And Just Like That, I Have a Missionary.....

Two days before departure, we hosted an Open House for Taylor so friends could come say goodbye....

We were overwhelmed with love and support as Taylor prepared to leave and fly to the Mexico MTC.  I was so busy visiting with friends that I didn't take any pictures once people arrived at the house!

In the last 48 hours, we set up FaceTime and Skype calls for Taylor so he could say goodbye to grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  Max was happy to join him for some FaceTime!

The night before we left we went out to dinner at Taylor's favorite restaurant, Red Robin.  It was kind of a somber dinner.... Taylor was pretty emotional after saying goodbye to his BFF, and I was emotional just thinking about what was less than 24 hours ahead!  Later that night, we went to the church and met with our Stake President, who set Taylor apart as a Missionary.  I wish I could say I held it together.  Um, yeah, I didn't.  ;-)

Our sweet Stake President shared this scripture with us, which he knows well because his youngest son just left for a mission in Guatemala over the summer.  See, it's okay to cry those happy tears!

Taylor saying goodbye to Max.  I'm not sure Max realized what was going on, but Taylor knew he would miss Max a lot!

All my babies together for the last time under one roof for two whole years.... such a weird feeling!

The airport.... no words are necessary, right?  

Sending a missionary off has to be one of the most bittersweet experiences I've ever gone through.  Of course you want them to go.  Of course you do.  But it's harder than sending them off to college because you can't text, visit or fly them home for holidays.  But, it's better than sending them off to college, so it's worth it. 

After we said goodbye and left the airport, we got in the car and drove home.  It was still early in the day, but we all took the day off from work and school because we knew we wouldn't be in any shape to work or concentrate on anything.  On the way home, the most amazing feeling of peace came over me.  The tears stopped, and I felt completely calm, in a way I never thought possible.  On that day, I knew without any doubt that Taylor would be safe and okay.  I knew he was doing the right thing and that he would be blessed for his service and sacrifice.  Such a tender mercy from Heavenly Father that I will always be grateful for!

Since he's been away (4 months now, wow!) we've seen many blessings and opportunities for missionary work here at home that we didn't expect.  It's hard to know we won't get to see Taylor in person for two whole years, but the experience is one we wouldn't trade for anything!  

Labor of Love

Years ago, I was visiting teaching a newly married gal in my ward, who's mother had just made her this awesome quilt pieced together with tee shirts she had collected over the years.  I immediately knew that was something I wanted to do for my kids.  So each kid got a new box in their closet labeled "quilt tee shirts".  Every time we clean out the dresser, we throw a couple more shirts into the box.

My plan was to make Taylor's quilt as a graduation gift, but since he'll be leaving not too long after graduation to serve his mission, he begged me to get it done now.  And NO, we don't have his mission call yet.  We are close to getting it all sent in, but we're not there quite yet.

I found a pattern idea on Pinterest, and used it to cut out my squares in varying sizes.  I used my queen sized futon to lay them all out and move them around until I was happy with the overall look.  Every piece got a numbered label, just in case I got them mixed up.

This is the top all sewn together.  Can I just say I would have LOST my mind about 20 minutes into this project without my serger?  I LOVE that machine more than I can say!  Also not sure how the ugliest shirt in the stack got center stage.  Darn you cub scout day camp.

Here's the back.  I struggled with what to do.... Taylor wanted soft and cozy, but buying flannel sheets in anything other than white was hard to do.  I ended up getting maroon and black flannel and piecing it like this.  Thanks Kate for the suggestion.  If you know you have to have a seam on the back, you might as well make it look good, right?  It was also Kate's idea to quilt it using big stitches and embroidery floss.  I ended up buying the thick silvery floss and it looks awesome!

Here's the front after I added the binding.  How many episodes of Downton Abbey did it take to get me through all the sewing and quilting?  A LOT!

This took me so many hours to complete, but I am so pleased with the results.  And, no, he will not be allowed to take this baby on his mission.  It will stay here and be safely boxed up awaiting his return!  

Swim Team

This year I'm the "unofficial" team photographer for Swim Team.  It's been fun, and I'm enjoying a break from being a timer.  I'm learning a lot (by trial and error) about sports photography.  It's exhausting... I'm constantly running from one side of the pool to the end and back again... I'll be glad when it's not 100+ degrees at the pool during the meets.  Here's some random photos I got of the kids at our Intersquad Meet (code for Varsity vs. JV or Practice Meet).  We didn't have the team suits yet, so they are all just wearing a suit they wear for practice.  

Note to the Grandmas:  I emailed these photos to your kodak frames... did they come through?  My email kept freezing up while it was sending, so I never knew if they made it or not.  

The Eagle Has Landed

Eight and a half years of Scouting led to this moment.   Taylor and Cody had their Eagle Court of Honor together on June 4th.  It’s been over a year since both of them finished their Eagle Projects, so this day was a LONG time coming.  Our local Order of the Arrow group does an elaborate Eagle Ceremony which is awesome!  Chief Hulet comes with 4-5 others and presents the Eagle awards.  It’s very authentic and motivates a lot of scouts who are getting close to the end to finish it out.

