Utah/California road trip

Well, well, well...this was a very hectic couple of weeks. The day after all of our company left, we got up EARLY to catch our flight to Utah. Aaron had already left the 

day before on a work trip to California. After some delays, we finally arrived to SLC. John and Dalynn met us at the airport, gave us the car we bought Darby, took our big luggage, and then we started driving south. Yeah, we don't rest much!

After stopping in Cedar City at a hotel, the next morning we met up with the Jennings for breakfast in St. George. They were the Visitor Center Directors while Darby was serving in Kirtland.

We finished our road trip in Santa Ana, California where Aaron was staying.  We were able to kidnap Kayla so she could stay a night with us in the hotel and then visit with her family the following evening.

Walking around Newport Beach

Jaxon and Tyler were friends in Malaysia.

The Running Family was one of our favorites in Penang.
Such a sweet and wonderful family!

The following day we headed down to San Diego. We spent a little time at the Mormon Battalion
Visitor Center while waiting to collect Mom at the airport.

Took a photo with these cute sisters.

After getting mom and checking into our hotel,
we met up with the rest of the family for dinner.

On this day, Mom entered the temple for her first time to receive her own endowments.
 It was a most perfect and heart warming day. I love my family!

We drove back to SLC and this time the focus is all on Melynn as she prepares to enter the MTC.

Due to us changing our flight plans so we could attend the temple with mom, it required that Melynn be set
apart at the MTC instead of back in Jacksonville. We had an appointment the morning of the big day
and met with a member of theMTC presidency so he could set Melynn apart as a missionary.

After a yummy lunch at Cubby's, it was time for goodbyes. 

Melynn never even looked back as another sister collected her and walked away together. Karen told me that
(she had heard this said before) this is like how it is when we leave our Heavenly Parents. We are so excited to
venture out to our earthly experience that we probably never even looked back. But we know that this life is
hard and thankfully we have the knowledge of our loving brother, Jesus Christ,
who has made it possible for us to return some day.

Now let's not forget Darby...we had to help her move her stuff into her apartment and help her take care of a little business. For one, she got her own Costco card! ha ha ha
Good luck on adulthood Darbs!