Mallo's Graduation

Now that we've been home for a week I'm finally getting around to posting about our trip to Utah for Mallory's graduation.  It was a great trip, as usual.  The boys and I got to spend a lot of time with the fam and enjoyed every minute.  Here's auntie Kenzie helping my littles get to the Spectrum for the main event on Saturday, May 5th.

Here's the crew waiting for Mallo's turn to get her diploma.  All the little kiddos were incredibly well-behaved, especially considering the drive up and sitting for a while during the ceremony.  I'm so glad we went. Mal deserved all our attention and support on her big day. We're super proud of her.

The big moment.

The fam in all our glory after the ceremony.  Way to go Mal! 

The Graduate with mom and dad.

Strange things happen when these two get together.  

The sistahs.

It was a very busy week.  I guess that's why it felt like it went SO much faster than other trips home.  We had a lot of errands to run to get Mallory ready to leave for her four month stay in Uganda.  Adam and Cami were home that week too after being in China for 6 weeks.  It was a busy household and I loved it!  So many people to talk to and play with.  I think it's been at least a year, probably more, since we've all been together like that.  It makes me sad to think how long it may be until we're all together again.  We're all growing up and moving away and it's getting so much harder to make our schedules align.  I guess we'll just have to plan family vacations so we have an excuse to make it happen!

The little cousins were darling together again which just made my heart smile.  It's wonderful to see Tate, Mya, and Sadie run around after each other.  One of them finds something to do or to play with and the others follow, then another gets an idea and the others don't want to miss out so they follow them.  They are darling together.
Finn got a lot of love on this trip too.  Sadie would come over and check him out once in a while.  One time she came over and rubbed his fuzzy little head and said, "Finn is fuffy!"  Yep he is.  He's just got a little fluff up there.  So now sometimes we call him fuffy.  Sweet little Sadie.
Miss Mya couldn't get enough of "tickling" his cheeks and loved when he'd "chat" and coo at her when she'd talk to him.  She thought every sound he made was so funny and kept asking us, "what's he saying to me?"  So we'd translate and tell her that he was saying "Mya's so beautiful.  I love her so much." and other such flattery.  She ate it up.  Love, love, love that little girl.

Ad and Cami came home from China with all sorts of treasures.  One most amazing treasure, to the kids, was this cool Chinese kite.  

It was long enough to reach all the way across the cul-de-sac and the kiddos loved seeing all the little kites fluttering in the sky.  So fun.

I had a blast staying up late talking to my sibs, watching our kiddos play, going shopping with my sisters, and fantasizing with Mallory about her upcoming adventures in Uganda.  Mal and I only fit in one jog together that week but it was so nice.  I love jogging together and having her all to myself to pick her brain and talk about everything.  I'm so excited for her next four months.  She's an amazing sister and I'm constantly baffled at how I got to be the older sister.  Must be some cosmic mix-up because she's far wiser than I and I learn so much from her.  Want some good reading to make you appreciate how wonderful your life is...and also wish you could adopt some dear little Ugandan kids?  Read her blog.
We miss you, fam.  Thanks again for a fun week.  Hopefully we'll see you again soon.