Time With Our Colorado Family! May 25, 2011

After we dropped Dallin off at the MTC, we headed to Glenn wood Springs, CO.  My brother Daniel and his family live there.   We got to Daniel and Connie's about 7:00pm.  It was a fun reunion for all of the cousins.  Daniel and his boys were preparing for a pig roast.  They were just finishing up the final details, so we got to watch them.  It was exciting, and we were anxious for the out come for the next night.  Daniel was so worried that it might not work.  He said we'll either have some super great pork, or we'll have pizza.  We ate yummy chicken tacos with them that night and then we got to show them the pictures from dropping off Dallin, which was so nice to share that with family so soon after it happened. 

Annalynn, Polly, and Shannyn.  The two girls were showing Polly around their awesome back yard.  This is Polly's dream place, because of all of the animals and adventure to be had.

Daniel grilling up some yummy chicken, with Polly, Allison, and DeWitt looking on.  Daniel has this beautiful balcony that we ate all our meals on.  It was perfect weather too.

Scott and Parker chatting it up

Annalynn and Rebecca

The next morning, Daniel and Connie, took us on our tour of their beautiful valley.  Scott and I loved it.  We would just be chickens in the snow, but it was amazing in the spring.  After the tour we drove down to a river rafting company just below Daniel's house.  They were taking us on a river rafting tour of the Colorado river.  I have to say that I'm not adventurous, and I was more than a bit nervous.  We got all of our gear on and drove up river to the drop off.  Our guide was telling us of all of the hazards on the drive up river.  If we fall overboard do this... If we hit a huge rapid do this..... If we can't get our life vest out of the tangle do this.... She was not easing my mind any.  Scott and the kids, besides Lillian looked excited and ready for the adventure.

Getting our gear on.  The water was cold, so they gave us water boots, and waterproof suits, it was awesome, I felt no cold.

This is our little guide, with DeWitt.   I was worried that she wouldn't be tough enough......I was wrong.  She is tough! 

Devynne was at her high school graduation things a lot of the time, so I didn't get as many pictures of her, but this one sure is cute.  She is going to BYU that stinkin lucky girl.

Parker, Shadrach, Porter, Albert in the background, Polly, and Devynne, we're almost ready

Here we are the whole group.  All of my kids and all of Daniel's kids except for Dallin

On the river, not as scary as I thought.

Some of the big kids went in their own boat.

One of the big waves, Lillian ended up loving it, and wanted more.

The big kid boat going into the wave.  Since Lillian decided that she loved the river, she wishes that she would have gone on this boat, because she said that they his more of the waves.


When we got home, we were tired, so we just hung out together.  One of the things that the kids came up with was tag in the big, beautiful lawn.

This picture is taken from the lower lawn up to Daniel's house and balcony.  We are watching the game of tag going on below us.

The game of tag.  It was fun to see the kids being kids

Albert, Annalynn, Polly, and Scott

Albert, DeWitt, and Emma

Shadrach, Shannyn, Scott and Polly

Porter and Lillian carrying the roasted pig

Grandma and Grandpa came to Colorado for Devynne's high school graduation so we got to see them for a little bit.

Daniel, Rebecca, and Porter, shredding the meat.  Ok and I just want to say that my mouth is watering right now for the taste of that delious pork.  It was unbelievably good.  The flavor was perfect the tenderness was perfect, it was just perfect.  Go Daniel.  Connie had all the fixings and it was something so great to come home to after the fun day on the river.


It was so great for us to be able to come to Daniel and Connie's house, they were the perfect hosts.  They did so much for us and it's hard to say thank you when your given so much, but we had such a wonderful time with their family.  We loved everything about this couple of days, (wish that it could have been more)  Loved all of the food, all of the excitement, all of the fun, and all of the company.  Thank you to the Biggs family.  These are memories that we'll cherish forever.

