A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks. Devin and I went to Jackson Hole with his
family, my mom and LaDawn threw me a baby shower, and we sent Kendal on his
mission. I don’t even feel like I’ve
been able to sit down and breathe for like the last 3 ½ weeks. Not to mention all the craziness with getting
ready to welcome our little guy to our house.
August 17-19 we went to Jackson Hole. I was seriously so nervous that I wouldn’t be
able to go this year. I’ve been have
some sciatic nerve pain and I was very fearful that it would just be too much. Devin’s family has wanted to do one last trip
as just the five of us before baby came, and luckily everyone’s schedules lined
up so that we could go that weekend.
This year we saw 14 moose! A lot
less compared to the last time we were in Jackson, but still a fantastic
number! We left Friday at about 1 PM and
when we got to Jackson, we went out to the park and immediately started looking
for wildlife. We had driven all over the
place and we literally hadn’t seen anything.
Every other trip that we’ve gone on, we’re usually able to spot an
animal within the first hour or two of getting there. I was getting really discouraged! We were just starting to head home when Devin
thought he saw an elk. While we were
backing the car up to view the elk, Derik spotted a mama moose with twin
babies! They were so far away though we
couldn’t really get any decent pictures.
We started to drive back to the hotel when we came upon what park
rangers call “moose jams”. It’s pretty
much when people find an animal to take pictures of, so everyone and their dog
pulls off the road to take pictures and it can get a little tight in some
places. Like a traffic jam – only they
have “moose jams” or “bear jams”. We ran
into two “moose jams” making our total number of moose seen on Friday night,
five.
Saturday morning we got up bright and early like we always
do, and headed up to Jackson Lake Lodge.
I always love going up to Jackson Lake Lodge. We went up and had our moose pancakes again. The buffet is super expensive, but Jedd and
LaDawn wanted to try it out since they weren’t there with us last year when we
did it, so we decided one more time would be alright. We ate our moose waffles and watched the
beauty of the Teton Mountains.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to see moose while eating breakfast like
we did last year, but the views were still spectacular. Saturday we went up Signal Mountain. We’ve never done that before. We did things a lot differently this trip
then we have other trips. We went and explored new areas that Devin found while
doing some research online. It was
actually quite fun! Signal Mountain was
beautiful. You get to the top and you
can literally just see the entire national park. So much land for as far as your eyeballs can
see! We tried a new driving spot out by
Wilson. Devin has read about how a bunch
of people have seen moose just hanging out there. We drove by and as soon as we turned onto
whatever street we were supposed to be on, I am not even kidding when I tell
you there was this bull moose just chilling on someone’s front lawn. Can you even imagine waking up and finding a
bull moose on your front lawn?! That’s like one of my biggest dreams.
Seriously. Not even 5 minutes later, we
saw another bull moose walk down a mountain and just lay down at the base. Again, right in someone’s backyard! We went back to the Gros Ventre river and
found a 3 ginormous bull moose! One was
so close too. It actually made me
nervous for how close he was to us.
Devin and I bought little boy two new books and a stuffed elk. He has a stuffed bear and stuffed moose
already so I wanted him to have a stuffed elk too. They are just so gosh danget cute!
The following weekend was a super busy weekend for us
too. My mom and LaDawn through me a baby
shower on the 25th. It was
fantastic! I cannot even express the gratitude
that Devin and I felt with everyone who came out to support our little
guy! We had such a great turn out and it
was such a good time! By the end of the
day though, I was literally exhausted. I
was so tired. We had chicken salad
sandwiches, fruit and veggie bowl, assorted cookies and brownie bites! Everything was so delicious. We also had a blue punch. We had the Mixed Berry Kool-Aid flavor, mixed
with 7UP. It was sooo good! We will
definitely be making that for other parties and get togethers.
The day after my shower, was Kendal’s mission farewell. He was supposed to leave on September 26th
to go to the MTC according to his mission call.
However, because he speaks Spanish already, he tested out and they
changed his departure date to the 5th of September. It was easiest to do his farewell and my
shower on the same weekend so that my dad’s family who lives in Idaho could
attend both. He is such a good speaker. It was so nice to be able to go back to my
home ward for a little bit. We’re in the
7th ward right now, but the 3rd ward will always be the
true ward. ;)
With Kendal getting ready to leave, we have spent A LOT of
time with my family. We’ve been going
over to their house every night between his farewell and when he left to play volleyball
at nights. If you know my family, you
know that Sunday’s are our family game night.
We take these games so seriously.
With me being as pregnant as I am, I haven’t played at all. Also, because Kendal was gone doing summer
sales this last summer, we didn’t play any volleyball during the summer because
of me being pregnant and dad having a hernia.
