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My beautiful girls…

Happy Valentines Day!!

Bob bought me these beautiful orchids to go with our newly painted living room.  I just love them!

Of course we had our traditional heart-shaped pizza and even had homemade coldstone!

Alayna had a SC competition in Urbandale on Friday and Tyler was gone to one in Keokuk all day yesterday.

On Thursday we had Thanksgiving/Christmas dinner since Marisa had missed 2 years worth!

I held a very successful bake sale at the HS where we made $120 and so I bought 10 new books at Barnes and Noble!

Blind date with a book has been a huge success at school!

And Robin Lord Taylor (from Gotham) favorited another one of my tweets!

Probably the most exciting news is I was able to get Mike Mullin, author of the Ashfall Trilogy, to come to Anamosa (which plays a prominent part in Book 2).  You would not believe the HOURS I have put into getting him here and the nightmare trying to get funding.  Long story short the district wont pay.  I took it to the foundation and they denied it because “we aren't sure its good to take kids out of the classes and it wont benefit the kids over time because it’s a one day thing.”  I WORK WITH IDIOTS!!!!  He does these amazing presentations with Taekwondo and volcanoes.  I set him up at both schools, ordered books because he sais he would sign one for everyone who bought one, set him up to present at the public library, set him up to tour the famous jail AND get them to carry his book.  ANyway, a bank, the public library, and an anonymous teacher covered the cost.   I am truly grateful for other people’s support.  ugh!

Returning Home with Honor

We have had a busy, emotionally exhausting week as Marisa made it home safely from her 18 month mission in Brazil.

She had many hours of travel including 10 hours in the Atlanta airport with a 4 hour delay.  She finally made it and even though all her luggage was lost (but delivered 2 days later), she was happy to be home.  Until the big doors opened to the outside and she turned to go back up the escalator to catch a flight back to Brazil!

Her 1st request was to eat out at Red Robin

Then we took her home to show her all the new décor and meet the guineas

(“Oh I havent seen carpet in soooo long!)

Then we took her to the stake center to be released and then out to ice cream at coldstone even though it was literally below freezing outside.  Then she got to open gifts and promptly fell asleep while watching Frozen.

Here are a couple of pics at the Sao Pauolo airport

We are so happy to have all our children under one roof again.  As I wrote on fb this week:

I am convinced that there is no greater joy than having each member of your family back together again! Our home was full of laughter and its as if the kids have never been apart. That hug! As soon as I got to her, we were both in tears. I am so grateful for her safe return.

A special thank you to all for the love and support not only while she was on her mission, but on her long travel home. Thanks to all those in and around Atlanta who volunteered to go get her. Thanks for the emails and fb checkins. Thanks to my cousin for racing to get her a flight. Today I feel truly blessed.