This week my grown-up kids started leaving me. 

We needed a last Hurrah so we had a picnic up Hobble Creek Canyon on Monday evening. We were all able to be there and it was such fun! We ate food and afterwards played Bocce ball and spike ball and ultimate Frisbee. I mostly sat on the blanket and cooed at Avery and watched. What a crazy, active, loving crowd of people. I love them so much that my heart aches, and that I had something to do with the creation of them and who they are is just a miracle. It's a miracle for which I'm grateful and awed by every day.

SO WHY ARE THEY LEAVING ME???

Alright. Just kidding. I know they need to. They're all off to do great things!

Early Tuesday morning, I got in Mariah's car with her and we drove down to St. George! We were a little early for check-in, so we went to WalMart first and bought groceries and other sundries. Then we drove over to the apartment office, checked in, and drove to Mariah's new apartment. We had high hopes. They were dashed on walking in to find the place dirty, smelling of drugs, and with the obvious signs of a canine inhabitant. What to do? Cry? Pray? We did both and moved her things in anyway. She needed to be at an athletic meeting at one and she needed to drop me off at the bus station before then and we were hoping to grab some lunch. Leaving her there, as she confessed with tears in her eyes, "I do not want to be here," was one of the hardest things I have ever done. We both called on our faith and optimism and moved forward with our plans.

She is doing better now. She met her roommates and she reports that they are very sweet. She has had lots of opportunities to be with her new cross country team and she loves them! She has reunited with some old friends and that has been super good. Today she went to church and found out that her old bishop (who she loved and who wrote to her on her mission) is now the high councilman over her ward and she is thrilled. She also found a group of girls in her ward who said she could come hang out with them whenever she wants. Things are looking up! She also might still change apartments. We will see, but she is busy making St. George into a place she does want to be. I'm very proud of her.

Mariah in St. George with an old friend from high school, Karlee.

Wednesday was the first day of school for Bethany and Benjamin! It was the first time in probably two decades that when public school started, the majority of my kids weren't there or at least half. (Having twins really increases the impact of everything they do!) BUT Beth and Ben are keeping me in the public school game for awhile yet. Yay! They both had good days back at school. Beth started 9th grade still at the junior high and Ben started 7th grade still at the middle school. Beth had fun seeing all her friends. Ben was bummed that he didn't see any of his friends. He doesn't have any in his classes. Hopefully he will immerse himself in his work and become 4x smarter than he otherwise would! He doesn't really see it that way, but I am hopeful.

On Thursday, I helped Cheyenne move into her new apartment at Wolverine Crossing across the freeway from UVU. She had an orientation for the honors program that morning from 9 to Noon. She really enjoyed it and met some great people. Her check-in time was between 1 and 1:45 and she wasn't all the way packed... So that was a little crazy but we made it by 1:45 and all her friends had already checked in, so they were right there to grab her stuff and bring it to the apartment before I even parked! Her apartment is super nice. An RA is living in their apartment and she has the outside hallway decorated sooooo cute! Chey and I went to WalMart and grabbed groceries and sundries. After we brought those into her apartment, I gave her a tight hug, told her she was going to have so much fun, and left her there. It was easier than Mariah because I am only 25 minutes away, but still hard!!

On Friday I actually shopped for myself and the family that lives in the same house in which I reside. Crazy, right? My sister, Amy's, daughter, Mandy, is here staying with us until she can check into her apartment next week.Kevin and I went out to eat which is what we do every Friday night and we talked about all the kids we are worried about. I think only two didn't make the list. All the people who keep telling us that just because they move out doesn't mean you stop worrying about them? Well, they were right!

Early, early Saturday morning 12:30am, Cali and Chey and six more of their friends left to hike Timpanogos. They hiked through the night to see the sunrise from the summit. Unfortunately, it was cloudy and rainy. They saw a bit of view from the saddle but the great victory was just making it, and the fun was being with their good friends. I was glad to see that even though they will be living in different places, that won't stop them from doing things together.

On Saturday, I read a book and then went to the adult session of Stake Conference and marveled at the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was the most normal day of my whole week. Onward and upward. Time keeps marching on. Good thing I keep recording things here. That way the experiences are not really gone, right? Right.