Time Flies!!

So, what better place to start than where I left off last year . . . Andrew's Junior Prom 2012! 

Andrew & Kylie

With Austyn's love for Japan, and the girls interested in having an exchange student stay with us sometime, we jumped at the chance to have Sari spend a month with us in August of 2012. She is a 13-year-old  exchange student from Japan. We had a couple email exchanges before she arrived and I was under the impression she was fairly fluent in English. However, on the ride home from picking her up, it became apparent that she did not understand a word I was saying. She was very sweet and enjoyed spending the month with us, although I think Ashley was a little stressed out, feeling like she had to find things to keep them busy everyday. All in all it was a good experience and the kids now have a new friend/pen pal in Japan! 

Sari

Back to school was uneventful, with Andrew starting his Senior year, the 2 older girls at the junior high, and the 2 younger kids switching to the other local elementary school. It was So Nice having the older girls and the younger kids bussed to school this year. Andrew had a car for the first month of school until his engine basically exploded and the car died. Luckily, Andrew got a girlfriend around that time and became very good friends with her family, thus having transportation once again. As Andrew was also in his third year of Auto Shop at the high school, his car became his project and he purchased a used engine for it and installed it in the spring. The car finally returned to life just before the end of the school year, but has yet to pass inspection . . . just a couple more things . . . hopefully!

We seemed to have plenty of snow this winter and the kids enjoyed sledding often. This is a picture of the kids sledding with their cousins, Darian and Lucian. 

Darian, Ashley & Lucian, Austyn, Alexia.

As it would be our last spring break before Andrew is planning to leave on a mission, we made every effort to spend it in California. Here are the kids at the beach, likely the highlight of the trip. Southern California is a Great Place to visit, but only between October and April;) I am not about to drive through Las Vegas when it is 115 degrees outside!!

 Adalyn

 Alexia

 Ashley

I am not sure if it's because we're on the end of the block, or if it is just a common occurrence for Tooele County, but we seem to get some pretty wild wind out here! This was the first time the neighbors trampoline ended up on the fence, but apparently they didn't learn their lesson and it returned to this location once again a few months later. So glad our trampoline is in the ground!

Neighbor's trampoline

Here we have come full circle. This is a picture of Andrew and his girlfriend Hailey on their way to the prom in spring of 2013. The Awesome car that was theirs for the evening was So Kindly loaned to Andrew by our good friends/neighbors in Magna. (For Free!! Definitely cutting costs after last year:)

Andrew and Hailey

This was my Mother's Day gift this year. Real flowers for our little planter box out front. So pretty and smelled great every time I approached the front door. Thanks to Ryan and the Kids!!

Mother's Day Flowers

So after Prom and Mother's Day, Andrew's graduation was fast approaching. Realizing we only had weeks before the Big Event, we were in a hurry to put together some senior pics for graduation announcements. Ashley was our photographer and they got several great pics taken around the lake near our house. This one didn't make the cut for the announcement, but Andrew just looks So Cool!! ;)

 Andrew

I can't believe this boy finally graduated!! Congratulations Andrew, Stansbury High School Class of 2013!!

Andrew Graduation

With the changes made to the missionary age requirements, Andrew was anxious to get his missionary paperwork in as soon as he possibly could (4 months before his 18th birthday). So, soon after graduation, Andrew received his mission call to serve in the Córdoba, Argentina mission. He will enter the Provo MTC on October 23, 2013. He is So Excited!! 

Andrew's Mission Call

In preparation for his mission, Andrew needs to get a passport. This is his passport photo, though I keep telling him he's not going to be able to keep this faux hawk look in the mission field.  HaHa!! 

Andrew's Passport Photo

So much more has been keeping us all busy for the past year, but there is no way I can catch you up on all the details. We're still in the same place, working the same jobs, driving the same cars (that are thankfully still running, although barely:). Ashley did finally get a part in a school play this spring, which she enjoyed. She will be starting at the high school this fall and is really excited for the new opportunities she will have available there, with sports and dance. Alexia will be in 8th grade and Austyn will be in 6th grade. Adalyn will be in 2nd grade and just Barely lost her first tooth last week! She was So Excited to be visited by the tooth fairy, though apparently the combination of dollar and cents didn't look official enough and she thought one of her siblings put it under her pillow. Oh well. That's all for now:)