Lawyer-in-the-Works graduates to Lawyer-in-the-Family

We just came back from a lovely trip to Spokane, Washington to visit Lawyer-in-the-Works for her law school graduation. It was truly memorable. Her class ranking was 25th, and she graduated with honors (Magna Cum Laude). It was also wonderful to meet her new man, Seahawk's #1 Fan, and get to know him and his family. Here's a quick picture I grabbed of them after the ceremony.

A brief visit

We had so much fun last month visiting Lawyer-in-the-Works that we decided she needed to come home sooner than Christmas. Well, it wasn't just us telling her this. She was also getting this from friends, her mom, other family members ...

So she came home for a very brief (flew in late Thursday evening, flew out Sunday morning) visit, but it was so much fun to see her. Her birthday was on Tuesday, and Mr. Perfect and Most Happy Girl were able to take her and her older half-sister (Super Teacher Woman) out to dinner. It was really nice for Mr. Perfect and Super Teacher Woman to reconnect (he helped raise her from age 2 until she turned 18). We were also able to catch up on what's been happening with Lawyer-in-the-Works for the last five weeks and eat some really good Italian food (excellent restaurant choice, Lawyer-in-the-Works).

Wordless Wednesday

Love these faces

Mr. Perfect and Most Happy Girl had a wonderful trip to Spokane to visit Lawyer-in-the-Works over the Labor Day weekend. We had a lot of fun, ate a lot of really good food (great suggestions from Lawyer-in-the-works), and were able to make a session at the Spokane LDS Temple. (Another down, almost 100 to go.) I don't have many of the pictures ready to post online, but here are three that make me smile.

I'll try to post more later today or tomorrow. In the meantime, here's one from the temple.

And one of Mr. Perfect up close and personal.

Thanksgiving has come and gone...

...and I've been a slacker (at least as far as blogging goes) and didn't write anything on Thanksgiving about how grateful I am for everyone and everything. blah blah blah. Okay, so that's sounds just too snarky. I really am grateful for everyone in my life (or at least trying to be grateful for them) and I am truly grateful for everything Heavenly Father has given me. More than anyone else knows, I know that He blesses me every day, and I'm not sure why. Here are just a few of the things that show me Heavenly Father knows and loves me:

• Mr. Perfect
• Better relationships with the kids
• The rental dishwasher getting fixed without parts and not needing to be replaced
• Leading me to my keys/wallet/Bluetooth/phone/whatever-I've-misplaced-this-time (anyone who has watched me freak out over this stuff knows exactly what I'm talking about here)
• Great extended family on both sides. Huge kudos to the Merrill family, who love me and treat me amazingly. Bigger kudos to the Parker family, who didn't have a choice about me being in their family, but have elected to not kill me anyway.
• The ability to trip and not fall or die. Seriously, I am the world's clumsiest person.
• Near misses almost every time I get on the freeway (you'd think that my car was an invisible color instead of silver)
• Did I mention Mr. Perfect? Oh, I did, didn't I. Sorry, but he's so great that he gets two mentions.

I was also finally able to make Little Big Sis happy and get my turkey out of her freezer. We had Thanksgiving dinner with Mom & Dad M, and we supplied the bird. Crazy Old Bird stuffed and cooked it (delicious!).

Before filling our bellies, we called Lawyer-in-the-Works who wasn't able to come home for Thanksgiving (ah, the joys of being a first-year law student -- grrrr!). It was wonderful to talk to her, and she'll be home for three weeks for Christmas. Yay!!!

Game Boy was also on hand for dinner. Poor thing. He had two full Thanksgiving meals, but was a real trooper and ate with us like he hadn't just finished one with his mom's family.

After dinner, we went for a walk before dessert. And how cute is Little Artist in her borrowed coat? I know, right?

For dessert, I made an apple pie with Swiss cheese in the crust. It tasted great, but browned a little too much. Next time, must adjust baking time.

And we love this picture of Dad M in his chair. He's proof that rest is for the righteous.

Once the festivities were done, Game Boy, Mr. Perfect, and Most Happy Girl took in Wreck-It Ralph. Great flick. You can tell that Disney and Pixar are really starting to blend their studios. Even though it was released under the Disney label without the Pixar bouncing lamp, half of the production team is from Pixar, and it shows.

It was a very good day.

