I'm Terrible at This.

I am a terrible blogger.  I fully admit it.  I'm debating whether to even keep up this charade, but I guess I will try a little longer.  Sooooo, this picture taken from my front porch, which makes me so happy that I live where I live, signifies the sun setting on my crappy blogging ways.  Ha. Clever, right?

Hakuna Matata.

Spending one last little weekend in Bear Lake. Not much snow & a terrible 

gallbladder attack,but there was plenty of fun to be had nonetheless.  

 These 2 boys were mesmerized with this security process & the equipment & this worker 

dude was so awesome w/them. & yes, that is my short-haired son.

We've been waiting for this day for quite some time & yet, even when you have months to prepare it seem like you're just never quite ready.  The good news is that my parents were ready to embark on their adventures, which made it a little easier to say goodbye.  I am so excited to see what awaits them in Kenya & the people they will meet & grow to love.  Any of you that know my parents know that they are amazing people & were made for missionary work.  They will thrive with the work & experience that lies ahead of them & I am so proud of them for making this sacrifice & being such awesome examples to my kids.
It was more than a little heart-wrenching watching Mr P wipe his eyes as he tried so hard to contain his emotion, & inevitably break down into full fledged sobs.  It was equally painful to pry Blue from my mom's arms as he cried for grandma & my dad had to turn away to regain composure. You see, the women in my family were bred for emotion, but when my dad breaks down it's more than a little tough to stomach.  But I know that they are doing the right thing.  I know that if this wasn't the right thing for them to do they wouldn't be going.  I'm not sure that they've ever had to put so much faith in something & I cherish them for it.  The next 23 months will be strange.  They will be hard & trying at times, but I know they will be full of blessings too.
The first thing Mr P asked when he got up this morning was if we could talk to grandma & grandpa on the computer today, so I sure hope they get settled & adjusted to the time zone so we can grant his wish.
Good luck, Elder Grandpa & Sister Grandma!!! Hakuna Matata!

**sidenote: Hakuna Matata translates to 'there is no problem' & has pretty much become our family motto.  We will sail through this!**

Runnin' Fools.

This past weekend was the St George Marathon which happened to be my dad's 50th full marathon & supposedly my parents' last.  They're amazing. Amazing, I tell ya!!  The feelings, emotions, excitement & pride at the finish line didn't disappoint.  There's nothing like it & someday I hope it's me on the other side of the fence soaking in the cheers & reveling in the beauty of the finish line coming into sight. Someday.  In the meantime, props to my amazing parents.

Plenty of additional fun was had as well.  Who doesn't love a dip in the old folks community pool?  

And according to mr P he's getting a fancy new golf cart from his dad this week.

Mi Familia.

Well, my brother's gone to Thailand for an extended visit & my parents will soon be on their way to Africa, so last Sunday was the last time we'd all be together (minus my sister's stepson) for a really, really super long time which warranted documentation. Dangit, I love my family.

Off to School.

Try as I may I can't seem to stop this kid from growing up.  As much as I hate it though, seeing the excitement on his face every single day he gets to go to school makes it worth it.  It was even enough to help me hold it together until after I dropped him off on his first day.  And today when he said "Yaaaah! I can't wait to go learn new things!" I knew it was all going to be worth it.  This kid is destined for greatness.

Nairobi, Kenya.

My parents have been talking for a while about the idea of going on an L.D.S. mission & suddenly it's upon us. We met last week as they (somewhat tearfully) opened their call to find that starting in a few short months they will call Nairobi, Kenya their home for 23 months. I am admittedly selfishly a little freaked out about not having them 10 minutes away but more so I am SO excited for the adventures that await them. I know they are making an awesome, selfless decision & that it will be an incredible experience in which they will learn & grow & meet people they will love intensely. I also know the people of Kenya are lucky to get them, if even for a short time.

One.

In the blink of an eye our baby turned one. I don't know if it's just how busy we were this past year building our house or what, but I can literally still remember pretty much every detail of the day that little pumpkin was born like it was yesterday. And dang, that kid makes me so happy. I was a bit jealous of him at his 1 year checkup when the dr told me is to drink whole milk, have butter on everything, no fat free or lite substitutes etc. He's a little bitty peanut & apparently doesn't have the trouble I do with keeping off excess weight. I guess it's a good thing he ate a good solid half of his birthday cake. I've never seen anything like it.

Happy birthday, little Blue. You amazing little guy, you.