Opinions, Please. ASAP

I am determined to get a family photo before Brandon goes on a mission. I know, I know . . . I still have a few months.  But we didn't get one done before Jason left and I was sure that we'd never have our whole family together again for years, so I'm taking advantage of everyone being here now. Which makes Thanksgiving weekend the time to do the photos. Yay!

But it's coming up quick, and I'll need to come up with clothes for all of us. I was already planning to make this dress for Kaylie:

from "The Dagged Edge" collection, by Loralee

And since I'm making one of my own designs for Kaylie, I thought I'd also make this outfit for Lindsey:

The Dagged Edge collection

And I'm going to use these fabrics for Kaylie's and Lindsey's outfits (the top two swatches):

top left— embossed denim; top right—burnt orange ITY,
bottom left—tan oxford (cotton);
bottom right—navy stretch lace over cream

I was also already planning to make a dress for Rachel with the lace—fitted bodice, fullish skirt, elbow-length sleeves (the swatch on the bottom right).

Michael thinks I should make these shirts for all the guys:

Aww. Aren't Michael and Jason cute?

If I did make the shirts I'd make the collars contrasting, but not the tops of the pockets. And I would make them of the light-colored fabric on the bottom left of the swatches, with the contrasting collars matching the girls' colors.

SO, Here are the big questions:
* What do you think of the colors together? (In particular, do you think the denim and the navy lace will look OK in a grouping together?)
* Do you think that if all the guys' shirts are the same color, the photos will be overwhelmed by that color? 
* Or do you think it will be OK since it will be mixed in with the colors the girls are wearing? 
* Do you even like that shirt design?
* And how on earth should I dress Jessica and myself? (I'm thinking that if there's any of the lace left after I finish Rachel's dress, then maybe I should pull it in again with Jessica's outfit. ?)

Let me know what you think. Really! :-)  And soon, because if I do the men's shirts I'll need to order the fabric NOW. So give me your opinion ASAP.  :-)

All's Well That Ends Well . . . or

. . .  Drama at the Airport

This week was an exciting one for our family! We are all together again for the first time in two years!  Yaaayy!!

Last Thursday (Oct. 15) was the beginning of Fall Break for everyone—even Lindsey, down at Snow College. So Bruce and I went down to pick her up and have her spend the week here with us. (Fall Break was only the 15th and 16th, but Lindsey had already made arrangements with all her teachers and her boss to take this whole week off so she could be with us to pick up Jason. Yay!)

You can't tell, because the photographer is short, but Lindsey is leaning on the top bunk which looks exactly like the bottom bunk that you can see. Bruce built all of what you see here on Saturday, Oct. 17.

There are Brandon and Ryan, modeling the new, triple bunk bed. (You still can't tell that the top bunk is a bed, but it really is.)

We spent the weekend building a new bunk bed that would let us fit another guy into the room, and also cleaning house and doing laundry. And on Tuesday evening we all drove down to Salt Lake and spent the night at Bruce's dad's house, which was very nice. He sprung for pizza when we arrived and bought us stuff to make breakfast the next day. So we all got to shower and relax in the morning; we even had time to visit the Family Discovery Center at Temple Square before we went to the airport. The Family Discovery Center was a lot of fun—too much fun because we stayed there about half an hour longer than I thought we should.

We didn't leave Temple Square until 2:00, and Jason's flight was scheduled to land at 2:24; I had a stressful twenty-minute drive to the airport. (I almost said, "we," but I think I was the only one stressed about the time.) When we got to the airport (at 2:20) the parking terrace was closed, so Bruce dropped us off at the terminal while he went to park in the economy lot, where he'd have to catch a shuttle to get back to us. I checked the Arrivals board as soon as the kids and I got in and saw that Jason's flight had arrived, so I was nervous that Bruce wouldn't get back in time to see him. But Bruce did get back with us before Jason showed up. In fact, looooonnng before Jason got to us.

Here we all are, happily waiting for our missionary to return. (Everyone else belongs to the ten million other waiting families.)

I'm pretty sure there were ten million missionary families waiting at the terminal for their kids to get back! All these missionaries were coming down the escalators, and people were cheering and screaming and hugging, and we were just waiting for our turn to come. No Elder North, but there were still a few million families waiting, so I wasn't worried yet. There was a lapse, and then it started all over again: cheering, screaming, hugging, picture-taking, and no Jason. And then again. Finally ALL the missionaries and their families had picked up their luggage and gone away, and still no Jason. I was pretty sure he should have been down with us by 3:00, but at 3:25 (an hour after his flight had arrived) he wasn't there. Something must have happened, but what?

