May May May

Colorado is ushering in the month of May
in a most lovely way...
rain
rain
raining
yesterday and today.

Is there anything better than going to sleep
listening to raindrop pelt the house
with their little soft
drop
drop
drop?

The yard is green
and the Aspens are budding
as fast as they can
getting ready to make their seasonly debut.

I love Spring in the Rockies!
We had snow last week,
temperatures climbed towards 80 degrees
and then bounced right back down
teasing us with a taste of summer
that's just down the way.

Dani's family came from Saudi Arabia
last month, staying for two very-fast weeks.
We all cuddled
and coddled
those babies
morning noon and night.

My favorite moments were reading bedtimes stories to the boys
and snuggling Gracie in the wee hours
of night and morning.
Oh sure,
we went places and did lotsa things--
but I'm not much of a "go-er"
so just loving on these sacred grandchildren
did my heart SO good!

We said hello and goodbye to Daisie
as she took a week's break
from her college studies at Brigham Young University-Idaho
and came home to visit and get her mission papers
ready!
It's such an exciting time in our family
when one of our yahoos submits their mission papers!
Now, we wait!
She could go ANYWHERE in the world
for her mission
and we are just barely breathing over here
waiting for that large white envelope
from Salt Lake City
that holds her destination inside!

If there is anything more exciting and gratifying
than to see
a child choose to
serve our Heavenly Father as a Missionary,
I don't know what it is,
honestly.
The sacrifice that this service demands is
sometimes daunting--
no daily contact--
phone calls limited to Christmas day and Mother's day
emails once a week
and that's IT.
for 18 months (for young women, 24 months for young men).
Missionaries abide specific codes of conduct like
no TV or secular music,
movies or leisure computer time.
No dating.
Lots of service from sunrise to sunset.
Going to bed dedicated and exhausted.


BUT.
What they gain in return is just wonderfully life changing and miraculous.
Each of my older kids have returned so grateful
for the place
and the people
they met and loved
along the way.

So we're waiting.
Like usual.
Aren't we always?

Bring on those May flowers.