Moving Out

Aaron and McKinsey have moved out. It has been hard- Mommy growing pains. But..it is also so good that they are moving on with their lives and creating memories and exploring life and learning independence.

Kinsey moved into this big old house. They rent wings or rooms of this huge house. An architect built the home and rents it out. It is such a uniques place and Kinsey loves it. Kinsey is busy working and we don't get to see her too often because she is always so busy.

She has great views of the mountains and a lot of photo opportunities. I found some photos she took. There are always photos left behind with Kinsey and I love it. She is truly talented in photography. 

Aaron went the traditional school route and moved into the Raintree. He rooms with some of his good friends and is having a great time. But he is busy busy with some hard classes and work. 

Aaron's 23rd Birthday!

Aaron is 23 and I am really struggeling with it.

Neil was 23 when we got married. 

How can I have a son that old?

Does this mean I'm old?

They kinda like each other. Kinsey is working...always working poor girl.

Birthday meal choice. OutBack of course.

Seasoned and Seared Prime Rib.

Chocolate cake of course. I'm not sure I make the cake as well as Grandma but I tried.

Grandma has made Aaron his birthday cake every year. But she is not able to anymore.

Aaron really misses Grandma's cakes.

I love you my special boy! Ok my son is now a man. No way your always my boy.

Left over candles from Sammys b-day so 2 green for twenty and three blue = 23.

Aaron I love you and am so blessed to have you as my son. 

Thanks for being so Awesome!

These two kinda like each other. Happy Birthday son.

Safetysuit Concert

Neil, Aaron and I went to Green River Wyoming to see Safetysuit. It was an adventure. 

The concert was great and we had a fun time making memories.

We love Safetysuit. They are great in concert. Tate met us after the concert and he was so nice.

Neil is trying hard to get Safetysuit to come out in concert to Utah. I hope it all works out.

They are so good in concert.

These two are so much fun to hang out with. 

It was fun getting an ice cream at Little America (family tradition) and spending some time together.

Schools out and fun things in Spring!

Schools out and everyone is so happy to sleep in and have no homework.
The kids did some fun things in the Spring. Even if the weather wasn't too cooperative.
Color Festival, The Wedge, Kite flying, Cruise to Mexico, Cheer pool party,
Animal protests, Photography, friends, the cute dogs and family time.
There was alot of snow and rain but ever time the sun would shine everyone hurried outside.
Bring on Summer and all the sunshine!

Baseball Father and Son

BASEBALL!!

Neil has been waiting since Aaron was born to be able to play baseball with his son.

This summer they played together. It was so fun to go to their games and watch them play together. I can't believe that Aaron is old enough to play with Neil. Neil still looks the same and still plays really well. But the time Neil had been waiting for has arrived.

It was a fun summer!!

I love these two!

Aaron turns 22 WHAT!!! & The Penguins finish the Season

The Penguin Season Ends. They took 1st in the Division and Second in the Tournament.

Aaron had fun playing on his Co-Ed team. He designed the T-Shirts.

The Shirts and team were a hit. The Fighting Penguins.

He played with a lot of his Crew friends and people from High School.

Go Fighting Penguins!

And his sister. Ahh it was so fun to see them play together.

Aaron also turned 22. I can't believe it. He had a very busy birthday and this was the only photo that we got. Boys don't they know we women like photo's. Aaron woke up and his friend took him boating on Utah Lake. They water skied and tubed and wake boarded. Then we his family waited forever to go to lunch. We took Aaron to lunch to Tucanos. This picture is of him and the girls outside Tucanos. Then Aaron went Bowling with a big group of people that night. He also had a Sunday birthday and a trip to Outback of course. No photo's. T we have got to be better at photo's. Love this guy and am so happy he is home to celebrate his birthday.

The Fighting Penguins

How cool is this shirt? Aaron has always loved penguins. He put together a co-ed softball team and these are the shirts he designed. I love the team name 

The Fighting Penguins. It so fits Aaron. 

Tonight was their first game. They were so funny. Aaron and his friends put the black stuff under their eyes and just had a really fun time. Kinsey is playing on the team and I am so glad about that. Aaron is happy to play with her. She is also really good and is a great asset to the team. She played high school softball for a year and she bats left handed.

I am excited to watch them. 

Authentic Mexican Food

Aaron made us an Authentic Mexican meal. I helped him out and it was a lot of fun. We went to the mexican market and bought the supplies. Then we got busy and Aaron created a wonderful meal. We pollo empanda, rice, beans, tortillas and horta to drink. We also had flan for desset.

