Our missionary son returns!

The big day finally came yesterday! Our boy returned after serving an LDS mission for two years in the California Roseville Mission. I can't tell you how great it was to see him coming down that escalator at the airport.

Oh, what a sweet moment for a mom. I didn't want to let go of him!

Another big hug from Bob.

Wyatt was so excited to meet his uncle for the first time. And vice versa.

After the airport, we walked around Temple Square and had lunch. I love this photo of our two boys catching up.

Lunchtime. No one told me that I had cried (happy tears) all my make up off my eyes. Hmmmm. Oh well. He looks great, though, doesn't he?

Yellow ribbons adorn our house on just about any surface we could find to tie one on!

My soul is happy.

Wilson's new room

This is a thing of beauty. Every space filled with a sticker. Tomorrow is the big day, and there is definitely an air of excitement around here!

I finished Wilson's room. At least I think its finished. I'll probably add a few things here and there, but I'm pretty sure he would consider it finished. I lightened it up so much -- it feels bright and larger. I hope he likes it, and I hope it's still masculine enough. 

This is the "before" picture of that same corner shown above. I was just getting it ready to paint, and realized I hadn't taken a "before" with his old furniture in it. It wasn't too impressive, lets just say.

Another before photo. It looks like a cave, actually.

Much brighter.

He gets home tomorrow. T.O.M.O.R.R.O.W. We are so excited around here. Its been two long (but wonderful and blessed) years, and we're ready to have him back in the proverbial nest.

The frames above his bed are framed maps from the areas he served in on his mission in the California Roseville Mission. And in the center is a framed piece of glass that is burlap backed and can be written on with dry-erase markers. Not that he'll write on it, but I sure will! :)

The great thing about the frames, is that I used some of the ones we had used for Lindsay's wedding reception.

Pink and cream weren't going to do for Wilson's room, so I grabbed some cans of spray paint and went to work. By the way, one of the best ways to keep your frames from sticking to the drop cloth while you paint is to put push pins on the underside of the frame. It gives the frame some "feet" and lets it dry really nicely.

And these are the finished frames in their new silver, gray and green colors.

I then just enlarged and copied the different areas he has served in, and put them into the frames and voila. A very cheap but fun reminder of his mission days. Plus, since I love the look of maps, it can stay up long after he leaves the house (ummmm... I can't go there right now).

Nesting Again?

I've got a lot swirling around in my head today. The biggest "swirl" is...

Look closely towards the right side of the triangle...

Can you see how many days we have til our boy comes home? 15 days. 15. Can you believe that? He has been on a LDS mission in the California Roseville Mission, and in fourteen days, it will have been a full two years since he left. I can't explain what I'm feeling. I LOVE that he is serving a mission. Our other son served in Singapore five years ago, and my husband served in the Philippines in "the olden days". We have felt so many blessings showered down on our family while he's been gone, and I know its because of the sacrifices he is making to be out there in the mission field. So, we will miss having a missionary in our home. Having said that, I can't wait to have him home again. I need to wrap my arms around him and look him in the eyes and have our heart-to-heart talks with him sitting at the foot of our bed at night. I have been pretty good about not letting myself go down the road of missing him so much it hurts, but now that we're getting close, those feelings are all coming back up to the surface. I know that the little piece of my heart that was left at the Missionary Training Center two years ago (when we dropped him off there) is going to come back as an even bigger piece. This mother thing just  does something to your heart. I feel like our hearts grow and grow with all of the special things we experience with our kids. Sometimes I feel like my heart is going to burst. And don't even get me started on what happens to our hearts as grandmas.

I'm feeling something akin to nesting. Does that surprise you? I was "Grandma Nesting" for the month before our grand baby was born, and now I'm nesting in preparation for my boy to be back "in the nest". I am getting his room all spruced up, and I'm almost done with that. I've just got to paint his dresser, which I'm working on today and tomorrow. Then I should be done, and then I'll put his room all back together. As in the past, I could use a tractor-trailer for all the stuff we're taking to the thrift store. I'm in the "simplify" mode, and trying to get rid of all the junky stuff that is around. Its going to take a lot of time to get to everything, but I've got time. I'm in no rush. I just want to slowly make my way through each room in the house and cleanse.

For now, keep my focus on two weeks from tomorrow. Sweet thought.

