Ari and her friends

With all the attention Tia has gotten lately, I thought it would be nice to highlight Ari and some of the things she has been up to. I am kicking myself because she hosted a big smores and firepit party this last Saturday and I didn't get one picture of it. Oh well. This is from her birthday back in May. All of my kids seem to push my limits when I make their birthday cake. Tia wanted a painted watercolor cake one year, Ari wanted candied violets and candied orange slices on hers this year. 

I hadn't tried to do either of these things for years, and not very successfully previously, so I am happy they turned out!

 Family party at my mom and Dad's.

Now that Tia is gone, I have had a little more time to take Ari to things. Here she came with me and Brenda to the Art City days talent show. It was the usual mix of extremely talented youth, and people that really really shouldn't be on stage but nobody had the heart to tell them otherwise. That's small town talent for you!

 We took the opportunity this year to go to USU's cochlear kid's camp. It is a two day thing up in Logan where families come and the kids and their siblings have activities together while the parents learn and connect with each other. A lot of the information was old news for Jeff and me, but connecting with other parents is always eye opening and educational. We are all going through the same kinds of challenges with our deaf kids, and we got a lot of ideas. Once again, mostly from the other parents, and not as much from the classes. That was fine with me. We got an AirBNB cabin for the night in Paradise valley right near Logan, and it was so cute!

 And the valley was spectacular. So so green.

 We were able to compare equipment, 

Learn from the providers/vendors

and learn about the latest studies.

 The very best thing though was that Ari bonded with another teenage girl who wears an implant.

 Ari has been doing the usual stuff with young women activities for church.

 Riding her bike...

 and running with her Dad and Kai on the trail in Whiting canyon.

One thing I am really glad we did this summer, was a barbecue with a bunch of old friends from Utah school for the Deaf. My friend had emails from a parents group she had set up.Those teens just came right together like magnets. It was fun to see. They had so many experiences in common to talk about, and once again, it was valuable for Jeff and I to talk with the parents.

I love my Ari, and it is wonderful to see her start growing up and coming into her own.

Tweet

My Tia left me for Jesus Christ.

I have been horrible about updating this blog. My Tia left on her mission in the very beginning of May. This was kind of a quick surprise because we thought she was leaving the end of May, and suddenly her date was changed up because she knew Spanish better than they thought. We changed her farewell talk in church to be the Sunday before she left, and invited everyone to our house for lunch after. My nice friend took pictures of our family that day, and they seem extra poignant because of the occasion. Except Kai's eyebrow raise makes me laugh.

 We did a Cafe Rio type salad bar, and since I invited the whole neighborhood and all of our friends and family, I cooked for 150. We did not have 150. Heh. I had a lot of stuff for my freezer afterwards!

 We set a few tables up inside,

and a few outside. I think it went pretty well. 

That Tuesday night she was set apart as a missionary,

 and the next day she left! So funny, my mom still talks about how I packed the night before I left on my mission and how stressful that was for her. Well Tia packed the day of. I couldn't complain since I knew I had done the same thing to my mom. Wait --I probably totally complained to her. That sounds more like me though I don't remember any of it. That day is all kind of a blur.

 My parents came to the airport too to see her off, and we had to just hang out in this hallway place before she went through the NSA security line. Super awkward. We got to the airport two hours early like they say to, and then there was next to no line. You can see though in these pictures, that Tia's feet are pointing right to that security line. She was ready to go. I think we stood around for a half hour or so, and took pictures, and then she was ready to go through. So funny, she probably then sat in the boarding lounge for an hour and a half by herself, but I think she was just anxious to get going. Once you are set apart as a missionary (it is kind of like a blessing thing) that is supposed to be who you are, following missionary rules etc. I can see why she was anxious to get on with it.

 She got into the security line and didn't look back although we all stood there like idiots and watched her progress. When she got to the other side of the screening, I screamed goodbye loud enough for her to finally turn and give a half wave (embarrassing my husband no doubt) and she walked off. It would have been worse if she were scared and crying right? Right? I guess a little part of me wanted that as a mom at the time, but it comforts me now that she was so confident.

She made it down to Argentina to the missionary training center, and went through the whole program in Spanish with the native Spanish speaking missionaries. Her companion in here was from Peru --kind of cool.

She whipped through that program in just three weeks or so, and now is in Uruguay and seems to be doing great. 

Her letters make me miss her, and I do have some really sad days, but I am so proud of her, it is kind of a good kind of hurt.

Tweet

Savannah's baptism --our road warrior trip to Yakima Wahington

My niece got baptized this month in Washington. Luckily the kids had a Friday off of school, so we decided to drive over on Friday for the Saturday service. We enjoyed some great family time, worshiped together Sunday, and drove everyone back on Monday. One Monday missed of school wasn't too big a deal, but I will tell you, that long of a drive with both legs so close together was a bit challenging. I had to eat 3 pounds of baby bell peppers to get home without dozing off.

My sisters and I made cupcakes for refreshments --which was really satisfying. Those kids flocked like buzzards around that table.

Of course the best part was being with so much family at once.

Our little baptism girl was really nervous about the actual baptism. New things are not her favorite. However she performed a musical number with her mother at the service without a tremor in her voice. Not a new thing, so she was just fine, and she ended up being fine for the baptism too.

So nice to see my Aunt and Uncle there too. They live in Washington, but are still quite a ways away from my sister's family.

Three little sisters.

Washington had its usual gorgeous mountains, but in the Yakima valley where we were, it was still wintry brown. However, we did sneak away Saturday afternoon for a little walk in Cowiche Canyon, and that place was spectacular as always. 

 I sometimes think it can't be prettier in the summer than it is in fall and winter.

 The shrubs  and seed pods have so much color.

 Along with a truly impressive collection of mosses and lichens growing on dark volcanic rock.

We hurried back to help with dinner.

 

Back at Kira's the cousins had a blast all playing together.

The only sad thing was going our separate ways when the weekend was over.

Tweet