 minutes, I looked out back and saw that his sweet dad, who was on a call that he just needed to listen to, stepped outside to take some time with his boy.

Love these two like crazy. So grateful for Jacob and the amazing dad he chooses to be. And for my Nathan and his incredible heart and powerful drive.

Even if it causes him to wear shorts outside when the weather is approximately 21°.

Good gravy.

Ben's special day

 

Our darling Benjamin was ordained to the office of a teacher within the Aaronic Priesthood
yesterday. It meant so much to have my dad and Jacob’s parents there. And for Campbell
to come from Provo. I’m so grateful for Jacob and the beautiful words he shared with
our boy during the ordination. And for Ben and his amazing, kind, good, worthy heart.

That last picture of my three oldest boys. I couldn’t love it more. Or them
more. An elder, a priest and a teacher. So unique, so individual, so exactly
how I would want each of them to be. I’m so honored to be their mom.

It was just a really wonderful morning. I’m so very blessed.

Updated itinerary

She has a new itinerary that gets her to Montevideo this Friday. I’m so excited for her.
Again. She called a few minutes ago because of a birthday in our family and sounded
so happy and light and hilarious. She’s just incredible. I’m so proud of her.
And excited for another try at Uruguay. Oh this mission thing is quite the ride.

Plot twist

This girl of the incredible blue eyes (just like her dad) was supposed to be on her way to
Uruguay right now. Unfortunately, the mess up of the company that took her COVID test
a few days ago meant they sent her negative confirmation as the flight was leaving. So she
is currently having another test in order to hopefully reschedule her flights to Sunday.

Oh I love her and her resilient and good self. She's dealt with the insanity of today so
very well. I'm so grateful to be her mom. And so excited for her to get to Uruguay.

It's good not to always get just what I want. It helps me to trust God more.
And let His timing be right. Don't get me wrong, I wish my missionary girl was
on her way to Uruguay as planned. But she will be there soon enough, just when
she should be, and this crazy day will all be a part of her wonderful adventure.

Love this Hermana Allen so much I could burst. I'm so honored to be her mom.

She's almost on her way

My beautiful girl. She flies to Uruguay in less than five days. And while I couldn't be more thrilled for her and the
adventure ahead, in something that likely only makes sense in my mother's heart, I'm teary about her going. I don't
know how to explain it, but I feel like I'm saying goodbye to her again. And it makes me unexpectedly emotional.

In her weekly letter today she wrote, "It blows my mind that when I got my mission call, I thought I would be speaking
Spanish, in a foreign country, to old people and their kids, walking to church, in the middle of the hood (or as hoody
as you can get in Uruguay). And somehow I ended up here. In the middle of "Louis Vuitton scarf and Tiffany jewelry"
Maryland, speaking English, to kids my age. And yet somehow, it's all the same. I am SO excited for Uruguay,
but I'm also SO grateful Heavenly Father sent me on this little 5 month pit stop to fall in love with Maryland."

I'm so grateful for a God that would give my sweet girl these last five months. They will forever be etched
on her heart. But mostly, I'm thankful for a Father that would allow Hermana Allen to be ours.

Oh I love her.

Those lovely Uruguyans sure are a lucky bunch.