Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary

Well - the 20th of June came and went and I didn't post a shout out to my favorite daughter on her birthday - so HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MERANDA!

This week marks the one week anniversary of her leaving for her mission in the Paraguay, Asuncion North Mission.  The year has flown by on my end.  A day doesn't go by that I don't think about MKW.  Her emails make Monday's something to look forward to. 

When she left on her mission, she was the first missionary in 18 months to leave from our Ward, which was quite unusual as we have always had a "bunch".  Now it seems like every week, someone else has received their call.  I would like to think that she was a good example to follow.

Meranda has never been one to "toot her horn".  Most the time you have to literally pull information out of her and even then you don't always get the whole story.  So her being thousands of miles away makes it even harder to find out what's going on.  But, she is having a great mission.  She has had some great companions and some not so great companions.  She had not seen a "North American Hermana" until last week.  Her spelling has gotten worse - which I'm guessing means her Spanish is really good.  She is down to one pair of shoes (a new pair is on the way). She misses carpet and vegetables.  She loves what she is doing. 

Some Monday's I get to do a little "email" exchange back and forth with her today's exchange when something like this....

Momma Bear - "Did you get your package?"
MK - "No...i'm waiting..maybe this week..did you send me shoes?"
Momma Bear - "Yes I did - I hope you get them."
MK - "Did you guys watch the little training thing yesterday that was broadcasted? In the cyber that I'm in the man running the place is cutting his fingernails...it is kinda gross..but what do you do!!!!"
Momma Bear - "We didn't make it to the training - it was when Grandpa came for dinner and he didn't want to go".
MK - "We could have watched it in the house of member if they invited us but noboday invited us so we didn't see it".

Then she was gone until next week.

This is last July in the CCM in Buenos Aires - the Hermana with the short hair is her companion now - as "Sister Training Leaders".

This is her just a few weeks ago - they love her hair and blue eyes. 

The School Year in Review

Another school year comes to a close as Parker finishes his Sophomore year at HHS.
The year was filled with ups and downs, good times and not so good times, but we did survive.

As always, the year started with great anticipation and excitement hoping for good things. Parker is my most social child and he did not disappoint. He can basically talk to anyone, which is both good and bad.  He turned 16 and went on his first date - Sadies - with a Senior and then finished the year at Senior ball.

As a member of the Swim team we hosted the team Halloween Costume party at our house.  Parker's costume as "Momma June" will go down in swim team history.  Just after the season started, he came up with a sore shoulder and had to take it easy for a while - kind of.  The swim coach decided that if he couldn't swim, he could run and run and run until he could get back in the water.  Having Cousin Emily on the coaching staff helped him get through the season and his times did improve.

He was once again invited to Chula Vista to work out with the USA 19-Under National Fastpitch team - it rained the whole time and he spent his time in a crappy indoor practice facility - but he did great at the camp!

Tennis started in March and he was named to the Varsity #2 doubles team.  He got to go to St. George with the team and he and his doubles partner, Easton Batt had a good season.  But then came the fall....and missing region....and state.....definitely a downer!

His favorite class was AP World History taught by Mr. Newman.  His least favorite class was a tossup - Honors English (the teacher reminded him of the secretary in Monster's Inc.); Chemistry (where the teacher was amped up on caffiene most the time and always lost his assignments) or Seminary (he says he had the two worst teachers in the whole seminary and won't have to have them again).

He learned how to deal with disappointment.  I learned what a "ginger" is.  He learned to always be honest and kind to others.  I learned more patience.