JUNE 2019

NEW NEIGHBORS  -When we got back to Eagle we knew we had lots to get done to be ready to move in a month.  One day I was working in the kitchen when I thought I saw something in the corner of the yard.  I walked out and about died seeing a giant skunk over by our little storage shed.  Then all of the sudden the black and white started multiplying.  I ran in to get my camera with the zoom lens and Jed got the binoculars and we both realized that there was an entire skunk family living under our shed!  We had just contracted with the Herraras and now we had to figure out what to do with skunks?? Turns out getting rid of skunks is basically impossible and nobody wants to come take care of them.  Luckily after about a week the skunks were just gone so we didn't have to do anything after all.

MANWARING FHE - We had our goodbye Manwaring FHE at the bowling alley.  I'm not sure Patricia remembered we were moving per say, but she wanted to do something fun because we don't usually get together during the summer.  Then she played it off like it was our goodbye party.  Either way, it was super fun and a little chaotic with all the kids. It was a fun, cheap, but clean bowling alley and doesn't it seem like that always happens when you are about to move - you discover these little spots that you wish you would have known about earlier?!  We will miss these FHE gatherings.  They have been really fun and Jed and Patricia have been so generous to host them.

SUMMER BLOOMS - Our yard is so gorgeous right now.  So many things are bloomed and it is wonderful to see it like this one last time - and also like a knife in my heart.  I'm not sure that we will ever find a place quite like this one again.  I absolutely love the way they landscaped and staggered so many plants so that we always have these beautiful blooms.

Dallin has gotten better at nursery but there are only about 3 kids that go and he is the oldest so he rules the roost.  They have some men as nursery leaders so I'm pretty sure the kids get no lesson and no music.  Snacks are out the whole time and the kids just play.  Dallin loves examining the trees after church on the way to the car.  I found this picture of Ava trying a special face mask.  We thought she looked like the monkey/baboon from the Lion King movie.  It also sorta looks like her head is impaled with that water gun.

Kinsley became really into creating some super hero characters during the month.  They started as animals and then changed into super heroes.  I thought they were pretty awesome.

ACTIVITIES - When we got back to Eagle it was time to get busy making pens.  Kasen's scout leader's husband has an amazing shop in their garage and I had talked to him before about doing an activity to make some pens for YWs.  He was so gracious and excited to help Kasen make pens for his grandpas.  He was very instructive, but let Kasen do so much of the work on his own.  It was a great experience for Kasen.  On one of the pens Kasen pushed too hard and cracked the wood in half.  Rather than just throw it out, Brother Kjar helped Kasen glue it back together and smooth it down again.  You could still see the crack, but it was all put back together.  He tied it into the gospel and repentance that you can always fix something even if it gets broken.

Here are the finished products.  They were so awesome.  Kasen was very proud of the work he had done and it was an awesome learning experience.  I'm so thankful for people like Bro. Kjar who are willing to use part of their time building others.  In his shop he had this poster up.  I thought it was such a good message.  The point is to build confidence and shape character through learning and small accomplishments lead to bigger accomplishments as children learn they can do it.

The kids have been watching some courses on leadership and entrepreneurship and skills.  I think it is really important to teach children how to set goals and dream big dreams, but then take action steps to accomplish them.  I asked them each to write down some ideas of ways they could earn their own money this summer.  Then they wrote it out in a plan and pretended I was an investor they were trying to pitch their plan to. They also tried wearing elastics around their wrists for a few days so they could flick themselves if they started getting negative. 

The girls and I had our first business meeting to plan our path for Hazel Blue.  We also started getting more and more inventory.  Our first shipment of sandals came and we started selling them on Facebook Marketplace.  We sold out our first box pretty quick so we ordered some more in more colors.

FAMILY REUNION -  We had an unofficial official Foster family reunion this month because Katie came out before my parents left.  There weren't a lot of activities planned - mostly just hanging out together.  Lots of downtime at the ranch.

