UTAH || SKYLAR IS HOME!!

I'm so grateful I was able to make it work to go home twice this past fall/winter. In October Skylar came home from the Dominican Republic and I couldn't wait to go home and see him and hear his homecoming talk. Tanner was able to go with me and it was a fun - although way too short - trip.

We took a late flight so that I could work all day on Thursday and we didn't get to Utah until almost 11pm. Good thing too, it took Dad and Skylar all day to get ready for us!! :)

He's a pretty good travel companion!! First order of business on Friday morning was a big dirty diet coke {or whatever they call it at Sodalicious!}

Then I had a photo shoot at the Provo City Center Temple, you can see it HERE. We also did some baptism pictures, you can see those HERE. Then we we drove up the canyon to meet my new friend Emily Broadbent to do some updated family pictures. I LOVE how they turned out. Here are a couple of me, I'll share the rest when I share my Christmas cards. The canyon and the mountains were SO beautiful!!! {I really, really miss the mountains!}

After our pictures we ran and got some flowers and went to visit the two cemeteries. It's still surreal that I have to visit the cemetery when I go to Utah now. It still pulls at my heart string and makes me sad, and sometimes angry. It's still raw and open sometimes, but it is getting better, little by little, day by day, it is getting better.

Friday night the weather got crazy and one of my photo shoots had to be re-scheduled. We went and hung out at Brett's house and all sorts of craziness erupted!! It was quite a night of crazy antics, gorillas, moon shoes, and many laughs. {It was just what we all needed}.

Saturday morning I had three more photo shoots, you can see them HERE, HERE and HERE. They were ALL so much fun and I'm so grateful we were able to capture so many fun memories together! It was pretty stormy by Saturday night, so we decided to postpone the last photo shoot until Sunday, you can see it HERE.

Here are some pictures my sister took of me taking pictures this morning, I LOVE behind the scenes photos of me working!

And then we went to Mi Ranchito because you can't go to Utah and NOT go to Mi's. YUMMO!! It was SOOOO crazy, but so fun!!

AND SOOOOO GOOD!!!

Sunday was Skylar's homecoming, the reason why we came to Utah, I made sure Tanner knew that going to church was NOT optional. He was expected to be AT church, on time. And Skylar's talk was SO good. He's grown up so much and he's gained such a strong testimony. I'm so proud of him. But more important than his talk was the fact that ALL SEVEN of us, and all but one of the grandchildren were there together, AT church to support him. I know it was uncomfortable for some of them {my own son included}. I know some of them don't go to church right now and THAT'S OK!!! I have learned so much about agency, about love and about acceptance. It doesn't mean that I like the choice my siblings, or my own son are making, but it does mean that I LOVE THEM ALL UNCONDITIONALLY!!! Choosing to love someone is really a choice we all make. It doesn't matter what they do, or don't do, we can ALWAYS love them and show them that we love them.

I know mamma was there with us. I know she was proud of each one of us for being there to support Skylar. I know that she is cheering us on every day. I know that she loves us each unconditionally.

I am SO, SO grateful for the things I have learned in the last few years. I would not choose these trials, but they have changed me in ways that nothing else could. I am so proud of you Skylar, I can't imagine losing my mom at such a young age, and while I was away in a foreign country serving the Lord. I can't imagine coming home almost two years later and having her not be there any more. I can't imagine how hard the last two years must have been for you, but I also can't imagine the amount of people you have touched, and the testimonies you have helped to grow, because of your faith. I love you bud!! WELCOME HOME!!

After church, we hung out at dad's house, made silly faces and enjoyed being together as a family.

Monday we had to leave to come home. We went to lunch with dad and Skylar and then we went to the airport. It was such a fun weekend and I am SO grateful that we were able to come!

I LOVE this owl that Skylar brought me from the Dominican Republic. It reminds me of mamma, and teal, and owls, and Skylar and everything. Thank you!!

Skylar Visits Chicago

Long before I knew that I was going to be going home for the entire Summer, we made plans to have Skylar come out and visit us for a week so that he could see Jason and Tanner before he left for his mission in the Dominican Republic. I had only been home about a week when he came to visit. We went to Portillos {twice}, went downtown Chicago, went to a Cubs game, ate lots of good food, helped our friends move, took missionary pictures and had a good time visiting.

I haven't finished all the pages from his visit....so here are a few of his missionary pictures, he is going to be such a good missionary, I'm so proud of him!!