Last couple of weeks...

Visited Grandma and Grandpa Franklin for Mother's Day.
Grandpa showed us the Noah's Ark my mom commissioned him to carve.

I've been watching one of my boss's kid the last two weeks.  Friday was my last day and I'm already missing Henry more than I thought I would.  Isn't he adorable?! 

We went to the IFA store to run an errand for mom.  Not everyone can say they have to pick up grasshopper bait for their mother.  

Rachel wanted these chicks but I said no because I'm not taking care of them in the fall when she jets off to Jerusalem for the semester.

 

The Spring City home tour was on Saturday.   We never thought we would have to blow dry the floor runners so they settle on the floor.

 

Brooke decided to eat mom's centerpiece of fruit.

Dad and I unintentionally matched

Yesterday I went with the parentals up to Ogden to place flowers on Grandma and Grandpa Barker's graves for Memorial Day.  After which we stopped by Grandma and Grandpa Franklin's house for a quick visit. 

 More pictures of Henry....he's just too cute to not show off.

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom is such a lucky lady.  Do you know why?  Well in addition to having me as a daughter ;) she also gets two shout-outs this year because mum's day was in March in the UK.  At church on Mum's Day when I was in England all the mothers and potential mothers were given flowers and a quote from David O. McKay.  The quote was as follows-

"The noblest calling in the world is motherhood.  True motherhood is the most beautiful of all arts, the greatest of all professions.  She who can paint a masterpiece, or who can write a book that will influence millions, deserves the plaudits and admiration of mankind; but she who rears successfully a family of healthy, beautiful sons and daughters whose immortal souls will exalt an influence throughout the ages long after paintings shall have faded, and books and statues shall have decayed or been destroyed, deserves the highest honor that man can give, and the choicest blessings of God."

Happy Mother's Day Mom, I'm the lucky one.

Fulfilling Your Duty to God

Apartment

Who knew my college bedroom would be bigger than my home bedroom.  This photo was taken before I moved most of my stuff in.  It's much more decorated and prettier now.

Puerto Rico

I spent the last week in Puerto Rico with the family.  We went to visit Brooke's mission and got to meet some of the amazing people she taught.  Because I'm too tired to write a long post (and I've gotten pretty lazy at blogging), I'll give a little synopsis of the things we did:

Thursday:

Travel

dinner in Old Town San Juan at Raices

Friday:

San Cristobal and El Morro

Ferry to Vieques

Biobay - the water glows in the dark when it's agitated because of the plankton

Saturday:

Sun Bay - beach on Vieques where they filmed the Bachelor (ha)

Ferry to Puerto Rico

Amazing dinner at Tammi and Julios - family that Brooke taught

Sunday:

Church in Toa Baja

visit with Emma - Brooke's convert

Monday:

Ponce - art museum and town square

Drive to Adjuntas

Dinner at the hotel

Tuesday:

El Yunque rain forest

Dinner at Chili's with Nicole - another one of Brooke's converts

Wednesday:

Home Sweet Home

we just can't get enough of Erin's drivers license photo.  It cracks us up every time

El Morro

decoration in the women's bathroom at church?
It looks like a part hat to me

This is how we felt after eating fried Puerto Rican food.  Fat.

Ponce

After traveling for the past four months it feels good to get back to normal life.  Although I'm usually in Salt Lake during the summer I'm back in Provo living in a house with Rachel.  It feels good to be back even if it is different from past semesters here.

First weekend at home

Highlights:

Barbecue

Breakfast with Tess, Tessa, and Rachel

City Creek with C.R.A.T., Eric, Jason, David, and Evan

Nerts

Frosty Floats and Breaking Dawn with Rae Fish

Lowlight:

Saying goodbye to the girls for the summer.  I already miss them terribly.

C.R.A.T. returns

Tess, me, Jason, Rachel, David, Cara, and Evan
photo courtesy of Eric

I'm baaaa-aack

I've been back for 5 days now.  It feels like I never left.  Although I would go back to London in a heartbeat, I'm glad I'm home.  My original plan was to stay home this summer and take a couple classes at the BYU Salt Lake center.  Well my plans have been turned upside down the last two weeks.  I signed up for classes in Provo, signed a contract to live in a house with Rachel, and got a job at the preprofessional advisement center on campus.

***

On Tuesday I drove down to Provo with Rachel who dropped me off at my old apartment.  Rachel Fisher was the only one who knew I would be there early so I got to surprise Tess and Cara.  Their bishopric gives the students dinner all of finals week so I went to that even I'm technically not in the ward anymore.  Later we went with Kylie, Joseph, and Evan to the hospital for milkshakes.  If you're ever in Provo and are in need of a treat try Cafe West in the hospital.  It's good.  Then we finished the night by watching A Knights Tale.  My roommates let me crash on the couch that night.  It was kinda weird going to my old apartment and not having a bed.  But the couch wasn't too bad.

Yesterday morning I had a job interview in the Wilk and then I grabbed some lunch at J Dawgs with Rachel and Cara.  Since I didn't have school or anything else to do I hung out at their apartment and then Rae Fish drove out to Spanish Fork with me so I could sign my new housing contract.  Then I crashed another ward dinner and a dinner at Brick Oven for our friend Steph whose parents bought pizza for her graduation party.  After a little convincing I gave in and joined my roommates and some friends country dancing.  It was fun but I'll admit I'm not a dancer.

***

This morning I woke up and helped Brooke clean her apartment and move home.  Now I'm in Salt Lake but am heading back down tomorrow to hang out with the girls some more before they all leave me for the summer. 
I've missed them.