Avery's 12th Birthday, Gabe's Mission Farewell, Home MTC Begins

It feels like I just wrote, but there have just been a lot of things going on! The next time I write, Gabe will most likely be gone on his mission and it will be a post about how we dropped him off and I will be so sad! :( I really need to make some fun plans for Wednesday, August 1!

The first thing I need to write about though is Avery's 12th birthday! We did an easy party again by just taking her and some friends to Gravity Factory. She invited Nora, Kendalin, Maddie, Briella, and Lola. The jumped from about 2:00-3:30, then came back to our house for ice cream cake, and Avery opened presents. She got slime, some art stuff, a couple little stuffed animals, some nail polish and manicure stuff. We had just barely bought her a new bike (a blue beach cruiser like mine), and then we also got her some other random things (a Stitch Funk-o-Pop, a bracelet-making kit with beads, some new headphones, a latch-hook art kit to make this dog picture thing out of yarn...) After all her friends went home, we went out to dinner at her choice of a place, which was the Mandarin. Then we came back home and I think Gabe and Caleb both hurried off with their friends.

All last week, Gabe was pretty much with his friends or Sophia every day from about 3:00pm - 1:00am. He was trying to squeeze in every last minute of normal teen life I think. On Saturday night I think he got home at like 2:00am. He knew on Sunday, everything was about to change! I did get to spend time with him typically in the mornings, just running errands and trying to get stuff ready for his farewell. One day, we drove by Rexburg Rapids and saw his crew of friends from the ground crew doing literally nothing, so we stopped and snapped a few pictures. We also floated Warm Slough with our family and Sophia on Friday afternoon.

On Sunday, Gabe gave his talk in church at 1:30. I was grateful our church was at 1:30 that day because I spent a lot of the morning getting the clubhouse ready for Gabe's farewell. We set up all six of the round tables and chairs that they had in the closet, plus we brought in some long tables for food. I hung the Spanish flag up on the fireplace and strung up a banner of mini Spanish flags across one end of the room. We had gone to Costco and Winco on Saturday and gotten a ton different kinds of deli meat (ham, turkey, etc.) and buns, croissants, watermelon, Caesar salad kids, cookie platters, etc. It was kind of a make-your-own sandwich type of buffet. Then all the sisters-in-law brought salads or desserts too. We had a TON of food. We didn't have too many buns left over, but we had plenty of extra meats and cheeses. I spent a good part of Saturday evening preparing meat and cheese platters with Zeus watching me intently for any pieces I might drop!

Anyway, Gabe gave his talk in church at 1:30 and it was really good. I told him to try to not talk so fast, but he still did. My mom was watching it on the internet broadcast (we got her the link from the Bishop) and she said it was a little fast, but then she added, "When he has to give talks in Spanish, that will slow him down." The church meeting was PACKED with people. Gabe about 20 friends there from the track team and school, including Sophia, her older sister and brother-in-law, and her little brother. I guess Sophia's parents were on an Alaskan cruise, so they couldn't be there. After Gabe's talk, my friend, Claire, sang a song accompanied by a teenage boy on a violin. It was really nice. Then Sister Flamm gave a talk, and I gave the closing prayer. It was a good church meeting!

After church, we hustled home and got a few more things out of our fridge and rushed over to the clubhouse to get set up. People were already showing up and sitting down at the tables, so I was a little stressed just hurrying to get everything ready. But Josh's sisters and my friends were all super helpful. By about 2:00, we all started eating and there was a huge line of people. I snapped a few pictures, but I don't think you can really tell how many people were there. We estimated between 150-175 probably. It was a huge group, but it was really fun to see how many people cared to see Gabe!

By about 4:45, the last people were leaving, so we started the cleanup. We had to kind of hurry because Gabe's appointment to get set apart as an elder with President Rawson was scheduled for 5:30! We barely made it in time! We had a brief chat with Kyle (Pres. Rawson) and then he officially gave Gabe the blessing that made him a missionary! He took his missionary tag out of his pocket (that I told him to take with him) and we went outside and took a couple pictures! It was crazy how fast the whole day went!

On Monday morning, he woke up for his first day of home MTC. He and I went for a bike ride in the morning, and then he had to be on his first Zoom meeting at about noon. I wasn't sure what the whole home MTC experience would be like, but I have realized quickly that they keep them VERY busy during this week! His first day he had a welcome meeting online at about noon. There were about 700+ elders and sisters on that one, so Gabe didn't have his own video or audio on. It was nice for me to sit and listen in on that. One thing the man talking said was that home MTC is nice because it's a way to meet your people in your district before getting to the MTC, so it makes the day of getting dropped off a little less traumatic. At first, Gabe was not excited for the home MTC because his friend, Porter, had told him it's basically just sitting in front of a computer screen all day and it's super boring. But after yesterday, Gabe said it really wasn't too bad. He said all his teachers are really energetic and fun, and his people in his group seem really nice. None are actually going to his same mission in Madrid, but they are all going someplace Spanish speaking. Some are going to Peru, Ecuador, Texas, and more. He said his companion, Elder Walker from Utah, is going to Spain Barcelona. That is who he will also be sharing a room with when he gets to the Provo MTC. They emailed out a picture of all 12 elders and sisters in his mission. I'll post it here so I don't forget! There are 4 girls and 8 boys. 

