C&K ~ One year

One year for those two darlings. I haven't thought about their wedding a single time in the last 366 days
that those feelings of complete joy and pure magic haven't come back to me. It was the most amazing day.
Because I believe with all of my heart God linked these two together well before June 17, 2023. In fact,
they were to be each others' far before we all came to earth. And I'm so thankful. The family they have
formed, the goodness and light they give to the world, how crazy funny they both are—we are all just
a whole lot better because we know them. They really are the greatest and we love them so much.

Happy Anniversary Campbell & Kelsey! No mother could be more proud of who you both choose to be.

Just so grateful

My darling dad, all nine of his children, a day and a half spent together.
There was talking, laughing, eating, laughing, volunteering, laughing, yard work,
82 roses for my mom’s birthday next week and church together. Plus some laughing.

I feel strongly that the sweet memories and the thoughts of my heart need to stay there,
but what I will say is that when God is involved, there is always hope and healing. Always.
And sometimes He orchestrates things that your mortal mind would never have believed possible.

I’m just so thankful and in awe.

And so very, very blessed.

A temple day

This beautiful girl was home for a handful of days, in order to go to the weddings
of three friends. Which meant that she was here for Jacob’s Father’s Day and
just to spend some time with us. It has been the best.

And tonight, knowing we had a free evening before she needs to head back to Moab
tomorrow, we asked her what she wanted to do. And her answer was to go to the temple
with Jacob and me and her Granddad. And it was the sweetest of nights.

Not sure how my dad, or his granddaughter, could be any more darling.
How I loved being with these three today.

As well as being with Annie earlier today as we walked around the Layton temple grounds and went out to lunch.

She’s a good one that Annie Allen. I’m so glad she’s ours.

Also, Annie insisted on taking a picture of me and because I'm my awkward self,
I pulled this ridiculous pose. And now I'm the owner of this gem of a photo.

Kelsey's day

My heart truly believed that we would love anyone who married one of our children and joined our family,
 but I wasn’t prepared to be amazed and in awe of and just so deeply grateful for Kelsey. She’s better than
 anything I could ever have dreamed up—the way that she loves our boy, treats each of us, chooses to live
 her life, follows the Savior and makes us laugh—it just feels so incredibly amazing to me. Oh, and she’s
as brilliant and beautiful as they come. I’m just so thankful for her every single day, but today especially,
I just can’t stop thanking God for sending her to her family…and then letting her join ours.

Happiest Birthday darling Kelsey! We love you more than we could ever say and
are happier, better and brighter because you are in our lives.

Father's Day at our house

Because of an important event I need to attend, one that has been planned by my siblings
for months, I won’t be with Jacob and the kids for a good part of Father’s Day. So I decided
that in order to give the man I married all of the attention he deserves as a dad (not possible,
he deserves far more than I could ever make happen), we would reschedule Father’s Day.
And that is what we did. And that is what we are celebrating at our house today.

Hence, the sharing of one of my very favorite photos of Jacob.
I have a lot of them I love, but this particular one is pure gold.

Exactly like the man I married.

He’s everything I would ever want my children to have in a father—times a whole lot.
He teaches, serves, testifies, builds, expects, accepts, laughs with, works beside and plays alongside
 each of his children. And most importantly, he truly knows who they are and loves each of them with
 a fierceness I don’t think they could even imagine. He gives everything, everyday to provide for us.
And then comes home and gives more. And no matter how high the highs, how low the lows or
how meh the mehs, he chooses to be there and to love. He always chooses love.

When I married Jacob Allen, just over 25 years ago, I imagined he would be an
outstanding husband and father. What I couldn’t imagine, is that outstanding
would be his minimum. And even the sky couldn’t measure his limit.

How I love this man. His goodness, light, humor, brilliance and love make all of us
happier. His dedicated discipleship to the Savior makes all of us better. And the dad
he chooses to be, no matter the cost, makes all of us forever the luckiest.

Happy Father’s Day Jacob Ethan! Just so endlessly grateful you are ours.

And then this photo I took of this guy and all of his kids tonight.
Man I love him. And them. They really are everything to me.

The God I love

Jacob sent me this photo tonight. And immediately I thought,
"Oh wow. That there is a God who is making sure we know that everything is truly
going to be all right.” And you have no idea how much I needed that reminder.

Our Boston Celtics

Our entire family LOVES the Celtics. After all, we lived in Boston for five years.

But Ben. Ben really loves the Celtics. And last night was a really happy night.

Everyone deserves a spouse who looks at them the way Ben looks
at the Celtics after they won themselves into the NBA finals. :)

Memorial Day

Our Memorial Day tradition. Sure love these people a whole lot. And missed several who
couldn’t make it, including our Annie girl. It was a really good day with really good people.

