More pictures from Trek

Cutest Pioneer ever!
Allias and his "family"

Working hard. He looks a little more like an outlaw then a pioneer in this photo! Getting a massage after a hard day of pushing. What a nice Ma!

"Family Portrait"

They had a family reunion last week but Allias was sick and couldn't go. He was dissapointed. He loved his family and the trek.

Girl time

Girl's night!!! Banana Splits and Lord of the Rings.
(ice cream with only five ingredients- add bananas, strawberries and homemade whip cream, and if you are Kailyn snickers bars for a little added kick and yeah it is pretty amazing)






(P.S. I got a new camera and I am super happy with it!)
I took this picture in my closet with the door closed and the light off. This is the first camera I have ever had that could take pictures in the dark!

knowing

Having a child with mental illness is super hard. Like many things it is one of those situations that you can't really understand unless you live it day in and day out. I don't expect anyone to really know what we are going through. I actually don't even expect them to try. I even recognize that I don't truly understand what it is like for Tyler and that quite possibly it may be harder on him then it is on us.
Despite all of the mixed emotions and uncertainty there are some things I understand with absolute clarity. I know that Heavenly Father knows me and that He knows Tyler. My dependence on the Lord is real. I have been humbled in ways I didn't think were possible. I have cried out to the Lord and sometimes I have just cried. I have had my prayers answered and I have felt the love of the Lord and I have seen the "multitude of His tender mercies" continually. We have been blessed with so many Christlike people in our lives that have reached out their arms and hands in support of my son and my family in the most desperate of times.
I don't know what the years ahead hold for Tyler. Honestly I don't know what the days ahead hold for him. I can only continue to hope and to pray and to love. It isn't easy and I don't do it perfectly. I really struggle to even do it well sometimes but I am trying.
*thank you Kevin for this picture- it is a treasure

Summer so Far

Having no camera is lame. Most of these pictures I stole from other people because my kids just happened to be in the pictures. It will be a little like the game Where's Waldo but I promise you they are there somewhere.
So far this summer.....
Molly got a haircut

As you can see she was in desperate need of one!
Kailyn and I hung out at the pool with friends.


Allias went on Trek (had an amazing spiritual experience)









Kailyn spent a week away from home and then preformed in the Promised Land Pageant (had an amazing spiritual experience)
I used Allias' camera to take some adorable pictures of Kailyn in her Nephite outfit at the pageant but as soon as we got home he left for scout camp and while he was there he deleted them. I am not even kidding when I say that I totally bawled like a baby when I found out. Here she is in her pioneer outfit though. So happy the Judd girls were able to loan her their trek clothes!

I only was able to talk to Kailyn once or twice while she was gone because they were so busy but every time I did she sounded like she was glowing. She told me she started crying when all the children got to go up and touch the hands of the Savior. She is totally ready to do it again next year! I really hope we can all go as a family next time.




Allias also went to scout camp. You would think since he deleted my pictures from the pageant we would have some super fantastic pictures from scout camp to make up for it but nope- he didn't take any (he only took videos of boys being stupid). He hurt his wrist the week before he left so he couldn't swim or do some of the other activities but he still had a good time.

And last but certainly not least we got to be models for a photography group! So much fun. You can see all the pictures here.