Biggest, craziest news of the week. . . . . yesterday we went to the DMV to get Ryan his license (next month he'll be 17 and permit will expire- he hasn't really cared about driving), Meg took her defensive driving class Saturday (thanks to grandma driving her) and so she just needed to pay the $30 fine (waiting to see how much money insurance is going to be!!!), and Chris .......... Missouri forgot to tell Utah that we had paid the ticket so UT suspended his license.  We only found this out because are car insurance company tried to renew are policy but couldn't because of the hold.  Wellllll come to find out Chris has been driving on a suspended license ..... (wait for it.... since....... OCTOBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Hellooooo, you should have seen are mouths drop when the lady at the window told us this.  October??!!!  How blessed can one family get??!!  Not being pulled over??!!!  Jail time! Hello!!!  Thanks soooo much UT and Missouri for talking to each other and US!!!!!  CRAZY!!!  And of course even after talking to the manager at the DMV she still made us pay the fine $30. By the time we walked out of there we had spent $90!!!  Soooo much fun.  "Just keep smiling!!"  Oh, and are car insurance agent had told us "not to pull the cancer card" other wise we would be coming into the DMV every 6 months to renew Chris' license and if we forgot they would suspend it until he came in and paid a fine!!!!!!  Love the DMV.  I hope not to see them again until Tay is getting his permit (please not to soon!!!).  Getting gray hair just from that place!!!

This week we have had lots of fun with family and friends.  Friends we haven't seen for years.  The fourth was spent with a house full of fun.  Lots of food, friends and family.  The day started out with Tay and Chris cooking breakfast for the neighborhood.  Chris made Katie and I Mickey Mouse pancakes.  Chris took a couple of naps during the day - sooo tired from working so hard early in the morning.  We had a great time watching the fireworks from r back deck.  You can see fireworks from one end of the valley to the other, we could also see the Alpine fire that was raging on the mountain across from us.

Friday, I went to Webelos Day camp with Jacob.  I am soooo grateful for tender mercies from Heavenly Father!!!  We hiked 3 miles - it wasn't easy.  The other leader that I was with turned back after going 200 feet:) and so did others.  It was a difficult trail - it would have been to hard on Chris. He would have gone because he felt he needed to - wouldn't want to leave the boys without a leader.  (yes, I'm crying - I cried when they gave us the schedule) another one was that it had rained the day before so it wasn't so dusty.  I can't stand dirt!!!!  so it was a little muddy - not much, just perfect and it smelled wonderful.  Scout camp can get sooo dusty.  I felt like Heavenly Father had looked out for me (the rain) and Chris the hike.  We had fun.  Great hike, lunch, buying stuff at the Trading Post, shot BB Guns and finished up the Forester requirement.  Headed back home - after getting a Slurpee - it's a scout tradition:)  While in camp the eye doctor called and told us jacob's glasses were ready.  I was afraid that if we didn't stop on the way home (3:45) that we wouldn't make it back (once I showered and laid on my bed I might not get up:) Sooo, smelly like we had been on a hike (there were 4 of us) we stopped at the eye doctors office and got his glasses.  He's soooo handsome.  I reallllly wanted to get them for him because he didn't hit one shot onto the target paper when he was BB shooting (we all know why now:( and I wanted him to have a better time on Saturday when he was doing archery.  That night when we read scriptures he read like a pro!!!  it's amazing what seeing can do!!!!! 
Saturday, Chris took the boys up to camp.  They canoed, archery, ate lunch, Trading post, first aid, animal studies (can't remember what's its called).  I went to the temple to watch Chris' friend and his wife (my friend also h ee, hee) (His name is Ryan - Chris baptized him and we named r Ryan after him) be sealed.  I felt guilty that Chris wasn't there.  Sorry, Ryan but i felt that Chris realllyyy needed to be with Jacob.  Last year Chris was to ill to go so I went both days.  I'm glad that Chris was well enough to go this year and of course not knowing what the future will bring didn't want to take a "chance on next year."  This was r last year going to cub scout camp.  Next year Jacob will attend the 11 year old scout camp (last time I get to go).  Than off to scouts.  My last baby boy:( 
Chris came home, showered and took a nap.  I took Rye to work and then came back to get the kids settled for the evening so that Chris and i could attend a wedding up at Snowbird.  We were suppose to ride the tram to the top for the wedding but it rained earlier that day and they said it was to muddy.  Poor bride.  It was still outside but certainly nothing like it would have been.  We ate and visited.  Chris and I only knew the groom, his parents and siblings.  After we went and picked up Rye from work and headed home to rally the troops to bed. Church at 9 am!!!
Sunday, both Tay and Rye were "sick"  After church I fixed lunch and then Meg and I and r good friends the Wilson's headed to r friends missionary farewell.  I just can't believe how fast time has flown!!!  I remember when we first met them - kids soo little.  And we have a lot more missionary farewells coming up.  Crazy to think we won't see them for 2 years.  We are soo proud of them.  Soo, grateful that Meg has such good friends.  (yes, I'm crying -reminded me of the "old days":) Life certainly changes after your child leaves high school!  I feel very blessed.  Oh, and at the farewell we sat with -( what Meg hopes and their family also) "Meg's future in-laws" LOLOLOL  (his name - Dakota is on a mission in Brazil as of "today, right now" he has 432 days til he comes home - Meg's not counting!!- he's a great guy and we'd be proud to have him in r family:):):):):)