More Annie

To celebrate Annie officially guiding her first river rafting group last week, some pictures of this darling girl from
the last many days. She’s so happy. And so amazing. And so in her element. Ugh, I just love her so much.

Welcome summer

 

Big old trampoline jump by Nate. Fabulous photo capture by Matt. That lovely feeling of
flying and freedom brought to you by the last day of school. Bring on the summer.

The sweetest of nights

Such a beautiful night with so many I love in my very favorite place. And to have a new temple

so close to our home—it’s just so sweet and good. I’ll never get over how much God loves us.

Firsts and lasts

This incredible boy. He brings tears to my eyes. His first day of elementary school and his last day
of elementary school. Just three weeks apart or so, I’m pretty sure. I adore him more than I could
ever put into words and can’t believe that God loves me so much, He let me be Nate Allen’s mom.

A whole lot of kickball

Three hours of coaching sixth grade kickball plus one hour of being the umpire
for the championship game (sixth graders v. teachers).

Not sure how I got myself into that last situation...

Jacob's boating hat came in clutch. Plus, I got to lunch on the lawn with these two darlings.

It was a good few hours.

Also, is it too early for bedtime? Asking for a grandma I know.

Nate's last spring soccer game

Grace's Beauty and the Beast dance recital

 

My beautiful girl. Her performance in her dance recital today was truly incredible. I just can’t quite put
into words how happy it makes her, how hard she works, how talented of a dancer she is becoming

 and how much we love her dance company and who they are and how they love our darling girl.
It was such a sweet afternoon, made all the better with Grace’s aunt and cousin, Angela and Adele,
who so kindly drove a long while to support her, as well as Jacob, Nate and Ben who made sure to
be there for our amazing dancer. Adore this little love and just feel so deeply honored be her mom.

Ben’s last spring soccer game

Spring piano recital

Spring piano recital for these three darlings last night. They were truly amazing and it made me
 emotional to think of how much hard work and consistency goes into this beautiful talent.

And their teacher. I have no idea how we could be the luckiest ever to have one of our favorite
humans we have ever known be these kids’ piano teacher, but she is. And we are forever grateful.

And that second picture. These two cousins have been with Emily from the beginning of our time here
—when their heads didn’t even reach her shoulder. They just really love her. And for good reason.

The happiest of evenings, with some of our very favorites. I am a fan.

AP tests and this boy I adore

AP World History test over and done.

This boy is the coolest. And makes me laugh so hard. One more school assignment
left and his sophomore year is officially complete. Yee to the haw.

Good grief, I just really love Ben Allen.

Nate and the district decathlon (again)

District decathlon today for this stud—so proud of him and his sixth grade friends who
participated. These fun memories of the last few days of Nate’s elementary years are
 just the best. Love this boy and his incredible heart and athletic self so crazy much.

Just so much love and kindness

Every single one of my kids are honestly the greatest and kindest humans. I love them so much.

I’m so thankful for any second I have with my chicklets. I know it isn’t guaranteed, especially as they
get older, and so, when they choose to spend time with us, I’m just so crazy happy. And I knew that
Campbell and Kelsey were coming this last weekend, since they had invited me to the temple, and
I was so grateful. And I also knew that Matt was coming home from a cruise with Edie’s family late
Saturday night—I was so excited to have him home. As well as our darling three youngest being around
 of course. But Annie, as I’ve mentioned, is working in Moab for the summer. And we knew she was
 only planning to come home in June for a couple of days for some important weddings. I 1000%
 understood and while I missed her, was so happy for how much she loves her job and her coworkers.

But then Saturday night, this beautiful girl called, as we were leaving the temple, and asked if it would
be a problem to come home, because she had already left and would be here in about 4 1/2 hours.
She wanted to be here for Mother’s Day, even if she had to turn around and go right back on
Monday morning. And I cried. Because that is kindness and sacrifice that just blows my mind.
But doesn’t surprise me at all with Annie—or any of her siblings.

So while I’ve made it clear over and over that I never want my kids to feel obligated to come to
any event or family gathering if it doesn’t work with their schedule or if something comes up,
the fact they were all here together today, will be a favorite memory of mine for a very long time.

As I used to say to my kids often when they were little,
“How come of all the kids in all the world, I got the very best ones?”

Because I really, really did.

And then this photo. I love these darlings and their sweet dad behind the camera so ridiculously much.
And not only did Jacob treat me with far too much love, kindness and attention all last weekend, but he took
great pains to make sure this photo happened yesterday. I just can't with him and how well he loves me.

I don't know how I could ever be blessed enough to be married to Jacob, and to have
this life I do, but I'm just so grateful for him and for it. More than I could ever say.