Herbie the love bug...

Who knew Herbie lived here in Mobile, AL? Lisa, her friend Jessica, and their cute friend Matt decided to get a picture with the infamous bug. He was on display at our annual Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet where the theme was "Route 66". Who better to introduce the theme than Herbie?

Chevron "A" Crew Cracking I...

When it rains it pours...

Free bats at the Hank...

The Mobile Baybears hosted the Jacksonville Suns for a Baseball game last weekend at Mobile's Hank Aaron Stadium. Chevron is a corporate sponsor and purchases season tickets every year. Chevron employees are drawn at random for tickets to each home event of the season. This is the first year we've won seats to a game. It just so happened that the night we were there the team was sponsoring a free bat giveaway! Louisville Slugger bats for all kids 14 and younger! Even Lisa got her very own! And thanks to some last minute overtime for Arnold, Kenny got to bring his best friend Coleman! The game ended up being called off because of a sudden lightening storm that blew through our area. Not to worry! Our tickets will get us in to any other future game this season! Now if we could just find a night where they were giving away baseballs....

Sometimes everything is a good thing...

This week we attended Lisa's 8th grade Honors Program at Causey Middle School. We watched as she officially graduated from 8th grade and received honors from each of the classes she attended this year. We received a call the night before the Honors program and was told by her Homeroom teacher to bring our camera because Lisa was going to receive "some" awards. We figured she'd do well in her Language Arts class and maybe even in Social Studies, but we had no idea that she would receive awards in every one of her six classes as well as bring home the Top Honor Student award for having the highest GPA out of a total of six hundred and twenty 8th grade students!
Lisa also received the Straight A Award for having all straight A's this year in every one of her classes all four quarters of the year! Here's the breakdown: Lisa received Top Student GPA awards in PACE Language Arts, Social Studies, and Business Technology. She received 2nd Top Student honors in Math. And 6th Top Student Honors in Science. (Even in her least favorite subject she beat out 22 other students!) Overall it was a very good day for Lisa and we couldn't be more proud of her! Watch out high school...here she comes!

But its a llama...

We couldn't have visited the zoo on a more perfect day. The sun was out but the weather was cool and there was just enough breeze to keep things comfortable throughout the day! The gardens at the zoo were in full bloom! We couldn't resist getting a picture of Jessica among the giant day lilies that had blossomed over the weekend! The Gulf Shores zoo had a variety of animals who all seemed quite a bit more friendly than I had ever seen at any other zoo. The paved walkway allowed for us to visit each area up close and personal.
Even the llamas were interested enough in the container of food Jessica carried around with her that they came right up to the fence and stretched their necks out far enough for us to pet them. As part of the entrance fee each guest was given a cup of food upon entering the zoo. The animals would literally eat out of Jessica's hand and sometimes even right out of her cup! The camels were the most aggressive and the llamas were the most gentle. Hence the reason we stayed there as long as we did. I don't know how many times Jessica asked if we could take one home. Probably as many times as I said back to her, "But it's a llama!"

A day at the zoo...

This week Jessica and I were able to go to the Gulf Shores Alabama Zoo with the rest of the 1st graders at her school. The zoo was featured on the Animal Planet channel series called "The Little Zoo that Could". One of the best parts of the trip was being able to ride the tourist style bus to and from Gulf Shores. The video screens throughout the bus helped to keep the kids occupied on the two hour bus ride and the comfortable airconditioned seats made for a very pleasant trip for the adults.

Escatawpa hollow...

Our Cub scout Spring overnighter was held on the banks of the Escatawpa River in North Mobile County. The kids enjoyed the river water and I enjoyed the cool clear night with no rain in sight! We've never been a camping family, but since Kenny joined Cub scouts we've seemed to get the hang of it. Nothing too major. Just an overnighter here and there, but for Kenny....its been a fun adventure!

An evening as Emma...

Our Relief Society had an "Evening with Emma" dinner for the adult sisters in our Ward. Several weeks prior to the night I was asked to play the part of "Emma". I spent the next few weeks learning everything I could about her life, her personality, and the experiences she had as the prophet's wife. Along with "Julia" and "Lil Joseph" by my side we told stories, answered questions, and remembered times past.

A chance to share the day...

For several years now I have sent Arnold off to work either early in the morning or late in the afternoon and have often wondered what it must be like for him to work at the refinery. There have only been a handful of times when I have been able to actually be at the refinery when Arnold was there working and on this day it was especially fun to see where he worked, ate, and most often spent more time than at home! This was a picture of us in the kitchen/dining area of the building. I bet I could really get use to a kitchen that size. Double ovens, double refrigerators, Quadruple sinks and dishwashers... We could throw a serious party!

Fifteen years and counting...

Last week we were invited to the Chevron refinery to spend the afternoon with Arnold as he celebrated his 15th Anniversary with the company. While we were there, the crew bbq'd steaks and potatoes and baked a large Dutch oven blueberry cobbler. We were given a personal tour of the facility and a chance to hear what Arnold's supervisors and crew mates had to say about him! Before the day was over one of Arnold's friends brought over the Chevron Fire truck for the kids to climb on and take pictures of! It was a fun way to spend the afternoon!

