May 6
We had a cute moment the other night as we talked with Babups who is on a mission in Africa.
This was a random idea we had to take a picture of our three missionary badges. It was comforting to think that we are in this work together. Hurrah for Israel!
He is doing amazing and we love talking to him every week.
Please visit Elder Browning’s blog for his weekly emails and pictures… he is having quite the adventures in Africa!
We started off our Christmas season (after all the mission stuff was completed) going to “A Christmas Carol”.
Nothing like Scrooge and the story of compassion, service and brotherly love to get us in the mood for Christmas.
Eboo, Presto, and JuBean were in heaven. The Christmas spirit and “anticipation” were in full gear.
Outside the play, the line for the Giving Machine (#LightTheWorld), was so long and packed. But it was cool seeing one of the five in the entire world.
Making a gingerbread house is one of our family Christmas traditions.
We finally got EB to sit and do some Christmas coloring and have some family time.
We had some wonderful Christmas carolers show up and sing to us.
They were so amazing, we asked them in for more. Thank you Sisters and Elders!
Christmas Eve Dinner: Yummy. Yum. Yummo.
Christmas Jammies 2018
Waiting to go “up” the stairs to see what Santa brought.
Let the mess begin!
Christmas morning fatigue and mess…
Christmas is the best with little ones! Dolls, play food, toys….it’s the best!
Lastly, we were able to “Hangout” with Elder Babups!!
He called from Botswana and even though the first call was a silent call (no audio, only video)…
…we got a second chance to talk with him the next day. This time everything worked.
Thank heavens.
What a great way (and sigh of relief) to end the Christmas season by seeing Elder Babups happy and healthy in Africa.
Keep praying for him and all the missionaries around the world. They sure need our prayers.
Happy New Year!
Days before Babups left, we tried to get in some family togetherness one last time. Plus, we had a lot of packing to do. Two suitcases for two years in Africa… a bit of a stress for mama.
Time with Presto talking b-ball and the Utah Jazz.
Getting in our favorite breakfast place, Cracker Barrel!
Running errands and finding last items for his suitcase stash…Presto is not amused with shopping.
Babups’ last supper in Tucson was the famous Sonoran hotdog and a large strawberry Eegee! Tucsonans know of what we speak.
Getting advice from older brothers right before he was set apart.
The famous Arizona Tucson Mission stair photo of the family….most get this picture when they are going home from their mission. Babups gets one on his way to his mission!
President Walker of the Tucson Arizona Stake set Babups apart. Now he is an Elder.
Elder Babups will not return to Tucson after his mission, as we will be back in Idaho by then. So this is not only a good-bye to the family, but a good-bye to Tucson, AZ.
Had to include our friends the saguaro cacti!
Here we go to the Tucson International Airport….this is getting real now!
And now the dreaded good-byes….
Good-bye for TWO Elder Babups! We will be praying for you and loving you from afar.
Follow his adventures at his missionary blog.
Hurrah for Israel!!!
How is it that a full year has gone by?
This is the family a little over a year ago–August 2017.
I don’t have the energy to even think of what has happened since that hot, August day in Tucson.
But here are some much needed and embarrassingly late updates.
Two more grand babies are in the oven baking…. Yay!!!! One is due any day now (Sept 2018) and the other one Spring 2019…
LillyDill (our sweet granddaughter in the picture) is 16 months old as of this post and is the cutest and most energetic thing ever!
Babups graduated from Seminary and received his own mission call to Africa Botswana/Namibia Mission ~(holy hannah)~ and he is getting ready to leave for the South Africa Missionary Training Center on October 11, 2018…
JuBean is now 7, Presto is 12 (the lone Deacon in our ward), and Eboo is 15 ….with a driving license coming in the near future.
I wish I could show a current photo of the family in September 2018, but that is not possible because we have never all been together in one place since this photo was taken.
Nonetheless, here are some pictures from the past year.
(Disclaimer: These photos are the ones currently on the computer I am on doing this post… I’m sure there are many more, but don’t have access to them right now.)
Babups at Seminary Graduation.
Just an hour before Seminary Graduation, Babups opened his mission call to the Africa Namibia/Botswana Mission. We all are a little shell shocked!
Eboo and Babups, the early morning seminary DUO!
Presto is just here for the food.
Jubean, will miss her big (and quite tall) brother!
Preston finally turned 12 and gets to sit in the front seat….that is if his older siblings let him.
Getting some snuggles in with LillyDill!!
It’s time to get these photos up to show our Birthdays for January, February, and March.
These birthdays are all squished into 5 weeks so it feels like all we do is open birthday gifts and eat birthday cake…or pie…or cupcakes.
Happy Birthday you three!
JQ is officially an adult!
Presto is our Star Wars maniac!
Babups is now official. Watch out night drivers and all you girls!