June in eastern Idaho is probably the prettiest time of the year.  Everything is so green and the crops are growing.  It's starting to get warmer and warmer.  I'm sure my parents felt the same way about leaving Idaho for their mission that I did about leaving my beautiful Eagle home.  Marilyn's family came up for a bbq and a bonfire one day.  The kids swam, explored, rode Sydnee's motorbikes, played in the waterfall, chased each other, and checked cows on the mountains.

This will be one of my favorite pictures forever.  All the grandkids gathered around the tractor - there are 15 grandkids now, I wonder how many more there will be by the time mom and dad come home in 3 yrs? 

ISLAND PARTY GOODBYE - We had an extended family going away party for my parents one evening at the Loft gardens.  It was so nice and pretty.  My mom had bought all the grandkids island themed shirts and dresses.  They looked so cute.  Sydnee had a photographer come to take some pictures of the families.  It was a funny to watch them get all the grandkids gathered and in place for a photo.

There was dancing and music.  One of my mom's sister had brought coconut bras for the sister to wear.  My mom was definitely in her element.  She loves a good congo line.

I just walked around taking pictures of everyone.  Those are my favorite types of pictures when people are semi-paying attention to you or not paying attention to you at all.  Quite a lot of cute grandkids if I say so myself.

We had yummy teriyaki chicken and rice bowls with lots of fruit and juice.  It was really fun getting into the island spirit.

These were the photos the photographer took of everyone.  They turned out really cute.

FATHER'S DAY - The Sunday before everyone left was Father's day and we were able to listen to my parents speak in the Clark ward which was special.  The kids also sang again.  Afterward Marilyn invited everyone over to her house for a little brunch and visiting.  My parents had to go back to speak at another ward but then we went up to the ranch for the rest of the afternoon.  My dad surprised everyone with a song he had written.  It was to the tune of What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong.  He and Jordan had been practicing it.  It was very sweet and everyone had teary eyes.  My dad changed the lyrics to the following:

I see fields of green and amber too

I see spud rows straight - and mine are too

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue and clouds of white,

The blessed days and the sacred nights.

And I think to myself, what a mission divine. 

The sunsets on the islands, so pretty in the sky

The smiles on the faces of the people passing by,

I see missionaries shaking hands saying "How do you do?"

What they're really saying is "Jesus loves you."

I hear grandchildren laugh and watch them grow,

They'll learn so much more than I'll ever know.

And I thank my Lord for a wonderful world,

Yes I thank my Lord for a wonderful world.

We didn't have much of a chance to celebrate Jed on Father's day so the next day the kids and I spent time putting together a video for him about all the reasons we love him.  The kids said some cute things.  I hope Jed knows that we appreciate so much all that he does for us.  Fathers are so important.  So much stability and wisdom comes from righteous fathers.  I am so eternally grateful that I married such a good man that is not just a great father but an extraordinary one.

KIDS' CAMPS - When we got back to Eagle it was time for the kids' last summer camps.  Ava had a science camp and Kasen was holding a sports camp.  Just because of timing Ava didn't have as many kids sign up for her camp as she did last summer, but Kasen was able to have quite a few come to his camp.  It was a pretty hot week and ended up being a lot of popsicles and shade breaks.  Ava helped Kasen with his camp so he paid her a commission.  The kids did a great job and Kasen was really excited about all the money he made. 

LAST MOMENTS IN EAGLE - I couldn't believe how fast it came, but all of a sudden we were down to our last week in our house and our last events before we moved.  The last time mowing the lawn, the last time weeding the flowerbeds, the last time trimming the bushes and trees.  Everything looked so pretty. 

All the boxes were packed and we did the last bit of cleaning and wiping.  We went our last razor rides around the area.  We have really loved riding around on Sunday afternoons. Kinsley went to her last Activity Day event. The kids had their last playdates and get togethers with friends.  It's always bittersweet.

We were able to have some fun too.  We went to the Village for the last time and watched the fountains.  We also went to the movies one last time to see the new Toy Story .

