Soccer golf

Last Friday, Jacob took Nate and Ben soccer golfing, for a part of Nate's birthday. They had such a great
time and it makes so happy how much Nate loves spending time with his dad and brothers. They're the best.

Fourteen years of our tremendous Nate

This amazing birthday boy

Happy Birthday to our amazing Nathan Grant! Fourteen years of us being the very luckiest
 because we get this boy in our family. He’s so good and wise, so kind and faithful, hilarious
beyond words and thoughtful far beyond his age. His athleticism has been off the charts
since he was tiny and it’s just the best to watch him play any sport, but especially soccer.
Mostly, Nate brings a peace and calm to our home that I truly believe arrived with him
from heaven—and even after all of these years, it has never dimmed.

Nate is an example to me in many ways, but one thing I’ve long admired about him is that
he makes really amazing choices—and every one of them is guided by his love of the Savior
 and his desire to be kind. His heart is gentle and good and like Jacob’s grandma, who he is
 named after and carries her maiden name, he is the ultimate cheerleader of people. From the
 time he was absolutely tiny, he would constantly tell me I was doing a great job and build me
up daily. And he does that for everyone around him even now. And when Nate prays, earth
and heaven feel like they pause a bit, so they don’t miss something so heartfelt and genuine.
How privileged I am to know this boy and to have his example every day of my life.

Happiest Birthday Nater, love you so much bud!

November service opportunity

So I thought I had a good idea for the November service opportunity this month. But, as in so many other cases, God had an even better plan. And it has been such an unexpected, humbling experience. 

Because of the nature of what came up and an important need that was time sensitive, I ended up doing this project privately and through an email to some very specific and incredibly tremendous people. And it brings me to tears just thinking about it. 

It isn’t quite over, since handling it in parts was necessary, but we are almost there and when I tell you it is easily one of the most profound and touching projects I did this entire year, I don’t say that lightly. 

So just a gentle, quiet thank you to so many of you who have changed lives with your kindness and generosity. I truly believe God has been moved to tears over what His children have been willing to do to serve an incredibly vulnerable family the last many days. 

Friends, thank you for who you are. Thanks for letting me share these service opportunities the last many months. It’s been an unreal blessing for me. And since it is hard for me not to do something specific in the actual month of November, I guess I could just invite you to donate to a local food bank, as they are doing extra right now with SNAP benefits possibly being suspended. Or give to a family or two who are personally affected by the government shutdown. I feel honored God has made it possible for us to do both of these things this week and humbled He continues to answer my prayer and bring people into our path who need their load lightened a bit right now.

Oh God is good. And people are incredible. And service is healing. I'm so privileged to know all of these as deeply as I do.

Behold...

 
What better way to celebrate such an even number of fractures? Behold, Ben's broken bone collage.

Y otra vez

Oh phew. Ben was tied with his siblings on broken bones (he has had three himself

and everyone else has had three combined), but as of last night, that tie has been

broken (pun very intended). Backyard friend football for the fractured thumb win.

This boy has had a crazy few days before last night, as in, absolutely insane.
And has handled  it all so, so well. This is the reality of the months leading up to
a mission—pure nutso I tell you. So proud of this boy and his amazing attitude.

Now to get Ben his broken bone winning trophy. He’s definitely earned it.

Happy Halloween!

A happy Halloween from our darling Medieval Princess Warrior!

(And that’s a wrap folks. As in, we are done with Halloween costumes. If our kids want to dress up after
elementary school, great, I love that for them. They can absolutely figure out/finance their costume and I love
watching their creativity for sure. But this lady who doesn’t love Halloween—but does love the trick-or-treaters—
just finished her twenty-sixth and final kids’ Halloween. Yee to the haw. Mission accomplished. Over and out.)

October service opportunity

For the October service project, I had the fun opportunity of being asked to help with one of several large service projects that were being carried out by the youth of multiple church congregations in my area. And it was decided that the best way we could help, was to provide what was needed for some birthday bags, to be given to the success mentor of a local elementary school, who works with the homeless and low income students in her school. 

