It may be mostly photos this time

 Barrett graduated from DARE.  But it mostly turned into a honorarium for our outgoing city mayor, which was okay, because I like him.  It got a bit long.  But it was all worth it, because there were brownies by Trudy at the end of the whole thing!  Trudy is the school custodian and she has a true gift for making yummy things!  Her specialty is brownies!  I love the mint ones that she makes! 
The outgoing mayor, Dan Snarr, has been to EVERY one of my children's DARE graduations.  

In person.  

So I am glad that Barrett was able to have this in common with his siblings.

 After some chest pains, the kid had an ekg.  Some stuff was found.  

He sees a pediatric cardiologist at the end of January.

 Barrett got to be the part of Joseph for the primary Nativity re-enactment during sharing time.  The baby was real.  She is about 3 weeks old.  Barrett was so happy to be right close to her and get to see her.

 At his farewell shin-dig, Parker and Lucy are excited to part ways.  It will be interesting to see how they feel when Parker comes back or if anything will be kinder and gentler.  When he comes back, Lucy will just be learning to drive, and she will be on for dating.  And probably sassier than ever!

 At the pizza place on New Year's Eve.

The pizza was very good!

I like Robert's glasses.

And I'm glad to see Barrett's hoodie in this picture, because now it is missing, and this may be the last place he had it! 

 I love the picture above, and below!

 The two pictures below are of two of the neighborhood ladies that stopped by to say goodbye to Parker on the night before he was set apart and left.  Sister Young (above) and Sister Ledgard (below).

Sister Ledgard is someone that Parker and Robert home teach and we are all very fond of.  She brought a gift for him, which was a journal.  The interesting thing about the journal is that he already had one, and the one she brought was exactly like the one that he picked out for himself.  When the stake president set him apart the next day, as a missionary, in his blessing he told Parker that he needs to write every day in his journal, in his native language and that it will bless the lives of his posterity.  

Robert also told him that it is no coincidence that he has two journals.

 On New Year's Eve, Lucy was babysitting and Parker was out having a 'see you later' visit with the friends that are still around.  Barrett, Robert and I played Yahtzee and watched the Studio C marathon that was on television.  Barrett had never played, and TOTALLY had beginners luck!  He filled all of his spots, and on the very last roll of his first game, got Yahtzee!  And then again on the very first roll of his second game! 

 This year on New Year's Eve, we didn't have anyone over.  It was strange and weird.  And just right for the occasion.  Lucy and Parker were home before 10:00 and it was nice to just have a private family celebration of ringing in the new year together.  It was a bit sacred, knowing that our home will be different again.  But not in an adding way, the way when you have a new baby or a new milestone is reached.  It was the knowing that things will be different and someone else will be away.  And things will change and never be like they just were.  Not completely missing, but away, and apart and different. And I won't know as many details about his daily stuff as I would like to, and I will miss knowing the few things I did know about.  More than I care to admit.  

And at the same time, so glad he is going.

It felt a lot like that first time you dive off the diving board. 

You know it is going to happen, 

and the awesomeness of the thing is awesome.  

And you can see that the reward is totally worth it.

But the unknown is right there, 

and you are standing out on that edge, 

and letting go is the last thing to do.

And the letting go is staring at you, hard.

 

That is what I felt like on New Year's Eve this year.

Our little circle usually only sees us ring in the new year.  But this year, it was as if everyone knew that Parker loves a show, and he was leaving the next day, and they weren't going to let him go without some grandeur.  It was quite thoughtful of them all.

There were tons of people in the street, awesome fireworks, lots of pot and pan banging, people yelling and clapping and Barrett and Lucy with their duck calls they got at Christmas.  It was an awesome display, for sure.  And yes, Parker DID have a couple of fireworks.  But thank heavens, he only had a couple.  And they functioned correctly!

Lucy is one of the most creative people that I know.

She is brilliant.

She made this bag out of her beloved Converse shoes and colored jeans.

The handle of the bag is made of the shoes tongues and the waistband of her yellow jeans.

She is brilliant.

So, it's been a pretty great part of life, lately.

I'm glad that we have a small breather now.

(HA!  Yeah, right.  A "breather"!)

And I am thankful in my heart.