Boating at Jordanelle

Kierra and Kamryn on the tube

After Jadon graduated from high school, I asked him what he wanted to do for graduation.  He said go to Lake Powell.  I told him I didn't think I could pull that off but maybe we could do one day of boating.  I asked Lisa's family if they wanted to join us.  She was looking on KSL for boat rentals and found a guy who rents out his boat and he is the boat chauffer.  We thought that sounded like a pretty good idea so we booked it.  She also found some little cabins at Jordanelle that were right on the lake so we decided to stay over night and make it a day and a half trip.

Kamryn, Kyson and Jared on the tube

 When we woke up on Monday morning (the day we were suppose to leave) it was raining.  I was pretty bummed.  We checked the weather forecast and it said that it was suppose to be sunny in the afternoon.  By the time we got to the lake it was sunny but not super warm.  I'm not a huge fan of cold water so I wasn't planning on getting in until the next day.  The good thing about the weather was that there was hardly anyone on the lake.

We stopped the boat for a little while and just swam in our diaper life jackets

 We took turns going out on the boat.  Whoever wasn't in the boat, stayed at the beach (if you can call rocks with a little bit of sand a beach).  Lisa had rented two paddle boards that everyone took turns using.  They were really fun

Kiera on the knee board

 Jaxon and Jadon were the first to go out behind the boat.  Justin and Taylor said it was too cold so they let them go first.  Eventually Taylor and Arthur (Lisa's French student)  went out on the knee board.  Jaxon tried the wake board but wasn't able to get up.  Jadon got up on the wakeboard which he has done before.

Jaxon and Jadon love boating!

Jadon was also able to try surfing and he did great!  It was pretty cool because you use a short rope so he was really close to the boat.  It was so much fun to watch the kids have fun in the water.  I was able to go out on the knee board and had a blast! 

Jaxon trying to wakeboard

The cabins we had reserved were so cute.  I forgot to take a picture of them.  It was just one room with 2 queen size bunkbeds.  It also had a fridge, a microwave and a table and that's it.  It was perfect.  We spent most of the day on Tuesday boating and hanging out on the beach.  It was nice and sunny.  We had such a great time together.  I would love to make this a yearly tradition!


Kierra and Katie enjoying riding in the boat

Kyson's first time on the wakeboard.  He did great!

Cool boater boys

The kids were so excited when they saw the boat at the doc

Katie

Jaxon and Jadon had a blast on the tube together!

Jadon surfing

Taylor and Jadon on the tube.  Lisa said they were the most fun to watch

Justin and Dale on the tube

Jaxon and Arthur on the tube

When we were done boating on Monday night, we played some volleyball

Kamryn and Katie on the paddle board

Jake was so funny on the knee board.  He thought the handle was like a steering wheel

Little softball player

 Last year Katie really wanted to play baseball but I decided I wanted her to be a little older so I told her she would have to wait until this year to play.  When it came time to sign up the boys for baseball, I couldn't believe how much it would cost for her to play.  So I decided to try softball with the rec center.  I signed her up with two of her friends so she was pretty excited.  She really liked it and had so much fun playing in the spring that we decided to sign her up for summer softball too!

 Every time she was on deck she would turn and give us a great smile and wave at us as she was walking up to bat.

 She did pretty good at bat and hit the ball almost every time she got up to bat

 She frequently played catcher in the spring.  She tried it once in the summer and got so hot that she said she was never going to be catcher again.

I love that fat little face smashed into the catcher's mask!  It is so much fun to watch Katie play softball.  I'm glad that she likes it and hopes she can stick with it for a long time!

Our first graduate

It's really hard to believe that the little boy that I just barely sent off to Kindergarten, graduated from high school.  I can still remember that first day of school.  He was so nervous and scared but he didn't cry or complain.  He just walked into the class and stood in line and looked at me with his big blue eyes.  He looked so nervous but he did it because he knew that was what he was suppose to do.  He continued to be like that throughout all his school years.  He has always been the kid who liked to do the right thing.

I wanted to have a party for Jadon to celebrate his graduation.  I decided to invite all the seniors in our ward who were graduating to join us.  Jadon has grown up with these kids

We had a bar-b-q and played volleyball and ultimate frisbee.  Everyone had a great time!

                   Most of the seniors from our ward (plus a few kids that came to the party)

The day of graduation, we took Jadon to Outback steakhouse for a late lunch.  Grandma Byers and Granddad joined us.

Handsome graduate!

Dale and Jadon

Dale, Jadon and me

Me and my little boy (ok, not so little)

Jadon and some boys from our ward that he has been friends with since 2nd grade
(Jadon, Nick, Zack and Andrew)

The graduation ceremony was actually pretty cool!  We had been told that it was always really long and boring so we were expecting the worst.  It was so neat to see all the kids come out at the beginning and to see Jadon on the jumbo tron at the Energy Solutions Arena.  I'm so proud of Jadon and all that he has accomplished.  He has always tried hard to get good grades.  He joined the ultimate frisbee team and became a good player.  I'm so excited for him to begin the next adventure of his life as he serves as a missionary in New Hampshire.  I couldn't have asked for a better son!

