as of yesterday, summer is officially over....boo!! don't get me wrong, i love the fall - it really is one of the most beautiful times of the year. i love the cooler days, wearing all my favorite jeans and sweaters again. but i really do love summer. i love long, hot days at the beach, camping, boating, sleeping in, and having a tan. i already miss the days of waking up and asking the kids which beach they would like to go to today. it really was a great summer.
and it ended with a bang! we headed to red deer for the last few days of august to welcome my brother robert home from his 2 year mission to the scotland/ireland mission. oh, what a moment it was, watching him run through those doors at the airport. we all jumped up and down and screamed with excitement as we rushed to give him hugs. there wasn't a dry eye amongst us. we were all so VERY happy to see rob, hug him, hold him, touch him, and listen to him after 2 years away. . i won't ever forget the joy i felt when i first saw him. and watching my kids squeeze him so hard....they really missed him a lot. i am grateful for his faithful service as a missionary but i am also so grateful that he is back home, with us, his family. i am grateful for all 3 of my brothers and the selfless and faithful service they have all given as missionaries of the Lord. i love them all so much.
my brother steve and his wife andrea also had their little baby boy while we were in red deer. i was SO glad to be there when little spencer was born. after the heartache and loss of their sweet baby stephen, we were all so very grateful that little spencer was born healthy and strong. it was so special to hold spencer and to welcome him in to our family. i am grateful for the miracle of birth and that steve and andrea have a little boy to hold and raise in their family now. he is so sweet.
such a great way to end our summer holidays.
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| waiting for rob to walk through the doors. |
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| andrea and grace with rob |
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| mom and rob |
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| burton really missed rob |
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| the wrestlers for life reunited |
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| spencer and i |
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jess and i having a giggle as rob teases andrew:) i love my family!!
on a side note, brent and i completed our first ever triathlon at the beginning of august in coeur d'alene. it was a really, awesome experience. sometimes i find it hard to believe how fun it was to work so hard and push myself to finish something that challenging. i finished in 3 hours and 17 minutes, only 8 minutes behind brent (which isn't saying much as he really didn't train very much for it at all!). here's to beating that time next year!!
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