Insta-Flashback

Do you ever just scroll through your Instagram or your Facebook or whatever and marvel at how your life has changed? I suppose blog scrolling would be another good option too.

Today I took a few minutes to do that. When I turned 29, I set a goal to make my last year of my twenties the best year. I wasn't sure what that would look like. During the summer of 2016, I'd taken my dream trip to London and Paris, so with that in my mind I thought I would focus on traveling, learning new things, having exciting experiences.

There has been some of that this year. But mostly, it's been the best year because of my loved ones and the time I've spent with them. It's amazing how much has changed in my family just over the last year.


Last fall, both Kristie and Jason came home from their missions. I moved out of the house when Kristie was only 10. She was home from September to January, and during that time, we spent more time together than we have in a very long while. We had lots of sister bonding moments and lots of fun adventures.

Once Jason was back, we had our whole family living together in the same place for 6 weeks or so. We all knew it was likely our last hurrah (the last time we'd all live at home) and so we really tried to enjoy our time together. In December we took an awesome family trip out to SLC to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert, and it was very much on my mind that it might be our last trip before people started spreading out and getting married. But I had no idea just how close that time was--on that very trip, Kristie went on her first date with her now-husband, and the rest is history!

Once 2017 rolled around, I thought seriously about making a big change in my life. I'd essentially given up on marriage, and I wanted to make some changes so I could live a more fulfilling life as a single woman. I wasn't sure what that would be. I considered a PhD or buying a home, but I realized I didn't really want to go back to school, and I didn't feel right about buying a home for some reason. Eventually I decided to adopt a puppy. I'd always planned to wait until my kids were old enough to ask for a dog, but it seemed to me I might never have kids, and that I'd waited long enough. My instagram feed becomes clogged with Molly pics after that--so strange to think that she's only been part of my life for a few months, really! She's grown up so much from when I brought her home as a tiny little furball (I see one instagram post where her breeder told me she was a healthy 4 pounds. She's three times that big now!).

The same week I got Molly (February 18 is her gotcha day!), I flew out for Melissa's wedding. I was so happy for her that she finally found her Prince Charming! Actually, now that I think about it, that was the same week Kristie got engaged too, and I was very happy for her! But at the same time, these moments reminded me of how my life hadn't gone according to plan. I remember recommitting myself to my plan to make my single life the best it could be.

That was more ironic than I could ever have realized, because I was only two weeks away from meeting my future husband. On March 4, I helped host Colorado Springs annual YSA Ball--Back to the Future themed this time! As I was running around finishing the set up, I saw Trevor for the first time in the hallway. He'd been in the Springs looking for housing that day and decided to stop by. Of course I noticed he was cute. I overheard him telling someone he'd be moving to the Springs soon. I thought of going to say hi.... but I didn't. Right away I thought, what is the point? So maybe we'd flirt a little at the dance. Maybe he'd even get my number and we'd go on a date or two. It won't go anywhere--it never does. Either he'll lose interest or I will. So I went on my way without a word to him.

At the beginning of the ball, there was a formal dinner. We had seats for 180 people or so. I picked a table to sit at. And... out of all the tables in that room, Trevor ended up sitting at mine. He was with a guy giving him advice about housing (Mitch, if anyone is curious!) and Mitch decided they should sit with us. I couldn't help but wonder if I was getting a second chance to talk to Trevor. He introduced himself and we got to talk a bit... and the more we talked, the more I realized that for the first time in a while, I was actually interested in this boy. I really wanted him to get my number.

We weren't sitting next to each other. He was across the table and a seat or two down from me, and we soon got pulled into conversations with the people closer to us. And then as dinner ended, I had to dash off to get the dance launched. I don't remember how long I was out there running around. I do remember that when I made it back into the gym, I ran into Trevor almost right away (he says he was looking for me!) and it was a slow song, so he asked me to dance. I don't remember everything we talked about, but I do remember he asked what I do for fun and he seemed to be listening closely--I hoped he was scoping out date ideas. When the song ended, we stood there and just kept talking. Everything seemed to be going well until he asked how old I was and we discovered I was 29 and he was 24. I thought it was all over there, and so I backed off my flirting quite a bit in case he was scared off by my age. But, he still asked me for my number. He told me he had to take off because he had a long drive back to Boulder, but he'd be back in a couple weeks to check out more housing options, and he'd move to the Springs in May.

I watched him leave the dance, and I knew there was no way I would meet anyone else who could compete that night.

I didn't hear much from him after that. I did see him briefly when he came back to the Springs to work on housing, but he was mostly focused on talking to guys to see if anyone needed a roommate. During the next two months, I thought about him now and then and wondered if he'd vanished because he lost interest, or if he was just buried in finishing up his master's degree, and when he appeared he'd ask me out.

And then one Friday night he showed up at the weekly YSA activities I was in charge of. It was a Pinewood Derby night. My guy friends had tried to teach me the trick to building a super car, but I decided I didn't want to worry about it too much and threw together a car from a kit that soon claimed its place as the slowest car of the night. (Which I was ridiculously proud of--if you have a slow car, it might as well be the slowest!) Meanwhile Trevor brought one of his childhood cars and won for being the fastest. You can see snippets of this on my Instagram--a pic of my car, and a couple videos of it slowly approaching the finish line--in one, you can catch a glimpse of Trevor.

