Called to Serve!

After we came home from our trip, Brandon's mission call was waiting for him.  He had to walk over to Jim and Elaine's to get it as they were picking up our mail while we were gone.  I thought maybe he would be running over there but he took his own sweet time to get it. I kept asking Rob "has he gone to get it yet?"  My parents, Jim and Elaine, and our friend Gladys and her husband and daughter,gathered around as he opened his call.  It was crazy exciting.  When Brandon said Santiago Chile East mission we thought that he was joking beings how Gladys was from there and has been telling us for years that she really wanted Brandon to go to Chile....but it was no joke!  He was to report to the MTC August 15 in Santiago Chile.  Gladys was beyond excited and it was just a few short moments after that we realized that Justin, Brandon's best friend was in the same mission!  There was just too much for all of this to be merely coincidental.  I guess you could call it one of those "celestial coincidences" as I really feel like him being called to this place at this time was a tender mercy of the Lord for him in his life.

Over the next several months we did all the missionary shopping and preparation.  It was a little strange that he was still in high school but preparing for his mission.  August seemed far away but so close at the same time.  I know it was a long wait for him and I times for us too!  But last week we said our good-byes and I really didn't know how I would feel.  I guess you could say it was bittersweet.  I was so happy for him, but knew that I would miss him.  We look forward to sharing this experience with him!

Spring Break

 For Spring Break we decided to take off and go down to Zions National Park and do some hiking.  Angels Landing was just too much fun the first time around so....we had to share the joy with our children too.  As a mother, all I could think about was my teenagers plunging to their deaths so of course they got the "hang on to the chain and don't be stupid" lecture.  We hiked as a family to where it gets super scary and I stayed back with the younger kids (meaning Jacob, Megan, Ammon and Porter). I was actually pretty impressed that I made that huge hike with Porter on my back.  I was feeling super buff.

We also did some other hikes and I hiked a little bit of the narrows with James, Emily and Riley.  What a riot.  We didn't make it too far but we had a good time laughing.  Especially at James who brings the comedy wherever we go.

We also knew that Brandon's mission call would come while we were gone.  He was pretty good about it and it didn't seem to phase him one bit that his future for two years was sitting at home.  It was Rob and I who were super anxious to get home and see where that boy would go for two years!

 Here's the group that made it to the top of angel's landing.  They did great!

 Doesn't this look like it should be on the cover of some outdoor magazine?  There was a professional photographer taking pictures and all of a sudden James decides to wander out in the freezing cold water.  At first I was like "what the heck?" and then it hit me.  James was trying to get into that guy's pictures by striking some contemplative pose.

 We stayed in Kanab which was a small little cowboy town with not much to do but we wandered around after we watched General Conference in our town home.

 And of course the boys went to Priesthood that night.  Super proud of all these guys!

It was a great trip.  The last one we took as a family before Brandon left.  I really thought we would fit one more in before so it is probably good that I didn't know this information at the time.  Good times.

March

 Yep, the pictures are getting a little more scarce.  Just haven't been in the mood.  I guess the only thing significant I can think of that happend in March is Easter which came and went without much fanfare.  Also, Brandon got his mission papers done and sent in.