Yes, it is true. The missionaries from our church moved into the loft above our bonus room. Ruby thinks she now has brothers and that she's not the oldest in our family anymore, I have to change my "pants-optional" home lifestyle and Chris now has someone to play Mariocart with...oh wait...JUST KIDDING (they can't play video games).
We set up a nice little space for them with a little fridge and desks and beds and all that. We also borrowed a little table, some chairs and a microwave, as they'll only live here 9-12 months.
Knowing they'll be living here has made me think of all the things that I might need to be sensitive to in order to help them obey their rules and keep their minds focused on the tasks at hand. I served a mission, and I think we followed lots of extra rules that other missions didn't...like not using slang. I always correct myself when I'm around the Elders and I use slang. It's funny though, they don't really have that rule, so they think I'm a weirdo.
The good thing is that our bonus room on the second floor of the house has a staircase in it that leads to maybe 400 square feet that is on a third level all it's own. This way, they'll be plenty separate from our downstairs where we watch television and movies and make out and stuff.
Regardless of the little changes, I'm really enjoying the idea. I love knowing what they are up to and being able to support them in their efforts. I get to go speak Spanish tonight with a whole family that is learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ. What a blessing!
There are a lot of people from my mission that I'm still in touch with. The closest ones actually don't have blogs...but maybe (they better be) they read from time to time. So...I'll shout out to each person (maiden names only) I have linked to my blog who I served in EL FARO, The Barcelona, Spain mission with, and I'll throw in a few more who better be reading.
Laura Sage--With flair like no other human I know, and a heart of gold. We were never companions, but roommates in Barcelona, and I'll never forget hitting you with a meat tenderizer, your pleather outfit after the mission in Provo, our twinsie Prisms, the weekend in a ratty hotel in San Diego and your visit here last summer. I love being your friend and knowing of all your adventures and quirky romances.
Monica Blanco--My little English speaker who doesn't have patience for my choppy Spanish today, but when we were roommates in Barcelona (should have been companions) you'd get so frustrated when I spoke English! I still love my barriga, Beatriz...and you for visiting me and making me a paella and leaving behind some chorizo. Congrats on your wedding in July. I wish I could have been there!
Chrissy Sainsbury--Why don't you have a blog?! Why don't we ever see each other!? Chrissy and I grew up together and she was my last and I was her first companion. I loved serving with someone I knew so well. She was such a prepared missionary! It was hard when my mom got there, someone Chrissy knows so well, not to take her traveling with us. Her folks are still in the same ward as mine, but we never really manage to get together. Hmmmmm. I think we avoid calling because when can you ever think to yourself, "I have three hours to talk on the phone today." :)
Abby Carlston--Of ten companions, there were only two that I didn't send home or get from home: you and Jenni Noble. It was really great to work with someone who had been out a couple of months! I think we were only together one month, and I right? I remember that month being really hard for me. I don't know why. I loved that ward, and I was so glad to be back there. I know my personal struggle was internal, but I remember sitting down during contacts one morning. It wasn't even a place to sit. It was a curb, and if I remember right, there was a car parked right in front of us. It was probably only ten minutes, but I just wanted to sit. I felt wrong the whole time, and I'm sure you did too, but you didn't push me. You just let me flake out for a minute. Thanks!
Jenni Noble--Why do I have more to say about our two months together than anyone else? So many things that I won't remind you of in this forum, but I will say that I never had to witness any other woman get a pap in my whole life. I loved being your companion because you are always happy and you don't sweat the small stuff. I remember your lovely soprano voice flitting around the piso with a "bibbity, bobbity boo" ring to it.
Kari Cowdell--I don't think we ever more than crossed paths in the mission, but I know you served in several of my areas, and that you took good care of everyone you served. I remember you telling me once that you wanted to be my companion, and I was so flattered! I knew of you before you came, and it seems you were destined to be a member of the family...you are the only mission friend who has been to my house for Mother's Day, and it was my brother who let me know you have a blog.
Dave Strom--I don't really have many mission memories of us interacting personally, but you have such a welcoming personality, that I felt like we were old friends once we all landed in Provo after the mission. I think you are one of the only men/boys I have ever met with that quality of befriending everyone and in a really personal, endearing way. I treasure knowing you, and I love that you'll eat up any props I have for you...props are the way to your heart for sure. Even though I've gone to McCall hundreds of times, I can never go there now and not remember the random time that you and Jared and Jane and I went. I love that you like nice things, that you love yourself and that you can totally hang with the girls.
Nici Robinson--You were born to Nancy in Valencia, right? That was your first area, I think. Anyway, we were roommates. I don't remember a lot, but I know we had easy times chatting at night and hard times keeping our mouths shut during study time. I think you and Nanci traded off with me so that when my companion was sick, I could still rotate out to work. If I remember right, it was really hard for you to stay home. I love that you married an ELDER! :)
Carissa--You went home before I got there, but mission gatherings proved a fast track to friendship for us...even though you didn't even go to school in UT! I don't know how we became friends, but I know it was our sassy heels, the hardwood floors at Tropicana and a love for latin dancing that bonded us for life.