The rest of the week goes like this:  lazy, lazy, get Tay ready for a 3 day scout trip (my dad is going with him - Chris isn't well enough - his stomach has been giving him TTONS of trouble - thanks dad. at webelos camp I was also sooo grateful that they had flush toilets for the adults - other cub camps have out houses for everyone - ssooo grateful. lolololo:)  On Friday, we get to go up to the school adn see who Katie and Jacob's teachers are for school - school starts in 2 weeks:(  Rye works, Chris has decided to be in another league bball team so they have a game on Wednesday. And we will throw in one more 3 mile hike for Jacob - he needs it for his Arrow of  Light.  Darn, one hike can't count for two - we need two:)  That's ok we like to hike - to a nice waterfall.

We had a lot to do this past week but enjoyed every minute of it.  Life is very rewarding.  So, grateful for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the tender mercies that they show r family.  Sooo, grateful for the gospel and the knowledge that we have that we can be together forever as an eternal family, that I will be with Chris again. 
Love, Ricki
I know you are all wondering:):):):)  NO we haven't seen a worm yet!!!! Heeeeeee, heeeeeeee.  You know you love me!!!!!!!

Yeah, Meg got her suitcase late Wednesday afternoon.  She dug right into it and gave us are gifts and we spent awhile sampling all the goodies she brought home for us to try.  No one was daring enough to try the chicken foot.:)  I found some that I like and some not so much.  They have wayyy to many different flavors of Oreo cookies.  My least favorite was grape/lime! Yuck!! then mango, birthday cake and some kind of berry all gross!!  She said that they didn't have just plain old Double Stuff Oreos.  Meg has done well adjusting to being back home in America.  We have had to retrain her about drinking the water out of the tap (hee, hee), and she would tell us how weird it was that no one wanted their picture taken with her.  Once we pulled up at a stop light and she told me that in China it wasn't considered rude to stare and that it was weird that no one was looking at her pointing.  I told her before she came home she was going to have a hard time with "no one caring who she was" lol.  She did a great job getting herself back to the 15 hour difference, she stayed up all day and than went to bed at 9 pm.  She hardly got cranky - so proud even when she was tired she was nice to us (that's not how it usually goes:) She has been able to show 4 different groups of family/friends her China expereince - over 2,000 pictures, a couple of video performances, the stuff she brought home and share the goodies that she brought with others.  She has such an enthusiam and love for China and the people, she LOVED  it.  Sooo, if you would like to see/hear more about her experiences come on over - just make sure you have a couple of hours to stay.  Hee, hee.  Grandma and Grandpa Wach are here from TX visiting and they spent 3 years in China teaching English to college students and Summer (are Chinese friend/granddaughter:) had a wonderful time talking. Also while in China Meg met the man in charge of deciding what websites you could go to (censoring) and which ones were blocked.  I laughed he blocked r family website - so she never read the blog while she was gone.  I told her not to read it now so that if I made any errors she wouldn't have to "shake her head" lol.

