Well another month under my belt... and as much as I tried, here I am posting an entire month at one time.
I have to find my journaling time back again!!!
In no particular order....
Our stake had a youth conference this month.
I think it might be one of the only co ed camping outings our youth have done together besides Trek.
I was not "worried" just an observation... our ward is becoming much more unified, we have an amazing group and they are sooo good. Big hearts, willing to serve, ready to work and they love the Gospel... they are awesome youth!!!
I didn't go up to conference with them as a leader, but I was able to send them off the first morning with photos!!
Oh how they love their photos taken :)
(not)
Only when I would tell them, "its for Elder Dayley" he wants to see you guys!! Then I would get some cooperation... so that's my hook now.
My nurturing instincts always kick in and they had to have some muffins and milk for the road.
Don't you love the ducking and diving from the camera... wow!
This missionary that has been in our area since the day after Christmas. Moving to his new area... we got to know Elder Blomquist well, through sickness and allergic reaction (he found out from a full day of helping to bail hay that he was allergic... REALLY allergic).
It was so neat to have him in our home and he helped us to share the good news of the gospel with our neighbors.
The last night of youth conference, the stake had invited the Bishops and young men and young women presidents up for dinner and a fireside with the youth.
So my strong silent mysterious man joined us in the missionaries favorite tie he left home for safe keeping. And the riff continues, but I am not sure how effective it is in a photo all the way to Paraguay, but he insisted I take it :)
It was also our 20 year anniversary.
20 down, eternity to go.
One of the young women who couldn't attend the conference rode up with us for the evening... funny guy in the back seat.
We arrived and everyone seemed no worse for the wear all week.
The young men were dressing up in their white shirts and ties for the evening... something about this opens my heart.
Love it!
We witnessed a "bunny, quack" game that blew my mind.
I have to learn how to play it!!
Found some of Jacob's good friends to send more pictures, he loves pictures.
Daniel and "Pascal"!!
This crazy lizzard loved Daniel, he rode with him everywhere.
Then we were sitting and talking with our Bishop in a circle with all the youth after dinner and the lizzard made the rounds to visit different ones in the circle and then crawled back up on Daniel.
Cool right?
Oh the food, soooo good!
I love stake camp cooks!!
They are usually the best of the best!!
The fireside was amazing... I can't say enough good things about the youth in our stake. If you live here and you don't know any of the youth in your ward or this stake, make an effort to get to know at least one of them. It will open your heart and is so worth the time.
I spotted this bag, it was made originally for our pioneer handcart Trek in Wyoming. So much love and work went into making them.
I was so happy to see their gift is still giving.
All the way down to the hand made tags!!
Rachel, it made me cry, again... your love, still all around me!!
Last year we had saved for a new television, we LOVE movies and the theaters are just so expensive now, and Jim really likes to be home and avoid the crowds etc. So we wanted to go bigger and have our own movie watching space.
But our house is not really set up for a big screen.
So we just decided to wait and we did lots and lots of research.
And pondered much about a location in our house.
And moved furniture, about every which way you could arrange it.
And finally we decided to make the big step.
It meant dismantling part of our built in book shelf.
I only agreed if he could do it without destroying it, so we could put it back if we ever sold or whatever.
Well the Adventures of "Project Man and Flashlight Girl" began.
It fits!
Still some work to do, I think it needs to go up on the wall.
And we will have to have some major consults visits with our decorator (Mom...help!!)
It's only a little pretentious (or allot!!!!!)... but he sure did enjoy having it to watch the big golf tournament.
Fathers Day didn't bring a phone call from the missionary, but we thought about him and he was really close in our hearts!!
The famous bridge photos of "then and now Father and Son" on canvas.
He loved it!
"Then" was age 10 when we moved to Idaho on the left, and "Now" was at age 17 just after his graduation from high school.
Yep, he went from shoulder height to up over head height, Crazy!
We really enjoyed "Skyping" with Mom and Dad Dayley!
So fun they are technically inclined!!
It shortens the miles so much!
We have to do that more!!!!!!!!!!
A bitter sweet time as The Cronin's packed up, and said goodbyes to move to Arizona. But they live really close to Grandma and Grandpa, so hope to go see them when the missionary returns home.
Passions baptism on Saturday, I cried and cried. I LOVE baptisms. Then we missed the farewell gathering and cake afterwards because I had a HUGE cold sore. So sorry, just felt like a monster!
Then cried all day Sunday when they shared testimonies and then I couldn't bring myself to them at church. I had no idea how much their family had wiggled into my heart. We hadn't hung out much, as families, so I felt weird being sooooo emotional.
They have just been an unexplainable force that we were drawn to and loved! And partly knowing HOW MUCH the missionary loves them and has so much admiration for them, and that they won't be here when he comes home... it's just a tough one.
I knew I loved them, but just didn't realize how much I was going to miss them being part of our ward family!
(crying writing this... they are just so neat!)
Morgan... well caught, but she doesn't care, rubbing her doggie snot on Jim's pillow :)
Looks like Taylor right?
I just went crazy when our neighbor got a new puppy!
Adorable!!!
More dates at the Bird Stop... great smoothies,
and fun listening to the local bands we know and love.
Poor Rudy.
He has lost almost all of his hearing and most of his eye sight.
But just hanging in there and still pretty chipper.
One day I looked out in the backyard to check on him and saw this... YES I FREAKED OUT!
He couldn't hear me calling for him and didn't move an inch.
As I creeped up slowly, fearful to really
know if he was breathing or not?
He popped up out of a dead (bad play on words) sleep.
I haven't had any time to practice my photography... but when I got an opportunity to do some baptism photos, I was excited.
It was so fun!
Thanks Madison for being such a great model!!
And the best for last!!
The missionary got his birthday box!!
And his mission president and his wife got him a birthday cake!!
Yay!!
Happy Birthday Elder Dayley!!
June flew by, and yet drug on like the birthday would never get here. We missed being with him for his 20th. But are enjoying every minute of his mission.
He is our hero, we love him to pieces!
We are soooo grateful for all of our blessings we have been given!
