First-timer

The Cub Scout blue and gold banquet was tonight and this little stud,
who turns eight this year, was invited for the first time. He was so, so
excited to finally be at a scout activity that was just for him.

A good night

Any night that ends with neighborhood games until dark, is a good night.

The power in trying

This is my new favorite picture of my boy, taken last week on the day
he transferred to a new area. You just can't fake that kind of happiness.

That doesn't mean it is all easy or there aren't struggles or trials. It just means he turns
to God and then keeps going, doing his best to be positive and happy. He is such an
amazing example to his mom. Because I believe there is tremendous power in our
willingness to keep trying and that we (meaning me) underestimate our Father in
Heaven's anxiousness to bless us just for our continued efforts, no matter the results.

All of this has been settling itself in my heart today and I've been
reminded of a quote that I heard more than twenty years ago during
a collegiate religious class, that has always stuck with me.

"The Gospel of Jesus Christ doesn't make us immune from problems,
it merely gives us perspective. So that when the problems come,
rather than shaking our fist toward heaven, we drop to our knees.

Matt's last game

Matt's last basketball game was one of my favorite games I've ever watched.
His team was awesome, Matt played incredibly and it was just fun to be there.
Which is why I love that I happened to take pictures at this game. The clear ones,
the blurry ones, the one when he took the ball down the court and kicked his legs
as high as possible to dribble the ball underneath (pretending to be serious, which
was beyond hilarious)...all of them. This boy is something else. If you don't get to
be around him on a regular basis, I'm truly sorry for you. He's tremendous.

Subtle wake up call

Well, we've discovered an effective way of waking up teenagers (and the whole
household) very quickly. Gratefully, a fire wasn't the cause of our extremely loud and
plentiful smoke detectors screaming at us this morning. But since there wasn't a way
to turn them off and we needed to be sure we weren't missing a problem in the house
we couldn't initially see, we had visitors this morning. And felt a little less silly
when it took them a good chunk of time to discover and remedy the problem.

Boy howdy, we sure are grateful for the four men who showed up for our family this
morning. The issue turned out to be benign, but there is something about knowing good
people are there when you need them. And there is also something about knowing that
if a fire actually happens, we will most definitely know about it. Good grief, the noise.

Family scripture study...obviously

Simmer down folks. Just some rubber band guns gifted to us by our neighbors.

Elder Allen's first transfer

Oh this boy makes me so happy! He received his first transfer since he entered the mission field and is now in the extremely tiny town of Caçapava do Sul, Brasil. We didn't talk to him on Monday (after the incredible announcement that rather than speaking to our missionaries twice a year, we can now talk to them once a week on their preparation day) because of the transfer. And we actually may not be able to talk much while he is in this new area (due to it being so small and without a church or a lot of internet from what we can tell), but I can honestly say we are great with whatever. We are here if he can and wants to talk and if he just needs to focus on being a missionary any given week, we are more than okay with it. Mostly, we are just thrilled beyond words to be more involved in his mission, praying for those that he is praying for, fasting for those he is fasting for and supporting and loving our boy in any way that we can. The Lord is so wonderful. Missions are so fabulous.

Oh, and if you want to see what walking eight hours a day does, take a look at the second photo. All of his clothes are gigantic on him and I have no idea how he got ahold of clothes that fit him (since we can only send a very limited number of packages, long story with the mail system), but good grief, I was a little shocked to see him looking that trim. Even if the hat situation confuses me.

Well then, that will do. I'm just so thankful for a missionary son and his heart and his goodness and his desire to keep trying and serving. He has had a long drought of not a lot of area progress the last many weeks in his beloved Obelisco, so when he had the blessing of baptizing that sweet woman you see in the third picture two days before he left Obelisco, l got a bit emotional. God loves his children and continuously blesses us in big and small ways. Sometimes those blessings aren't as obvious as other times, but sometimes they are so kind and loving and good, they bring you to your knees with gratitude. That is exactly how I feel about having Campbell Allen as my son.

