He's Home!

It is so amazing to have Miles HOME!  I'm just reveling in that post-mission angelic phase.  I love that he's still the same, and just better!  Sweet, loving, more mature.  He came home with a perspective on the world that has really shifted.

In 2020 Miles made a tiktok that went viral.  It was the one when we were in Lake Powell and he tanned a flag into his back.  He got some free stuff out of it and a couple shirts.  He really liked wearing the shirts.  But he was still growing and growing and eventually they were dingy and small and he kept wearing them.  So I finally was doing laundry one day and just threw the Rodman shirt out.  I felt like I was helping him.  But then when he kept asking about his shirt I felt kinda bad!  But I didn't want to come clean so I just said it must be lost.  Haha  pretty sure he was skeptical.  Sometimes clothes I don't like go missing around here.  Anyway, while he was on his mission I was making a pile of high school memorabilia to do a quilt for him and wished I had that iconic Rodman shirt back for the quilt.  So I searched it up on the internet and found it!  So we all bought shirts and wore them to the airport!  We thought he would think it was so funny.  But he didn't really say anything haha.  Come on Miles, give me something.  It was kind of embarrassing to wear this shirt.

Some of his friends were on the same flight home!  I am very excited for them all to hang out soon. Miles was excited to see four of the other friends at the airport!

I bought him some things I knew he would need.  One thing I got was some socks.  And he was like, "oh socks!  Yes! I haven't had new socks in forever."  It was cute.  And I got him some Nikes to match Soren's.  And he was like, oh these are REAL.  Cause in Brazil everyone just wears knockoffs.

And on a side note, I love that he has the same humor.  He took off his shoes in the car on the way home and he made a joke about his socks being modest in the front and when we saw the bottom they were full of holes!  I truly don't know how he wore those like that.  They look so uncomfortable.

On the way home from the airport he saw one of the new temples and he's so excited and saying how he just didn't have a good understanding of how important the temples are until his mission.  He was explaining how it's an event that takes a lot of planning and sacrifice.

He was saying how surreal everything is.  The nice cars in the parking lots to when we pulled onto our street.  He was just in awe.  

We invited the grandparents over for lunch and we all visited for awhile.  Elise was able to come over shortly and everything went well with her D&C and she was feeling good.  Soleil was shy about Miles, as I knew she probably would be!  But by the end of the day she was warming up and when he went downstairs she was asking about him.

We all loved hearing Miles tell some of his stories that happened right before he came home.  One of his favorite baptisms on the mission.  And one of his early baptisms was sealed to his wife in the Sao Paolo temple the Saturday before he left.  He loves that couple and was so excited for them!

We went to our Stake President to get released last night and it was super sweet to hear his comments.  I loved some of the things he said.  How the gospel knowledge created potential energy for answering questions and doing a good job as a missionary.  How grateful he was for the daily schedule and hard work and how satisfying it is.  Even though you are working hard and giving up so many things that made life easier at home, the fulfillment he felt when he saw how peoples lives were changing made it all worth it.

He's sleeping in today!  He went to Josies after getting released last night.  She got home 10 days ago.  So I'm sure he's happy to talk mission with her.  It's been days of traveling to get home.  Long bus ride to Ribeirao, then to Sao Paolo, then the long red eye flight, packing, goodbyes.  It's all such a long process.  He got to go to the temple in Ribeirao, and then attended the temple in Sao Paolo.  I can't wait to see all the photos.

I realized the night before that our big nice camera is missing.  I'm so sad we didn't have it at the airport!  Hopefully we will find it soon.

Twelve More Hours!

 We are all so excited to see Miles tomorrow!

Soren wanted to nail down the hug order and I said he could have the first if he really wanted as Miles' only brother.  Miles challenged Soren to read the Book of Mormon a few months ago and he finished it already!  I'm so proud of him.  He's done this all on his own without any nagging from me.

We've been busy preparing!  We bought him some of his favorite foods, some new clothes and basics that he might need so we don't have to run out anytime soon and do errands.  And we've hung the banners.  And we've been cleaning and for some reason edging the lawn was a priority although I'm pretty sure Miles won't care at all about that stuff.

Soren and I visited Simone at work and ordered catering for tomorrow for his requested meal.  It's easier than trying to find a restaurant that can seat all of us.  And with Miles's red eye flight and long travel days, we aren't sure how exactly he'll be feeling.

