i hope they call me on a mission

Frankfurt, Germany.

growing up, right outside the babies bedrooms, was a piece of paper that i believe my mom ripped out of The Friend magazine that had a picture of two little boys looking in the mirror and had a reflection of two 19 year old boys with dorky short sleeve button-ups and a little name tag on the pocket. holding scriptures of course.

i hope they call me on a mission, when i have grown a foot or two.

it still blows my mind that they are taller than me. it's weird to see them grow up, go to college. i say this jokingly, but i honestly feel like i helped raise the two babies of the family. they are my babies, too, mom. 

i must be the oldest/only girl...

B is one of the least dramatic people you will ever meet. when he has emotion, it's raw and it's real. when he read his call he put his hands on his knees and said this doesnt seem real.

if you've been waiting your whole life for this call, growing up singing the songs, reading your scriptures, wondering where you'll go... i can't imagine. 

and when about 18/21 of your friends are going stateside, i think it came as quite the shock. but was so perfect.

i don't know that i've ever really said anything about tj on the blog... but he's the sibling that i would say i understand the most, because i think we are the most alike. he may not think so, but i see a lot of myself in him (besides the drama thing - i'm all drama, i know, i know). he's a good kid and he tries so hard to be a good person and make all the right choices in his life, and he listens when you dont think he is listening... and i'm so proud of him.

as a little side note--troy, tj's only friend for the first 5 years we lived in btfl ;), was at the house when he opened that call, and i was taking a picture and trying to get all the boys together and said all the babies over here, smile! and little troy said, you still call us babies? some things never change, troy. really.

oh and me and zach are already saving our pennies for the trip to europe to go pick the kid up. what an excuse? really though--done and done.

IN OTHER NEWS

my shows are starting again next week. and i think it goes without saying that i am really look forward to them. do you think that is sad? don't. my shows make me happy. especially when my girl brittany spears is a part of them. yes, brit will be joining the judges on the x factor this year. am i sad to see paula and nicole go? yes. but i trust simon and his decisions and cant wait for what this season brings.... and that's not all:

The Voice

New Girl

Downton Abbey

Parks & Rec

Up All Night

Gossip Girl (are you embarrassed for me?)

aaand i can't think of anything else off of the top of my head, but i know there are more loves in my life. i'll let you know later.

Powell

summer nights

I LOVE HIS FACE IN THE ABOVE PIC.

we love that little fatty!

i'm a baller, say whaaat?

we've been playing a lot of p-i-g lately.

with my husbands new hoop he made.

so proud, that guy.

it is pretty sweet.

and in fact, i won a combo meal from beating my husband. doesn't matter whether he was playing left handed or not. a win's a win.

not sure if you knew this or not, but frank is also a baller.

and soon to be a skateboarder... soon meaning like a year. the coordination gene is not  a strong one in him.

but still. it's going to be great.

our 4th

yard work. yard work. yard work.

even frankster helped.

taking care of a yard is hard! we are slowly but surely getting it into shape.

later we went to a bbq at unce brad's. i love those rock rock girls. they have always made me wish i had a sister. they have 5 girls in their fam, and let me tag along as the little cousin for many, many years. and i look just like them, definitely a rock, so i can pretend i'm a sister, right?

then. me and zach and frank bought some fireworks from a cute little family selling on 5th south, went back to our little house, with newly cut grass, and set them off. zach even played patriotic music... you know, the song from sandlot, the night game scene. it was perfect. and even frank loved the fireworks.

i love our little family. and, i love our country. every 4th i get a little lump in my throat during fireworks and the patriotic music and all of it. we are very blessed.

(my husb just got a new camera...so don't mind the liz and frank photoshoots!)