The past month my life has been a whirl wind so I've gotten a little behind....

I've taken a few pictures though and through them you can see it's been a pretty wonderful month!
Having Camille's family here has been a little bit of heaven for me.

Then to have KC back home... well words can't describe.

The girls bought me a Hydrangea plant for the new rock garden. Beautiful! We went and had Keelee do our hair one day.

Sure do love that girl. She has been through a lot in her young life and always keeps an amazingly happy and positive attitude.

Checking out the latest scoop We went over to Grampas one day and helped clean a little.

I got to do the china cabinet...I love to look at all of grandmas pretty dishes.







Olivia was in heaven playing with all of the cute little statues and do dads on the shelves.

We went to the mall one day but realized when we got there that we had forgotten the stroller....sooooooo we improvised. Worked out pretty awesome except for the funny looks we got pushing the shopping cart through the mall.

We went up fishing one day and had a lot of fun.

Sam and Olivia did NOT like the life jackets

New shoes...hard to find ones that fit his fat little feet!

Rick came over and replaced our old lights in the front steps. He's always doing nice things like that. We're so lucky to have such great friends. He is the best!
Everyone was great in helping us get ready for KC's homecoming party...friends and family offering to help with food and tables and chairs and getting yard ready.

We decided to have a get together Saturday night instead of Sunday after church because we were getting ready to head to California Sunday night.

It was such a fun night...I was once again overwhelmed by the love and support we received from friends, neighbors and family.
KC playing head down with Candice ...that's her under there...not Camille with a really long body. We all got pedicures up at Song's. Olivia makes friends where ever she goes!

Getting a massage..."feels bumpy grandma!"Kelley was a peach to watch the kids any time at all. Pretty sure he loved it...this is what we would come home to...

This is Sam's new favorite face. That little boy is such a joy! He is just happy all the time!
The time flew by with Camille's family here. Kellen had been working hard on getting a job but without much luck. Jobs are hard to come by right now.

When it seemed like nothing was working out, he decided to fly here and work for Dan while he kept looking for a job. He had only been here for a few days when he got a call from a place where he had applied in Arizona, asking him to come in for an interview. He knew he couldn't pass up an opportunity, Sooo he flew back home, only to be called an hour before his appointment telling him the position had been filled.

We were all way bummed about that! It's pretty tough to watch these kids struggle to get their lives started after they have worked so hard and put so much into it. I don't think they ever dreamed it would be so hard to find a job.

A few days later, a company called him and asked him to come in for an interview. It's not a law firm, but a big business that does software for huge companies....( I think that's right)

Anyway, after several interviews and excruciating waiting, they called and said he had the job!

Wow, it was like a 10,000 pound weight had been lifted off their shoulders!

We were all so happy for them....happy-sad, because the job is in Scottsdale.

I guess I will just have to get used to the idea that they are going to be in Arizona for a while.

I will be happy for them to be able to settle their lives and start living a normal life. That has been something they have not been able to have yet in their 6 years of marriage.

The first thing Olivia said when Camille told her that her daddy got a job was "Oh now I can have a house and we can get a dog!!!" She has wanted that for quite some time now.

I sure admire how Camille has been able to keep a great attitude through all of this. She is always able to make the best of whatever situation she is in though and be happy.

