Category: Adventurous kids

Ask

Maybe it’s the waning influence that I have during a child’s 18th year, but it feels like I am welcomed into a pretty exclusive club when I am asked to help with a dance invitation.

Paints, brushes, adhesives, poster board, and markers covered our kitchen surfaces on Friday afternoon and late into the evening. It’s an “Up” themed invitation, and Mark painted a little birdhouse in all the pastels from the movie.

We delivered the invitation late at night, as one does. I have become a slick getaway driver.

A glimpse of Mark’s FSY conference at BYU

Mark came home really happy from the For the Strength of Youth conference. Registering for this event was a challenge, until suddenly it wasn’t. I really think the Lord directed us to a great session that Mark would love.

Mark met an institute teacher that inspired him. He had good times with new friends, and roomed with his friend Jack. I am glad that Mark was able to do this!

20 months

Each month, I add a new house on my kitchen windowsill to mark the time that Tim has served as a missionary. I think of the people he has met, and the many houses he has entered.

This display was marketed as an advent calendar, but the anticipation of placing a new house each month might actually be more exciting than counting down the days until Christmas.

I like to find ways to mark our days. Sometimes it’s impossible to convey all that has come during a period of time, but somehow, these little houses hold my secrets.

Moments we don’t think to capture

This photo doesn’t represent how they were really sitting before the camera entered the room. It is more like a study in awkwardness. 😂

Mark’s summer schedule is pretty clear this month, then ramps up in July and August. We have seen a lot of his friends in June, and despite all the time together, we haven’t thought to capture a picture of these kids in their habitat in our basement. Of course, when we thought to take the photo, the pose wasn’t ideal, but all well. In two blinks one of these friends will be away at college. In a few more blinks, they will be serving missions.

Fitting everything into 400 cubic feet of space for shipping. ✔️

A good friend is moving to Brazil, and a few of us gathered to help. I have spent so much time with this friend over the years, and I have maybe three photos to show for it. I wish I had taken pictures of the fun things we did together.

Current “family time”

I will never get tired of seeing all of these faces, even if it’s only possible through a video call because of distance.

Utah, Guam, Alabama…these are places we never guessed we would be. Our family is open to change, and this has enriched our life experiences. Sometimes, despite loving a place or a situation, we have left because we felt led to do it.

I have learned to not identify myself by where I live or even what I do. It can all change very quickly.