   

Pinning on the hardware… there was a lot of it!

   

We also had a guest presenter from the Sons of the Mormon Battallion group.  If the scouts do a campout, hike and service project along the Mormon Battallion trail, a member of their organization will come to their Eagle Court of Honor and present them with a special award and skull neckerchief.  It’s very cool, but dangerous to anyone to tries to give them a hug while wearing it.  ;-)  Our bishopric also ordered special Eagle trophies to give to the boys.  I think it’s about time we got a trophy shelf mounted in Taylor’s room. 

   

The boys then got to give out pins to their parents and a mentor.  I LOVE the picture of Taylor giving Eric a hug.  It’s a priceless moment.

   

After the Eagle dance, the boys were welcomed into the Eagle’s Nest. 

   

Somehow I never got a picture of Taylor with Eric and I after the ceremony.  But I did get a picture of Taylor and Cody with Taylor’s “mentor” and their former Scoutmaster, JB.  

   

After experiencing the entire Scouting experience from Wolf to Eagle, there is no wonder only 3% of Scouts achieve the rank of Eagle.  You think that the Eagle project is the hardest part, but it’s not.  The Eagle Rank Application is the worst.  No normal teenager boy could navigate through that red tape nightmare and figure it out on his own.   At least I will have an example to reference when it’s Ian’s turn.  And oh, yes, I know Ian will finish.  He wants to drive even more than Taylor did.  I won’t deny that we held back driving privileges until Taylor finished.  He wouldn’t have finished otherwise.  I don’t regret putting that condition on driving,  and Taylor doesn’t regret it either.  :)

Mo Pro…

… is short for Mormon Prom!  And it’s not just for Seniors… anyone 16-18 can go!  Is it possible I have a child old enough for this?  Yikes!  Just one week after we let Taylor start driving solo, he took a date to Mormon Prom.  Some good friends of ours took a group of the kids to the lake where they rented two wave runners and took turns going out.  (Unfortunately, Eric and I had another commitment that day that prevented us from being able to take the boat and join them at the lake.)  Then after they went home and cleaned up, they went to Mimi’s Café for dinner and then out to the Barney Sports Complex in Queen Creek for the dance.  Taylor had a great time with his date, Amy… and isn’t she the cutest thing you’ve ever seen? 

I’d say the last minute purchase of the suit jacket at Kohl’s was well spent, wouldn’t you?

Random April Events

Children’s Museum of Phoenix:

Brayden and I went here with his kinder class for a field trip in February.  He loved it and they gave us all a coupon for one free admission if we came back in the next four months.  I promised him we’d come back over Spring Break, but that didn’t happen because I got sick.  So finally on Good Friday, we went.  (As did every other stay at home mom in the Phoenix metro area.)  It was totally crowded but the boys had a great time.  Ian brought a friend and Brayden finally got to do a project in the craft room, (which was something we didn’t have time for on our last visit.)  The only negative part about the day was the $25 parking ticket I got from parking in a lot across the street that I needed a permit for.  Oh well…

           

This is the boys at the top of the giant play structure.  It’s kinda like a McD’s playground on steroids, but all made from recycled building materials.  It looks really cool in person!

This was the little girls’ room.  The four sink at four different levels cracked me up.  And three of the mirrors have this funky reflector stuff in them, so you can’t even use them.  But they do look cool.

Driving a Stick: 

On Easter Sunday while we were all wishing we could nap off the sugar crash from easter baskets, Grandma decided to take Taylor out for stick shift driving lesson #2.  He did well.  He has the typical boy I-can-do-anything-if-you-will-just-let-me-do-it attitude.  Sometimes that’s good, sometimes that’s bad.  Grandma has more patience in the driver’s seat than I do, that’s for sure.   

America’s Next “Top Shot”?

When’s he’s not asking me to borrow the car, he’s often in the back yard doing this.  He has big dreams of one day being on Top Shot.  We have a friend who sent in an application for Season 4, so maybe we’ll get lucky enough to know someone who’s been on Top Shot.  I like that idea better.

Flutes and Field Trips:

At the end of the month I got to go on a Field Trip with Megan for band.  Her school band performed at a Band Festival in Mesa and then went to Amazing Jake’s afterwards for lunch.  I’ve never been to Amazing Jakes before and I’ve avoided it because it seems so pricey.  But in reality, it’s a pretty good deal, especially if you have time to spend the whole afternoon.  All you can eat buffet (pizza, pasta, salads, drinks, dessert) and games for $15.  Some games are unlimited, and you get a $5 card to play the coin-op games.  I think we’ll have to plan a day to go this summer.  It would be a great way to get out of the heat for an afternoon and enjoy someone else’s A/C.