Garden of Eden

I had to put my camera in the shop. Dropping my camera off at the UPS store with their promise that they would package it well was about the most stressful thing I’ve done this month.  But, it had to go in.  I have been having some problems with it, and since I have a shoot coming up this fall for my friend Sarah, I figured I better get on the ball.  So I shipped it off and waited for the estimate.  Lo and behold, there is a recall on my camera for the exact problems it was happening.  I got an email back letting me know the repairs would be free of charge, and within about a week I had my baby back in my hot little hands. I needed to play with it a bit to make sure everything was working as it should be so I ran out to the yard to take a few photos.  It occurred to me that very shortly we will be headed back to the desert and I will no longer live in this land of lush beauty and greenery. Once I finished weeping about that, I walked around and took photos of a few of the things that are growing in our yard right now.  With no help from me, as I do not have the elusive green thumb. Oh how I will miss Indiana.

no time to breathe

No sooner were we home from trek than Tauna and I were out the door again for girl’s camp.  Busy busy busy.  I was so excited to be able to go to girl’s camp this year with Katauna!  My friend Sarah is the stake camp director, and I got called as a level leader.  It was one of the best weeks, and I made three life-long friends. (Sarah, Stephanie, and Julie).  There is something amazing about girl’s camp, even as an adult leader. And the camp was beautiful.  While I was at camp I was so lucky to have my phone on me Tuesday morning when I got a call from Jaxson!  He was leaving the MTC headed to Phoenix.  He said he was happy and loving the work.  I didn’t think I would be able to talk to him at all and we both sobbed with the joy of hearing each other’s voices.  Later that night I had another call come in, but didn’t have my phone on me. It was from his mission president.  It was a wonderful voice mail that informed me Jaxson had arrived safely, looked great, AND that he was being assigned to become a spanish speaking Elder. !!!  I plan to keep that voicemail for a long time.

no time to spare

We got home from palmyra on July 4, and on July 6 dad and I and Steve and Tauna were all out the door for a week at trek.  I had been so stressed out about this, because I had no family here to take care of the little girls.  But really, I do.  My friend Sarah took them for the week and they had so much fun, and were quick to let me know that Sarah is a really good cook.  I’m so grateful for the amazing friends I have found here in Indiana, I didn’t worry about the girls a single bit. Trek was amazing.  Jason and I got to be a ma and pa again and we had an incredible family. We got to experience some insane Indiana heat, as well as horrendous mosquitos buzzing our faces at night to the point that sleep was elusive. We had to find shelter at 2:00 a.m. as a storm rolled in.  We had good food and made great memories. I’m grateful for our pioneer forefathers and what they went through to find their freedom of religion.

palmyra, kirtland, niagra falls, the 4th of july

I dropped Jaxson off at the MTC and flew home, and the next day we were on the road to New York.  It was a spur of the moment trip with Dalan and his family who were in Indiana for a month to help on the job. It was a super packed weekend visiting Kirtland on the way out and the way back, seeing all of Palmyra and the surrounding church sites with some of our favorites being the hill Cumorah and the sacred grove, and visiting Niagra falls, a first for all of us.  Lots of driving, lots of the spirit, lots of family time.  And a quick fireworks show in our backyard once we got home.  I thought we were going to light the trees on fire… but we didn’t. This was a weekend I will never forget.

number two is gone

I can’t believe it, but Jaxson is in the MTC and getting ready to preach the gospel to the good people in Phoenix AZ.  I am so proud of him and what a great example he is to me and his little brother and sisters. He has been looking forward to serving a mission for his whole life and has been so excited. His last week here was full, he got to go to the temple for the first time, we spent time at the beach with family, and lots of packing.  I know he will do great things.  I’m so grateful for my sisters Debra and Karen for making the long trip out to Indiana to be here for his endowment session and farewell.  Love my family.