Elise is sadly going to miss the airport because of surgery!  I'm sad for her because I know how much she wants to be there.  But also relieved because I've been worried about her and just want everything taken care of ASAP, and this was the earliest option.  She had a missed then incomplete miscarriage, followed by a hemorrhage that required a transfusion.  It's been a rough month both emotionally and physically, and a lot longer process than expected.  She is mourning having that sweet little brother for Soleil and having them closer in age.

I have a hard time being flexible when life happens and my vision of some anticipated event doesn't match reality.  But I'm trying to learn to roll with the punches and just let it go.

We will all be together soon!  I'm so excited to hug my boy.  Every time I've thought of him these last few weeks I've had this ache!  Like anticipation, excitement and an actual ache.  I'm very excited to see him.  

My littlest big kid

Soren is 13!  And he is the kindest, chillest kid ever.

He is very responsible and I love how he's sensitive, kind, obedient, and fun.

So one thing Soren loves is movies and popcorn.  So this summer we've been working hard in the mornings, then when it's hot out we head to the movies!  There have been some good ones!

Simone and Soren have the sweetest relationship.  Soren loves Simone and they have been going fishing together.  Recently they all hiked Timp overnight with Monet and her friends that hike for Cole each year.  Soren was a little intimidated by the hike.  But he was also excited.  

When they all got home, Simone said he didn't complain at all.  And I said usually he just will describe how he was actually feeling later.  And that's just what happened.  haha.

But we all get amnesia when we do the hard things and soon forget the parts that were really hard and we remember that good feeling we got from doing something cool and new.

He did track this year and did super well!  He ran the 400, 200, Long Jump, and the 4x400.  He qualified for the district meet in all of them.  Going into the meet he had the fastest 200 record in the district at 25.8.  But was disappointed when at the meet he got 2 seconds slower.  Still he was 6th in the 200, 4th in the Long Jump, 5th in the the 400, and his 4X400 he took first in the district (14 middle schools) and broke the school record.  It was the happiest time seeing all the cute little 7th grade boys and how excited they were to take first in this relay.  It was Sorens first time running a relay.  We tried to get his attention before the race to let him know he didn't have to stay in his lane.  But he couldn't hear us.  So he ran the whole way in the middle  Recently we all ran a 10K together.  Its fun to see how his sisters can get him to do literally anything.

He's been having fun with Karate.  He just got his green belt.  He has some amazing kicks and does well in sparring and in board breaking.  He wants to try Jiu Jitsu sometime.  

Garden Journal

I've been spending a lot of time in the yard!  I got some major planting and sprinkler work done and I'm happy about it.

Our side yard has a huge sloped bed.  It's southwest facing and very hot and dry.  I am going to retain part of it by moving some of the boulders in our yard so I have to leave room for the equipment to get in there so I'm not planting part of it yet.  Anyway, I'm excited!  Plants take so long to really establish.  It's not going to look great for a couple more years.

In addition to the shrubs and trees that were already in, there are lots of coneflower, gaura, russian sage, lambs ear, artemisia, tall garden phlox, ornamental onion, nepeta, bloomerang lilacs, Mexican feather grass and Karl Forester grass and big limelight hydrangeas.  I put a Karl Fuchs Cedar in a couple years ago and it's grown a ton.  Yay.

I'm planting mostly drought tolerant and potentially xeric plants.  Mixed in with my hydrangeas.  That way at least I can remove the drip eventually once the drought tolerant plants are established.  I have three gaura that have been in for a couple years.  One has no water line to it.  The other does.  They look exactly the same.  Same thing with my coneflower.  Once established, they need little water.

Next step is mulching everything!

Another area I've planted is my south fence.  It's a bit of a fail though.  It is mostly shade.  I don't know whether to pull some of the ratty looking plants or let them establish and grow in.  Some things should do well in that area, like the Japanese anemone.

Here are some flower photos of some things I've liked!  

Jared and I put up this swing and it was a total pain because our roof goes in all directions.  But we finally did it and I love it!  Our back deck is no longer just for the dogs.

Learned how to prune finally.  Just like Martha, now pruning my grapes 

will be part of my calendared items for the month.  Lol.  

July is hot and dry.  Hopefully my lawn will recover.

Loving this new scabiosa bloom!  The plant itself is very ugly.  Hopefully it fills in.