Oh Idaho!!

 Families are there for each other no matter what . . . we lift each other up when we fall and we rejoice with each other when we rise!  We got to celebrate one of those rising occasions for Amber, Alex and Zach as they ALL graduated from BYU-Idaho!

Hailey and little Kaden (Brook and Colby's baby) were inseparable the entire weekend!  Finally she had a person smaller than her that she could tote around and tell what to do!  ha ha

 Yes - Alex and Zach shared some really BIG news . . . Alex is pregnant!!! She looked so happy!

 Colleen and Lisa prepared an incredible lunch, with the help of Scott and Wade of course!

 We were the best cheering section!!!

 I had to snap this photo of President Henry B. Eyring's son because he looks JUST LIKE HIS DAD!

I am so glad we could make it up there to support them.  They are such darling girls and have been such an example to my children.

Crazy Wind Storm

When we got back to Arizona from visiting California, Tom's mother was able to come stay with us for a few days which was really fun.  She had been with Colleen and Wade over the 4th and we were so happy to have her.  But while she was here the craziest storm came through.  It was on a Sunday afternoon and boy oh boy---was the wind ever howling!!!  The gusts were so strong that Spencer and Tom had to hold down our french doors leading to the backyard (the latch is broken) so that the wind wouldn't blow them open.  Anyway, after the storm passed through we went outside to take a look and this is what we found . . .

 Clean-up crews were already out there about 2 hours after the storm and it was unbelieveable what damage wind can do.  We heard on the news that it was called "micro-bursts" that came through parts of Gilbert and Chandler.

 This was the worst one---the wind completely UPROOTED this tree!!!  You can even see how it pulled up the irrigation system too with that white pipe sticking up there!

We just couldn't believe it!  So many trees were blown down and branches torn off by this storm.  Luckily, nobody was hurt.  It made me super grateful for strong walls and a good foundation to keep us safe during times like that!!

Scenes from 4th of July

 JULY 2, 2014

So, we put Kohler on the plane headed for the Provo MTC and we got in our car and headed to California!  No way was I going back to the house and walking in his room, all empty but still smelling like his cologne and stuff.  I just didn't want to do that.  We decided several weeks ago that we would spend our 4th of July in California just to get away.

But speaking of getting away--as emotional as we were having just put Kohler on the plane hours earlier, we just couldn't get away from seeing his name!  Every bathroom had his name on the sinks and it became a joke.  Kelsey and I couldn't believe it!!  Ahh!!

We stopped in San Diego at the Mormon Battalion Visitor's Center on our way to the beach.  It is such a first-class facility they have there.  But again, as soon as I saw the missionaries there, tears filled my eyes--now with pride because my son was now one of them.  :)

 Happy 4th of July!!  We had a blast playing at the beach and the pool with Suzanne, Tony and their adorable children!

 Oh my gosh - how we ALL love little Noel!

 We watched fireworks at our hotel in Dana Point but everyone agreed that they weren't as fun as Stadium of Fire in Provo!!  Suzanne let Spencer and Hailey stay and watch fireworks with them and spend the night with the cousins.  They had a much better time than we did.  We had lots of drunk people and no breeze at the beach so the smoke from the fireworks just hovered over the ocean and we couldn't see the fireworks when they exploded.  It was pretty lame.

 Still, we were just glad we were together!!

I just love these two little firecracker girls!!  Olivia and Hailey are both 8 now and such beauties!

 So, the next day we went to the beach and had a blast!  We met up with the MacLays and it was so fun to see them!

Nice crab, Spence!

 Kelsey and Marli, living it up on the paddle board!!

Of course, I had to get this shirt since it had the Argentina Flag on it for the World Cup!!

 Back in our hotel room, we were short a bed and they were out of roll aways---so we just made a little bed with the two chairs.  How awesome is it that Hailey is still little enough to pull this off?  Those days are numbered for us----but we got lucky.  She was a great sport about it too!  So cute!

 We stayed at the Marriott in Dana Point.  It was really nice with great views of the ocean.

 It was right here that Tom and I sat with our Ipads and we received Kohler's first email from the MTC.  We were SO excited we could hardly contain ourselves!!!

 This is what we saw from our morning walks down from the hotel.  It was beautiful!!!

This is exactly what I wanted to sit and look at---while reflecting on the events of the past few weeks.  How grateful I am  . . .

Oh, Kelsey also attended EFY in Santa Barbara from July 7-12 then stayed with Marli for a few days afterwards.  They had a really great time!