Moms and Missionaries



I asked him to "Smile"...he tells me he will do GQ

 We have a missionary..it’s been official for nearly two months! I’ve concluded that life snowballs once your kids reach high school. They start out as freshman and the next thing you know, you are ordering graduation announcements and taking senior pictures.



Preparing a missionary is not for the faint-hearted. There are suits to buy, pants to tailor, books to be read, doctors visits to make. All of this is so carefully outlined in the Missionary guidebook, but it says nothing (let me repeat… “NOTHING”) about preparing moms to say goodbye to their sons for two years. I’m not going to sugarcoat it and tell you that it was a wonderful, peaceful, and spiritual experience. In reality, It was hard and gut-wrenching watching him walk away knowing that we wouldn’t have the regular phone calls and texts and our weekly Skype sessions. So why do we do this??!! I have had many friends ask how we can do this! Some of the more common and highly-rational questions are: 


I couldn't get them to give me a great pose!!

“Can you go visit him on his mission?” “You mean that you can’t talk to him on the phone except for twice a year??!!” OR “ He does get to come home for the holidays, right??” Um that is a “No”, “No”, and “No”.


Zach pretending to not love his sister...



I think that the best answer to these questions came when I read the letter that came from the Missionary Training Center for our Church. To paraphrase, it said that missions are a sacrifice for both missionaries and their families. Complete sacrifice means that missionaries leave routines behind and devote their full energy to service. Families help missionaries to focus on service when they provide support through positive and encouraging letters. In this way, their lives become immersed in serving and not distracted with routines from home. So…this is both Zach’s sacrifice and MY sacrifice!



I am so happy to report that in these two short months while he has been serving in Colorado, it has already been life changing for him and for our family. I miss him every day-- he is never far from my thoughts, and I look forward to my Wednesday morning email--- BUT I also know that I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is making him into the man I know he can become.



These are some memories that we made just before he left. He is now serving in Eagle, Colorado teaching and helping the Latino people in that beautiful part of the country!

One last one..."See You in Two"!











Goblin Valley

I have been a delinquent blogger for a while now!  I counted and I think I attended 45 soccer games in about 8 weeks! I'm also busy savoring a Senior year...AGAIN! (Didn't I just do this with Zach?)

But just for memories, I am going to post some pictures of our Goblin Valley trip this past summer.  I lived in Utah for 10 years and only remotely remember hearing about Goblin Valley--it is only a 4 hour drive from Provo!  But after visiting I think it is a "Day Trip Must" and a "highly recommend" for the Utah traveler!  The only thing I should prepare you for is the accommodations--or lack of--in Green River, Utah.  I recommend the Holiday Inn Express--the other hotels look like set scenery from an old western, ghost town movie...the big question being flush toliets or outhouses?

Check Out These Rock Formations!

Looks Prehistoric!

My Family near the Geiser

Seth on a rock plateau--a very nice climb!

The Three Amigos..the 4th was working in Ohio!



The Spring near Goblin Valley





One of the caves that we explored...