a holiday review

hey family and friends!

i hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving- lots of yummy food and time with loved ones. :)

em and i were invited to Jeanie's home and with their large and wonderful family, we had a great time. that family knows how to cook! the food was delicious and there was easily enough for double the crowd.

about 1 a.m. miley decided to start whining. i couldn't comprehend it then but when she began again at 4 something i hopped out of bed to take her out. sure enough she had 'issues'.

at that point i couldn't go back to sleep, even tho i tried in vain. i looked over at the clock and it read 5ish. i decided to get myself up, dress, and head to best buy for the black friday deals.

i honestly didn't expect anything to be there that i had seen in the ads. but- i got VERY lucky, starting with a front row parking space.

to make it short- i found everything i wanted, didn't have to wait in the crazy lines ( a trick i learned a few years back) and was back home by 6:30.

it was great!

how about you- did you do the crazy shopping thing? any luck? did you say no way? :)

TWU

i had such a wonderful time working at TWU for the Music Dept. this past week! i spent two days with some amazing kids and a very welcoming admin, along with their professors.

it was so entirely awesome that honestly, i felt at home.
as in- when can i get back in school???

i sat in classes that sang, group instrumental classes and in private instruction.

the final class i attended just touched my soul... it was a classical guitar group, that included one student that also played violin. it was so beautiful watching and listening to them play- - - - :) and interestingly, the class was all men- and just one young lady. at texas WOMEN'S university!!!

p.s. i'm hoping to get a letter from tay monday afternoon!

hey!

i'm back and have lots to say... as if you didn't know that... but wanted you to know that i'm working on Taylor's Missionary Blog.

He's listed on my links as Elder Barron.

today i posted his first letter home!

if you write him a comment, i'll be sure to add those comments to my letters that i send him. :)

the MTC

cutting the pocket stitching...



adding the name tag...



officially official :)



grandma and uncle ryan with the newest elder at the mtc!

pics to capture these memories

i love my elder!



taylor, and a friend, michael, from age 5! :)



tay is the oldest grandson and gabe is the youngest- son of bj and rochelle.



...with beej, rochelle, and gabe.



tay and his grandparents, ron and sue.



tay with candice, andy, mandy, and ally.



tay with dani, kirk, braden, kimmie, rissa. and tanner.



tay and grandpa stan.



this is the silly version of tay and the girls...



and then they gave this nice one!



tay and grandpa on the way to the BYU vs San Diego. (we stomped)

countdown

it is monday- and i am thinking a lot.

i have two more days with tay- to complete getting him ready, to look at his face.

it has been a wonderful trip so far.

at the airport we met a woman who has sent out 5 sons on missions. she was so warm, and enthusiastic with tay about his serving- kind to me in some coping advice.

upon arrival we met another woman- who approached tay with such openess- and it turns out that she lives in the carlsbad california mission. she raved about the mission- it's members, the beauty of the area.

these interactions were like hugs. we recognized them as blessings.

we met mom and dad (so good to be here with them!) and grabbed a bite at our favorite place only to be approached by another- this time a young man that had returned just the day before from his mission. the brotherhood that these young men must feel was touching to witness.

we were so happy to see candice and the girls for a few minutes before we hurried off to the mall to get tay's shopping done.

at mr. mac's we were introduced to a salesman- who had served in the carlsbad mission just one year previous. he spoke with love and assurance to tay regarding the people and mission president. and then he helped us pick out the items tay would need.

at the end the manager gave us an additional discount because mom and dad knew him from years back- and again, all these things we recognize as blessings.

tay has seen most of the family now- and has said his goodbyes. it has been hard to observe these very tender moments.



em, she had the hardest time when reality hit her. she cried for hours, starting with the meeting when tay was set apart and not ending until she fell asleep exhausted.

james had a hard time, too. they (em and james) are hanging out together this week.

today we meet with james' family for dinner. i was invited along and i was happy to accept. it has been since i was married that i have been with all of them. i hope to fade back, take pictures for tay, and let this be all about him.

anyway, counting down- grateful, emtional, grasping at each potential moment.

tay told my uncle jc that he was ready to go- but was treasuring each of these moments leading up to wed.

he sits next to me at every opportunity. i rub his back- i pester him with mom type questions.

he puts up with my camera at his every turn. it is almost comical!

and so... onto the day. love from utah! ...rhonda

leaves, and leaves

this week has been beyond the usual in crazy- but when an event is coming and it feels like you're standing on the track at a station and your feet feel the rumblings of one approaching...

anyway- it was nice to make an excuse to get outside, which i did for a bit to take a few pictures of a new friend, michael, and a bit of texas leaves.



i took pictures at a friends 40th b-day party, too.



when i return, i'm tentatively scheduled to do two days of works for TWU's choral dept. they want to update their website, so i'm going in and capturing what happens during the day in the classes- sounds a bit fun, eh?

i also have a few families wanting photos, along with individual portraits upon my return- so, i'll return and hit the ground running!

today we finish getting ready to leave for utah. i'm sure i can pack and clean and make my kids a bit nuts today... i'm not sure that i can wrap my mind around tay leaving for two years until we walk in the mtc. i'm bring my own box of tissues-!

tay gets set apart tonight...

i'll share his testimony that he bore last sunday re his car and job.

do you recall a year ago? i called it my black october. my health was giving me issues, the fridge went out, and tay called to tell me he was arrested- and a few minutes later the missionaries were supposed to be coming over for dinner.

so i continued to prepare for the dinner as i waited for the officer to call and tell me i could come pick tay up- as long as i brought (was it?)$800. about then i tried to slice my finger off with my cutco knife.

it called for an ER visit. okay so- add up those expensives- and guess at the cost of the others, and you'll see that i was a bit stressed about what was happening with my budget, my health, and more importantly- my son.

it was at that point that taylor quietly turned to his Heavenly Father and asked for His help. tay desired to obtain a job, and with the help of a car he depended upon, which would need to be reliable, he prayed for the car too.

tay spent a year working every opportunity and quietly saved his money. it was rare for him to spend any of it. once in a while i'd see him grab take out, or come home with a new game- but that was it.

fast forward to this past sunday, when tay stood up and walked to the front of the fast mtg and stood to tell a 'fantastic story' as he called it.

he told that he worked his final night of delivering pizzas, woke the next morning, and his car wouldn't start. tears filled his eyes as he bore his testimony that he knew that Heavenly Father had answered his prayer- that everything would come together so he could save and go on his mission- and that he was blessed exactly that way.

after the mtg i had so many people come up to me and hug me- all of us with tears in our eyes- and then they expressed their happiness for taylor and that he's such an amazing young man. one family asked 'how do you raise a son like taylor?'

you know that it has been bumpy- and that no one knew what might happen in his life. but i am telling you, and this is my testimony- i did nothing. i loved tay, sure. and i fought for him with everything in me. but the reason tay is who he is and where he is today, is because Heavenly Father wants this young man and has plans for him. i have felt the angels fighting in his behalf- using me and others as necessary to reach him, and to secure him. i'm so grateful.