Happy Day

This summer has been a rough one for me. Besides the continual roller coaster ride of trying to get a new business started, I have been worried about all 4 of my children. They've all been struggling with decisions of eternal proportions. And while I can certainly share an opinion, when it comes down to it, everyone makes their own choices.

There's a saying that goes something like this:

A mother is only as happy as her saddest child.

And it's more or less true. It's been a little stressful around here, what with everyone making big decisions in their lives and all..

I don't usually write a lot about my family on my blog. There are lost of reasons, but the main two are:

• Getting anyone's permission to tell a story about them is like bathing a batch of kittens. I mean, it's possible, but somebody's going to end up bitten and scratched.
• I don't want creepy stalker people to necessarily know what my kids look like, or even their names. Thus almost everyone on my blog gets a fake name.

But today is a happy day! Everyone seems to be pulling out of their potential nose dives. (Which sounds a bit more dramatic than I intended, but you know what I mean, right?) So in honor of my near giddiness over this fact, I will share with you a very RARE update!


See this missionary?

Doesn't he look amazing? He's starting to get into the groove of the mission life, and finally adapting a little bit. Now, he was absolutely determined to stay the full 2 years, even if he was miserable the entire time. But he's finding out that it doesn't have to be that way. I am continually grateful for members, strangers, companions, and missionary couples who love and support him and help him every day. Kinda makes me a little teary.


Hannah has decided to move out so she can make her own rules and curfews. She got her very own apartment! She is so excited to move this weekend, and I'm excited for her. She found a cute place, and we are busy with decorating on a budget!!



Lizzie has started the fall semester in all it's glory. She is busy from the starting bell of 6am seminary to the last marching band note - sometimes at 9 pm. She's also got a full schedule of difficult classes, and yes, she did end up in AP English. But this year, she decided that Young Women (youth group) would move higher up on the priority list. And I'm so proud of her for that decision!


Mimi is loving her new school, and is also back in the drama scene, going to practices several times a week.

She's ecstatic! And she's also figured out how to keep up her grades (so far) so there's been no constant battle over that. I think she's also figuring out that the friends she chooses will have a big impact on how she lives her life in the long run. Not to mention on how much freedom she can get in the short run.


I don't want to jinx anything, but I'm starting to feel like - Hey! Things might be looking up around here. And even if this is just a lull in the storm, which I'm pretty sure it is, I'll take it.