Ode to Isabelle

Grandpa requested I put something on the blog.  Since this girl is away at her first girls camp, I thought I'd do a post about her.

She was sooooo excited to go to camp!  She has a cute style, she loves to wear her fake glasses and we braided her hair the night before and she wanted to wear this rainbow hairband.  A true twelve year old.  I'm sure she's having a great time giggling, doing nails, learning dances and skits and cheers.  Her older sisters didn't think camp was all that great, so I hope she keeps her enthusiasm.

She has been taking my camera outside to practice her photography.  She has an interest in it.  I think she has a good eye for it.  I'll let her pictures speak for themselves:

Love that girlie!!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Yesterday was quite a day.  It was a day of many mixed emotions.  We had some good, some bad, and some ugly.  This is the ugly:

Poor Kason wrecked his car.  He was stopped at a light, the light turned green so he started to go, but then he turned to talk to his friend in the back seat and didn't see that the lady in front of him had stopped.  By the time he turned around, he was crunching into the back of her suburban, which has a hitch on the back.  The hitch did quite a bit of damage to our car, but hardly any to hers.  But luckily it might all be fixable by Kason and Rob.  A new battery, a new head light, then pound the hood back out and he can be on his way maybe.  That is why our kids drive cheap-o cars.  So you don't have to cry when something like this happens.  All the money he's been aquiring lately will go toward the ticket and other expenses.  At least no one was hurt!

This photo is after we had the car loaded onto our trailer and we were waiting for the officer to come back and talk to us.  The missionaries happened to stop by.  A few ward members passed by.  It was quite a social hub.

The bad happened to this boy: 

He was invited to go to Disneyland with one of his best friends.  One of their family members couldn't go last minute.  We got the call last night at about 8:30 and they were leaving this morning at 6:30.  We thought it sounded fun and even though he'd miss a little school we were ready to say yes.  But then we remembered that he has a performance tonight.  He and a buddy signed up weeks ago to be in a story telling festival.  They've been practicing for weeks together to get it perfect and memorized.  They go to school early most mornings to meet and perfect their story.  If Eli missed out, his friend couldn't participate.  He knew he couldn't let him down that way.  So after many tears he had to call and tell his friend he couldn't go to Disneyland.  He was soooo sad!  But we are proud of him for making the right choice on his own. 

But thank goodness we had some good.  It was this boy's birthday yesterday, the big 2-1!!! 

(I can't believe I have a 21 year-old!)  And even though the package I mailed way back when hasn't arrived yet, I knew he was having a good day because he was made a trainer!  He got a greenie from the MTC, (pictured with him), and Brady will be teaching him the ropes.  I know what a responsibility this is and that the mission president doesn't trust that job to just anyone.  He's only been out 9 months, he's almost a greenie himself, but he works hard and really tries to have the Spirit.  So it's no wonder he has such a big grin!  We are proud as punch of him!

So, just like life, our May 21 was filled with a little good, a little bad, and a little ugly.  But through it all we learn, grow, and keep putting one foot in front of the other.  "Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we deal with it."  Wouldn't you agree?