To prep for that day, I was able to buy everything you see in the picture and donate it all to the youth and their leaders, so that it could be ready on their day of service, to be assembled into individual bags and delivered to the school.

I’m so thankful for those who are planning to put the bags together next week. As well as my amazing friend who is the success mentor at that local elementary and will be distributing these bags to those darlings kids on their special day. And also for a good friend of Jacob and mine, and this fantastic idea he proposed, just when I had been praying for who would be best to serve in the month of October.

Another month, another successful service project.

God is far too kind to me. I’m so grateful for Him.

First place

This darling Nate and his amazing team played their last season game on Friday. They were up against
the first place team, who was undefeated, with Nate's team only having lost one game this fall. The team
they played had given up only two goals the entire season, so Nate's team knew it would be a hard fight.

But in the end, these incredible boys and their coach, beat the other team 4-1,
winning the game and coming in first in their division. It really was the best and seeing
our boy play his heart out every second he was on the field was just the greatest.

There is something tremendous about this particular compilation of boys. Nate's played on a lot of teams,
 but this one feels like magic somehow (and not just because they are really good). As a group, they are
so incredible and fun and being a part of this team has been such a blessing for Nate. I'm just so proud
of each one of them and especially that number nineteen. He's most definitely my favorite.

They really are just the best...every last one of them

The reason Jacob and I were able to get away to Kauai for a week was, without question, because of Campbell and Kelsey. When we even considered the idea of trying to make it happen, they immediately volunteered to have the two youngest at their home the entire time. No hesitation, all in.

(It's not their fault that I somehow missed that the week we would be gone would be the last few days of the first term of school. Ugh. That didn't work out so well. But Campbell and Kelsey were completely willing and they are why our Hawaiian plans were booked in the first place.)

When I realized the youngests would have to stick around for a few days of school, we did a little pivot and Matt and Ben jumped in and assured us they would make it happen. And boy did they. So happily and well.

But when Nate and Grace had two days off for fall break, who also had time off of work and school and entered the party? Annie Allen of course. Who not only decided to take care of the two youngest, but decided she was going to make it fun and exciting beyond words. So she, Ben, Nate and Grace went camping to Moab over fall break. And had the very best time. That girl of ours is too amazing.

I'm so grateful for our kids. They aren't perfect and they don't need to be. But they show up. Every dang time it matters. And are the greatest friends and the most hilarious pesterers of each other in all the land. And they do it because they love each other, but also, because they want to make important moments happen for their parents. And it means everything to us.

I'm just so thankful for each one of them and so glad they have the happy memories of time with each other when we were away. I not only have a few photos of their exciting week together, but also, I hold close to my heart the fact that every one of them, starting with Kelsey and Campbell, made sure we knew they would do anything so we could go. Plus, we came home to a perfectly clean home, because Matt knew it would be so happy for me, so who's the triple winner here?

My word, love every last one of our seven kids, and their incredible hearts, more than I could ever convey.

An amazing week in Kauai

Jacob and I just returned from a week in Kauai. And as you can see,
it was gorgeous. Times a lot. Paradise indeed. 

But even more than the beauty, the time with Jacob was so needed. He’s just my favorite
human ever and we had some of the best talks of our entire marriage. I honestly will never
get over  how I could be so blessed as to be his, for this life and the next. 

Yet even with all the beauty and so many wonderful days, my favorite moment
 took me by surprise. But oh man is it imprinted on my heart. 

Late on our last night, just before we headed to the airport. There we were, sitting in a little
dive restaurant, with the sun going down, sharing delicious sushi and pad thai, cracking up at our
kids’ texts about a big football game, mixed in with hilarious nonsense. We couldn’t quit laughing
and talking about our incredible life. And the last several days. And mostly, the last twenty-seven
years. And everything felt melty and warm and wonderful. And like I never wanted it to end.  

But it did. And it should. And boy are we better for it. 

Oh I love Jacob Allen. Add Kauai to the mix and you get one tremendous week. 

I truly have just have the best life. And the greatest God. 

I’ll never stop being thankful for both. 

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.