My oldest nephew, Cody, received his mission call a couple of weeks ago. He is the first close family member of mine to leave on their mission so we've all been very excited for him to get his call so we can see where he will be serving for the next two years.
Originally, he was going to go skydiving and open the call in the plane right before he jumped and video tape it, then show that video later at a party with all his friends and family to reveal to them where he'd be going. Once he received his call though, he was hassled enough by everyone (mom, grandma's, me...) who were too impatient to wait, that he decided he would just go ahead and open it the good old fashioned way.
So we all gathered and made our guesses as to where he would be going on a large map
He opened it, read it to himself (with much exclamation) and then read it out loud to his audience....
BRAZIL!
Excited was an understatement. He had been hoping and praying to go foreign and was very pleased with the outcome. Every time I have seen him since he is researching the climate, current weather, looking at maps of the area and doing all he can to learn about the people he will be serving for two years.
It wasn't until a week or so later he showed me this....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gckxbQQN18o
That Stinker!!
Forget San Francisco, the Muir Woods captured my heart. This was, by far, my most favorite part of the trip. I decided that going to San Francisco for the first time and having my favorite part be the few hours we spent out of the city just further proves that I could never be a city girl. Don't get me wrong I love visiting big cities, but living there would only leave me yearning for more scenery like this.
This place is gorgeous, I am totally in love, and already dreaming about going back (and staying in a cabin in Big Sur)
When Benson was done with his conference we got to explore San Francisco for another day and a half, just our little family. This was my favorite time in the city - partially because of the company and partially because we just walked and explored...the sundae from Ghirardelli square helped too.
We walked through Chinatown (and ate dinner there - YUM)
Then through little Italy, sadly all the bakeries were closed, and down to the pier and fisherman's wharf
Sundaes at Ghirardelli Square
The next day we walked a million miles (slight exaggeration) accidentally but ended up here so it was all good
then we took a bus down Lombard (the crooked street) and walked through Golden Gate Park
The best part of the entire trip to San Francisco was watching Abby make friends with everybody. I
got a glimpse into her older years and can already see that she is
going to want to befriend every single person she comes across and will
break the ice into their friendship by making them laugh. As soon as
we'd sit down on a bus or train she'd stand on my lap and call out until
she caught someone's eye. Then, she would proceed to wave, fake laugh,
make silly faces, babble and play peek-a-boo with them, and anyone else
whose attention she could get, for the entire trip.
She did not discriminate and made friends with everyone she could.
When someone wouldn't respond to her antics you could tell she was
confused and thinking "how can you not think I am the cutest thing you have ever seen?!" and she'd try again and again until they gave her some sort of response.
Several times whole sections of the bus or train would be focused on
just watching Abby performing her silliness for them. I know this sounds
like a braggy mom, but it was the most hilarious thing to watch. I told
Benson about it for two days and he thought I was exaggerating until he
saw it first hand. One very fashion conscious man invited her to come back when she was 16
so he could take her shopping (she loved his watch and he was impressed
with her taste) and another gave her a good life lesson about not wearing hooker boots.
I love that she is so friendly and full of life and sass and smiles...it doesn't hurt that she's pretty cute too.
How are we here already? As cliche as it sounds, time goes by too fast with this little one. She learns so much and gets so much smarter (and so much sassier) every day. She loves making people laugh lately and will ham it up whenever she can get someone to look at her. We just love her to pieces.