But believe me, we made up for it these last two weeks! It has been such a blast. They boys had a game night on Friday the 31st,
Saturday and Sunday. (We didn’t work on Monday.) On Friday night though they
went all out. D bought a bunch of pop
for them to drink and then he bought 60 chicken tenders from Burger King. (Sean ended up buying 20 more because they
didn’t think that 60 was sufficient…) They were up til after midnight playing
whatever it is that they play. Halo I
think? I don’t know. I went to bed at
like 10. Saturday night we went to the
rodeo in Wellsville with them. It’s a
nice little tradition that Wellsville has the weekend of Labor Day. Kendal’s boss from summer sales in Kentucky
actually did a bunch of events in the Saturday night portion so it was fun to
cheer them on! (Camille and Cody Wadsworth) Sunday I went to my sacrament
meeting and Sunday school, and then I went to my parent’s sacrament meeting so
I could be with Kendal on his last Sunday here.
Monday was Founders Day.
We have a tradition with Devin’s family where we have breakfast and then
head down and watch the parade. We had
pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs, and hashbrowns.
It was so yummy! We watched the
parade up on the hill by the purple church like we do every year. It’s such a nice little tradition that
Wellsville does every year. It makes me
so sad that each year the parade is shorter and the booths dwindle down at the
square. Oh well, I suppose that’s part
of growing up and evolving, right? It’s
just not the thing to do anymore. We
went and spend the remaining day with my family. I feel bad that we’ve neglected Devin’s
family so much the last couple of weeks, but I just wanted to spend some time
with my brother before he was gone. D’s
been very supportive of that. We played
our last game of volleyball as a family for at least two years. This is when the crying started. Tuesday
(September 4th) I knew was going to be a rough day. I thought for sure that it was going to be
the longest day of my life. Mondays are
tough, but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Tuesdays that feel like
Mondays are the absolute worst. So I was
expecting it to be awful. Surprisingly
it went by quite quickly. Dad and mom
went to the temple with Kendal since he was leaving the next day. After they went to the temple, mom, dad,
Kendal, Allie, and I went to lunch at Pizza Pie Café. It was so nice to be able to go to lunch with
Kendal before he left. We went down
after we got home from work and ate dinner with them and then just hung out
until about 10. President Hancock came
and set Kendal apart as a missionary at about 9:30.
Kendal leaving on his
mission
Like I just mentioned, Kendal was set apart
as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on
September 4th. Kendal and I
have not been the closest of siblings, but we’re not the pair of siblings that
just absolutely do not get along.
There’s a six year age difference between Kendal and I. When he was born, he made child number three
for my parents. I was old enough then
that I could help out a lot more. I changed
the diapers that I could, I would help feed him. As he got older to (as did I) I would get him
breakfast in the mornings and take him outside and play on the trampoline
during the summer. For me, as I am the
oldest child, I feel the need to protect all my siblings. I tell people all the time that Allie and
Lindsie are strong enough and mean enough that they could take care of
themselves if anything every happened.
My brothers on the other hand, are very tender hearted. They are just the sweetest things. I remember when Kendal went to his first
movie by himself with some friends, I told Devin that he was just absolutely
too young to do that. He wasn’t old
enough to handle that and what if something happened? I don’t know what word is
the correct word to use right now, but it has taken a lot for me to grow up (is
that the right word?) and realize that the three littles are growing up too.
When Kendal got set apart, I have to be 100% honest in the
fact that I couldn’t keep my eyes closed during that prayer. I just wanted to stare at him. When Kendal started to cry, it absolutely
just broke my heart. He has the saddest
face when he cries. His bottom lip pokes
out and the frown that he makes is just heartbreaking. All I could think to myself was “Do not go.”
I did not want him to be old enough or ready enough to leave us for TWO
YEARS. I just had the biggest pit in my
stomach. I feel so selfish for not
wanting him to leave. But then I started to feel regret about all
those thoughts that I had. How
can I be so upset at him for doing the right thing? How can I be mad at him for wanting to give
two years of his life to our Lord? I really struggled after he was set apart. It kept me up for part of the night. I told Devin how I felt and he understood why
I was feeling that way. But he also made
me remember that there are people out there who don’t know what we know—people
who don’t get to be with their families for eternity because they are unaware
that there is something like that available to them. He told me to remember what my dad said,
moments before Kendal was set apart. “A missionary is someone who leaves their
family for a short time, so that others may be with their families for eternity.” I know that Kendal is doing the right thing
by going and serving our Heavenly Father, and for bringing people the gospel of
Jesus Christ. I know it’s what he’s
supposed to be doing. It’s just
been so hard for me! I don’t know if it’s all the extra hormones from being 8
months pregnant and that’s what is causing me to think those things or
what. I honestly feel selfish still for even thinking that to begin
with, because I know it’s the right thing.
