A perfect birthday weekend

For Annie's birthday weekend, she and her friends went camping and kayaking in the Tetons.
The pictures don't fully show the fifteen plus people that went, nor do they fully tell the degree of fun they
had (we got many of those stories in person when Annie and her friends came to our house on the way
home, to celebrate her actual birthday with dinner, cake and ice cream). I love that it was the perfect
weekend for our girl's birthday. Just love this Annie and her adventurous and amazing heart so much.

My prophet

Twenty-four years of our darling Annie

 

This incredible birthday girl

 Happiest Birthday to our darling Annie! She truly is just the most fun and exciting,

so crazy kind and hilarious. She loves God’s kids and helps them to feel His love

every single day. She’s creative and compassionate, has the most beautiful voice,

rock climbs like a pro and is the best river guide in all the land.

We truly are the luckiest because we get her in our family and the relationship she chooses

to have with each of her siblings—the time, effort and love she pours into them—is so

beautiful to me. She calls me regularly and sends me audio messages even more regularly

and I’m telling you right now, I feel sad for all of you who don’t get to hear her beyond

hilarious and touching stories like I do. They are the greatest. As is she—pure sunshine I tell you.

Just so deeply proud of this gorgeous birthday girl and so beyond thankful that

 twenty-four years ago today, God sent her to us. We are kinder, happier, more

hilarious and love Jesus and each other more because of this incredible girl.

Happiest Birthday Annie Linn, we love you so much sis!

Today's goodbye

I was surprised at how emotional I felt during the funeral of President Nelson today.
I think when you witness the celebration of a life so very well lived, especially when that
person means so much to you, it does something to your soul. At least it did to mine.

I know President Russell M. Nelson is a prophet of God. He forever changed
who I am because of it. How much brighter heaven must be with him in it.

Grace's 5th year of Narnia

Another season of Narnia for our beautiful girl. It was her second year being in the

White Witch’s army and she loved every second of it. And I loved every second of watching her.

Oh I’m grateful for our amazing Grace and how dancing is in her very soul.
And for this incredible show that is one of our favorite weekends every year.

PS. That last picture is so special to us. I didn’t have any idea how meaningful those

wings were to the company Grace dances with, until the owner Emily told me the details,

after I shared that photo with her. And now I get choked up every time I see it too.

A brighter heaven

I'm so happy for him. And so deeply sad for us. How I will miss his gentle spirit.

State champion

Ben won the Utah State Juniors disc golf championship today, on the fourth hole of a playoff,
and I’m seriously SO happy for and proud of him, I could cry (and I did a little). And to have
Jacob there as his caddy was just the best. And also why I have that fabulous picture. So proud of
this boy and his unreal hard work and how much he loves this sport. He’s truly something else.
 Plus the best disc golf player in Utah under eighteen right this moment, so there’s that. 

September service project

The September service project is finished as of this morning. I’m so thankful to everyone who
 contributed, so many of you were incredibly generous this month and it was such a blessing.

A total of 88 products, in the form of laundry soap, sanitary pads, and baby wipes, were donated
this morning to the Utah Refugee Connection. And they were so very grateful. These two darling
 missionaries, who volunteer at @serverefugees on a regular basis, helped me load everything
from my car into their rolling containers and I loved visiting with them for a minute.

Dozens and dozens of refugees in the area will be blessed because of your beautiful kindness.
That’s no small thing. And just what I needed to be a part of this September. I’m thankful
for a generous husband, with an amazing heart, alongside all of the rest of you, of course.
These projects keep me grounded, when sometimes life feels anything but.

What a privilege. Thanks dear friends. So much.

Nate was definitely a fan

A favorite church young men activity for sure.

A work trip to Cambodia

It's crazy to me that no one in our family has ever been to Cambodia and then all of a
 sudden, two members of our family visited this beautiful county just recently and within days
of each other. Ben with HXP last month and Jacob earlier this month for almost two weeks—
still working hard to help The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with this initiative.
 It was a wonderful trip for Jacob and he thoroughly enjoyed the loving and peaceful people,
 as well as the amazing beauty everywhere he went.

In addition, one bonus for Jacob was stopping in Korea on the way home, with a very long layover
 to allow him to see more of that country than is usually possible with a regular layover. And the second
 bonus, and our favorite for sure, was seeking out and finding the missionary boy of our dear friends,
on Jacob's only Sunday in the country, during church. It was the sweetest experience for him.

Okay then, another trip down and a whole lot of gratitude for how God has guided Jacob with this
terribly important and deeply difficult challenge laid before him. We feel so honored to be a part of
it and continue to pray every single day that Jacob can be guided to do all within his power, and more
importantly with God's help, to bless the lives of mothers, babies and children all over the world—
lessening  the impact of death, disease and malnourishment to as many as possible.

Oh our God is kind to let us assist in His great work, no matter how undeserving and imperfect we might be.

I'm so grateful for Him.

Homecoming

Our darling boy's last high school Homecoming —I honestly can't believe it. And feel so grateful
to have been asked to take his group's dance photos. They are just the cutest and Ben's beautiful
date, Ruby, is just so amazing and sweet. What a happy night for our incredible boy.

Grace's 12th birthday party

For their 12th birthday, our kids get to choose what kind of birthday "party" they would like
 to have—one with friends or a day together with a parent doing activities of their choice.
It was a hard decision for Grace, but she eventually decided she wanted to go with me to get
a pedicure, do some shopping for dance clothes, go out to lunch and finally, to get some
charms to add to the cutest charm bracelet her sweet friend, Ella, gave her for her birthday. 

It was the happiest day with this darling, talking and laughing and just being together.
Oh I love her and her amazing self and incredible heart. I'm so beyond thankful
to have Grace as my daughter and my friend. I'm just forever the luckiest.

Twenty-six years of our incredible Campbell

This tremendous birthday guy

Happy Birthday to this tremendous guy who made me a mom! Campbell has always been

beyond kind and loving, so aware of and concerned for others, a leader and example for
everyone around him, and hilarious to the deepest part of his core. Oh, and his brilliant
brain is amazing in a million ways, but the number of sports/soccer facts he knows by
heart is unreal. Never have I ever seen it to this degree in another person.

I’ve watched in general, and especially lately, how he and Kelsey have handled some pretty heavy
trials and I’m just in awe of them and their goodness. They are so real and honest about the difficulty,
 while making sure faith and optimism always win at the end of each day. And through it all, this birthday
 boy continues to check in to make sure we are okay. He often calls, a few times a week, on his way home
from work, to check to see how I am and if I need anything. He has a heart of pure gold I tell you.

I’m just so deeply proud of who Campbell chooses to be and honestly, feel so privileged to know
 him at all, never mention the gift of being his mom and especially, his friend. He’s an absolutely
amazing example to me and I can truly say I want to be more like him if I ever grow up.
  Every person in our family adores him and looks to him as an example of goodness and light—
boy are we forever grateful he is the leader of our pack and the best example his siblings could have.

Happiest Birthday Campbell Jacob, love you so much son!

Seven years closer