"THE DROP OFF"

UGH, how do I tell about this post.  This was such a very emotional day....That about sums it up.  We spent the morning at BYU and that was good and fun.  Dallin was dressed in his mission best, so he really looked like a MISSIONARY.  It was seeming very real today.  We ate lunch at the BYU food court.  We saw several other missionaries waiting for their time to check in.  We left BYU about 40 minutes early, because I was thinking that I would have Scott park in the parking lot and we would finalize our goodbyes and have some closure.  When we got close to the MTC we were directed into the turning lane of the MTC.  They asked us if we had a missionary and we said yes, and then we drove along side the sidewalk that had hundreds of missionaries standing by numbered signs waiting to take my son from my side.  Dallin asked...."is this it"  I asked the same thing, I was so inexperienced I didn't know what to do.  So we pulled up to number 19 and the host missionaries opened the door, and started to get the luggage out.  I didn't even have time to grab my camera to capture all this.  I was frustrated.  If I could do it again I would have gone over to the exercise park across the street and watched the goings on and finalize our goodbyes.  Well that didn't happen so we made the best with what we had.  So everything was very rushed.  I asked one of the host missionaries to take one family picture.  They said that they couldn't.  I looked to Scott with tears in my eyes.  The sweet missionary saw me and took my camera and snapped a picture while his companion blocked the view so they wouldn't get in trouble.  I had todo it, I just had to.  I had warned Dallin before....."I have to have a family picture at the MTC Dallin, so you can either let me take it or you can be seriously embarrassed."  He chose the picture, smart kid.  So they gathered all of Dallin's suitcases, we all gave quick hugs, and Dallin started to walk away.  I couldn't stand it, I wasn't sure what was happening.  The nice picture taking missionary told Dallin to turn and wave, so he did, I will be eternally grateful to that missionary.  I didn't feel any closure.  When Dallin was gone, I turned to the missionaries and said with a flare to my voice,  "do you always make people go that fast, or just us?"  He said "oh no the others are way faster."  Then a parking missionary came over and kindly asked us to leave.  Ugh!  When we got in the car I was shell shocked.  I wanted a redo.  Poor Scott wanted to help me, so he said "DeWitt, hurry put on you Sunday clothes and we'll go through again and look for Dallin."  We didn't, we just were escorted off the property and we headed to Colorado to find solace at Daniel and Connie's house.  I cried for a lot of the drive.  I'm so glad Dallin is there, and I know this is where is supposed to be, it just needed to be tweaked a bit.  Anyway, all in all it's a good thing and I am satisfied.

This was the Missionary that wanted to hurry us.

My second favorite missionary is behind the camera and my third favorite missionary is beside him blocking the view, and my first favorite missionary is, you guessed it....Elder Evans

When we showed these pictures to Daniel's family, they noticed the white car behind us.  Watch the white car.

I wanted to take as many pictures as I could.  Allison came over and got the camera from me and I thought, oh how nice she is going to take pictures for me, but she just HELD it.  Oh man, I grabbed that right out of her hand and continued snapping pictures.

A quick hug with DeWitt

I love this

That's Allison, I was at the wrong angle, so she didn't get her own hugging picture, but they were pressuring us.

Polly's hug

Lillian's hug

This is typical...Polly is giving Dallin instruction

The dad hug

The mama hug.  I said not one word.  I absolutely could not talk, if I would have opened my mouth it would have been a sob.      (The white car is still there.) Allison did take this picture, she got the perfect angle, the perfect shot and the perfect show of emotion.  
Thanks Allison.

The Look Back.  What a handsome missionary.  (the white car is gone)

One last touch, from DeWitt 

Come on one more picture....PLEASSSSE

The walk off, (some more of the cars are gone, but we're still there)

The real deal walk off, (no cars:-)

The host missionary, my second favorite, hollered at Dallin and told him to turn and wave.  Dallin did, but I got the picture with his hand half way in the air, so it looks a little weird, but I want to show every picture I got.  So that's it, that was our experience.  All in all it was good.  It was a very fast experience, but it looks like we stayed the longest, so go us!!!!

Last Little Bit of Time with Dallin May 25th 2011

Some kids left this big P on the Jones' door, Polly loved it of course so we had to take a picture

My family.  Daron took this picture just in case we didn't get one at the MTC.  This was our last morning together.

Our family, different view

Scott and Daron Jones.  They are childhood friends

We went to BYU to waste some time, before we took Dallin to the drop off.

Dallin and Lillian at the BYU Bookstore.  We saw several missionary people walking around waiting for their "time"

Finding lunch

DeWitt and Dallin in the BYU parking lot

Our beautiful children in the BYU parking lot