Ohio, Columbus...Spanish speaking!

Some moments in life are big moments, but you might not see them coming or realize them until you reflect back. Others you know about in advance and look forward to. Opening a mission call is one of those forward-looking moments. Part of your life will be defined as before my mission, during my mission, and after my mission. Baptism, Priesthood, Mission, Marriage, and Children are all forward- looking moments that define a life. We are grateful for this time we had to share with Kevin in opening his mission call.

The envelope came on Wednesday, September 5th. Kevin did not come home until Friday the 7th. Curt wanted to display it on the mantel. I said, "No way." The envelope spent those two days in a box in the closet. Out of sight, out of mind. The temptation to rip it open was lessened that way.

Kevin and his call finally in the same room.

Thanks to all of our family and friends who came to share this moment. Cheyenne even got someone to cover her shift for two hours so she could be there.

We had everyone guess a stateside mission and a foreign mission. The closest anyone got was Pittsburg guessed by Kevin's friend, Blake.

The moment arrived! Kevin thanked everyone for coming, opened the envelope and read his call.

We had some of Kevin's friends on speaker phone who couldn't make it, but they couldn't hear us (one was at  the Aggies/Utes game) so they got the message via text.

After he read that he'd been called to serve in the Ohio, Columbus Mission, he kept reading. The second line of the second paragraph said he'd be teaching in Spanish. Who knew that Ohio had a need for Spanish speaking missionaries?! This was very exciting, since he really wanted to speak a language, and he has had four years of Spanish. Prospective missionaries don't get to give a language preference, other than whether or not they'd like to learn one. You do write down any language that you've studied and for how long, but don't get a choice of what you'll be assigned to speak. However, if Kevin did get to choose, his first choice of language would have been Spanish! 

Here Matthew writes his inspired guess of "Columbus, Ohio." Of course, he was inspired to write this AFTER Kevin opened his call. He had to cross out his first guess of San Diego. (His first guess was half right since there are a lot of Spanish speakers there.)

We are looking at the booklet they sent us and figuring out the mission boundaries. My mom served in the Great Lakes Mission, and she spent eight months in Columbus. She was very excited when Kevin called to tell her the news. It's interesting to note that part of the information you're asked to provide when you submit the missionary papers are the names of the missions where siblings, parents, and grandparents have served.

Awesome cousins!

Since Kevin's call, we've heard from ward members and Facebook friends who've lived near Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio.  Everyone seems to really love the area. Kevin's mission also includes a small part of northern Kentucky and a slice of Indiana. He reports to the MTC on January 23rd. It will be a great two years!

An Elder and an Aggie

Kevin was made an Elder on Curt's birthday. 

After the ordination, we went out to dinner and then home for birthday treats. Curt opted for his favorite dessert as opposed to a birthday cake. Hence the whip cream numbers.

Three days later we went to Utah State to help Kevin move to his dorm. Kevin thought this bedspread was too girly. Not sure how blue and green squares equals girl, but it was Krysta's when she went to college. Just be glad she chose blue, Kevie.

We stayed overnight in Logan. Our hotel was as close to campus as you can get; it was smack-dab in the center of campus right next to the student center. Unusual, but very convenient.

Lots of changes in a short time. But the best is yet to come. Kevin's mission papers have been submitted. We expect a call in a couple of weeks! So exciting! (and then I will cry...is it possible to be excited and a little sad at the same time?) We know Kevin will do well and have a great experience as an Aggie for a semester.

August

Nothing like sleeping in a tent to make you appreciate your house! We had a hard time finding a date where we could all go camping. I really wanted to fit in a backpacking trip, but couldn't find a free weekend that fit everyone's schedules. We finally settled for a short overnighter in the middle of the week.

We love Albion Basin in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Last year the snow was so deep that this campground never even opened. Letting it rest for a year was probably a good thing. Albion Basin is close enough to be convenient, yet high enough to be in the forest. Surprisingly, in spite of the dry weather, we got to build a fire and make s'mores.

Outdoor breakfast is always extra tasty.

Albion Basion always seems to have beautiful flowers in bloom.

We hiked to the top of Catherine Pass and looked over into Brighton and the beautiful lake below.

The cute little critters loved our rice crispy treat snacks. We had them eating out of our hands.

A few days later, Camille turned 14!

A few cousins to celebrate with.

Happy August!

July

July was a month with too much time spent seated in front of the computer. I was taking an online children's literature class as part of getting my library endorsement. Normally this is a 14 week class, but it was condensed into 5 weeks for the summer. I probably averaged 4 or more hours a day most weekdays doing homework. Since it was also a graduate class, I got the fun of writing a research paper for the first time in decades. A. Research. Paper. People. The most boring thing to read or write on the planet. But all was well. I enjoyed what I learned, the research paper wasn't too bad, and I got an A. Yeah!

We were lucky to have a few fun events in the month. On the 4th of July we went to the Stadium of Fire and saw the Beach Boys put on a rocking concert. And the fireworks, always my favorite, were better than ever. Erin and Camille were nearer the stage; they were invited to go with some friends. The rest of us had the cheap seats, but we still enjoyed the show.

 Erin turned 16 and celebrated by going on a date to the movies and by getting a new phone.

My parents came up for the 24th and we visited the Hill Air Force Base Museum. My dad has flown in some of these in his National Guard days and he liked seeing those planes and the ones his brother-in-law flew in WWII.  The museum here is very well done and interesting.

Verl and his family came over later on the 24th for a bar-b-que. Sanae's mom was visiting so it was fun to see her.

Kevin, Erin, Camille, and I traveled to Utah State for youth conference. We got to experience life in the dorms and Kevin got a better feel for his future college campus. This is Erin during Aggie games.

We actually planted flowers this year and the ones that haven't been consumed by snails are really pretty.

And how's this for random. See these lovely salads in the picture below? Some friends at work found this idea on pinterest and it's the best lunch idea ever! In the bottom of a canning jar you put dressing, and meat (I use canned chicken), and harder veggies. I haven't uncovered my canning jars in the basement, so I used these empty spaghetti sauce and pickle jars. The middle section is softer veggies, beans, or fruit (anything you don't want soaking in the dressing). On the top is lettuce--the drier the better. These salads can be assembled in advance, and they keep really well for 5-6 days in the fridge. You do all the chopping and assembling at once (get the mess over at one time) and pull one out for lunch each day. Healthy and yummy. Yes, those are strawberries in the middle salad. Shake the salad out on a plate and enjoy. Google "salad in a jar" for more info. This is makes me hungry!

Monticello and Moab

The rest of our Southern Utah trip found us driving through the cute town of Monticello on our way to Moab. We took a quick picture stop at the temple.

Little did we know that Monticello is also home to one of our favorite Disney characters, Tow Mater!

The tiny town of Monticello also has this famous eatery. Too bad we didn't have time to stop and compare burgers with the NYC location.

Erin and her friend were on a Temple road trip, visiting all of the temples in Utah. We met them in Moab since this was the only leg of the trip that they weren't staying with relatives. The next day, Erin and friends left for the Vernal temple.  Our trip ended with a quick visit to Arches on our way out of town.

One of the main goals in visiting Arches was to get this poster. This picture is blurry but the actual poster is a really nice silk screen.

I decided that my downstairs family room is going to have a National Park theme with these really cool vintage reproduction posters and pictures of our family at the parks. This new decorating idea will probably take place next year...or the next...or sometime; you know how it goes.

To continue with our Cars theme, on the way home we spotted Lightning McQueen! Hey, Lightning, your buddy Mater is hanging out down the road. Go find him and tip some tractors or something.