Today was a bitter sweet day. We went to the much anticipated stake conference to learn that our ward and stake were being dissolved. Everybody has been speculating about changes in our stake. I knew something was up about a month ago. Kelley has been kind of quiet and different...like he had something on his mind, but when I asked him about it, he wouldn't tell me anything, so I just didn't ask him anymore, thinking it must be something with church that he couldn't talk about.
Last Saturday night, the stake executive secretary called and asked that Kelley and I come in with KC Sunday morning to have him report on his mission to the high council. Then he said for Kelley and I to stay and talk with Pres. Child after that.
KC gave a great report of his mission...As he bore his testimony my heart was filled with love and gratitude for so many good things in my life. I am just so proud of him and the special man he has become. Then President Child asked Kelley and I to bear our testimony...not easy when the emotions are that close to the surface.
After Kelley and I met with the stake presidency. President Child started right out telling me that our ward was being dissolved...thus releasing everyone from their callings...including the bishopric. Then he told us they were dissolving the whole stake so they were also being released as a stake presidency. It was pretty sad. I have sure loved President Child. Our family has been blessed because of the association we have had with him and his family. I have always loved Joann and their daughter Katie was very close friends with Camille. Camille spent a lot of time at their house and Stan and Joann were like second parents to her.
I found out after that Kelley has known for about a month what was going on. The stake presidency asked our bishopric not to tell anyone....and they didn't.
We got up to the church about a half hour early and the chapel was full. I guess everybody knew they would have to get there early to get a seat. By the time it started, it was full back to the stage and that was full too.
We got there in time to get "our seat" by the back door. It was pretty awesome today because then I could say hello to everyone as they came in. It was pretty funny cause the satellite broadcast table was set up behind our seat with all the cameras on it and every time someone would come in, either Kelley or I would hop up to give them a hug or shake their hand and the guy running the camera was getting all flustered cause we kept getting in the cameras way and he would have to keep telling us to sit down.
Paul Rothe sat next to us and we had a good time thinking back and chatting about when we were part of the sixth ward some 20 odd years ago. He was the bishop then and much loved by all. I remember Katie being baptized not long after we moved into that ward...still have the Book of Mormon that Bishop Rothe wrote in for her.
We loved that ward. It was a rare and special ward where everyone truly loved each other. We made life long friends in that ward...and that friendship extended beyond our ward. We would go skiing together, vacation at Lake Powell, Newport beach, and camping trips.
Then our of the blue, it was announced that we were being split from the Blake heights area and being added to a neighborhood up the street. We were devastated. How were we supposed to mesh with all these new people we had never met and form a new ward? Everyone was pretty unhappy. But over time, we started to get to know these people. As we served with them and attended meetings with them and visited with them, we grew to love them. Over the years, the relationships and friendships with these wonderful people have grown to be a priceless treasure to me. There are many people I have grown to love and admire and feel blessed to have them for my friends. I will always treasure these sweet relationships.
When they announced they were putting our neighborhood back with the sixth ward, you could feel the excitement in the room. They said Bishop Blake would continue on as the bishop of the ward. He is a great friend and will be a wonderful bishop.
The Stake presidency all talked and were really positive about the change...encouraging us to all move forward with faith. After the meeting there were lots of hugs and tears with members of the upper part of the ward. We found out that they are not even going to be in our stake anymore, which was hard to hear...at least in the same stake you can see each other once in a while. I worry for my dear Judy as she won't have her sweet lady friends to sit with in church.
There was a great feeling as the old members of the 6th ward rallied around Diane and I and we all just had a great big group hug. It will be wonderful to be with these dear friends again! I know this will be a good change...our ward has really been struggling...and it sounds like everyone else was in the same boat. It gives me a feeling of security and peace knowing that the Lord is in control and will always lead us in the ways that are best for us.

He's Home!

Pretty much best weekend ever!

Kate flew in Friday afternoon and we were just trying to dream up things to do to make the time go by till 10:30.
(at the dollar store)

We made a big welcome home banner for the front of the house, then the girls decorated t-shirts to wear to the airport ("we heart the boy!)

My cute girls...love them so !
Finally it got to be about 9:45 and we loaded everybody in the car...the anticipation level was over the top! We just got on our way and Dan calls.
"Hey where are you guys...KC's plane has landed!"

No Way! I was freaking out. The plane cannot land a half hour early!
My boy was going to get off the plane and none of us would be there!
Then I got to thinking...Dan must be joking! That would be just like something he would do! But Kelley said he could hear Brenda in the background saying it was true.

There wasn't anything we could do but just try to get there as fast as we could. Dan said he would come out and park the car for us so we could all just run in. ( He is a peach)

We got there and ran in and found Brenda waiting at the bottom of the escalator. There was another family there waiting for their missionary that was coming home from Russia with KC.

We were just so glad he hadn't gotten off the plane yet! Lots of people were coming down the escalator, but no KC. We waited and waited...the plane must surely be empty!

Then finally we see him at the top of the escalator. The video went downhill from there...(totally forgot I even had the camera in my hand)




That was a pretty great hug...He felt really tall and skinny!KC meets Sam for the first time.Kelley checking to see if he is still taller...not by much!

We thought KC would be tired after his 15 hour flight, but he was still going strong. He unpacked a little bit and gave us all cool Russian gifts. He brought Kelley a neat shopka....there will be no more cold ears while ice fishing!He got Candice this really cool Mariska with different cats on it. She loved it!

He gave me one with this neat blue Russian painting on it called Dael. ( I am surely spelling these Russian words wrong...just going by the way they sound)He got these amazing Mariska's with all the prophets painted on them.

We stayed up and talked for quite a while, then decided to call it a day.

Next morning, KC was up early and went to help Kelley with service project over at Llewelyns. When they came home, we all got ready and went over to the church with him to be released.

This was when we went out to get in the car...I knew KC was still KC when he pulled this face for me.

We met President Mendenhall over at the church. ( President Child was out of town, so he asked President Mendenhall to release KC. It was kind of funny that that happened because Pres. Child was out of town when KC was set apart too, so Pres. Mendenhall did that too...which is great...we love him!)

Pres. Mendenhall talked to KC for a while about his mission and asked him what he had learned. It was pretty wonderful to hear his answer...I was very humbled and felt the sweetest feeling as he bore his testimony.

President Mendenhall talked about what the future would hold for KC, then he said..."just one last thing to do...remove your missionary tag"

That was rough. Lots of tears and hugs.

It was really special that Jerry and Debi arranged for everyone on our street to fly their flags in honor of KC's return. That meant a lot to all of us.

Everyone has been so great and supportive. Lots of friends and neighbors came by to visit and say hello. So very happy and grateful that he is home...I told Jerry..."I can't stop smiling!"

Pond...It's done!

Sooooooo now we need to build up the little hill that the waterfall is going to come over.Kelley had a big truckload of dirt delivered and we started shoveling.