Mother's Day/43rd birthday

 I had a great Mother's day and birthday this year!  They were exactly one week apart this year.  The day before Mother's day, Dale took me out to breakfast at Village Inn.  It's always nice to go out with just the two of us.  My family was so nice to me on Mother's day.  They let me sleep in and got up and made breakfast.  Then after church, they started making dinner.  Every kid helped make part of the dinner and they wouldn't let me help clean up.  It's really hard for me to just sit on the couch and not help.  I love my family so much and I'm thankful for them every day!

 My birthday was on Sunday and I had a meeting in the morning so I wasn't able to sleep in.  Oh well.  When I came home from my meeting there were 4 cakes from Nothing Bundt cakes on the counter.  Jadon and Dale had a communication problem the day before and they both picked up 2 cakes.  We had yummy cake every day for a week!  Earlier in the year (March) Dale told me that he had bought Brian Regan tickets for me for my birthday.  We went  to the show at the end of April and it was so much fun!

 I had fun with my family for my birthday and Mother's day.  They are so sweet and I love that they know me so well and treat me so special on special days!

The mission call

I couldn't believe that the day was finally here for Jadon to turn in his mission papers.  Because of busy schedules, we had a hard time getting him in to see the stake president.  Once it finally happened and we knew his papers were officially turned in, it was the longest two weeks of my life.  Our bishop was able to check the status of where the call was.  He let us know when he was "ready to be assigned".  He let us know on April 21, 2015 that the call had been assigned.  That was a Tuesday so we expected that it would come the Thursday of the same week.  That was the pattern with all the other boys who had already received their calls.  So we planned to open it Thursday night.  I spent the day cleaning the house and making treats.  So when the mail came that day, and the call wasn't in it, we were all pretty disappointed! 

 

Dale and I had tickets to go see Brian Regan, in Logan, for Friday April 24th so I was pretty positive that it would come on Friday.  That's exactly what happened.  When I was taking Katie to school on Friday, the mailman tried to hand deliver it.  He left a cute note on the door telling us that the call was in the mailbox.  Jadon had decided that he wanted to invite all his friends and family to be there when he opened his call.  That left us waiting until the next night. 

 

 

I knew Saturday April 25th was going to be a long day so I decided we should keep busy.  I got up and started making treats for the big event.  I had made a bunch on Thursday that we gave away because I wanted fresh desserts for Saturday.  So I started over again on Saturday.  Then we went to the temple to do baptisms.  Kierra had a baby to take care of, as part of her child development class, so she wasn't able to come with us.  I was sad she couldn't be there.  It was so nice and relaxing to be in the temple with my family.  It really helped with the anxiety we had been feeling all week.  After that we went to Katie's softball game where she got her first hit of the season!  Then we all went out to lunch.  Gladys arrived at our house at 4:00. Jadon had to work for two hours (5:00-7:00) so while he was at work, I finished the baking and visited with Gladys.  At 7:00 Jadon came home and we just sat around waiting for people to arrive.  He and I both felt like we were going to throw up!

 

The snacks for the party

 

Little elder bunnies that Kierra made

Jaxon, Annie, Darrell and Sharalee making predictions

 

We had a large map of the world so that everyone could make their guesses for where he was going.  While people were arriving, they placed their guesses on the map.  Jadon guessed Boise, Idaho.

 

Jadon's friend Andrew Searle and his mom, Wendy

 

The house filled up pretty quickly with all of our friends and family.  It is so neat to have the support of people that we love with us for this awesome event.  A lot of our family was there and tons of ward members and friends.  We have known most of the people in our ward for over 10 years so they are like family to us.

 

 

We announced that he would open his call at 8:00.  By the time most of the people were there (we couldn't wait for Doyle because Jadon's friend, Connor, was opening his call at 8:30 pm) we finally were ready about 8:15 pm.

 

 

Lisa tried to get a picture of his shaking hand before he opened the big white envelope!

Jadon with his very proud, excited and nervous parents

Here we go!

 

 

Jadon stood up on a stool because the kitchen and family room were full of people.  I wanted everyone to be able to see and hear him.

 

 

Elder Jadon Wilson Byers, you are hereby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  You are assigned to labor in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission.

 

Everyone clapped and cheered.  I think everyone was really surprised.  I asked everyone if anybody guessed that and it turns out that I was closest with my guess of New York.

 

 

After everyone but family left, Jadon posted his call on facebook

 

 

and then we were able to sit on the couch and look over his book that showed the area that his mission covered.  His mission is in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine.  We are all so excited that he will be serving in such a beautiful part of the United States.  I am planning to go back with Dale and Jadon after he comes home and I want to add New York to our trip since he has always wanted to go there.

 

 

This is how Jaxon looked after Jadon got his call.  He will miss his big brother so much!

 

I love this picture!  We have the best bishop in the world.  He is such a wonderful caring person.  He genuinely cares about everyone in our ward.  There is a group of 6 boys that all got their calls within about 2 months.  I imagine that the bishop's heart is so full of love for them. 

I am so happy that Jadon has chosen to serve a mission.  The week we were waiting for his call to come was very stressful.  The second he opened the envelope, and told us where he was going, the stress was gone.  It just felt so peaceful and right.  I will miss him terribly but I know he is doing the right thing and is going to where the Lord needs him!