While we're waiting...

Just waiting excitedly for the wedding photos to arrive and thought I'd post a few
bridals in the meantime. Oh I love these pictures so much, I can hardly stand it.
But not even close to as much as I love the two darlings in them.

Photos by the truly amazing Mad Marie Photography.

These darling sisters

Newsies tonight with these two darlings.

That little love on the right has been so excited for this to happen. Because when we bought
these tickets a year ago, as a reward for something Grace earned, she asked if we could buy
an extra ticket for Annie, who would be back from her mission and could join us.

For sure more than one dream came true for Gracie girl tonight.

Bringing it all to Him

 

 Oh my, today was just a truly wonderful day. Because I had the privilege of joining
this incredible group of family members in the temple.

First, for an endowment session where Grandma Dawn's work was done. I was asked to be the proxy for her and I can't express how much it meant to me. She and I will forever be close and today meant a whole lot to both of us.

And afterwards, we all attended a family sealing where Jacob's sweet mom and two of her darling siblings were sealed to their parents and as a family. It was more touching than I know how to convey.

I want to make sure and be clear. No family is perfect. And every single family I know has issues and struggles and challenges and hurt. But God's kindness, love and the sealing power of the temple isn't just for perfect families (especially considering it would be useless if so). Instead, it's for those who worship a God who knows that some things are hard and confusing, beautiful and good. All at the same time. And that if we bring that all to Him, holding nothing back, He will make of it exactly what is best for every single person involved. Every last one of us.

And I guess I just want to testify that when we someday witness what God can do with our major mortal mess ups and enormous earthly errors (and many situations and experiences that need far stronger language than my silly alliterations)--if we just bring them to Him--we are not only going to praise Him for all of eternity, but simultaneously feel, to the deepest part of our hearts, that every second of the hard was worth it. Every single bit. All because our Father loves us and our Savior's Atonement was enough to cover all of it. Every single bit.

I'm thankful for days like today. To remind me that all that we are asked to do is to love and to keep trying. God will take care of the rest.

Oh my, He's way to good to us.

PS. This second photo of those two darlings...ack, I adore them. I picked them up from the airport
yesterday and they had the best honeymoon and are back and married and the cutest and I just love all
of it so much. Especially the time with them today until they headed home. Man, they make me happy.

The greatest gift

I don't know if you have someone in your life who chooses you over and over and over again.
Even when she doesn't have to. Who didn't technically give birth to you, but truly considers you her
daughter. And constantly talks about it being her privilege. Who you don't have to explain yourself to.
Because she just gets you, without a single explanation. Who sometimes knows that you need to hear
something hard. And says it with the purest love and in a way that makes you want to be that incredible
person she knows you can become. Who makes a three-hour lunch and a two-hour breakfast the next
morning absolutely fly by. Plus a nine-hour drive to get to her (and back) worth every second.

If you don't have a Patty in your life, I'm so sorry. I wish so deeply you did. Because life won't ever
be the same with someone like her in your corner. And you will be thankful beyond expression.

While constantly wondering how God could be so kind as to give you this dearest friend
and the greatest cheerleader your heart could ever have dreamt up.

Bear Lake 2023

A few follow-up photos of our Allen family reunion in Bear Lake this last week. Just so
much goodness and laughter, all in one place. The ropes course was fabulous (pictures by Jacob);
the wildflowers were gorgeous (picture by Annie); and the shoes, games and really late nights were
abundant. And that second to last photo, where Annie is teaching Nate to swing dance, but instead
what I caught looks like a sister completely taking down her little brother makes me snort-laugh
every time. Oh I love these people. Have I mentioned how grateful I am to be an Allen?

Sidenote: We were also able to take our boat and there was a full day of boating, which was wonderful,
but I feel like there isn't a shortage of water photos on the blog, so I stuck with what you see above instead.

Jacob's first triathlon

He swam, he biked, he ran, he conquered. So proud of this guy and how he
crushed his first triathlon, Olympic edition. He's just the coolest.

Family reunions and fabulous people

Just feeling super grateful for our time this week in Bear Lake with Jacob's family. They truly
are some of my favorite people and I love spending time with each of them. More photos to
come, when all of the options have been uploaded, but in the meantime, just thankful for a fun
few days and that I get these fabulous people in my life. Being an Allen is a really great gig.

Love them

They came for the weekend, to be here for the wedding, and it felt like all was right in
the world. I'm just so thankful. Man, I love these two a whole lot. And miss them already.

This incredible guy

 
Happy Father's Day to the guy that makes our family happier, kinder, gentler, more brilliant,
more motivated and more proficient and daring when it comes to any kind of water sport behind
a boat. And mostly, the one who makes it easier to believe and trust in a Heavenly Father
who is perfectly loving and only wants what is best for each of His children.