So far, it seems good! It's weird having him here, but totally consumed by his zoom lessons. He basically is here in the house, but sitting in his room or the office with his headphones in, so we can't really talk to him or hear what's going on. I guess it's "easing" him into being on a mission! My goal is to go through his suitcase and the checklist of everything he needs to pack in the next day or two and make sure we have everything! It's stressful making sure he has everything he needs for two years, but at least I know there's Amazon Spain and he can get most things over there! We even went and got him his own Costco card on Saturday because there's one in Madrid and one in Seville, and someone said that Costco is the only place you can get some American foods over there! (Maybe he won't even want American foods after a few months of Spanish food, but we will be prepared anyways!;) That's the update for now!

4th of July, Goodbye to Porter, 40th Birthday, Avery at Girls' Camp, Gabe goes through the temple, Family pictures

I feel like it hasn't even been a full month since I last wrote a post, but we have been trying to squeeze so many things in! Today it's Wednesday, July 17th and Gabe gets officially set apart as a missionary on Sunday, so he only has about 3 more days of "real life" freedom for the next two years! It's kind of crazy! Today he is out boating with Josh, Caleb, Devin, and Caleb's friends Cole and Benson. I was going to go, but it was kind of last minute and Avery had her tennis lesson at 2:00, so it ended up becoming a boys' trip. But, I don't have the pictures of that yet, so let me write about what the past few weeks have contained!

Fourth of July

This year for the 4th of July, I was a little bitter because Gabe spent basically the entire day except for two hours with Sophia and her family. He and Sophia drove to Grand Teton and went hiking at Phelps Lake, which was fine. But then they got back at about 4:00 and went straight to her house. We only got to see a glimpse of him when we went out to the Milner's house for a BBQ from about 6:00 - 7:00. He came and ate and then went back to Sophia's house. Then, at about 9:45, we drove to the Teton Lakes Golf Course (Caleb's workplace) and watched fireworks. They were really good. They lasted about 20-30 minutes, but we sat right on the green and it was really perfect. Gabe and Sophia came and watched them too, but then left again and he didn't get home until midnight. I get that Gabe is trying to squeeze in as much time as he can with Sophia and friends, but I'm also sad because I think it's hitting me that he's leaving for his mission, then he will get back and be busy with school, then he will get married, and then we will never have the mom and Gabe time again. That makes me tear up just typing it. We really get along so well and always laugh together. I'm really going to have a hard time without that for the next two years. 

Anyways, I also should probably tell what we did on the Fourth of July while Gabe was with Sophia! In the morning, we took Avery over to the junior high to join up with the orchestra kids who were walking in the parade. We had to be there at about 8:30 and then just Josh and I went to Main Street to find a spot to sit. The parade started at 10:00 and it was probably almost 11:00 by the time Avery and those kids came by. She was walking and throwing candy, and I think she had a good time. She was a little disappointed that there wasn't an actual float to ride on, but oh well. At least she got to be in the parade! Josh and I sat by Milners in front of the Family Crisis Center and then Claire and her family came and sat by us too. Caleb had been at home, sleeping in, but then he did drive over in the Buick for a minute before getting bored and deciding to leave and go golfing with Benson while everyone in town was busy at the parade.

After the parade, we went home, ate lunch, and got our swimsuits on. Then me, Josh, Avery, and Caleb floated the Warm Slough in tubes with the Hughes and the Milners. It was soooo hot, I was grateful to be doing something that involved water, even if there were a million people there. Once we were out on the water, it didn't matter that there were a lot of people there because everyone was spread out. After floating, we got home, showered, relaxed for a couple hours, and then went to the Milner's for a BBQ. I took fruit pizza and scotcheroos and they grilled hamburgers. It's always a tiny bit weird when we go out there and pull up right next to the house that we spent a year building, then lived in for a month, then sold. But I honestly don't ever regret the decision we made. The only sad feelings are the feelings of slight guilt that Gabe (and Josh)worked so hard on something that we then sold, but other than that, I don't feel sad about it. I truly don't feel like it was the house we should have stayed in. It would've made it impossible for us to ever feel like we could go on a vacation or for me to work part-time, which I'm REALLY excited to be doing this fall. 

Anyways, so then I already talked about the fireworks and that was fun. Josh and Avery also went out to the Milner's at about 10:30 to watch Jay light some fireworks, but Caleb and I came home because he had to go to bed so he could get up for work the next morning at 5am. He has been working at the golf course this summer with Benson and loves it. It's the perfect job for him because he can kind of just drive a mower around and it's pretty laid back. Then he usually golfs after work!

Goodbye to Porter

Gabe's best friend, Porter, is about two weeks ahead of Gabe in the mission timeline. So during the week after the 4th of July, Gabe spent a lot of time with Porter and his friends playing pickleball, hiking, and just goofing around before Porter had to start the home MTC. He did home MTC for a week, and then he officially flew out to the Mexico City MTC on July 11, where he will stay for about 6 weeks I think! We went to his church farewell and to their house for a dinner the next week. It's crazy that these boys are all starting missions! I think it's pretty cool though that they are all starting within the month of each other and that Gabe and Porter will both be learning Spanish. 