Kendra--You were my first, MTC companion. I guess if I count my MTC companions, then I had 14 companions on my mission. I always found you easy to get along with and fun to be around. When we were a threesome at the end there, I learned one of my most valuable life lessons. We sure did get our fill of MTC torture to the tune of oh...8 weeks longer than we were supposed to be there! Remember that nutty Elder who was always stalking me and giving me romantic things?! I remember us hitting the floor in the cafeteria when we saw him enter. What a relief to get to Spain and not have to stress about that anymore. I'm so glad you blog!
Sariah and Chris--Sariah, I think you were like a totally different person in my mind from the mission than you really are. I didn't know you well, but I just had you in a no edge, no style, sweet as can be place. I remember seeing you after the mission and you were all trendy and funny and I realized I didn't really know you on the mission. AND YOU MARRIED ELDER LLOYD! Lol. I LOVED serving with ELDER LLOYD. Here's this Elder who comes off really proper, who doesn't have a proper bone in his body. We'd be working, or up to something normal and out of nowhere, he'd have some under his breath, quirky joke about something. It was just really fun to serve with him. That was my favorite group of Elders...Antrobus, Dixon, Lloyd and Booth (even though technically I was intimidated by Booth). I liked it because that chapel in Murcia was dedicated while we were there, and we'd play volleyball on p-day. I also suffered through two months with a companion who didn't want to leave the apartment and sometimes I got to go out with the Elders to do contacts if there was a member to stay behind with my companion.
MariaJose--My compi. You didn't serve technically with me, but your companionship during the aforementioned two months SAVED me. I loved hitting the streets with you and doing missionary work with you. You were fearless and so willing to serve. I learned a lot from your example.
Cheri--You and Sariah are in the same category, we served in several of the same areas, and I think my first contact of my whole mission, who was golden...lived in your area and you taught her until her family forbade her to learn more. There are always those odd connections! I have fun reading your blog and being amazed by your talent...I can't believe you married the mission president's son! So crazy! It's funny because I didn't know you well, but many people who I served with adored you, and you had the reputation for being President's favorite...now you most certainly are the most favored RM from the mission!
This was fun! I'm so glad to have so many friends from my mission (not to mention my non-blogging friends, Amy, Jake, Nanci, Xela...). Loved being in the best mission in the world with all of you.
Ruby is such a little poser, I love it. I swear, she's never seen a model in action, but she sure knows how to strike poses and change it up. I made she and Alice 
The threesome. I can't believe they are getting so big. Ruby, Hailey and Sarah are buddies and cousins. They will all be six for about three months starting this week. They were all born within 9 months and they just enjoy each other so much. Hailey follows in her mom's hi-tech footsteps, and she showed her stuff to Ruby and Sarah.
What is it about little kids embracing sand so wholly? Here's Nathan, covered from head to toe (no, not to toe...he had to wear bulky shoes and socks the whole time because he fractured his foot!) in sand, happy as can be. Ruby would get out of the water with the goal of warming up, and she'd lay her dripping body right on the sand to soak in the warmth. CRAZY! 
One family brought this trampoline to play on. The kids really enjoyed it. I was so happy to see Ruby swim out there, climb on and jump off...with out a life preserver (the idea was for he to wear one, but I noticed her once heading out alone, so I kept my eye on her and she did it all with so much grown up confidence.
My uncle Jim and aunt Peggy shared their new jet skies with the family. Here's Chris with Ruby in front and my cousin Kade on the back. What fun!
I have such fun cousins! It is fun to see such a big group of them all having fun together. Being young and silly and together. I guess they are all sisters, except for Sidney, in the pink towel. I have an uncle with ten kids...SEVEN GIRLS!
A reunion tradition (only maybe ten years old...the reunion has been around more like 35 years, but the breakfast started maybe ten years ago) to have breakfast on the beach. My dad whipped up a couple hundred pancakes and some eggs. My sister-in-law, Heidi makes the best syrup...I'll have to post the recipe. We use my aunt Nancy's pancake recipe, so this year, we called them "Nancakes". Tasty.
I've been going to Ice Cream Alley as long as I can remember. It's become more popular...probably just because McCall is more well-known, and WAY busier than ever before. It is this little dive of a window facing an alley, and they serve ice cream there and have a little seating area. We had to hit it one night after a long day in the sun. 
Sarah, Emma, Alice, Ruby and Hailey. Unfortunately, I didn't pack our matching jammies...those are hot jams for summer! Anyway, the girls had so much fun swinging and eating their tasties.
Opa and Hailey hanging out on the beach.
Any person who has ever been really pregnant can appreciate this one...my brother 
My girls really adore their uncle Jordan. He's really sweet to play with them and be interested in them. I'm surprised they aren't fighting over him in this picture. I can't ever hold them both without them nudging each other and comparing how much of my body they have dominated, and working on further ownership. 
We went 