MISSION SETTING APART - On June 20th we drove down to SLC to be there for my parent's setting apart.  We were able to get special permission for Ava and Kasen to go, normally there aren't any kids permitted to attend.  It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day in SLC and we spent some time beforehand walking around Temple Square.  Then we met at the 1st presidency offices and were escorted inside up to a conference room.  Elder Bednar came in and set both my mom and dad apart.  It was very very special.  The Spirit was extremely strong and he blessed them with very specific missions to accomplish and emphasized certain talents that were so spot on that it felt like Elder Bednar had known my parents their whole lives.  Afterward we went back over to Brad's office and went around the room writing down the things that stood out to us from the blessings.  Josh wrote them all down so my parents could take the papers with them.  Afterward we drove up to one of my dad's favorite places to eat in Brigham City - Maddox's.  It was such a special day and I will remember it forever.  I'm really thankful that Ava & Kasen could be there and experience it as well.

One thing that was special was Ava felt very strongly that during my mom's blessing that Grandma Edna and Grandpa Basil were there.  My Grandpa was in his military uniform.  She was very specific about it.  It was about 8 months into their mission that Grandma sent a message to Ava that thanked her for being so willing to share her thoughts about that.  At the time grandma said she didn't really understand why her dad would be in his uniform and not temple clothing.  But after being on the islands and how much of a military prescence had been there during WWII and the memorials and the mass graves and so on, she realized how that would make sense. 

Meanwhile, Kinsley and Dallin spent a great day with Tresa and Jeff.  They got to play at Tyler's house, shoot baskets, play with games, go meet Jeff for lunch, stay in their pjs late and get back in them early, make cookies, and even take naps!  They had an absolute blast.

MTC & MOM'S BIRTHDAY - My parent's left for the MTC in Provo on the 23rd and got back on my mom's birthday (25th).  The day my parents left for the MTC we went and got Krispy Kreme doughnuts.  We decided it would be a new tradition for anytime one of our families leaves for the MTC.  My parents had a great time in the MTC and even were able to meet some Marshallese missionaries there.  They got home in the evening of my mom's birthday, so Malorie made a cake and we had a firework show to celebrate.

FLY OUT - Two days later on the 27th, my parents left for the mission!  They flew out pretty early and we all went down to the airport to see them off.  These moments are the hardest.  There were lots of tears and well wishes.  Even though we all know it is for an important work and purpose - the greatest purpose on earth is gathering the house of Israel - it was still hard to say goodbye knowing it will be 3 years before we are back all together again.  We are so thankful for Grandma and Grandpa's example and willingness to go an do. 

LAST LOAD FROM EAGLE - From the airport we headed back to Eagle to gather up our last load.  Tresa took the kids one afternoon so Ava and I could deep clean everything.  They had an awesome time going to the park and getting lunch together.  Then they got to go pick raspberries and hang out at Tresa's house. Ava and I were able to get all the cleaning done and Ava was rewarded with all her help during the last 6 months with her very own Iphone. 

The night before we left we had our last trampoline party with Tyler.  It was actually really emotional to have to say goodbye to Tresa and Jeff.  They have been such an awesome support to us over the last five years.  Tresa is a literal angel on earth in my opinion.  She is always so loving and kind and supportive to my kids.  She has been a confidant and good friend to me.  She is never judgemental or self-pitying.  She and Jeff are huge examples to Jed and I and we are and will be blessed forever for the last five years we have lived close to them and gotten to know them better.

The last night and morning before we left we picked all the raspberries we could and then we were off. We hadn't even made it to the Boise city limits yet when Dallin threw up everywhere.  I had to stop at Target and buy him some new clothes.  He threw up a few more times on the way so finally Ava just fell asleep holding the sand bucket up to his mouth.  By the time we got to the ranch he had thrown up on every piece of clothing we could get our hands on.  It was a fun drive.

I was really happy my parents were gone so they didn't have to see what a mess we had made in their house.  We filled up the garage and the whole main level of the house.  I hate being disorganized so every cell in my body was freaking out at the possibility of living like this for awhile, but we were so thankful we had a place to go until we found a house that I decided to just deep breathe and realize that one day looking back it would all be funny.