Finally Home

We're home  -- for at least five weeks for sure.  We settled back into our routine of early mornings, long work days and endless school.  Real life tastes so sweet.

Sunday gaming -- I won Catan.

Grandma taught us how to play jacks.

Grandpa told us how much he loved us.

CFM -- coming up with a plan to make our home a place of order, learning, reverence and God.

Here's something fun -- over-night curls.

Twice.  Here's something not fun -- neck wrinkles.

Another something fun, a creeper, the eighth greader. 

My cousin's son got married here in the Gilbert temple.  Nice Austin drove me down there and let me chat for two hours with my Mayhew cousins.  "I love you," Joseph reminded me on my way out.  He meant it, too.  

Friday night date was the BYU football game.  I crochet a doily for my big pumpkins.

She's cute, eh?

195th Semi-Annual General Conference was 10 hours of sheer joy and happiness.

Nothing more cozy than sitting at the feet of apostles and prophets as they testify of Jesus Christ and buoy up all the families of the earth.

Messages of peace, eternal families, divine indentity and hope filled our hearts and souls.

 This is how we ended Saturday's evening session. Finale

I wanted to use this darling pumpkin pie dish,

so I made a hideously looking pot pie.  We ate it all up.

Blah. Blah. Blah.  Enough about me.

Maddie is an amazing flag football athlete.  Watch these clips -- they won't disappoint.  We spend hours watching, talking and breathing football.  We're all in as are the grandparents.

Maddie's Pull

Maddie's Personal Foul

Eddie brought up all the pumpkins and helped me set up the fall/Halloween decor.

Molly did 46 cartwheels in a row on the grass at Maddie's game.  She was pretty happy.

Ryan's team won their football game.  Ryan got the TD.  He also helped me finish off an entire sheet pan of toffee. 

Austin films all of Maddie's defensive plays.  They review her film and talk about what she can do better.  What a beatiful example of fatherhood.

Our missionaries are doing so well.

Maisie's update: "Our teaching pool was zero last week; now it is five."  And, "I received my one year package.  I painted this tulip using the Italy book."  Her diplomacy and artistic abilities never cease to amaze me.  

Nick's update: "I'm just so happy being obedient and working so hard!" That was Nick's opening statement in our chat this week.  He then added, "All my prayers for our family members have been answered."  And one more quote, "All day long YOU preach of Jesus Christ.  I miss your lessons.  I know what it's like when nobody wants to heard your message." How does your ward clean the church? This little video brought me so much joy.

Conference weekend in Eagle Mountain.  Armstrongs and Andy grabbed cousin, Caitlin, and they enjoyed a few session together.

The babies kept things real.  Meg's baby is so healthy.  

Mexican Cruise 2025

My brother, John, called me up and asked if I wanted to go on a cruise with his family and our mother.  Yes, yes I did.  I took my little friends and we set sail for a seven days/seven nights cruise to Mexico.  There was everything wonderful about our adventure.

But first, we had to drive the four hundred miles to the LA Cruise Port.  We did. 

Then we had to move all our luggage from the parking lot to the termial.  We did.  Then we embarked and lived our best lives for an entire week.

We lived on snap peas and apples during the early moring hours of our commute, so we tested out the Wind Jammer just after boarding.

I barely ate two bites when Eddie hurried me along to find the Guymon cousins.  He was successful as was I.  I quickly found mother, and we were together most of the vacay.  YES!

Dottie deftly gave Molly a tour of the Lido Deck's ammenities -- John's children are seasoned cruisers.

I was interested in the trivia and music, so whenever I could, I crammed us into the Schooner Lounge.  We were quite surprized at how much we knew.

Saturday we were at sea.  Our day was filled with ice cream cones, taco bowls and water.

Home base.  Basically, the children came and went, and the adults stayed put and played cards games the best we could -- while avoiding the wet things and food mess.

Eddie loved the rock climbing.

John and Rebekah navigated their eight children with so much happiness.

Party on the Royal Promenade.

"Family," the waiters would address us, then proceed to wait on two tables filled with adults and children for two full hours each evening.  "Dinner," was Ryan's answer when we got home and Austin asked him what the best part of the cruise was.

Sunday morning we dressed and watched Mom's ward's Sacrament Meeting.  We found a quiet spot on the boat and did our best to pause and feel the peace that comes from meaningful and intentional worship.  

Of course we ate a "quiet" breakfast then began our greatest feat of the entire journey -- keeping the Sabbath Day holy on a cruise boat.

We did our best playing quiet card games, watching "Sunday" movies and taking walks around the deck.

Crammed in an elevator.  Good times.

Mazatlan happened Monday.  We were so happy to be off the boat and crammed in a van.

Our taxi driver took us to a lovely beach with warm water and ride-able waves.  We rented boogie boards and spent a splendid few hours soaking up Mexico.

Monday I had cell reception, so I talked to Austin, Andy, Maisie and Nick.  Phew.  That felt like a long time without them.

This is fake pose -- this restaurant wanted $2.50 for each bottle of water -- we got up and left.

These boys bought sunglasses.  Eddie wore his the rest of the trip -- even in the dining room.

Boarding again -- hoping to eat lunch back on the Lido Deck.  

That night we watched an ice skating show, and I was the luckiest that Ryan sat by me and held my hand.

Tuesday we were in Puerto Vallarta.  We walked to Walmart and the mall.

I actually should have bought this.

The mall was air conditioned and clean.  We were there long enough to buy candy and gear up for the sweaty walk back to the boat.

Molly recognized Frido Kahlo.  

More lunch in the Wind Jammer finished off with ice cream cones and cousins.

Millie -- the darling teenage dear with so much patience and love.

Ryan and Eddie spent hours on the Flow Rider.  I spent hours beside them reading (Michael Vey #3).

More food.

More rock climbing.

More formal dinners.

More family.

More wet things hanging.

Friday morning we were up early to to get off first, and the we drove all the way home.

Austin had flowers and clean laundry waiting for me.  I missed him -- vacation is not really vacation without him.  We did have a lovely time living it up.