Last Thursday was Katie's last day of school.  She had her kindergarten performance it was sooo cute.  Her teacher gave each of the kids a DVD of the slideshow that she put together --- soo cute:)  Katie wore her Chinese dress that Meg brought home for her.  I cried.  Sooo not ready for first grade.  I felt this way about each child but this one is going to break my heart.  Now I have to figure out what to do with myself.  Later that day we took Rye and Meg to see Brave.  Fun to see it again. 
Friday, I took Meg, Tay and Jacob to the eye doctor.  Meg's prescription is still the same.  Tay - no glasses.  But pooooorrrr Jacob needs glasses.  We picked them out and they should be here this week.  Chris and I were pretty sure he needed glasses.  When he and I read his 20 minutes for school or he reads the scriptures with us he would say the words wrong that we knew he should know.  I told him it was going to be exciting to see what he thought of the world when he put them on and looked around.  I can still remember when I got mine in third grade.  I didn't realize that their were individual leaves on the trees and I had never seen a rainbow.  I'm excited for him:):)  (Oh, and if you need an eye doctor we found a great one her in West Jordan - Craig Poulter - call me if you need his number- we like him -he's a hoot!! lol)
Chris was to ill to attend the Manti pagent this year so we didn't go:(  Meg went to church on Sunday.  It was her first time going to church for all 3 hours since she left.  Sometimes they had sacrament meeting at the school.  sometimes they got to attend the branch in another city (cost $20 to go and took atleast 5 hours to get there).  She told me how grateful she was for church and having a building to meet in - they met in members homes or in the mall. Meg enjoyed being in Chris' Gospel Doctrine class. She and Katie wore their Chinese dresses to church.  Sooo, cute:)
This week we get the honor of hanging out with Chris mom and dad.  Like I said yesterday Meg showed them all her stuff.  For lunch we went to Taco Time (one of ma and pa's favorite places to eat here they don't have one in TX) and then later we went and bugged Rye at Chick fil a for dinner.  We also had a dear friend stop by that we haven't seen in years.  Chris and Grant (Rowley) served together in scouts.  Funny to hear them telling stories of "the old days" I had forgotten about some of the things those crazy scout masters had done. 
Today, is Summers bday so we are going to go where she wants to celebrate and Meg and I found a Chinese bakery on line that we are going to go to to get a cake for her (and of course some goodies for us :)  adn Meg would like to go the Chinese market that Summer told her about.  She needs some Chinese bread - she doesn't like "American" bread, not sweet enough.  Poor girl:) 
Wednesday and Thursday will be lazy days.  Days to get ready for Friday and Saturday which are crazy!!  We had to call in my mom to help us.  Chris and I can't get everyone where they need to be.  Friday (I think - might change) I'm headed up to Webelos camp with Jacob.  Saturday, my mom will take Meg to her defense driving class while Chris is with Jacob at camp and I'm in the temple enjoying seeing Chris and I's dear friends being sealed.  Then later Chris comes home and we run up to another dear friends (one of the young men that Chris taught - long agoooo:) wedding in Snowbird.  Meg is excited to get her license back:)  Rye still needs to go and get his and Chris needs to fix his:) 
Life is still good.  My heart still wants to burst:)  My whole family is together adn things are going well (quick knock on some wood:) Who could ask for anything more?!:)  Life is good.
Crazy to think that last year at this time r family was traveling across the country playing at Six Flags parks and on the 4th of July we watched the fireworks in Washington DC.
"We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes.  And when we hve learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have expereinced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future."  Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Love ya, Ricki