Another Mission Call

Brad submitted all of his paperwork for a mission last week.  We had fun as a family guessing where Brad might go.  We guessed everywhere from Korea to Boise Idaho.

 His call arrived yesterday and Brad decided that he wanted to open it via Skype.  David went over to Brad's dorm and called the rest of us at home.  We opened the call but we had strict instructions not to read it.  We placed it in front of the camera and Brad read it.  He will be going to the Ohio Cleveland mission and teaching the gospel in Spanish.  He enters the MTC on May 2.  We are very excited for him and this new adventure.

She's really gone

On October 12th Sarah entered the MTC  to begin her mission to Barcelona.

She spent 9 weeks there learning Spanish

and how to be a good missionary.  She still seemed very close to home because we could send her a package in the morning and she would receive it that very same day.  I could write her on Dear Elder.com and she would receive it that very same day and once a week we sent her an e-mail and she answer.  We knew exactly where she was and that she was safe.

She worked hard and she had fun too.

After 9 weeks her visa to Spain still hadn't arrived and so she was temporarily reassigned to the mission just south of us.  We knew exactly where she was living and working because they were places we had been many, many times.  

Today she arrived in Barcelona to begin her mission "for real".  She is not in places that we are familiar with and the communication won't be quite as convenient and yet we know that she is safe and will be taken care.  She is so excited to serve and share.

Winter Wonders

We love winter and all of the excitement that it brings to our family. 

Over the last several years we have cut down our own  Christmas trees. They seem to get larger every year, but it's a fun tradition. We didn't have too many spiders this year.

Can you find all the kids? We promise they're there (except for Sarah, of course). We had a lot of fun at the new Leonardo Museum. 

Santa Lucia is a fun tradition, even if we aren't Swedish. 

Hanukkah is a fun tradition, even if we aren't Jewish. 

Brad is working on submitting his mission papers. We are all so excited to see where he is called. 

Christmas Eve Dinner

We were lucky enough to have both grandpas join us this year.

Another fun tradition, the telling of the nativity with puppets. 

Anticipation of Christmas Morning!

Even Amelia got presents. She was in heaven.

Christmas evening, playing one of our new games, Dominion.

The bigger the tree the faster they're gone. 

These ones didn't make it a whole day after Christmas.

Iron Chef has become a fun tradition. This was Battle Potato. Brad and Betsy won the fierce competition, there was only one point difference!

David's 23rd birthday! He feels so old. 

Brad is off to College!

We took Brad down to BYU last week. He is having the time of his life and we are really missing him.

Summer Adventures

Our summer began with Brad graduating from Davis High School.

It honestly only feels like a year or two since I took him to kindergarten orientation.  How time flies when you are having fun.

The remainder of our summer has been filled with fun adventures like:

A picnic in the canyon

Camping in the Uintas

Girls Camp

Bear Lake and Touring the Attics of Tabernacles

Gardening/Growing our own food

Midnight Harry Potter Premier

The Little Mermaid at Tuacahn (the line was too long for the Little Mermaid cut out)

Hiking in Zion

4th of July

Hiking Slot Canyons and Goblin Valley

Golfing in St. George in JULY!

Betsy singed her hair

Amelia slept in her crate

We LOVE being together.