My 40th Birthday

So, I turned 40 on Thursday, July 11th! A real surprise came two days before my birthday. My friend, Claire, told me she was picking me up at 6:00 and taking me someplace for a surprise. I had no idea what she had planned, and I was a tad nervous. I was hoping she wasn't taking me someplace weird. Luckily, she drove me to Da Pineapple Grill, and when we walked inside it was a whole bunch of my friends waiting for a surprise birthday dinner! It was so nice. She had called Josh and gotten lots of phone numbers, so it was people she didn't even know. It was me, Claire, Charm, Melissa Clark, Nicole Stucki, Nicole Rawson, Lindsey Summers, and Janell. It was so fun to have most of my friends in one room! 

Then, on my actual birthday, Avery was gone at Girls' Camp with our whole stake, so it was just me, Josh, and the boys. We decided to drive to Grand Teton and spend the afternoon at String Lake. We took the inflatable canoe, some tubes, and some lunch. We got there at about noon and stayed until about 4:00. It was really crowded, but luckily we found a parking spot as someone was leaving and then we found a little spot on the side of the lake to put our towels and bag of food down. I spent some time paddling around in the inflatable canoe with Gabe and that was really fun. Then, when we got back into Rexburg, we picked up some food from Da Pineapple Grill and also a cake from Ashley Wheeler's house! I told Josh, "I know she doesn't really make cakes anymore, but tell her it's all I want for my birthday!!" It was soooo good! Definitely made my birthday amazing! Gabe also got me this really cute necklace that some local lady made that has a picture of the outline of Spain on it and a heart in the middle where Madrid is. It's so nice. I'm currently wearing it! It was a good birthday!

Avery at Girls' Camp

Unfortunately, Avery did not exactly love girls' camp. This was her first time going, and I think it didn't help that it was super hot (90+ degrees), they were kind of in the middle of nowhere at Badger Creek, they didn't really have a nice swimming lake, and the mosquitoes were really bad. I dropped her off at the church on Tuesday morning and they loaded up the trailers with all their stuff and drove (about an hour) to Badger Creek. By Wednesday morning I think I got the first tearful cry from her, telling me she was not having fun and she missed me and wanted to come home. I told her to try and stick it out and to call me with an update that night. She called again that night and was still sad, but said she would try to stay. I think we also heard from her on Thursday, but she seemed better. Then, they drove back on Friday morning. When we were passing through on our way to and from Grand Teton, I kept being like, "Should we go check on Avery?" and Josh and the boys were like, "No, she's fine..." I think she would have definitely come home if we showed up and gave her the option, but it was good that she stayed. She got home and showered and then sat on the couch in her robe for literally the rest of the day. It was kind of dramatic, but she said it was the "worst week of her life." haha Hopefully she gets over that and decides to still go next year.

Gabe goes through the temple

On Friday at 8:00am on July 12th (the day after my 40th birthday) Gabe went through the temple for the first time to receive his own endowment. He was surrounded by friends and family, including Josh’s parents, Bryan and Jada, Jack and Shannon, and my friend Claire (and me and Josh). I think I had tried to kind of prep him for it by telling him, “Some things might seem a little weird,” because that’s what I remember thinking, but I swear as we were going through the session, I was thinking, “Ok this is different from a few years ago… this isn’t as weird…” lol So maybe I was just overwhelmed when I was 20 and going through the temple for the first time I guess! He didn’t really say he thought anything was too crazy afterward! Once we got done, we went outside and took pictures with Josh’s family (Claire had already left), and then we hurried to pick up Avery from the church because she was just getting back from girls camp. I was thinking she wasn’t going to get back until around 11-12:00, but then they were texting us while I was just coming out of the temple at 9:45 and saying, “We are back at the church! Come get your girls!” So it was kind of a crazy morning! Luckily, she ended up riding home with her friend, Nora, and then going home and showering and just vegging on the couch the rest of the day! 

Gabe and I had to run back over to Deseret Book and get his garments sorted out later that day. He tried MANY different fabric types before making his decision. He only had the one pair he had taken to the temple, so we needed to go back and buy about ten sets. Luckily, I think there is a distribution center in Madrid, so if he changes his mind at least he should have access to buying some more. 

Family Pictures with Josh’s family

The last thing I need to include in this post is that we got family pictures taken! I feel like I have to preface this by saying that I wanted to get some with Brad and Diane and Josh’s extended family, however, I’m a little bummed by the way ours for our own family turned out. The girl taking them was the same girl that did Gabe’s mission photos, and I do think she does a nice job with editing them, but I wish she would’ve taken a few extra minutes to pose us better. It was like she was hurrying because there were so many different families and the mosquitoes at the nature park were really bad, so it was like 30 minutes tops and we were done! I’ll post some of my favorites below, but I don’t know if I’m going to run out and print a huge one for my living room wall! It’s crazy to think that our next family pictures (with Gabe) will probably be in August of 2026, right before Caleb leaves on his mission!