Oh and onions. They are mexican onions. There like green onions only biffer and a milder flavor.

I was the assistant and Aaron the chef. It was a fun night.

Sammy helped out and Aaron put in charge of stiring the horta drink.

It takes like a cinnamon milky coconut water. No one loved it. Except Aaron.

Look at that yummy food.

How you eat it is you squezze lime over the chicken and cut the chicken up. You take the tortilla and spread it with refried beans and then put chicken on it fold it over and eat.

Aaron said he ate this pollo meal a lot when he lived in Mexico.

Neil was a good sport. But he wouldn't eat the beans.
If you know Neil that is not a surprise he hates beans of any kind.

Sammy was surprised the food was so bland and where is the cheese. Real mexican food is so different than the mexican restaraunts we all eat at and think are mexican food.

Thanks Aaron for giving us a taste of Mexico.

A Good and busy Day!

Today Aaron spoke in two sacrament meetings...

Our stake has a spanish speaking ward and today Aaron spoke in their sacrament meeting.

He spoke Spanish and he did such a good job. I didn't understand any of the words he said but I could still feel the special spirit that was there.

As I sat in sacrament meeting and since I couldn't understand any of the words I had time to ponder. The church is the same no matter the language or where the meeting is being held.

The music is still beautiful. There was Christmas music and it was fun to try and sing in Spanish and to think of Aaron having been away from home for two years and that the last two Christmas seasons he sang these same songs in Spanish.

The sacrament was still the same and I renewed my covenants even in Spanish. The Young Men who passed the sacrament were amazing. They all had suits on and were dressed so sharp. They were so precise and reverent. It was really something to see.

Aaron had many people come up to him after the meeting to greet him. He was handed a name and phone number and an invitation to dinner from a family who thought he might be missing the food from Mexico.

Aaron also spoke in our old Lindon ward. The ward we attended when he left on his mission. It was fun to go home. That's how it felt. We had many people come up to us and greet us. Especially the older members who loved Neil as the Gospel Doctrine teacher. We saw old neighbors and people the girls babysat for. It was fun to visit.

Aaron did a great job of talking in both sacament meetings today. It is so fun to hear his testimony and see the man he has turned into. Aaron I am proud of you.

Enjoying my son

We are enjoying Aaron being home so much. Ahh it is wonderful. My son is such a ray of sunshine. He tells me every day usually several times a day how much he loves me. He gives me hugs and kisses and makes me feel so special. He tells me that I am the best mom in the world.

I know I'm not... but in his eyes I truly think he thinks I am. It is so nice to be appreciated and loved.

I am so glad he is home. I am also so glad he went on his mission. Wow he is such an amazing man. His testimony is so strong. When he prays I feel the spirit so strongly. Sunday Aaron bore his testimony and soon Sammy followed. What a great example. The girls are also loving having Aaron home. Aaron just has a loving fun way that makes everyone happier when they are around him.

Neil is enjoying his son so much. It is so fun to see the two of them together. They wrestle and taunt each other, they laugh, watch sports, etc. It makes me smile just being around them. They are so funny. They love their Outback and Tucanos.

These were the places Aaron missed the most.

I am a happy mom. I am trying to enjoy each moment. Life is so uncertain. We don't know what is ahead for us. Life can never be predicted as to what may come our way. But I know that right now in this moment in life. My family is safe, we are together and we are doing our best to enjoy and love one another. I am grateful for the blessing of my family. I thank my Father in Heaven for all of my blessings. The blessings I see and those that go unseen or unnoticed.

I love you Aaron and I am the luckiest mom in the world to have you as my son.

IMT Revealed and OutBack

My boys love OutBack. It is their place. They go to Outback every Priesthood session and every chance they get. With Aaron going to Mexico City Neil knew there wouldn't be any chance for Aaron to go to OutBack and it would be too sad to go with out him. So our family did a two year strike on OutBack. No OutBack for two years. 

I can't believe we made it!

Kinsey is not a fan of OutBack. They serve a lot of meat here. But she was such a great sport and she knew this night was a special night for our family-for Aaron.

This night was something that was two years in the making.

Aaron enjoying his favorite food in the world. Prime Rib-Seasoned and Seared.

We all enjoyed our food but we were all a little nervous and excited.

You see this night was the IMT reveal. IMT means I Miss Tyke.

(tyke or tykie is Aarons knick name).

We all missed Aaron so badly when he left on his mission. Having only three kids in a family and him being the only boy. It makes a huge difference when one is gone.