Temple trip and wedding preparations

Yesterday was a very big day for Linds and Ryan. They both went through the Draper Temple in preparation for their wedding tomorrow. Of course it was all new and different for them, but it was a wonderful, amazing day. We were thrilled to be there with both of them, and so proud of them for what they have accomplished this past year. They have worked hard to get where they are, and we are excited for all that is ahead of them!

Lindsay & Ryan
at the Draper Temple

Bob and I, Robbie, Whitney and Mike, my mom, and my sister Sheri were all there with them. What a special day that I will truly always remember. We so missed having Wilson there with us, but we know that he is doing exactly what he is supposed to be doing as he is serving the Lord on his mission in California.


After the temple, we all went to dinner at Madeline's, which was yummy and so nice to just sit and visit for a bit before the big rush for the next few days.


As soon as we got home, the boys all got to work mowing the lawn.

Bob, Robbie and Wils

Mike and Ryan arrived shortly after this photo, and all of them did their part to make the lawn look beautiful.


And Whitney, Lindsay and I worked on the wedding preparations inside the home, with Wilson looking on. Funny thing, we got this cut-out of Wilson made so that we could have "him" at the reception, and I really need to put him down in the basement (where the wedding prep is all out and ready to go out in the yard). Every time I come around the corner, there he is standing there and it scares me to death! I keep thinking a man is just standing there, waiting and watching. 

Wedding prep
in the kitchen

We are pretty close to having everything ready just to be set up sometime today. We will wait for the large tent canopy to come and be set up, and then we'll try to work some magic on it to make everything look lovely. We'll be doing the major set up today, and then tomorrow between the luncheon and the reception, we will do all of the rest of the decor. Should be fun!

Tidbits: missionary, wedding, YW and garden...

You know what this means, right? We have reached the one year mark in Wilson's mission. His chart is exactly halfway done. Actually, to be totally correct, this is a photo from yesterday, so today we are into his second year! It sounds pathetic -- that I am counting down, but I miss that kid! Just like when Robbie was serving in Singapore, I don't let Wilson know the extent to which I miss him. I don't want him to get all homesick and sad because he thinks I am sad. To be honest, I am not sad. I love that he's on his mission and I love that he loves being out there. He is totally immersed in the work and doing an awesome job as a missionary. He is being obedient and working hard and helping to change lives. I absolutely would not want him home right now. He needs to be where he is, and he needs to be his best. I love the strength I see that he is gaining, and I love to see the growth he is making. He could not get that in any other way at this time of his life. It is an amazing blessing for him and also for us, to have him serving.

We finally got all the components of Lindsay and Ryan's wedding invitations, so we have started putting them together. They are darling! Linds and I spent a few hours yesterday folding and tying baker's twine around the invitation. We have a few more to go. This is what the finished product looks like. I'll post more detailed photos of it at a later date.

Last night we had a game night for the Beehives at our home. We decided since they have been working so hard on Personal Progress, and also pretty busy with the end of school projects and papers they have to do, that we would do a fun game night. We started off with this ball of treats.

We all sat in a big circle. We started with one girl trying to find the end of the tape to start unraveling it, while the girl next to her rolled dice. As soon as she rolled doubles, the one with the candy ball had to pass it along, and so on, until the ball was totally unrolled and the candy was dispersed to the girls. They all went away with some candy. Pretty fun!

After that, we played a game that Courtney had prepared, which was one from "Minute to Win It". A paper grocery bag was placed on the floor, and each girl, one at a time, had to stand on one leg, while lowering herself to try to get the bag in her teeth (without falling, and without touching the floor with hands). It was pretty tricky, actually. Each time we made it around the circle, the bag was cut a little shorter and we all tried it again. It was really fun, and we all laughed and had a great time!

The girls all brought their favorite treat, so we all munched on the goodies for a few minutes. Then the girls decided to go out and play volleyball. It was fun to see them all playing together and having fun with each other. We have such a great group of girls, and they are fun to plan activities with. They are so excited about any ideas, and really participate well. We have 13 girls right now, so its a good-sized group.

I love this time of year!  So much beauty at every turn. I took this photo about a week ago, when my wisteria was in its last stretch of blooms. So pretty. 

The garden fills my soul -- even when my days are hectic and crazy, like they have been. If I take just a minute to walk around the yard when I'm out feeding the dog or the fish, or getting the mail, or whatever, I can feel myself breathing more deeply and the stress seems to shed away. Now, if I can just keep that feeling when I'm NOT in the garden....