So I was pacing the floor and wringing my hands (yes, I guess I really do this), and Lindsey asked the information desk if Jason had been on flight 354. They said they couldn't tell us, but to check with the baggage office; they should know. So Bruce went to talk to them, and they said they could not tell him whether Jason had been on his flight or not because that was personal information.

WHAT??!!

They said to grab some water bottles and just wait there for 45 minutes. Now, in hindsight, I see that this was a very
B  R  O  A  D hint, but at the time we were already stressed out so we wondered what on earth that was supposed to mean. Were they going to send someone searching for him? How was that answer even helpful at all?

So we paced around, and discussed, and wondered if Jason was upstairs throwing up in the bathroom, or if he was taking one last teaching opportunity, or what? . . . all the while watching up the escalators for him to come down, but there was nobody else coming. I thought to contact my brother who works for TSA to see if he could tell us what we could do, but I couldn't reach him. Michael and Brandon went outside to see if Jason just hadn't seen us and was there wondering why we hadn't bothered to come get him. Nope. Around 3:45 Bruce's dad decided to go look at the other terminal to see if Jason had taken a wrong turn and was there feeling like a sad, abandoned puppy. Nope. But Dad did come back with an airport police officer. When they saw that Jason still wasn't here, the policeman said he could go ask at the ticket desk if Jason had been on Delta flight 354 from Seattle. At 4:00 the nice policeman came back and told us that there had been some kind of problem with flight 354, and that Jason was actually on flight 2157 which had just barely landed. Whew!

So we went back to the waiting-place, where more missionary families had gathered and as I looked around I saw a family with lots of posters that said "Jaren Davis," which I recognized as the name of Jason's travelling companion. Deep breath. OK. We were all relieved, but my hour-and-a-half of stress came out as a burst of anger because, really, why could they not just say that he was on the next flight?!

But my mad was short-lived, and mellowed back into just a little anxiety until I saw Jason coming down the escalator. Then WE were all laughing and clapping and cheering, and I very naughtily stepped under the rope-thing and got the first hug.  :-)

There they are! Elder Jaren Davis on the left,
and Elder Jason North on the right!
Yaaaayyy!!

Mom makes sure she gets the first hug.

Now, as a funny side-note: A sister missionary got down to the terminal a few minutes before Jason did, and she started crying when she saw her family. A man (a relative, I assume) said, "Why is it that the sisters always cry when they get home, but the elders don't?" And I thought, you haven't seen my elder. And I was right, Jason cried more than I did (which was very sweet). 
:-) But it was all very exciting and happy and fun, and we took the worst pictures ever, I think.

And Mom grabs another hug.

Now, I know you are wondering just what happened to cause the stressful delay, so here's the scoop: Jason and his companion flew from Vancouver to Tacoma, and then to Salt Lake. But the flight crew in Vancouver was late, so they missed the second flight by "literally two minutes." The mission home called Elder Davis' family just as they were heading out the door to the airport, so the knew about the delay. But Bruce and I just got new phone numbers a couple weeks ago and didn't even think to give them to the mission home. I actually had thought to give Jason my new phone number, but not until it was too late to ever email him again. Duh! So we did not receive the enlightening, stress-relieving phone call. (I did get an email from the mission home, but I didn't see that until Thursday morning.) Still, all's well that ends well!

Elder North gives Elder Davis a hug. They were companions in the Missionary Training Center, at the very beginning of their missions, and companions for the flight home from Canada.

A North Family Outing wouldn't be complete without a picture of everyone in the van. (You can just see Rachel's hair just under Brandon's left ear.)

After the airport we went to my mom's house and had a nice visit (and pizza, which was super nice because we were all starved!). We could only visit for a little less than an hour, after the drama at the airport, because we had to have Jason back in Vernal by 9:00 to meet with our stake president. We didn't make it on time. But we called President McClellan when we were in Duchesne at 8:30 (an hour away from home) to let him know where we were, and he said to come over anyway. So we visited him at 9:30 and Jason was officially released as a missionary.

greeting Grandma . . .

. . . and Grandpa

visiting with family and enjoying a meal
Melanie and Rick and Emalee were there, too, but we somehow managed to not get them in any pictures. :-( 

I am proud of Jason for serving a mission, and pleased with the changes I see in him. And so happy to have him back! It's been an exciting week, and I am glad, glad, glad to have my whole family together again. :-)

Missionary Monday!

