New Year Catch-Up!

I've neglected my blog since August! August! Just yesterday I was having a blog book printed up (I'm still several years behind on that) and when I saw that my last entry was Lyndsay's BYU graduation, I felt awful because SO much has happened since then! She had a life-changing trip to Asia for six weeks with her roommate and the pictures were out of this world. I wish I could post them all here, but Blogger would explode. When she came back, she loaded us all with gifts from Thailand and China and then just a few short days later, she headed back up to Provo to start working in the Bioinformatics lab on BYU's campus, a job she had during school.

The younger boys started back to school, Aiden in 10th grade, Conor in 4th. Dylan has been doing some odd jobs for people in the ward, still looking for steady employment. I kept plugging away at work, night shift Labor and Delivery.

As the Christmas season started approaching, I asked the boys if they would be okay with less presents this year if we got a kitten. No hesitation from any of them, it was a resounding YES. I researched various ragdoll breeders and we went to meet the one we selected and choose the kitten that would be our newest family member. Then only problem was that we couldn't decide between two, and so we ended up getting both! Little ragdoll brothers, we named Aslan and Beowulf. Oh, how we love them! And even Maestro, our 11 year old ragdoll has come to accept and even tolerate their very active company.

It is so much fun to have kittens around again! And we are so glad we bit the bullet and bought two. The brothers love each other immensely and love being together, which hopefully made their transition easier.

But seriously, it's like having toddlers in the house sometimes. They are so curious! And they often get into things, or make things take just a bit longer as they check out the scene.

Conor and Aslan have really developed a special bond, as have Dylan and Beowulf, which is nice since Aiden is Maestro's favorite.

So, this is Aslan, our seal point ragdoll.

And this is Beowulf, a Lynx point ragdoll.

That Sunday, Aiden was ordained to the office of priest in the Aaronic Priesthood and can now bless the sacrament. He is my first son to be a priest, so it was very emotional for me, watching him break the bread and prepare the emblems of the sacrament.

Aiden also got his driver's license! On a rare, very rainy day in Los Angeles.

Lyndsay met a boy! And this one's for keeps! She met him in her new apartment complex and ward up in Provo when she got back from Asia. His name is Nate, and we knew it was serious because she brought him home for Christmas break. Fortunately, we love him!

He fit right in with the family, even willingly participating in our annual traditional Graham Cracker Houses!

He laughed that he used all the wrong colors and made his look like a Halloween house, but I was just super impressed with his creativity and construction, this being his first house ever!

So great to have Dylan home to make houses with us! He missed our family traditions.

Fun, fun! And Lyndsay even used some super-selfie tricks to balance her iPhone and get a picture of all of us in front of the tree, kitties included.

Our Christmas was wonderful and happy. Lyndsay spoiled us all with more gifts from her Asia trip, and the kids really spoiled me with gifts, including a new iPhone 6s! I adore them. Caitlin got to spend some time with us too, but not Sean this year, unfortunately.

Then my Dylan boy turned 20! Can't even believe it. The last five years, or maybe seven (but who's counting?) have been really hard, but now we are here, in a better place, and only looking forward! I am so grateful that he's home and safe. He has definitely learned some lessons the very, very hard way, and still has some others to learn, but he's doing it with courage and honesty, and I love having him around. He has been a great strength to me since being home.

I made him his dinner (steak, of course) and cake (Angel Food with strawberries, this year) of choice, and we bought him an entertainment center to put in his room.

Happy birthday, my Dylan boy!

August 13, 2015: BYU Commencement

Road trip! The culmination of our summer was driving up to Utah to celebrate the culmination of Lyndsay's college experience at Brigham Young University. I got to drive with the three boys, which was awesome since two of them could help drive!

We drove up the day before. I actually really like road trips with the kids, being "stuck" together for a nice long time. We had some conversation, some laughs (Dylan is hilarious), and the boys got some reading done in between video game sessions.  Conor is working his way through the Far World series,

And Aiden was hard at work on his AP English Language assignment, reading and annotating The Fiddler in the Subway. Great book.

When we first arrived in Provo, it was late and we were starving. We drove right to Cafe Rio and ate dinner, and then headed back to the hotel to crash. Well, some of us wanted to crash. The boys were so hyped up and insisted on jumping on beds and throwing pillows around and laughing and, well, being boys. Which they apparently are slow to grow out of. But finally we were able to settle down after enough mishaps and Mom going slightly crazy.

The next day, we needed to work together to get Lyndsay moved out of her apartment before the ceremony. Her brothers worked hard packing and lifting for her. She had already done a lot of the work and cleaning, but man, moving is a huge job.

And, we realized, she has too much stuff.

She stored most of her things in the garage of one of her professors (whom she babysits for as well), and then some of it went in her car, and some in mine. Some we took to Deseret Industries to donate. Cleaning out her fridge and freezer meant that she made huge batches of smoothies and kept making us drink one after the other.

Then we all came back to the hotel room to get ready for the graduation.

The commencement was held at the Marriott Center on BYU's campus. We got there very early to be sure we could get good seats. My dad had flown in from North Dakota for this event, and Lyndsay's dad and his family had driven up from Arizona. Adam met us there from St. George, where he's been working. The one thing we all had in common was our love and pride in this girl we get to call ours.

Lyndsay's major was Bioinformatics, which is a conglomerate of computer science, genetics, and molecular biology. She minored in Computer Science. She's a real life scientist!

We are extra proud of her because my mom and I realized that Lyndsay is the first female anywhere in the family, both sides to receive her Bachelor's degree! She's a pioneer and she is paving the way for all of her female cousins and her future daughters and granddaughters.

After we were settled in our seats, Lyndsay had to leave us to go line up with the graduates. We waited anxiously. (And I enjoyed seeing Dylan all dressed up in a shirt and tie.)

Lyndsay texted me this picture of her and her best friend and roommate, Emily from the processional line outside. It made me tear up instantly. This is real! There is my girl in a cap and gown!

When the graduates started entering the stadium, they walked down several different aisles. I was scanning the blue caps, searching for my girl, when all of a sudden, I heard, "Mom!" There she was, walking right by us! We had picked a most fortunate spot to sit, and it melted my heart that she wanted to be sure that I saw her. I love the expression of pure joy on my dad's face. He graduated from BYU's undergraduate and law program so many years ago.

The faculty came and sat on the stand, along with the commencement speakers, Elder Russell M. Nelson and Elder Dallin H. Oakes, there in the front in the green and red robes.

The speakers were excellent and appropriately inspiring. The degrees were pronounced upon the graduates, and then they left the arena, officially finished with their programs. We got to see Lyndsay again as she filed past our row. Man, she glows.

We met up with her outside for hugs, tears of joy, and pictures.

All of us together, who came to celebrate our Lyndsay.

That day also happened to be Conor's 9th birthday. We had talked with him about postponing his celebration til we got home, but we still wanted to be sure he got a little birthday love. Here we are driving over to the restaurant. Love this boy.

We ate at Buffalo Wild Wings, though through a series of unfortunate circumstances, Adam never made it to dinner.

We surprised Conor with some birthday love.

I love this man so much. He is a hero to me, and it meant so much that he could be there to share in this joyous occasion.

My birthday buffalo.

We headed back to the hotel for some swimming and fun and then went to bed even more excited for the events of the next day.