I was happy to see him there, but also cautious. I played it cool and didn't hover near him. It seemed to me like he went to talk to every other girl before me (he says it was more like they talked to him!). But towards the end of the night, Trevor came to talk to me before he left. He asked me about some upcoming events, including the Baccalaureate Service that Sunday at the Air Force Academy. Seated was limited so they were giving out tickets to make sure we didn't overflow the AFA Chapel. I knew my dad had a stack of tickets at home (he's a bishop) so I offered to give him one. Then Trevor asked about a carpool to the service. It would have been a golden opportunity to offer him a ride, but I didn't. I didn't want to be too forward. So I told him I was sure he would catch a ride with someone after church. But at the end of our conversation, Trevor brought it up again. "Are you sure there's not a carpool? How are you getting there? Are you going with your family?" I decided maybe he really did want to go with me, and I told him he could come with me and Lori.

Then I went home and thought about it a little. I called Lori up and told her I had a date to the baccalaureate so we wouldn't be able to drive up together.

The next night, Sister Dalton gave a fireside (she was the speaker at the Baccalaureate Service). I saw Trevor come in and sit down by himself in the back. All of a sudden I felt shy. I wanted to invite him to sit with me, but wasn't that kind of forward? No, no, it was just being friendly, so he wouldn't have to sit alone. I turned and smiled and waved at him, and gestured to him to come join me.

Since then.... we've basically been inseparable. It wasn't long before we became official... Actually I think that was the same week Kristie got married! Now here we are, engaged and counting down the days to the wedding.

If you'd told me a year ago where I'd be now... I wouldn't have believed you for a second. It's crazy to think about everything that has happened in a year. It makes me wonder what the future is going to hold.

Jason is home!

Jason is home!!!

He came back home last Monday. Today in church he gave his homecoming talk. I am so proud of him. He's grown and matured so much over the last two years, especially spiritually. We've had some great deep talks on gospel topics since he got home.

It feels so great to have our whole family reunited again.

Our extended family came to Jason's homecoming talk, and of course for dinner after.

It's not for very long. In 5-6 weeks or so, Kristie and Jason head back to Provo for another semester at BYU. They're both tentatively planning on staying there for Spring/Summer, so this could be the last time all 6 of us live together.

Of course, didn't I say that about the summer before Jason left on his mission? I guess you never know what the future holds.

And no matter what it holds... we'll make sure family is always a priority for us. We'll find a way to stay close, no matter what. That's what families do.

Missionaries Are Safe

Hurricane Patricia ended up being much less severe than expected (a miracle, I think) and it sounds like the missionaries and the members in that area are safe. Here's the link for the latest from the Guadalajara mission blog: http://hasteningtheworkinguadalajara.blogspot.com/2015/10/missionaries-are-all-safe-and-sound.html

Please Keep Jason and Mexico in your prayers!

So, the largest hurricane ever recorded in the western hemisphere is headed straight for Jason's mission. Listening to the description of it gives me chills. I remember when the weathermen were forecasting Hurricane Katrina--a hurricane of Biblical proportions, they said. Now the weathermen keep stressing that this hurricane will be far worse than Katrina--worse than any hurricane any of us could think of.

Jason should be okay. He is pretty far inland. His mission president has moved all missionaries off the coast, and they're keeping a close eye on things (and posting updates on the mission blog here: http://hasteningtheworkinguadalajara.blogspot.com/) But of course we're worried anyway. And what about all the people who live along the coast? Mexico is working to evacuate them. Hopefully they can get everyone out and they will be safe.

Please keep Jason and Mexico in your prayers!!

Jason's Off to Mexico!

Yesterday we dropped Jason off at the airport to leave for his mission in Mexico.

He will be gone for two years. For the first 6 weeks, he'll study at a Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Mexico City, learning the Spanish language. That may seem like a short time... but our MTCs are renowned for teaching languages really quickly! The US government has sent people to the Provo MTC before to study the phenomena--but the trick isn't to copy our methods, it's to be doing the Lord's work so He will grant the gift of tongues for the missionaries to learn quickly.

After that, Jason is going to the Mexico Guadalajara mission. While he's there, he can only communicate with us through letters and emails--and he only has one day a week where he can take a break from his work to write us (Mondays). He does get to call home for half an hour on Christmas and Mother's Day, so we'll get to talk to him a few times.

I already miss him like crazy, but I'm proud of him for going and I know he's doing the right thing. He will be a great missionary!

Mission Calls!!!

Our family is sending not one, but TWO missionaries out this year!

Jason got his mission call on August 14. He's going to Guadalajara Mexico, reporting to the Mexico City Missionary Training Center on November 26. (Yes, it's Spanish speaking.)

Kristie got her mission call today! She flew home so she could open it with her friends. She's going to Helsinki Finland. She reports on March 4.

I'm so proud of my siblings for devoting the next two years to serving the Lord! We will miss them very much--that will be half of the kids gone. But I know they are doing the Lord's work, and I wouldn't have it any other way.