9/19

 Somehow I said I’d blogged 9/19, but these pictures were taken that day, so I guess I didn’t. Oopsie. 🤷‍♀️

Delaney did a master class that morning and then her first audition for Nutcracker. She’s gonna be a polichinelle boy. 🎉 Emma came home with us after and she and Delaney played some games.

Frankie and the girls had a cheer brekkie at ihop. 

The space car hit 94,900. So much driving kids back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. 

That evening there was a football game. 

Miss Mia was busy being adorable. 

And the LHS cheer girls grabbed the La Plata cheerleaders for a fun co-team cheer. 

Do it, do it, do it!

Our mighty raiders won that game, and that’s always fun and unusual. And that catches me up to this week. 🎉🎉🎉

9/17-9/18

 Pretty sure I slept a lot of the 17th and then drove the ballet bus and I don’t really think much else? 🤷‍♀️

Same for the 18th, but I’m sure I at least started cleaning, catching up. Because no matter what, there’s always so much to catch up on when you’ve been gone a week. 

Also, the girls love wrestling/fighting at scripture time. It’s like clockwork. 🤣

9/16

The one where I go home! 

It felt like I was gone a really long time. Even though it was a 9/10 trip, I was very ready to be home.  

So Frey had asked if we could do a homemade sibling gift exchange and I really didn’t want to, but I’m trying to be gentle and prioritize people, and Laura said she’d help me make a snowflake. So after I finished packing we got to work.

Laura did at least half of it, but I did help. 

And this is a gift that I would like for myself *and* it feels good to be done with my gift by September. 

And then it was time to say goodbye to everyone. 

My friends have some seriously cool kids. 

And then Olly wanted another picture but with Grut too. 

I returned my fancy Beemer with no problems and that was such a relief, and then I had the middle seat on both of my flights and the last one felt the most awkward, but the USO in Houston was open and I was able to have a hot pocket dinner, and then before I knew it (not really, it was actually a long travel day) Matt was picking me up and I regaled him with tales of Utah/Idaho the whole way home. 

And then, home!

9/15

Temple-palooza!

This is what I stayed an extra 2 days for. Because no temples Sunday or Monday. And I really wanted to go to some temples! I’ve been to all the temples close to Laura’s house, so I wanted to make a whole day of going to temples that are an hour and a half+ away. 

It was Maggie’s birthday so we had a dinner time curfew, so we woke up early and stuck to our schedule perfectly. 

First up we drove an hour and a half to the Deseret Peak Temple in Tooele.

It was a really pretty drive and a really pretty temple! We were able to perform initiatories all in the same little room and everyone was so kind and it was a lovely start to our temple day. 

Next we drove an hour to the Saratoga Springs Temple.

We did sealings here with the cutest little set of mission companions that served in Germany before they put up the wall. They winked at us at the alter and I seriously can’t wait until I’m old enough to wink at people and have it not be creepy. 

I know it doesn’t matter what temple you worship in but seeing the beauty of different temples really makes me happy. This was such a perfect day!

After this we got lunch at Mo’ Bettahs for Hawaiian food and it was soooo good. Laura didn’t really want to try it, but she loves me so she did and it was all really tasty. And then we used Laura’s free punch card she got for recommending her insurance agent to so many new clients and we each got a delicious Swig soda. 

Our last temple of the day was 30 minutes away in Lindon. 

We did endowments there, which made it so that we kind of inadvertently performed every temple ordinance. It was actually really cool. 

We met a couple as we were trying to take our temple selfies and they took pictures for us and we took pictures for them and this is the story of how we got actual good pictures there. 

And a few selfies for good measure. 

Love this lady, love this day. 

We continues on our Hawaiian streak and picked up a dozen malasadas on our way home. 

For dinner Laura grilled carne asada and Emily and Levi came over and we celebrated wonderful Maggie!

Levi was sweet and it was fun to catch up with Emily. She shared stories of Matt helping her boys and that was sweet too. It was a cup filling last day. 

9/14

On Monday I was able to meet up with dear friends and we always catch up as if no time has passed. I miss these ladies so much! Shelly’s mom was in town too, so she came and it was just a lovely lunch. 

We went shopping at Winco and we always make it an adventure. Then Laura and I wrapped all of Maggie’s presents because everything is easier with a friend. 

The next day was Maggie’s birthday but Laura and I had all day plans, so we did presents that evening. ❤️

Then Mindi came and picked me up for dinner at the restaurant where Izzy works. Mindi treated me and we sharend and appetizer, salad, pizza, and dessert, and it was so delicious and so good to see her. I missed her my last Utah trip, so it was extra special that we got two nights together. 

Izzy is absolutely gorgeous and was so sweet. She assured me that she remembered me and was just so grown up hostessing up there. 

Icing on a very wonderful full of friends day was seeing Ben and his precious baby girl. They are all doing so well, it was so good to see them!  

Back home the beat went on!

The cheerleaders got together for pictures one day. 

I spy a froggy!

9/13

On Sunday I took no pictures. I walked to church (around the corner) with Laura and David and then we walked home and we all napped. Seeing them as an old couple with their recliners and their quiet house (Oli was gone for the weekend) was a glimpse into our future in 4 years! Pretty wild!

They made orange chicken for dinner and cherry came over and it was a nice family dinner. Then I texted Mindi and she was free so she came and it was so good to see her! I was so glad she made time for me with zero notice! We made plans for Monday and that was my first quiet Sunday without my Adi. 

Adi sent me her freshman first meal pic. 

And also she and Delaney FaceTimed and I was blessed with this gem. 🤣❤️

9/12

 We watched movies in the morning and ate brekkie in our room and had a nice leisurely morning.

We went big girl grocery shopping at the Idaho falls Walmart and it was much less busy and picked through. I was had meal planned and knew mostly what she wanted. 

We unpacked some more..:

And toured her apartment amenities. 

Then we walked her schedule. 

Friday had been crazy windy. Like anxiety inducing windy. And in the halls of her apartment it sounded like a wind tunnel and I hated it, but I acted cool about it. 🤣

Saturday was much nicer. ☀️ 

Her classes are close to each other, all about 15 minutes from her apartment. She is seriously talking about getting a scooter. 🤣

I am so excited for this girl! She is amazing!

She is talking about possibly changing her major out of public health, but that’s to be expected. 

Like a real college classroom!

The same apartments (just a different name) that Lexi and Christian moved into their first years!

We were *starving* so we ate at the taco bus which is always a good idea!

Everyone wanted to know how our girl was doing!

Even surprised Mia! 🤣

We had to pick up a few last things at the Rexburg Walky and then we failed epically at an escape room. It was so hard we eventually just gave up. And the new temple is right across from the Wally. 

INight was that night and they have games and food and movies, so I really wanted her to go to that. Only when we got back to her apartment no one was there. So we got her all unpacked. 

Clothes and everything put away and ready for Sunday. 

Our plans were fluid, but we finally decided that I would drive her to inight and leave from there. 

She got ready and I dropped her off and it was kind of perfect because neither of us could really cry.  

I mean, I cried as and after she walked away, obviously. 

Driving out of town it was such a beautiful night!

I die!

I called Matt and gave him the whole low down and then Lexi and Christian and then Amy. I talked all the way back to Laura’s. 

When I got home I got the best update that our brave girl made a friend, got ooocorn with him, he walked her home, and then on Tuesday they went to the devotional together. ❤️ This made me soooo happy!

Also when I got home I spotted this. 

Fav shoes underneath the chair in our guest room! I thanked them for their service and threw them away. They’d seen better days. 🤣