Hey junior!

It's so hard to believe Sage is starting her junior year!  Seriously, I can't even believe it!!!  Even more hard to believe is that she is starting school here in Florida!  It was four years ago that Jack took a job in Utah, hoping it would be the way to get the family back there for good.  We had always hoped to return there after the kids graduated so when this opportunity presented itself, it was a little earlier than we had hoped but jobs in Utah don't come often so Jack took it.  The plan was to let the boys finish their junior and senior years in Florida giving Jack time to make certain he enjoyed the job.  Then we would time the move to take place right after the boys graduated, which would time perfectly with Sage starting high school.  We were pretty excited... until Covid.  Everything got messed up in 2020.  We weren't even sure if Jack's company he worked for would survive through Covid so making the move and leaving behind what we knew here for uncertainty there was not feeling like a great option.  Fast forward two years and Jack's since been recruited to work for another company in Utah, Sage has decided that rowing is her sport, and while we've bought land in Utah, we couldn't be building during a more expensive, slow time.  Between supply chain issues, a shortage of workers, and huge cost increases, it's literally the worst time but hey, we are plugging along.  The jury is out on where Sage will graduate from high school but for now she's loving being able to stay at Windermere High School!

So here is our sweet junior!  

A blessing in disguise

When Ty first called to tell me that there was a chance he could be returning home from his mission for a bit my heart sank.  He had been out about nine months and had only just arrived in Chile a month prior. He had something weighing on his mind though and it had finally surfaced to the point he needed to talk with someone. After a heartfelt conversation with his mission president, it was determined he should come home for a few months.  A week later I was picking up my sweet boy at the airport. It truly is amazing how the closer you get to the spirit, the more you recognize the promptings and the more you have a desire to please God.  Ty was doing just that.  He had a weight he had been carrying from long before his mission and one that needed to be lifted off of him.  Thankfully that has now happened and today he is back on his mission where he so longed to be only now he no longer feels the weight of that burden.  He learned the valuable lesson of what the atonement is all about and how each one of us can benefit from it.  We are so proud of him for choosing to be brave and courageous at a time when it would have been much easier to brush all his feelings under the rug.  And how grateful we all were for the remarkable amount of love and support he received from everyone upon his return.  

Those first two months back home were not easy.  He desperately missed his mission, the routine, and being around people he had grown to love, not to mention being with a companion 24/7.  I quickly realized I was going to be his new companion even if he was not aware of that.  Thankfully his old job at Basin had welcomed him back with open arms so there wasn't a lot of down time for him. But it was clear he felt the need to be around people.  One of my favorite things was our afternoon lay out sessions by the pool.  It was as good for my soul as it was for his.  I've always felt close to my kids but having this time with just him was something we hadn't been able to experience before.  Since the day he was born up until he left on his mission him and Connor were a package deal.  Where one was, so was the other.  While it felt weird not having Connor around, for once I was able to have some time with just Ty.  And now that he'll extend his mission out a few months longer than Connor, I'm already looking forward to having that same amount of one on one time with Connor while Ty is still serving.   

It's much easier to learn life lessons when you are young and definitely allows for a greater payoff in the future.  We hope this experience with Ty is something he will always remember and we have no doubt it will always serve as a gentle reminder of our Savior's love for us and his desire for us to grow and learn in this life.

Here are a few memories from from his mid mission break.  Now I will countdown to his safe return next November.

A special shout out to Ty's mission trainer, Elder Nathan Latty, who happens to also be from Florida.  How fun it was for Ty and him to connect while Ty was home.   

He also managed to make a trip out to Utah for the 4th of July to see his buddies and spend time with Grandma and Grandpa!  

I think it's fair to say that as much as Sage enjoyed having her brother around again, she was happy to know that she would soon be the only child again...haha! Unfortunately round two of goodbyes were no easier than the first round...