When Aaron first left we were all hurtin. Missing Aaron.

Aaron had a hard adjustment in the MTC and that made it hard for everyone.

Neil and Kinsey made up a saying. "I ain't gonna lie I'm HURTIN"

They said it all the time and would say I can't wait until Aaron gets home and we can say

"I ain't gonna lie I'm hurtin NO MORE"

Tonight was that night. And they shouted it out loud.

When Neil was missing Aaron and worrying about how Aaron was doing he came up with a plan. He decided he was going to take the pain of missing Aaron and turn it into energy into action. Neil is a man of no talk but action.

As Aaron would struggle and over come things. 

The MTC, the adjustment of a new culture and country, the language, companions who were difficult and didn't want to work, home sickness, all kinds of other sickness, dogs, etc.

Aaron grew in strength, Aaron grew in his testimony. He became a man. One who loved God.

Neil grew in pride and determination to show his son how proud he was of him.

To show him that good should be rewarded.

Neil started the Tyke fund or the IMT fund. It started with $60 he earned by bowling at McKinsey's work Christmas party. Neil continued this fund by doing everything imaginable. He substitute taught, he delivered cabinets, tried to sell cabinets, sold old bats, sold baseball cards, wrote articles for magazines or anyone who would pay him money. He started a business. He worked so so hard in the last two years. He was a man on a mission. His own mission.

He couldn't sit still he was so determined, so driven.

So this was his gift to his son. Aaron opened it and just look at that smile. Priceless.

I wish I could of had a shot of Neil's face. He was glowing.

The gift was a key. Notice the key chain it says IMT.

Neil covered with tape on the key so Aaron couldn't see what kind of vehicle it was.

Aaron had to go to the parking lot and push the button to find out what it was.

It was a Toyota Tacoma. Aaron's dream vehicle. He was shocked. To say the least.

Neil will be driving Aaron's old 1986 Nissan Truck and he couldn't be happier. It has no air conditioning and is older than Aaron is. But Neil wouldn't have it any other way.

I now have my own saying "What kind of man" That is what I say to Neil all the time. What kind of man would work so hard and be so willing to give it all to his son with pride. 

Most men would want the truck, especially if they had worked as hard as Neil. 

Not Neil.

He wanted to reward his son to reward the good that he has done.

It has been hard for Aaron to accept it. He keeps telling Neil no you deserve it not me and I can't let you drive my old truck, or why? He will tell people it's our family truck. He hasn't driven it around much. He didn't call his friends to brag or go show it off. It is too important too special. Aaron knows the meaning behind the truck and it really isn't about the truck. It is about the love of a father and a family who sacrificed to show our son, our brother how much we love him and how proud we are of him.

I made Neil keep a record, a diary of how he earned the money. 

Some entries are simple like I substituted today and earner $45 dollars or I wrote an article and got $100 dollars. This money was earned a dollar at a time and it was not easy. 

Neil gave this book to Aaron and I know that the book will mean as much or more to Aaron than the truck does.

This entry has been long. I just wanted to document it and write my feelings about it. I will never forget. I am full of emotion. I am full of pride for my son for serving an honorable mission. For enduring the hardships that he had at times. For growing into a man. A man of God who has learned what is most important in life. I am proud of my husband for being a man of integrity a man who does not think of himself first. He loves his family and he works so hard.

All I can say is "What kind of man"? I love you Neil. I am proud and

I know the hard work this was and I know how much it means to you.

Football with our Lindon Ward

Neil and Aaron got invited to play in our old Lindon ward's annual football game. It was last Saturday. Aaron had only been home 3 days so he was still adjusting. But they had a great time.

Aaron was asked to come speak in our old ward on Dec 14th. This is the ward that we were in when Aaron left on his mission. I was really glad they asked him. He will be speaking with his friend Jeremy Bentley who returns from Guam on December 12th.

This ward does a lot of activities with the young men against the Elders. There have been a lot of fun games over the years. Neil and Aaron miss those.

Returning with Honor from the Mexico City South Mission

The day we have been waiting for is here... It is finally here and

Aaron is coming home TODAY!

I didn't sleep last night much or for that fact in the last week maybe month.

I am so full of gratitude and pride today.

I thank my Father in Heaven for his watchful eye on my son.

For the help he gave in the MTC in Mexico and here at home.

We would be nothing without his love and blessings.

I can't wait to hug my son today. That will be the greatest feeling.

Aaron I love you and I am so proud. Well done.