BITTERSWEET

The last couple of weeks have been packed with LaDuke family activities in preparation for the farewell of Mom and Dad. We started with almost all of us going to Snowflake on June 21st to hear them speak in their ward. Both of their talks were so good - it left me wanting to hear more. It was a packed house with all of us there and all the little cousins. Two of the families (including us) got hotel rooms because of the lack of space at Mom's and Dad's. We had a lot of fun being together and enjoying the cooler weather. I took Gage and Maya on a hornytoad hunt to no avail. Then a little while later, Daddy came in to get Gage and show him the local hornytoad that hangs out at the end of their sidewalk. He was so cute (if you can even use that word for hornytoads), but too spiky for us to pick up. The kids watched this terrified little creature for a long time until we convinced them to give him a little break.

Mom and Dad came down on Wednesday, July 2nd to spend more time with all of us and prepare to report to the MTC on July 7th. Our good friend, Shelley Frost, came over on Thursday (my 34th birthday) to babysit so we could have a peaceful, quiet lunch with them. Then Rob did Daddy duty with ALL three kids so I could go shopping with Mom and Alyssa. It was a lot of fun, but SO FREAKING HOT!! Then Mom and Dad babysat so Rob and I could go to dinner. It was a really nice day and I felt very spoiled.

The next day was Gage's 4th Birthday and 4th of July! I have always loved 4th of July and even more so since Gage was born. It's fun to pretend that the fireworks are all for him! I made him a Spiderman cake and he got a ton of presents from his friends Lincoln, Jake & Megan Schmitt, Quentin Ferrier, The Frosts, and all his cousins. They played, swam, and made a huge mess! Thankfully, Gage wanted pizza for his birthday dinner, so that made it REALLY easy for me. We then went to the Johnsons to watch fireworks from their driveway. All the family came except for Bella, who was sleeping, and Papa, who was babysitting (ha! ha!) They didn't start the fireworks until 10pm because of the wind so the kids (and adults) were getting anxious. But as usual, they were worth the wait.

Saturday, the 5th, we all went to Nathan and Mary Kay's house for some delicious food and fun visiting. As each day passed so quickly with all the fun, I continued to dread the inevitable departure of Mom and Dad. I took a lot of pictures and some video and thought all the while how much all these little ones will change in 18 months. We may even have some new little ones by then. Gage will be 5 1/2, Bella will be 3, and Paisley will be almost 2.

Bella went to bed early as usual without a clue and Gage actually came to tell me he was tired and it was time for him to go to bed. Do you believe it?? I explained to him again that he wouldn't see Grandma and Papa for a while and to give them big hugs and kisses. He got emotional which made us all emotional. I tucked him in and was still teary and he was comforting me saying, "It's ok Mama, I'll help you feel better." Precious, precious. I stayed up talking with Mom and Dad for a long time until Dad went to bed. Then Mom and I stayed up until 1:15am talking. I knew she had to get up at 3:30am to get ready for their flight, but I had a hard time bringing myself to end this tradition for a while. Once again, Shelley, saved the day by sitting at the house while the kids slept so we could take them to the airport. Alyssa, Trevor, Rob, Paisley and I helped them check in and walked them to security where Mom said she wasn't going to cry. (She had already had several tearful goodbyes with the other kids the night before.) No such luck - Alyssa, Mom, and I were sad and Dad kept saying, "Oh, come on....it's gonna be ok." We know he's right, but it's still hard. We mill miss them so much, but we know they are doing a wonderful thing. Bella woke up asking for Papa like she always does when they come, but she soon forgot. I'm glad she isn't old enough to be as dramatic as Gage yet!!