When envy warms the heart...

Recently we found out that some good friends of ours were moving to Utah. We couldn't be more excited for them and their two children! We first met them when Arnold worked for Chevron in El Paso, TX. Then we were elated to hear that they had moved here from El Paso not long before our move brought us here from Salt Lake City, Utah. We enjoyed having someone we "knew" here and someone that could help us make some sort of sense about picking up and driving 2000 miles across the country to a place we had no idea what to expect from.

Part of me couldn't wait to tell them all the things they had to look forward to! All the perks and pluses! All the activities and bonuses to living in a state that welcomed families such as their's! And then, out of no where, the other part of me felt those annoying anticipating little pangs of green jealous envy. I was taken back and a bit startled. Had I not found a place in my heart for Mobile, AL? Had we not loved being close to the water and enjoying the perks of being here on the Gulf Coast? Had we not found instant friends in the neighbors and ward members that became our new family far away from home?

I then came to the the realization that after all this time I still had deep feelings of homesickness for a place we called "home" for almost nine years. A place where my children were born and raised for the first few years of their lives. Where strong relationships were built. Where hearts were sometimes broken. Where tiny spirits were strengthened. And lasting bonds of love were created.

I really thought enough time had passed to where those feelings no longer existed in me. But hearing that friends of ours were on their way there and beginning that great journey back "home" to Utah quite frankly made me feel a bit ENVIOUS. Envious enough that I thought I might want to trade places with them for a moment. Envious enough to make me wonder if we'd ever make it back one day. Envious enough to wish I were in their shoes. And just envious enough to make me think and remember all the good times we had there and warm my heart for a moment. Having friends move home to Utah reminded me most about why we loved being there so much in the first place...

Friends vs. Hawaiian friends...

There are friends...and then there are "HAWAIIAN FRIENDS"...

FRIENDS: Never ask for food.
HAWAIIAN FRIENDS: Always bring the food.

FRIENDS: Will say "hello".
HAWAIIAN FRIENDS: Will give you a big hug and a kiss.

FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs.
HAWAIIAN FRIENDS: Call your parents mom and dad.

FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
HAWAIIAN FRIENDS: Cry with you.

FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave.
HAWAIIAN FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing and just
being together...and help clean-up when all pau!

FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
HAWAIIAN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.

FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
HAWAIIAN FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowd's okoles that left you.

FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
HAWAIIAN FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, "I'm home!"

FRIENDS: Are for a while.
HAWAIIAN FRIENDS: Are for life and eternity.

FRIENDS: Will ignore this.
HAWAIIAN FRIENDS: Will forward this to spread "da Hawaiian kine aloha"!

Hat boy, shakey boy, and cute boy...

After getting up at 3 am to be at the Birmingham Alabama temple by 9 am for our youth baptism trip we drove another 90 miles on the way back to Pensacola, FL that evening for a Tri-Stake Youth Dance. While there the youth were able to mingle with about 100 other youth who had driven to the stake center from Ft. Walton Beach, Pensacola, and Mobile, Alabama. For the most part there were a few familiar faces but when we see someone we haven't met yet, we come up with unique ways of identifying those that we are talking about until we have the chance to learn more about them.

For example, Hat boy was a twin and wore a golf hat that he thought went along with the "Hawaiian Luau" theme of the evening. (It did NOT!) Shakey boy just moved to Daphne, Alabama from Provo, Utah and seemed nervous about being at this first dance away from "home". (Hence the shaking...) Pretty hair boy needed a haircut but had really nice locks. (See picture for reference.) And finally, Cute boy (Marty from Pensacola, FL) was the highlight of the evening. Oh and actually cute boy started out that evening as "nice smelling" boy but we decided after a few dances that "cute" boy fit better.

I think Lisa is really going to enjoy her first Youth Conference this year! Hopefully she'll still think "cute" boy is cute. Shakey boy will get over his nervousness. Pretty hair boy will get a haircut. And hat boy will leave his golf hat at home.

Home with honor...

Elder Parker is one of those very special elders. One who persevered, overcame, served well and touched the lives of many people while serving here in the Florida Tallahassee Mission. Our paths first crossed in Woods Cross, Utah where Arnold and I were called to serve as the Sunday School teacher for the 14/15 year old class. That's where we met Elder Parker's mother and older brother and formed a relationship with his family. Moving to Mobile, AL two years ago we realized that there could be a chance Elder Parker would be called to serve in this area as we are a part of the Tallahassee Mission boundaries. Never having the chance to have him serve in our ward we were still blessed to see him on occasion at transfer spots in Pensacola, FL and during the Gladys Knight Missionary Fireside weekend at the Mobile Alabama Stake Center. This is a picture of us taken last Wednesday. Elder Parker was on his way home. Returning with honor. Full of hopes and dreams and goals that will fill a lifetime. Our area will be forever blessed to have had him in our presence. Good luck Elder Parker! We will miss you!