I know that he will be happy and I know that he will be safe. After talking to Devin about it and saying my
own prayer to help me sleep, I woke up the next morning feeling lighter. He’s going to be ok.
Wednesday (September 5th) will forever be (as my mom always puts it) the best worst day ever! I didn’t know if I would be able to sit in the car to and from Provo, so we decided to just say goodbye to him at the house and just mom, dad, Jason, and Lindsie took him down. Also, to be honest, I didn’t want to cry the entire way down, and the entire way home. Devin and I went over to my parents’ house at about 8 that morning and hung out with them until they left at 9. I knew I was going to cry. I held it together very well until Allie sang him a song. She wrote a beautiful missionary song. She wanted me to sing it with her but there’s no way in heck I could have done that. After her song, dad said it was time to start saying our goodbyes. We took pictures. We laughed. We blew snot all over his new suit coat. We hugged. Kendal really didn’t start to cry until he hugged Devin. It was the same way when he left to Kentucky. (The little turd!) We stood outside and watched them drive away. He waved to us as he was pulling out of the drive way and that was it. That’s the last time that I will see my baby brother for TWO YEARS. I know I’ll struggle again when Jason leaves. I struggled when Al left. I cried and cried while Allie walked into the house and Devin and I walked up front to our cars. We still had to go to work. I sat in my car and cried to the point I threw up a little. (Sorry mom and dad!) I cried the whole way into work. I sat in my car at work for about 5 minutes and cried. I was finally able to pull my crap together and go to work and I did ok after that. Mom texted me when they dropped him off and said they did it so fast she didn’t even have time to cry herself! I was a little relieved honestly to know that he was there. Once I knew he had been dropped off, I finally felt peace. I have been more at peace knowing that he’s there with people just like him, wanting to serve our Lord and Savior, than I have been in a week. The North Carolina Raleigh Mission (Spanish speaking!) has no idea how lucky they are to be getting such a great human being. They are truly blessed. I suppose I can share him for a little while, if it means that other people will get to be taught the gospel.
Wednesday (September 5th) will forever be (as my mom always puts it) the best worst day ever! I didn’t know if I would be able to sit in the car to and from Provo, so we decided to just say goodbye to him at the house and just mom, dad, Jason, and Lindsie took him down. Also, to be honest, I didn’t want to cry the entire way down, and the entire way home. Devin and I went over to my parents’ house at about 8 that morning and hung out with them until they left at 9. I knew I was going to cry. I held it together very well until Allie sang him a song. She wrote a beautiful missionary song. She wanted me to sing it with her but there’s no way in heck I could have done that. After her song, dad said it was time to start saying our goodbyes. We took pictures. We laughed. We blew snot all over his new suit coat. We hugged. Kendal really didn’t start to cry until he hugged Devin. It was the same way when he left to Kentucky. (The little turd!) We stood outside and watched them drive away. He waved to us as he was pulling out of the drive way and that was it. That’s the last time that I will see my baby brother for TWO YEARS. I know I’ll struggle again when Jason leaves. I struggled when Al left. I cried and cried while Allie walked into the house and Devin and I walked up front to our cars. We still had to go to work. I sat in my car and cried to the point I threw up a little. (Sorry mom and dad!) I cried the whole way into work. I sat in my car at work for about 5 minutes and cried. I was finally able to pull my crap together and go to work and I did ok after that. Mom texted me when they dropped him off and said they did it so fast she didn’t even have time to cry herself! I was a little relieved honestly to know that he was there. Once I knew he had been dropped off, I finally felt peace. I have been more at peace knowing that he’s there with people just like him, wanting to serve our Lord and Savior, than I have been in a week. The North Carolina Raleigh Mission (Spanish speaking!) has no idea how lucky they are to be getting such a great human being. They are truly blessed. I suppose I can share him for a little while, if it means that other people will get to be taught the gospel.
Dear Kendal,
Yo se que serás el mejor misionero. Yo se que estas hacienda lo que nuestro Padre
Celestial queire que hagas. Yo se que
esta iglesia es veradera. Se que nuestro
Padre Celestial te va a bedecir con los bendiciones que necesitas para cumplir tu misión. Tienes un gran corazon y se
que vas a hacer cosas increíble. Yo se
que Jesucristo vive y que nos ama. Estoy muy orgullosa de ti. Te amo con todo mi corazon y nos vemos en dos
años.
