{For 18 months – Jan ’17 to Jul ’18 – I’m posting our letter to Miranda while she's on her mission to Cochabamba, Bolivia. Our letter titles are taken from a list of family sayings & catchphrases we recorded onto a pillowcase she has with her. You can read her adventures on her mission blog: www.hermanamadsen.blogspot.com!}
So as I was looking through our security cameras to scan for Pepper, I came across some interesting things. First of all, here's what Chloe does when she knows we're gone. Busted!!!!!
Last Sunday, apparently this brother surprised his siblings as they came home from church.
The evidence that my parents came over for dinner that night! Saying goodbye on the porch. =)
And I got to watch Andrew answering Carlie with his sister's help from last week. Can't get away with anything around here. =)
Ok, the pic Dad took while you were on Hangout with us last Monday of the boys playing tennis:
Tuesday was kind of huge. That morning, Kiri called and asked if I could meet her at the Bountiful temple to do a session. So my mom & I went up - it was so awesome, and we did some of Kiri's family names. =) No pic.
Then a few hours later, I met my mom, KelsiJo, Kimmy & Martha (+Elizabeth Grace) at Blue Lemon to celebrate Kelsi's bday together.
Then a few hours later, we ran over to Morgan's basketball game... SO FUN TO WATCH HIM.
During his game, Carlie changed into a different person. Here's her post:
We came home from the game to this beauty. =)
Photobombing 101: Always try to interrupt a selfie. Always.
Morgan turned this in for Art. Pretty awesome:
Wednesday, we had our first Activity Day here, making slime and talking about the Articles of Faith. It was so cute and fun.
Thursday night, Dad & I went to Aida at the new Hale Center Theater in Sandy. It was spectacular. You can't see it in this illegal pic Dad got, but there are screens that light up all around the top, adding to the visual artsy-ness of the play. It is aMAZing. This is the single sarcophagi that Aida and her lover were buried alive in at the end... You should see it. =)
Friday, Morgan took his bed down - he is WAY too big for it. He's going to have a mattress on the floor until we can find a Twin XL mattress, rails, & sheets for our giant, handsome kid.
Then, after the girls found Pepper, and there was GREAT weeping and wailing... like it was never going to stop, they were so sad... I could hear the scriptures coming to life... I took them to Blue Lemon to try to ease the pain. When the waiter guy took our picture, they put on their fleeting happy faces.
When he left and I tried to get a pic of their dessert ~ because when your cat dies you need chocolate ~ this is what I got.
THANK HEAVENS Alex Robertson let Talia invite them for a movie night to distract them. There are STILL bouts of tears; I think until there's a new kitten in the house, it will be too sad. But this helped SO MUCH. What a great friend. =)
While they were gone, Connor partied it up with Nathan. Photobombing 501: be so stealthy, your mom doesn't even realize you've bombed until she attaches the picture in an email:
Saturday was a blizzardy, cold, inside day. But when enough snow had fallen, the twins went out in the full-on blizzard and built snow forts. Most of my kids are their daddy's kids. Like these guys:
Connor:
Meanwhile, this daughter has done nothing except homework & study for the ACT. And also taught Laurels today! Now we realize that Sterling's clinginess is loneliness. Poor kitty always wants to be right by us now. What a darling.
Ok, Mallorie & Ashley had their double farewell today. Germany, Alpine, and England, Birmingham. Both of their talks were so amazing. I told them this pic was for you. =)
And I have to show you this cake on her mom's post of her afterparty. Isn't it so England? So cool.
Alright. Lastly, we have to share the latest thing that's going around on IG. You plug your face into this database of classical artwork, and it matches you with people in famous paintings in museums all over the world. Here's Natalie's funny post about hers:
Here's Morgan's. That's how I think of my boy. Not the face on the left:
Here's Dad's:
I'm not sure I can deal with mine.
I mean, one time it came up with this:
But mostly, just variations of this guy. Hahahahaha!!!!
When Carlie made a normal face: Eskimo girl. =)
Kind of silly face: of course she comes out on top:
And when she completely goes nuts, best painting of the day:
So we decided to do you. =) Here you go!!!
Hahaha! It was really fun. =) Ok, I'm not sure how many memes it will let me attach... I think we're getting kind of full already. But we're not afraid to do a whole email just for memes, so here goes. Warning: they're cat & Kanjiklub. Wait, first snow. This was the kids on Blizzard Saturday:
Ok, cat:
And Kanjiklub. The funniest meme craze ever that we'll never get tired of:
Oh sweetheart. What an amazingly crazy week this has been. So many changes in our family. I hope you can feel our prayers for you, and I hope your days are better because you remember how much we love you, and how much Heavenly Father is watching over you. I know he's so happy that you're serving Him. I can hardly wait to see all the sights you're seeing: the people, the cities, the streets, houses, buildings. Drink it in!! Have a wonderful week!!!! Love, us!!!