Kelley makes this look so easy. He uses a giant shovel...throws about 6 or seven shovel fulls into the wheel barrow, and it's full. Then he pushes it across the lawn, ( avoiding all dips and holes) and sails right up the ramp and into the pond area, dumps it and is back to fill up in about 30 seconds.

Camille and I...not so much. first we are using small shovels because that is what we can handle...so it takes us about ten times longer to fill the wheel barrow.

Then when it's full ( or as full as I think I can handle it) I head off across the lawn. First thing, I go right into the big dip in the lawn and about launch myself over the front of the wheel barrow.

OK. Pull myself together. I can do this!

I knew I needed to get some momentum at going up the ramp or I wouldn't make it, so I backed up and made a run for it. I made it almost all the way, then started swerving over to the side. Just about went over the edge but somehow got just to the top and it tipped over right there.

"That's where you wanted it...right?"

After that Kelley said "why don't you girls fill up the wheel barrows and I will dump them!"Good plan!

Camille is pretty strong and could do the wheel barrow just fine, but she helped me shovel instead.

We worked pretty hard all afternoon. I haven't sweat that much since , well, ever.So many wheelbarrows of dirt! Then we arranged the shape of the waterfall with dirt, block, and other stuff. Then we started bringing the rocks in and setting up the waterfall. ( And when I say we, I mean Kelley...my mind was willing, but flesh...very weak! We gave him lots of great advice though...just put that gigantic rock right up here on top...no wait...a little to the left)When Kelley was doing this front part of the waterfall, we were trying to help him find the right rocks for the space, but nothing was fitting. He was trying a big slab of rock when the rock he was standing on moved and he lost his balance and fell back into the pond, with rocks crashing after him. Camille and I were standing right there watching and it was like it was happening in slow motion, but we couldn't do anything to stop it.

When Kelley pulled himself together, he had several more gashes on his legs and his ankles were pretty beat up cause that's where the rocks landed.

He stood up and said he was ok ( I think we were more shaken up by it than he was) Then he looked down, and the big slab he had been holding had split clean in two. Now it was the perfect size to fit right into the space he needed to fill.Kim came over just in time to help Kelley move the biggest rock.

I really don't know how they did it. It must weigh at least 800 pounds.

Dave came over later that night and helped Kelley figure how to get the water to flow over the top of the rocks instead of under them.
Kellen had seen on DIY a show where they had used this spray foam to fill in the cracks between the rocks so the water wouldn't go through there, so the next day we went out to the pond store to see if they had some. They did and it worked like a charm! Now we needed rocks for the bottom of the pond. Lisa's brother Doug had told Kelley he was welcome to any rocks he had up on his lot where he stores his landscaping stuff, so we loaded up the kids and headed out for an outing of rock collecting.
We would load them into big buckets, then Kelley would carry the buckets ( two at a time...really? I couldn't even budge one bucket an inch!) and dump them in the back of his truck.

Now the fun begins. Power washing the rocks and hauling them over to the pond.

It was kind of cool to see how pretty the rocks were once we got the dirt off.

Camille was really a champ and worked her butt off carrying those rocks to the pond.

Finally ready to start filling the pond. It took a while...about 3 hours.
One last look before he plugs in the pump...drum rolllllll...... electricity engaged...momentary pause as the water makes its way through pump and hose and fills small pool at top of waterfall.....then VOLIA! the water splashes merrily over the edge of the rock and down onto the rock below, then into the pond! It looks beautiful and the sound of the water is just like we wanted! Kelley saw a few places where the water was coming under the rock, so he turned the pump off and filled in the cracks with more of that foam.

We thought we had better let the water sit for a day or so before we put the fish in so the chemicals could dissipate. They have fared pretty well in the back of the truck for the past 4 weeks, and Olivia has enjoyed "fishin" back there...she has sat there patiently holding that little pole Kelley gave her with yellow worm ( no hook) on the end...."The fish aren't hungry today grandma!"

Now I just need to replace a few plants...those did not fare so well.

It's pretty amazing to see what Kelley can accomplish when he gets an idea in his head.

Well done, sweetheart...I love it!

Can't really believe it's been two years since we said goodbye and I got this one last hug.

That was a rough day...but a pretty wonderful one too.

The things KC has experienced and seen, done and learned in the past two years are priceless. As our family has watched, waited, wrote to, prayed for, supported, and loved him, we have also been blessed in countless ways....that's pretty much a whole other story.

I've been looking back over his emails and pictures he sent us and it's pretty amazing to see how much he has grown (Physically and spiritually)

Sunday, Kelley brought home a letter that KC's mission president had sent to Bishop Burns. He wanted me to read it out loud to everyone, but as soon as I started reading, the tears started flowing. So I handed it over to Candice and she read it to us. It was the nicest letter I think I've ever heard.

I don't think there is anything that brings more joy and peace to a parent, than to see your children trying to live their lives in a way that pleases the Lord.
He flys in this friday night (aug 5) ...can't wait to see that amazing smile and get another one of his big strong hugs!
If anyone would like to celebrate with us in welcoming home Elder Jensen, please join us at the airport at 10:30!