Welcome Home Sister Southwick!

This weekend we welcomed Laurin home from her mission! I can't believe it has already been 18 months. In some ways, it seems like she's been gone forever, but having her back in the home, I realize we haven't skipped a beat. She is the same in all the areas we didn't want her to change and changed in all the areas her Savior wanted her to change. It has been humbling to watch her this weekend. I have laughed as she has teased and harassed her little brothers, and I have been inspired by her faith and testimony. She truly and sincerely desires to do what is right...even if what is right isn't easy. She returned with honor on Thursday, March 23, 2017. There was quite the crowd at the airport to welcome her home.

After hugs, we decided to have lunch at a local food court (so Jonas could play in the kiddie area and so that we would avoid the grumblings of kids who didn't get to choose where they wanted to eat).

Once we finished with lunch, we returned home. Laurin was officially released from her mission that evening. It was hard for Laurin to give up the responsibility that she has dedicated her life to for the last 18 months. There were tears of sorrow and loss coupled with tears of uncertainty and maybe even a little apprehension about the future. Yet, as Jeff and I have had the opportunity to counsel with her, we both know she will be ok...even better, she knows she will be ok. Each of us will come to different paths in our lives that may not appear to be well lit. However daunting those paths may seem, the Lord will always be there to illuminate our next step. We are excited for Laurin's future. We look forward to witnessing the service and love she will continue to give.

On Saturday, many more family and friends were able to come over to share in our excitement. We enjoyed an all-American meal of burgers, Jell-O salads, homemade root beer, and chocolate chip cookies (plus a whole lot more). It was a fun evening! Welcome home Laurin!

Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast has been my all-time favorite Disney princess movie! I have always loved Belle. I love the fact that she is an intelligent, fearless, open-minded woman. I love that she wasn't just a damsel in distress. Plus, I love the premise that we must all look beyond the exterior of a person to discover the kindness in their soul. Perhaps I love that because it is still something I need to work on. Sometimes I'm quick to judge then to hold that judgment, but this movie always reminds me to look beyond. I don't know...maybe it's just because Belle wears a beautiful yellow gown, but I do love this movie. For Valentines Day, Jeff bought us VIP tickets to see the new live action Disney Beauty and the Beast. I have been looking forward to this date for quite some time...and even more so this week because it seems like I haven't even seen my husband. Jeff came back early from youth conference so that we could spend the day together. We ran a few errands then went to lunch at the Harvest Restaurant at Thanksgiving Point. The food was delicious and the ambiance was quaint. More importantly, the company was perfect. I am so grateful that Jeff makes our dates a priority. There have been times in our marriage when life gets in the way and we seem to drift apart as we are working in our tandem roles of parenthood. During those times, it has been difficult to connect with each other. It seems that patience runs thin and understanding is in short supply in those moments. Jeff and I have realized that our relationship is the most important thing. As long as we're good, everything else is good. Because of that, our dates have become sacred to us. It is good to remember and relive the romance. This date has been one of my favorites partly because I know it wasn't one of Jeff's. Does that make sense? I know he would have been ok to have never seen Beauty and the Beast, but because it was important to me, it was important to him. I loved the show! I am amazed by what cinematographers can do. I loved reliving the girlish excitement of the movie. I smiled all the way through. I even loved the fact that we saw the movie in the VIP lounge on leather recliners. I don't know if I can ever go back to normal theaters now. All in all, it was the perfect day with my perfect love. Thank you Jeff!

Nothing like watching a movie on the big screen while reclining!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! After Jonas and I got back from AZ on Wednesday, Jeff and Dallin left to attend a youth conference on Thursday. However, Danny had Friday off of school so Jonas, Danny and I celebrated St. Patrick's Day together. We woke up to a fun treasure hunt from Lucky, our leprechaun. We found clues all over the house with little pots of gold (aka rolos). The clues eventually led the boys to a couple bags full of fun green goodies. We then had Lucky Charms for breakfast before putting on our green shirts and getting ready for the day. We didn't really do anything special. I had a bunch of errands to run. We met up with Jeff for a few minutes to drop off some supplies he needed then we had lunch at Brick Oven because Danny had a free kids meal for completing his reading requirements in school. After that, we ran to a few different stores to pick up items to prepare for Laurin's homecoming. Still, it was fun to be back home and to share in the small fun Lucky brought for us! Plus you can never go wrong with Lucky Charms for lunch and dinner.

The lucky loot Daniel and Jonas received.

Two of my cute leprechauns.

Lucky didn't forget Dallin!