From Elder Jason North, today:

"I loved General Conference! I was very glad to hear from President Monson, I especially loved his Priesthood session talk. But to keep the commandments and to be an example of the believers is truly what we need to be doing! The Spirit was there even more strongly than the last time conference, or I feel that it was. Maybe my memory is dimmed be the six months or perhaps I'm just more spiritually attuned, but I loved this conference. They taught that we need to follow the Spirit, and seek His guidance in simplifying and perfecting our lives. I know that the Spirit speaks softly, and I know that it can be easy to miss. But if we just trust every good thought and act as though it IS the spirit, a few things will happen. First, we'll receive the blessings promised by our leaders this conference. Second, we'll be really happy. Third, we'll make some mistakes but that's okay because in Preach My Gospel we learn that it takes time to learn to recognize the Spirit and that making mistakes is part of that process, which leads to: Fourth, we will trust the Spirit to guide us always, which is really the first in part. But I love the gospel. And I love Jesus Christ, I'm learning more about him all the time. As often as I remember that all the commandments and counsel and things we talk about in the church are really just ideas to focus me on Christ, I feel His love. Remember President Uchtdorf's talk! I know I need to! It's really not that hard if you remember the Saviour.

I love you guys!
Jason"

Two weeks and two days before Jason gets home! (Almost to the hour!)

Missionary Monday!

Today I got a little message from Jason, but I thought I was too late, and had missed his computer time. So I sent a brief email back to him and then went back to work on house stuff and grocery shopping. Later I got back onto the computer and found out he had answered me right back. So I missed out on a conversation with him today. :-(

But here's this week's news:

"This last week has been busy, I haven't even had time to write it in my journal! 

By the way, did you see the Blood Moon yesterday? I didn't think that was a real thing, but I guess it's a lunar eclipse. Apparently they only happen once every thirty years. But the moon was blood red during it, so it was really cool. I've never seen anything like it, and I didn't even have to break the rules to see it! The moon was visible at 8:30, and the eclipse ended just after 9:00 I imagine. The moon was white again and nearly fully shining at 8:58, so I think it probably ended soon after.

Last week I met this really cool guy Robert, who I just remembered I told you about last week. So we saw him again though, on Tuesday, and he was even more cool!

Between Sunday and Tuesday, he had read all of the introduction to the Book of Mormon, and the testimonies of all the witnesses and Joseph Smith, and also 1 Nephi 1-13. And he didn't just speed read, he told us about Lehi's dream and how he didn't understand it at all but was amazed at Nephi's dream with the interpretation of the dream. He told us he had been reading with an intent to understand the teachings of the book. So I can't wait for him to get to Moroni 10:3-5! We'll probably show him that before he gets there on his own, if we can see him before then. He said he wanted to come to Sunday School and go to Gospel Principles, but he didn't come. He had asked us if there was a class for people learning about the church he could go to so we told him. He is what people like to call a golden investigator.

We met another cool guy on Saturday, Leonard. He's from Nashville Tennessee, moved here 32 years ago. He wants to go to church too.

So that's the highlight's of the week, life is going good!

Love you guys!
Jason"

He also mentioned (in one of the little emails that I didn't respond to) that he only has three Sundays left in British Columbia. I'm pretty excited!

Missionary Monday!

Jason tells me he has five weeks left. I was thinking it was four, but he's probably right. It's exactly one month from today, in any case. :-) !

Here's today's news:

"I met this guy named Jason recently and I don't know his last name. But occasionally we meet him, and he testifies of the Book of Mormon as being true. Apparently he is a direct descendant of Benjamin, the brother of Joseph of Egypt. Last time I saw this guy he was sitting on the sidewalk by a bank with thank you cards and pens and the trash of smokers all around him, as well as a backpack and clothes. He was pretty upset when he saw us because he had lost the first copy of the Book of Mormon that we had given him, but we gave him another one and then stood there for a while as he wrote us a thank you card. He explained in the card why he believes he is a descendant of Benjamin, but I haven't read it. So I don't know anything else about him.
But he had two native friends hanging around, and I learned in the course of our conversation that Nephi is a word in their language, meaning "first person", as in the original person, or person of origin. So they're on to something there.
Rita has a baptismal date! She's going to be baptized on October 17, and I'm really excited! 
We also met this really cool guy Robert, who let us right in when we knocked on his door and we had a cool conversation about the church history, the temple, and the Book of Mormon. He accepted a copy of it and said he'll read it, because he is interested in what we believe, not in joining us. He doesn't know that that's kind of the same thing.
But I have to go. I'm overtime!
Love you guys!
Jason"