What a weekend!

This weekend was full of wonderful, happy, teary moments.  I thought I had better get them posted before I forget.  

First was Seminary Graduation. 

 It's that time of year when everything is coming to an end in the life of our Senior girl.  This shot of her friends is just a sampling of the dear friends that she has made over the past few years.  She told me the other day that she has never had so many "best friends" in her life.  As a mom, I'm so thankful for all of them! I cannot say enough good things about these amazing young adults! 

 And this is how Ian entertained himself during Seminary Graduation....my phone was full of very interesting pictures.  :)

 Next, we were able to visit the grave of one of my grandmothers.  How I miss my grandparents that are no longer here!  I can't wait to see them again some day.

 I love how Ian calls my grandpa Horrocks, Grandpa Ox.  So cute!

 Is it crazy that I love visiting cemeteries?  I find them so peaceful and lovely.

 No visit to Holladay would be complete without stopping to get some frozen custard.  It truly is an American delicacy!

 I  love this shot of my boys enjoying their custard staring off into space!  Don't you love instagram?

And while we were in the area....we stopped by my old elementary school to show the kids where I went to school. 

 Wow!  Talk about being flooded with memories!  I haven't been back to this school in over 25 years and walking around on the grounds, looking through the front doors brought it all back!

 I remember lining up here in front of the school to get on the bus and then settling in to read my books on the hour long drive home.  Two hours on a school bus each day!  Crazy!

I remember the exact spot where a boy named Nathan pinned me down and kissed me on my back.  I never wore that shirt again!  I thought boys were so gross!  But mostly, I remember being at recess with my girlfriends, playing jacks, trading stickers from our sticker collections or playing on the tricky bars.  It was such a fun walk down memory lane!



But the fun did not end there!  After a quick stop home to refresh ourselves we were off again to the Bigham Copper Mine.  It was so fun to watch the boy's eyes light up as they got to watch those giant trucks in action.  Such a fascinating operation they have going on there!

Those are some very big and very expensive tires!  And a couple of cute boys too!

  If you noticed that Nicole was missing from most of the
pictures, you aren't mistaken.  She was at home catching up on some much needed rest.  That girl has been going non stop for a whole year now.  

Thanks for letting me put a few photos and memories down- and for caring enough to read them! 

Looking Back

 Today was the 'Goodbye' assembly for the seniors at Nicole's school.   In this assembly all of the Student Body Officer's remove their jackets one by one. Each officer is wearing a t-shirt underneath their jackets that has the logo of the college or university where they will be moving on to.

I should have known that it was going to be a tear jerker- and I forgot to put Kleenex in my purse.   It was bad!

At the beginning of the assembly as I watched the cheerleaders perform, it brought back memories of sitting in the stands game after game, watching Nicole perform with that huge smile on her face.  I remember her trying out for cheer and being so excited for her to be involved in such a fun way in high school.

I had no idea at the time that she would go on to do even more than cheer at Copper Hills High.  Student Government became her passion.  It has been so fun as a parent to watch her grow in her leadership abilities, to learn to speak out and stand up for things she feels strongly about.  She has left quite a legacy and some big shoes to fill (even though she has the tiniest feet ever!)

After the assembly she was a mess.  But so were her parents.  I love this picture because it shows that even her daddy got a little teary-eyed.

 

We sure love this girl and are so proud of who she has become.  We're so excited to see what her future holds as she heads off to Snow College and throws herself into being an Ambassador.  I'm sure she'll be just as busy as she has been this year- if not more.  But it's all good.  And now it's time to look forward to what lies ahead!

Bath-tized

 When Ian was about 5 or 6 years old, he was taking a bath when he called to me  to "come see".  I  walked in to see my little boy covered from head to toe in bubbles with the biggest smile on his face.

"Mom!  I just bath-tized myself!", he proudly exclaimed as the bubbles dripped off of his chubby cheeks.

 Being baptized is something that Ian has talked about for years and has looked forward to since he was a Sunbeam in church. 

In the weeks leading up to his baptism, he would ask me all kinds of questions, showing me that he was really thinking about his decision and what it would mean in his life.  He asked me about repentance and exactly how one goes about repenting when you have done something wrong.

He was very ready for this day and he wanted to make sure that I was too.  He kept asking me if I was going to cry at his baptism.  I asked him, "Do you want me to?"  "Yes", he would say with his cute little smile.

 Ian was very concerned about his white underwear.  He was not about to wear briefs!  He wanted boxers.  I searched and searched for white boxers- and found them at Target where I should have looked first! 

It was an awesome day, one that we as a family will always remember.  The last of our children to be baptized- such a strange feeling.   Time sure has flown by!

 Now before we know it, he'll be preparing to leave on a mission!

Congratulations Ian!  We love you!

Ladies

 

Happy Mother's Day to all of you beautiful ladies!

I hope your day was full of yummy meals (not in any way prepared by you!), a good book to read, foot massages, and lots of doting love from your families!

Nicole and her friend KC made this video in honor of all the women in their lives.  I thought today was a perfect day to share it with you.

It's to Andy Grammer's song, Ladies.

Enjoy!

Photo Shoot

We are running a little behind schedule, but we finally got Nicole's senior photos taken! I was sneaky and took a few behind the scenes pics.
Nicole asked for an urban look to her photos, and I think her photographer got some amazing shots! I cannot wait to see the finished photos!
It was so fun for me to listen to all of the praises that her photographer gave her...."you're a natural, you HAVE to have done this before!, hold that! I have to take a picture of what you are doing right now!, look at those eyes, that hair!" I think I had a smile plastered on my face the whole 2 1/2 hours.
And Nicole loved the experience too! What girl wouldn't? I mean, all the attention is focused on you, and you are constantly being told how adorable you are? Every girl's dream!

When her photos are posted, I'll be sure to update with a link! Happy weekend my friends!

The Last

A big 'last' in my life is happening tonight.

My last time working at the hospital as a CNA, and I must admit it's a little bitter-sweet.

I have been employed for 17 months and oh there have been so many good memories and dear friendships made! I have learned so much about life and about myself. I have done things that were harder (and grosser) than I ever thought I could!

A lot of thought and prayer went into my decision to quit my job. The next year of nursing school is going to be so very time consuming and I wanted every spare minute that I have to be spent at home with my family and not changing someone's briefs. :)

Although there are many wonderful things to look forward to, I think that for tonight, as I swipe my badge through the time clock one last time, there will be a little heaviness in my heart.

You know how they say that the 'last is best of all the game'? Well, here's to hoping that it is true and that this last will be one to remember.