"Missionary service is not easy, but it is infinitely worth it." - M. Russell Ballard

He is gone, sniff sniff. This has been quite the adventure to send out a son on a mission for two years. Deven was called to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in South Carolina. He entered the Missionary Training Center yesterday May 4, 2011. There he will learn how to be a missionary, spend nine hours a day learning. After three weeks at the MTC he will go to South Carolina. From the time he gets to the MTC until the end of his mission he will serve with another Elder and they will be together always. They leave the world behind and do not watch tv, listen to music other than approved church music, read books other than the scriptures, they are not allow to call home except a couple of times a year, Christmas and Mother's Day and those calls can only last about 40 minutes. They communicate through mail and we as his family trust our kids to the Lord for this time. We know it will teach him so much to be on his own and in such a structured environment and we are excited for him but we miss him already.

The great advantage of living in a large family is that early lesson of life's essential unfairness. - Nancy Mitford

My fine looking boys, Deven 19, Bryen 16, Jered 15, Mikel 14 and Zane 7








The girls, (top row) Taryn 9, Ceaira 11 (bottom) Amber 17 and Taylynne 8







The whole gang!









It is hard being the oldest thus on the bottom of this Pile!

“It is the whole business of the whole church to preach the whole gospel to the whole world.” - Charles H. Spurgeon

19th Birthday for Deven came and went in April. Deven was born on April Fools day and the joke was totally on us. I told Jed lets call and tell your parents the baby was born, not thinking anything of it because I was not due for 6 more weeks! Well, the joke was on us because we did have to call them and tell them that their first grandchild was born early and on April Fools. Deven spent three weeks in the NICU in Payson, Utah and then he came home on Easter Sunday. This year Deven got to give his farewell address in sacrament on Easter Sunday, seems kind of fitting if you ask me.

Deven's favorite cake is the North Family Cheesecake. It is a no bake cheesecake and he loves it.











These are some of Deven's Missionary
Pictures in his new suit.









Deven leaves May 4th for the Provo Missionary Training Center where he will spend three weeks learning the job of a missionary before heading out to South Carolina to serve for two years.





From the after talk get together at our house.

A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence. ~Leopold Stokowski

Spring Ring Choir Concert is when all the Bell Choirs from the state get together and do one huge concert. They choir students go early in the morning and then practice all day and that evening they put on a concert. It was fabulous but I cannot get the video to upload right so you will just have to take my word for it. Both Jered and Amber are in Bell Choir this year at Riverton High School.

“My parents used to take me to the pet department and tell me it was a zoo.” - Bill Cosby

Samantha and Kevin Phillips along with Aunt Resa came for a visit from Vegas. It was soo good to have them here for a few days. We visited the zoo, hung around and talked and went to the Children's Museum.






Here are a few more pictures from the Zoo.

We had a grand time at the Children's Museum also, Daniel came up for the day and Karoline, Mary, Mosiah and Olivia came, Jed took the day off from work and we took our four littles and even Grandma Mary came.

"Our birthdays are feathers in the broad wing of time." `Jean Ritcher

Mikel's birthday was March 14th and he got to blow out a candle on his breakfast!. He chose not to have a party this year but instead went snowboarding with his friend Tyler. Mikel was ordained as a teacher and for the first time in a long time we have no Deacon in our house. Priest, Teachers and Deacons are levels in the Priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Visit www.lds.org if you have any questions, the site is amazing.












Breakfast of Champions!


Mikel opening his card from Grandma Pam, she is always so good to remember their birthday's even when she is traveling.

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams

I am not so sure I would agree with that quote but thought it was cute anyway. My sister LOVES puppy breath, me, not so into anything breathing in my face but they are awful cute! Wonderful news is all eight puppies have gone to their new homes! Wahoo that was a long almost ten weeks. We feel good about all the homes the puppies went to and it was a great learning experience however I don't think I want to do it again.