At the Cabin.

This year we left our Easton and Maylie with Grandma and Grandpa, and our Tate with Gram and Pop. Our intention was to go White Water Rafting in Jackson, but the weather decided to turn on us and we had rain and 60 degrees our whole stay. Instead, we ate dinner at the Bar J Wrangler (-J ;) show and just spent time together.  Over the short two days we played lots of games, visited the river, ate more food than I care to articulate, and gathered together for family devotionals. This was my very favorite part. I loved how each couple was in charge of either a morning or evening devotional.  I learned so much from my sweet sisters and their husbands, and of course, my perfect parents.

As part of my parent's devotional they played for us a slideshow of our memories in Portugal and all the things we've done since then. That weekend happened to mark exactly 11 years since we left for England to go to the MTC. Those pictures were heart-wrenching and glorious. There are no words to describe what our family has passed through these past 11 years and what we have learned....It has been a teemingly marvelous ride. I just can't wait to see how the next 11 years play out in all their resplendence.

{On our Way}

{At the Bar J}

{Yoga on the river}

{We took so many pictures on this banister over the years...it brought back so many memories to do it again.}

It was so nice to be together. It's been so long since we've had an over-night trip all together. In fact, the last time we stayed all together at the cabin was the summer before Nicole and Jason got married and Maylie was born. I remember my Dad telling us that the next time we were all together our family would be completely changed. And it is. Now we have Jason and Jon and Maylie and Baby Abi, and we're so much the better for it. It's interesting how that works. Families change and grow and so do our hearts. I can't imagine it any better, but I know it will be. As more grandchildren come and our hearts grow more and more abundant in love and closeness.

The End to a beautiful weekend.