A trip to Spokane

Mr. Perfect and Most Happy Girl had been looking forward to visiting Lawyer-in-the-Works for several weeks. We planned that we could make the drive there and back (about 1,500 miles in all) over the Labor Day holiday weekend. It couldn't have been better.

We headed out Friday night after work and stayed in Boise, Idaho. Getting to Boise was a little more exciting than originally anticipated as we drove through a major thunder storm between Twin Falls and Boise. It's a bit nerve-wracking to feel the car trying it's best to be pulled one way or the other off the highway. Keeps you awake, though, when you've been in the car for three hours and still have two to go.

In Boise, our hotel put us in the Executive Suite. See?

It was the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on in a hotel. The next morning, we had a nice breakfast and headed off for the next seven-hour leg of our journey, which included a stop at Boise State University (about two minutes from our hotel) to look at a parking structure Mr. Perfect designed. Isn't it beautiful?

The proud papa.

Next stop: Spokane, Washington. To make the trip go faster, I started reading a book written by a friend who had asked me to write a review. In the second chapter, I started laughing at something, so I read it to Mr. Perfect, and from that point on, he asked me to read the rest of the book out loud to him. It meant that he did almost all of the driving from Boise and I was in desperate need of constant liquid refreshment to keep my voice from going out. But it was worth it. (Great book, David! Good luck with it!)

Once we reached Spokane, we met up with Lawyer-in-the-Works. We wanted to get her a housewarming gift for her apartment, so we took her shopping and found her a great vacuum (a definite need in an apartment that is almost entirely carpeted) and a toaster. She was so excited that we put the vacuum together as soon as we got back from the store, and she immediately used it.

We had a lot of fun enjoying the city. There was a festival called Pig Out in the Park that weekend, and we tried some great food.

Mr. Perfect and Most Happy Girl made it to the Spokane Temple on Sunday after church. It was closed, but we got some lovely pictures of the outside.

Just what is he thinking in this one? I'm not sure. It might be "Why are you taking my picture now?"

More pictures and trip detail coming soon...

Quick Spokane picture

I don't have time to do a full post about our trip to Spokane to visit Lawyer-in-the-Works. We had a wonderful time. But I did want to post this quick picture of her at Pig Out in the Park. (Yes, Mr. Perfect loved all of the cool bridges.)

Oh, and this one is just too cute. (Yes, they are in a giant red Radio Flyer wagon. It was really cool.)

Lawyer-in-the-Works flies the coup

A very new chapter has entered our lives. One of the kids is living in a different state, and there's a very good chance she won't be coming back to Utah to live again. Wild times! It's hard to believe that it's been over four years since I met Lawyer-in-the-Works, Drama Queen, and Game Boy.

Time flies on wings of lightning;

We cannot call it back.

It comes, then passes forward

Along its onward track.

And if we are not mindful,

The chance will fade away,

For life is quick in passing,

'Tis as a single day.

(Improve the Shining Moments, Robert B. Baird)

I'm sure this is not the last time I will post those particular lyrics. The older I get, the more relevant they become.

So, Lawyer-in-the-Works headed off to the great unknown of Spokane, Washington and law school. Okay, so Spokane isn't that unknown, and we are planning a trip up there soon to see her new digs and take in the beauties of the Great American Northwest. Chant with me "Road trip! Road trip! Road trip!" But until then, texting is a blessing. We know that she and her mom made it fine, and she enjoyed her first day of classes (which she said was mostly orientation).

Yes, they have graduated!

Last week, both Lawyer-in-the-Works and Drama Queen donned the black robes of education, walked across a stage (braving ramps in dress shoes), and were awarded diplomas from their places of learning. Lawyer-in-the-Works from Westminster College; Drama Queen from Cottonwood High School. We are so happy for both girls. They did really well. In the fall, Lawyer-in-the-Works will be attending Gonzaga University School of Law in Spokane, Washington, and Drama Queen will be joining PaintBall Boy in Cedar City, Utah at Southern Utah University.

Way to go! We love you!

The girls and their guys

When Drama Queen asked if PaintBall Boy could come to the photo shoot and maybe jump into some of the shots, we immediately said "Of course! and let Lawyer-in-the-Works know that Our Computer Fixer can come, too!" We love the results. We think they look a bit like those pictures of people no one knows that come in frames when you buy them (because our kids are beautiful enough to be models, don't you know).

Thanks, again, to Melina Moore Memories for the wonderful pictures.

Wordless Wednesday

Photo courtesy of Melina Moore Memories