MARIAH IS HOME!!!!

Grandma and Grandpa Elton came on Tuesday. They got settled and met Avery.

Four generations!

First thing Wednesday morning, none of the kids went to school, we got in the van instead, and drove with much excitement to the airport! Grandma and Grandpa Gazdik met us there and Megan and Ammon, too! When we saw her, we screamed and ran and hugged her in a big mass hug!! And then we screamed and hugged her some more!! We are so glad she is home!

We came to our house for lunch. Sarah and McKay and Avery met us here and Sarah got her Mariah hug! After Mariah was released, she got a chance to hold little Avery. Megan made a Kahoot game that had questions about Mariah's mission and Mariah told us a story with each question. It was super fun!

That evening we had a turkey dinner. Mandy came, too! There were seventeen of us! Mariah had been up since 2:30am our time, but she was willing to party with us all day long! She was tired, but happy. And we are all so happy, too!!!

On Thursday, Mariah started working for Springville rec again! Her boss was so excited to see her! She is the "commissioner" for the women's volleyball games on Thursday nights. She has also finished off her week by reuniting with friends and going on some runs with her sisters or dad. She's had great conversations with her mom, too! :)

On Saturday, we got to go to the temple! Mariah, Savannah, Grandma and Grandpa Gazdik, Grandma and Grandpa Elton, and Kevin and I went to an afternoon session. It was super special!

When we got home, we had more family waiting for us! Grandma and Grandpa Skinner were here from Idaho! And my sister, Maggie, had arrived with Emily and Liz. We made lots and lots of hamburgers and had almost twenty for dinner, again!

All the grandparents in a row!

The next morning was Sunday and Mariah gave her homecoming talk in our 9am sacrament meeting! Boy was it wonderful! She took the whole meeting except for the youth speaker which was . . . Ben's first talk! (He did great and insisted on writing it all himself! Mariah loved having him speak with her!) Mariah had us all say, "Amen!" to all her important points and told us stories of miracles on her mission. It was fabulous. Afterward, we had everyone who wanted to talk to Mariah come to our house for some food and visiting! We had a lot of people in our house and it was wonderful!

After all the friends left, Sarah and McKay came over with Avery and we visited with my family a little longer. After a couple hours, they needed to head back to Cedar City and Grandma and Grandpa headed down with them. It was so great to have them!

During the open house, when everything was crazy at our house, Grandma and Grandpa Skinner slipped away to visit with Avery before they drove home.

Also, on Saturday night, Cali and Chey went to MORP (which is prom backward). So, the girls ask the boys and they don't dress fancy. This year the theme was "dynamic duos." Chey and her date, Ryan, dressed as salt and pepper. Cali and her date, Richmond, dressed as Lucy and Charlie Brown.