Happy 7th Birthday Jonas!

7 years old?! When did that happen? Happy birthday Jonas! Like in years past, we spent the whole month celebrating. While Nichole and Kate were in town, Jonas decided that he wanted to have his themed birthday party. This year he chose a military theme. All the kids received a dog tag then participated in boot camp, interrogated enemies (aka smacked a piñata), made marshmallow guns, and had a war with bombs and missiles (aka water balloons and water squirters). When all the games were over, we had lunch in the Mess Hall before opening gifts and blowing the candles off the donut "cake". Jonas had a blast! He always enjoys celebrating with his cousins...and elongating the birthday celebrations all month long!

On Jonas's actual birthday the party continued! He woke up to a Texas-sized donut for breakfast and a couple gifts to open from Daniel and Gma and Papa (more jets - an A10, a C130, and an F22). Later that morning, we picked up Jonas's buddies, Madden Wall and Lane Richmond, for a day of fun. We headed to HangTime in Orem to let the boys flip, jump, climb, etc. After a couple hours of playing, we grabbed lunch at Chick-fil-A then grabbed an ice cream treat at the Wall Bros Barn. That evening, Jonas chose to have Kraft Mac & Cheese for dinner (I, on the other hand, made some ravioli with Alfredo sauce for the more sophisticated palates in the family).

Finally, we celebrated Jonas's birthday with all his siblings, Gma, Grumpy, Katie and Greg on Sunday, July 31st. Jonas chose sweet pork salads for dinner and white Texas sheet cake for dessert. He even decorated his own cake. After eating, everyone played 4-square. While Jonas received more gifts, I think the greatest gift he got that night was just time with his family. He loves all his siblings (and pretty much thinks he's just as big as they are). I still can't believe he's 7 years old. Where did my little boy go? While there are times I definitely miss the younger version, I am so proud of the little man he is becoming. Happy birthday Jonas!

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Grant Southwick

Today Grant Southwick married Elisabeth Pendelton! Grant is Dallin's age. They have been buddies since birth. After their missions, Dallin convinced Grant to move down to Provo so they could finally live out their dream of living close enough to hang out all the time. Unfortunately for Dallin and fortunately for Grant, God had other plans. Within a few months of living here, Grant met Liz and the rest of history. As we heard their story, I couldn't help but see how intricately our lives our orchestrated for us to be in the right places and the rights times to meet the right people. I am always amazed at how many puzzles pieces just seem to divinely fall into place to create this amazing mosaic we call life. I loved being able to witness their courtship and be present as they covenanted to spend eternity together. The week before the actual sealing, they held a reception in Idaho Falls. We decided to take a quick trip up there to join the festivities. On the way, we decided to stop at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Ogden. Ever since we went to the air show a few weeks back, both boys have been increasingly interested in all things that have to do with fighter jets. They've researched the different types and discussed the pros and cons. Jonas even wanted to get some books from the library. It was fun to walk around the museum with them as they got to see some of those jets up close (and gain an appreciation for a few new favorites). After the museum, we drove the rest of the way to Idaho Falls where we still had a couple hours before the reception so we decided to see the new Thor movie. (That was a complete let down! It was so dumb. I'm really disappointed in the new Marvel movies. I hope it's just a hiccup and they can get back up to par with the previous movies.) The reception that night was beautiful and simple. We enjoyed interacting with Kristi's family, who were all in town that weekend for a reunion, and with each other.

The next weekend, July 16th, was the big day! They got married in the Ogden Utah temple. (Liz is from Ogden.) The ceremony was sweet and simple. Sometimes the officiator can get a little long winded, but theirs did a great job reminding everyone that marriage also includes God and how He is woven into every ordinance we participate in the temple. After the sealing, we grabbed some ice cream across the street at Farr's before attending the luncheon. Grant and Liz asked a few people to speak during the luncheon. Dallin and Grumpy had that opportunity. They both did a great job expressing their excitement, well-wishes, and advice for the new couple. 

In between the luncheon and the reception, we had an hour or so to kill so the boys played a little basketball. I loved that Jonas just got right in there. Everyone else had at least a foot or more on him in height, but that didn't stop him. He tried to block and guard whomever and he even made a few baskets. Dallin and Danny of course just loved hanging out with their cousins. It was a fun day to celebrate a very awesome couple!