two hundred thirty five

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JACKI!!!! Jacki is sharing her birthday today with Derek's mission farewell.

As soon as she woke up Grandma Pace was on top of things with a birthday treat for the birthday girl! That is the face of one happy little Jack!

Pace, Britt and Derek are the 3 musketeers. I'm not sure how they'll manage the next 2 years without him!

And of course we cannot get through the day without an illuminati picture. Sarah must have just eaten something really gross!

 I don't even want to know what these two are discussing. You can tell by the look on Michael's face that it isn't good.

We came home lickety split and whipped up Jacki's birthday dinner. She wanted her usual "grandpa Jack's macaroni and cheese" with an oatmeal cake. She is double digits today!!!

Grandpa Jeff giving me his usual "less than thrilled" look.

I only had 7 candles so we put 3 matches on the cake. Once Jade lit them all it was a race against time for Jacki to hurry sing, make a wish, and blow them out before the matches burned down.

Grandpa, grandma and Justin came over to help celebrate. It's so nice having family in town! Happy 10th birthday Bugger... we love you!

one hundred ninety two

Derek got his mission call today!!!! Since we just rolled in (to Enoch) from Girls Camp we actually got to be a part of the festivities!

He will be serving in the Kennewick Washington mission reporting for duty August 26, 2015. That is just about 6 weeks away! La was having a nervous breakdown. Soooooooo much to do to get him ready so quick. So different from my mom and dad's call to report in 9 months! Pace will be the next grandson to get his call...... now I'm having a nervous breakdown.

I asked Hicks to show me how skinny Laurie's cookies were... here is how he showed me. Somehow he ALWAYS finds a way to show me his tickets to the gun show!

Devin, Hicks, and John discussing the issues of the world.

one hundred seventy four

Here we all are... assembled, cameras ready, waiting anxiously for mom and dad to open their mission call!

The seal of the envelope is broken......

Mom just figured it out... Dad is still reading....

This picture needs no caption! Look at my dad's face!!!

This is the moment that both my mom and dad realize that they will be on their mission for not one, but two lambing seasons. My dad is horror struck while my mom is rejoicing. P.S. they STILL have not told us at this point!!!

Still waiting... my mom just keeps on reading the 100 page booklet regarding what to pack and how to obtain a Visa...meanwhile we still have no clue where they are going!

Finally the verdict... My mom and dad will be serving a temple mission in Johannesburg South Africa reporting for duty on March 14, 2016. I'm traumatized that they will be gone for 18 months but I couldn't be more proud of them. Those people in Africa just won the lottery for they will have the pleasure of having two of the greatest people on the planet living among them.

one hundred seventy three

My parents mission call came today!!!!!! We are in Cedar headed to the tree house vacation in the morning. They are going to wait till all the family is together at the tree house to open it. I don't know if I can wait until that long!