Summer Week #6

Elder Babcock's last Sunday with us for a while hit hard.  I drank him up.

Dinner.

Conference talks.

Yard games at Grandma's.

Quiet chatting.  Then Sunday was over.

Monday came and we worked together to pack him two years of clothing and supplies.  We enjoyed ourseles.  

He also cleaned out his room.  

Those two efforts along with his MTC classes filled up our final day together.  Grandpa and Grandma came for ice cream final hugs.

Monday night Austin walked Elder Babcock through all the minutiae of the upcoming morning.

All of a sudden it was 4am and morning came.  Our two hour drive to Phoenix was a solemn one for us.  Elder Babcock was so happy and chill.

We said goodbye for two years.

And he was gone.  Meg picked him up from the airport and spent the day with him.  Wednesday morning Andy took to him to my mother's house for breakfast and family.  Andy then dropped him off at the MTC and that was that. (I did get an email from him asking if I had packed him pants.  😏. Good luck, son, it just might be a long two years without your mommy.)

Austin took us to breakfast.

Then we floated the river casually and calmly.  It was just what our souls needed.

That night Austin made good on his promise to join me in my hobbies, because I spend hours joining him in his.  I found this instrument for free, but it does not sound good, so we only played a few minutes, and then he said that it's no use.  I was tickled. We played Elgar's anthem once and Molly recorded it.  He already found another sax for sale, but it's a bit of a drive away, so I'll have to ease that into our lives.  It's going to be worth it.)Austolie -- Duet

Rapelling is our hobby of choice lately.  Here we are!  I actually quite enjoy hiking up and skipping the downhill hiking.  The workout is real, but the joints are not jostled.

GO MOM! GO MOM! GO MOM!

Molly keeps up.

Grandma's 76th birthday was a success.  Fancy-shancy pizza and shortbread went over real well.  

We sure love our nice grandma.

CFM felt a little empty without Nick, but Molly kept Eddie happy and the rest of us entertained.  Her book is perched on the back of the couch.

INDEPENDENCE DAY!  Two of the twelve families that I invited to our backyard swim/BBQ were in town.  The total number of 12 people was bleak, but we had such a relaxed time eating and lounging in the pool.  

Austin smoked the burgers and peppers which made the most delicious burgers.  So many vegetable options rounded off the meal.

Maddie's braces gone!  That also happened this week.

The only holiday picture.

Saturday we cleaned the church, the office, harvested all the basil and made pesto, then I finished wiping Nick's existence from his room.  

Very sad.  I was very sad.  

I had no chance to wallow in the emptiness of it all, because we were invited to a wedding event that lasted all afternoon and evening.   I did my very best to be fun.  I was.  Despite the fact that my heart was aching and I looked so bad.  Poor Austin.  The best remedy is that he danced with me all night.