Our March Mission Madness

I know I am blogging about two months behind these days.  A lot of it is due to this envelope . . .

Kohler received his mission call and waited 10 days to open it!!!  It was madness----but he really felt like it was the right thing to do to wait until those he wanted to attend could be there when he opened it.  He has been called to serve in the Argentina Mendoza Mission and reports to the Provo MTC July 2, 2014!

 We opened his call on Sunday night and there were about 100 friends and family members there.  It was so much fun!

 Colleen and Wade totally surprised us by coming up for the opening!  They are just amazing---always there to support us!

 We had a chocolate fountain and yummy punch that went fast with 100 people there.  I think we were planning on about half that many people.  But it was so fun for Kohler to feel so loved with everyone around him!

 He got emotional reading his call---it really was a special moment.  In fact, he read ahead before announcing it to us all and he said, "Whoa!"  We all laughed and then we heard where he was going.  You could tell on his face that he was really surprised and completely excited!!

 Then, his Argentina Visa papers came in the mail.  That kept me really busy for a few days.  We had to apply for his passport (again, in his missionary suit) and get a new birth certificate with apostille from the State of Utah.  I had to keep everything in little piles on my desk to keep it organized!

 Here is Kohler's passport picture.  He smiled and it worried me that the State Dept. would reject it, but it turned out ok.  It's actually a really good photo of him!

 Lots of people made their guesses and it was so much fun wondering where in the world Kohler would go.  Kelsey even made a movie called, "The Quest" that was all about him waiting to receive his mission call.  Kelsey actually was the one who guessed right too---she guessed ARGENTINA!

Now everything for his Visa is in the mail and hopefully he won't have a delay getting into Argentina.  I have heard of missionaries waiting for months for their visas to get approved.  I sure hope that doesn't happen.  

You know, we are so proud of Kohler for making this decision to serve the Lord for two years.  It's really something to watch these youth have the courage to leave their lives behind and go to a faraway place to teach the gospel, oftentimes in a language they've never spoken.  Truly, their faith and courage astounds me.  These youth are so strong and will be such a force for good out there in the mission field.  Although we will miss him terribly, we wouldn't have it any other way.  We love you, Kohler!

This is the photo Kohler chose for his missionary plaque.  I just love his smile!


Other fun things that happened in March:

Tom took little Hailey on an overnight daddy-daughter campout, along with 22 stuffed animals!!!  Yes, 22.

In their haste to leave, Tom forgot to pack a sleeping bag for himself so in the middle of the night, when he got cold, he started shoving those stuffed animals up his shirt and down his pants to stay warm!  Those little critters made him look super puffy and bumpy but they kept him warm all night!  ha ha!

The next morning she saw some people with their horses getting ready for a ride and they were kind enough to let her pet them.  Have I mentioned that Hailey is in love with horses?

Cute moment with brother and sister.  These two really get along well.

We helped some of our YW record a song for Stake Girls Camp.  Go Kelsey! (in the middle)

Yep - this is my "green eggs" for St. Patrick's Day.  Yum!

Then, for part of spring break, Kelsey and I went to California and stayed with her good friends and their moms.  We had a blast!

Yes - getting ready for the beach--makeup and all!

After playing with Kelsey's friends for a few days, we spent some time with my sister, Suzanne and her darling kiddos.

Suzanne was really sweet to watch Hailey and Spencer while I had my "girls weekend" with Kelsey and her friends.  It just wouldn't have been the same with her little bro and sis tagging along!  ha ha! I was just so grateful that I could spend a little time with her on the beach before we left for AZ.  Hailey adores her cousin Olivia!!

Before Kohler leaves on his mission, we wanted to have a professional photographer come and take family photos.  We had thought about going to the Gilbert Temple to take the shoot, but as the photographer came and looked at the beautiful flowers in front of our home, she said compared to the white stone background at the temple, for close up shots--our home was a better choice.  At first I was a little disappointed, but then I thought how we have tried to make our home like the temple, a place of safety and peace.  These pictures mean the world to me now!