Who's been in the Cookie Jar?

When I was at girls camp, our sweet neighbor lady came by during the day to let the dogs outside and give them a potty break.  And on the last day she left a note that she came in and had found the "dog treat" jar broken on the floor.  Hmmmm?


We had our suspicions, Taylor does have a history of getting into things, or rather helping herself to things.  And she is the "treat queen".
But most of the time, we just can't really prove who does what? 
However, it was a big heavy ceramic treat container with a steel clamp on it... and when a big ol' egg began to protrude right between Taylors eyes.  We knew, she was the culprit!
(Unless Morgan was going after it and dumped it on Taylor as she stood innocently by?)
We have felt like Taylors ultimate demise will be getting into something she isn't supposed to, but never thought about it happening this way.  I wish I had a video of her plotting to break into the treat container and it falling and breaking over her own head.  CrAzY DoG!!


She acts like "the baby" anyway, but now with a head injury she is really vein about her skinned up nose and she is really playing up "the baby".  With her Dad anyway.

Don't you just feel sorry for her looking in her pitiful eyes?

"Poor Baby" with the skinned up nose...

Don't you think she deserves a bowl of her own ice cream?

I have to say, she didn't just come this way... she learned all the looks and the upside down beg, and the droopy puppy eyes from one of the best.
(huh Morgan?)

Ironically as I wrote this post... we had just finished eating dinner and I watched from the living room as Morgan stood on her hind legs in the kitchen hunting down the last piece of garlic toast left on the cutting board.  While I was home!!!  WATCHING HER!!!

She actually looked over at me like she wasn't going to get into trouble!!!

Wrong.  Bad Dog.

Maybe the theory about Taylor being an innocent bystander wasn't too far off... we were just sure with the goose egg it was her.  Now I have no idea which one is the real bad dog?
Gotta go... dogs to beat up!

The missionary's job...

Well my missionary is done working.

What a blessing that he has been able to work full time this past year.  He has learned so much, earned and saved money.

And the famous tool box is going into storage for two years.

It's surreal.

Don't worry, still lots of work at home to keep him busy and out of trouble.   And YES we are still washing the Paraguayan soccer shirt about everyday... ha ha ha.

I don't mind, since I will be done with his laundry soon forever (maybe)... and the thought of him washing his clothes on a rock, well - I can wash this crazy shirt a few more times.  I am just loving being his Mom right now.

Bridal Shower...

Well, I knew it would begin sooner or later... 

the young women I have been teaching at church are growing up and starting to get married.

A Bridal Shower...  cutest idea to have all her friends tie a quilt for her when they arrived!  Mom pieced it together, I love the colors and patterns, just so cute and so practical!

I love quilts!

 The table with some treats... yummo cheesecake and bread with fruit to go on it!!

 Her hostess made this "pretend" cake for her out of kitchen towels and utensils in her colors.  So adorable!!

 "The Loot" as my Dad always refers to it, ha ha ha.

She is surrounded by lots of love and family...

 And friends... so I know she will do just fine going into this next phase of her life.

 And to share all the joy, and laughter, and tears and real moments to come in her life (along with her new husband, of course)... she has the best Mom and Sis that will always be there for her.  I know for me there just isn't any other replacement for these two positions! 

Priceless!

Helaman Camp...

Jacob was asked to go to a Stake Helaman camp as an adult leader this year.  He was so thrilled!!!!!  It was an experience he loved his senior year as a youth and wanted to go back again so badly.  He was willing in February to put off applying for his mission until after camp in case he could go... but we encouraged him to continue with his mission plans and if he was meant to be there, the Lord would help make it happen.  As it turns out it was the very most perfect timing for him to go attend this camp just prior to leaving for his mission.  The Lord truly does know him and love him!

 He brought back some amazing photos, I will probably keep most of them to myself for a while... but I am not worried anymore about him taking a camera to South American and me not ever getting to see anything he experiences.  When he came home and shared them I could not believe how beautiful and what an awesome story he had to share through the lens of his camera.  He IS my boy!!

 He was in charge of the physical activities, and who wouldn't have a blast with a bunch of boys playing tug of war across the water?

Well other than the losers :)

 Today in our sacrament meeting 4 of the boys who had attended camp, including Jacob, were asked to share their testimonies.

It was so beautiful, you knew from their sweet messages that they felt the spirit of the Lord attend them all week at camp!  They were protected from snares of the adversary.  What a wonderful blessing.
Jacob came home with a journal filled with experiences and messages he had learned from the other boys and leaders at camp.  It is priceless memories, and we were filled and uplifted just sitting and listening to him for hours after he got home.  He cried and we cried with him all over again, like we were there.  It was awesome!! 

It is a camp that is structured as if they were on missions.

They wear white shirts and ties (with their jeans) for the time they study and learn about the Gospel.   They had an opportunity to talk to a panel of missionaries serving nearby in Sun Valley... and guess who, but the missionary we met from Paraguay came.

Jacob said it was a very sweet reunion to see him and give him a big hug!!  He experienced some very tender moments as he was able to exercise the priesthood at camp and at the Twin Falls Temple afterwards.  We heard that he was blessed to do work for those who had passed on and they were all Spanish names.   Which was very special to him.  He shared that he already feels a very special connection to the Spanish speaking people and has long before he received his call to a Spanish speaking mission.

 He set up his tent.... all by itself...

 Because he told me this was the view from his tent door!

See he really is my kid, I am telling you.

Most people look for the soft spot... I would be looking for the view I see every morning as I wake up :)
Just like this.

But I guess he does have a little of his Dad in him too, he was beyond thrilled to show us this photo of an old motor they found at camp.  He was showing the boys how it used to run and what he did to work on them for his job this past year.

He was so uplifted this past week, so filled with love and compassion for all of the boys that attended camp.  He couldn't wait to write to his friend he made the year before at this camp who is on his mission to tell him how awesome it was again.  That's when you really know how good something is, when you want to share it with those you love.

It was a little tiny taste of not having him at home this week.  But I think like his mission, I would not want him anywhere else, and I wouldn't want him to miss these experiences for anything, even being at home with me.  They are with out a doubt something he will remember for the rest of his lifetime!

Celebrating One year...

We love feeding the Missionaries... especially celebrating one year!

It was a great dinner and helped us fill the hole while Jacob was at a Stake Helaman Camp.