This very day

June 17, 2023. One of my favorite days in all of mortality. I can't wait to share
the details of this day that felt full of more joy and happiness than I have almost
ever known. I'm so thankful to my Father in Heaven for every single second of it.

What matters most

With the many things that need to be done these last few days to be ready
for Saturday (just so excited!), nothing has helped my mind feel more peacefully
prepared or my heart more intensely grateful than my time in the temple today.

There is so very little that matters in life. But what matters, matters a whole lot.

This incredible boy

This boy gave his first talk during sacrament meeting today. It was tremendous.
And sweet, sincere and full of the thoughts of his beautiful heart.
I'm so grateful to know him and to love him. And goodness do I love him.

Another evening on the boat

And then, in back-to-back boating nights, Jacob and I took Annie and some friends out this
evening. I loved it for a lot of reasons, but one being that it was Annie's first time (since she
was on her mission when we bought it). It was the happiest of nights with a whole lot of
darling girls. So honored they would want to hang out with us. Or more accurately, our boat.
But I'm pretending it's us, so don't burst my pretend bubble please and thanks.

A good Friday evening

Our first evening of boating happened for the season tonight. It was lovely. And gave Jacob a
chance to try out his wet suit he'll be using for a triathlon in a couple of weeks. And Grace to see
if goggles made body surfing more enjoyable with less water in the eyes. That girl makes me laugh.
She cares zero much what anyone thinks of her. Plus, she got up first try on surfing (and her second
and third), so we loved that. And then there are these boys and their amazing surfing skills and their
incredible dad and how he makes all of it happen for everyone. All in all, a very good evening for sure.

Never far

Twenty-two years ago this very day, this grandpa of mine took his last mortal breath and returned back to that God who gave him life.

I woke up this morning wishing to hear his voice tease me, just one more time. I'm so honored to be named after him. He's so good, kind, hilarious, sweet. And people, boy does he love people (which makes me believe he's a huge fan of heaven, because it's a people place after all). He is just all that is right and light and happy and fun and my memories of him always make me smile.

As I was thinking about him this morning, I had an overwhelming assurance that he's never been far. I've known that over and over, but sometimes God just loves us so much, that He tells us what we already know again. Because He knows it will bring us comfort.

And then I thought of my boy. The one named after his Grandpa Campbell. And the one that will be married in nine days. The toddler that was less than two when his name hero went to heaven, making it pretty much impossible to have learned from this tremendous grandpa he can't even remember. But my boy. My oldest. He has his grandpa's heart. His goodness. His hilarity. His gentleness. And his love of people. And on the days when I miss my grandpa the most, I call my son. Because it makes me feel like our name hero isn't so far away.

And he isn't. Nor will he be. Especially in just over a week. When I sit in the temple with my darling boy and his beautiful fiancé, while my Dad performs the ordinance to seal them for not only this life, but the next. Those I love, who are no longer physically on earth, will be there. And that isn't wishful thinking. It's a fact. Because heaven is real. And God loves His children. And being a family doesn't end with mortal death.

And neither does loving people. And my grandpa wouldn't miss his grandson's temple sealing for anything. Because my word, does he love that particular boy.

I'm so thankful, on this day that would normally hold sadness and missing, God reminded me that death never has the final word. Not. Ever. But our Savior does. And always will. I'm so thankful to know that.

Goodness, what a beautiful reminder on this rainy summer afternoon.

Our loving God

I went to the temple today to do some family work for my sweet dad. And ended up unexpectedly
receiving a touching message from my angel mom. Our God is a God of kindness and love. Always.

Celebrating this beautiful girl

I never imagined that June 3rd would become one of my favorite days of the entire year.
But I also never imagined that this girl would enter our lives and make our oldest more happy,
more content, more hilarious and more himself, than I have ever witnessed. She is brilliant,
kind, gorgeous, funny beyond words and just good to her very core. And having her join our
family in exactly two weeks is one of the greatest gifts my Heavenly Father has ever given me.

Happy Birthday darling Kelsey! We love you so crazy much.

Tonight

A Friday night with a simple dinner out, trampoline tricks in the backyard and a whole lot of gratitude
that the last many days are over. It's been a week. I'm thankful it's ending on such a happy note.

Our Annie girl

This beautiful girl. Good grief she is incredible. And who she strives to be (all while currently being so deeply good and amazing) is inspiring to me.

She works ridiculously hard, plays often and well, spends an unreal amount of time in the temple and does it all while encouraging, loving and building up "God's kids" (to quote a certain Annie Allen). I'm so proud of her.

I've been told those first few months after the mission aren't the easiest. But she just dove right in, doing what needed to be done. And making her Father proud along the way. I feel His love for her on a regular basis. And it is something else to witness.

I'm so privileged to know this gorgeous girl, never mention be her momma AND her friend.

Yes indeed. I'm forever the luckiest.