Some thoughts on our flight home

This last week with Jacob has been beyond wonderful. We have talked and laughed and adventured and had deep conversations and even had difficult conversations. All of it has left me more in love with him, rather than less. And not just because we are in a beautiful place and had the great blessing of this incredible vacation. But because he is tremendous and good and just exactly who God knew I needed to marry for happiness in this life and the next

Everywhere we went (and I mean everywhere), people complimented him on his Spanish (excelente, perfecto, bonito). And it made me proud (I could pretend it was righteous pride, but I'm pretty sure it is just plain pride). Because that is who Jacob chooses to be. Someone who never stops learning and growing and developing his mind and heart. The church mission that taught him his beloved language was more than 20 years ago, yet still, he speaks it incredibly. Because it mattered to him to not lose it.

And that is the person he strives to be. One who works hard, cares deeply, loves constantly and wants to be a better person. His love for Christ and our little family makes me emotional when I stop to think about it. Because continuing to work at being His disciple and constantly fighting for our little family matters. It matters so much.

And I get to reap those rewards on a daily basis. As his wife, as the mother to our children and as someone who wants nothing more than to be known as a daughter of God and follower of Jesus Christ. And the fact that we get to focus on those truly important things together makes me so very humbled. And somehow, time away as just the two of us, puts that into sharper focus and better perspective.

Oh I love Jacob Allen. Save for my Father in Heaven and my Redeemer, no one knows me better, loves me more or gives me more chances to try again. And having that blessing in mortality is something I don't take for granted.

Adiós Costa Rica. You are beautiful and magical and you reminded me of the good in myself and in the man I love. And to me, that is the definition of a perfect anniversary trip.

Our Costa Rica vacation ~ Day 6

Our final day in Costa Rica was spent on the ocean. We saw dolphins and birds and turtles
and fish and two humpback whales (a momma and her baby) and even sharks (well, that was
Jacob, I wouldn't be typing this if I had seen them while snorkeling, I would be dead of fright).
It was truly an amazing experience. And then we drove the four hours back to San Jose, to be
close to the airport for our early flight. On the way, we saw the beautiful temple and enjoyed
the Spanish feel of the Marriott we stayed in for one night. It was a wonderful last day.

Our Costa Rica vacation ~ Day 5

Even with leaving on time, the less-than-exactness of the GPS, mixed with a building that was not easy to spot, along with the parking being at a nearby hotel, we were a few minutes late for church this morning. But even with it being unlikely, I couldn't keep this prayer from being said over and over in my heart, "Please Father in Heaven, if at all possible, help us to be able to take the sacrament."

As we finally found a door to enter the chapel (there were approximately eight to choose from), we saw that the two men passing the bread had already offered it to the last person. Then, one of them saw us, and came to the back of the room, holding out the sacrament tray. It may seem small to many, but it wasn't to me.

The sacrament grounds me in a way that I cannot convey in words. I need it more than even I probably realize, but I do know that as a mother and wife and daughter of God, I have the deepest desire to remember what my Savior did for me at all times, but most especially, in this way that binds me to Him and makes so little in life truly matter. With some things heavy on my heart right now, I needed to partake of the bread and water in an ordinance that I absolutely know was instituted by Jesus Christ himself and that reminds me of the beautiful covenants I made with Him on the day I entered the waters of baptism.

I would have been okay this week without the sacrament. We had done everything we could to be to church on time and I knew that and the Savior knew that. But He allowed me not to have to go without this unequaled reminder of His atonement and His grace and His mercy and His love, for the next seven days.

And then, to worship with these incredible Costa Rican saints filled my heart to overflowing. God loves His children. Here, there, everywhere. And taking the sacrament doesn't make Him love me more than any of His other children, but it does make me love Him more. And when it comes down to it, that is everything I need in this life.

Our Costa Rica vacation ~ Day 4

On the fourth day, one of us spent the morning repelling multiple waterfalls and
one of us (with a dumb foot) did not. But tonight, we walked and talked on the
beach for a very long time and it was kind of the best. Both the time together and
the beauty everywhere we looked, felt really amazing. It was a lovely, lovely day.