The Alaskan Escape: Just a Dad and His Son!

So to celebrate Brydon's recent graduation from Graduate School and a looming 50th Birthday for Dad, Brydon and his dad had a father/son outing to of course ALASKA. Homer, Alaska! They had such a great time together and Brydon is so lucky to not only enjoy being with his dad but having a dad who is truly his best friend. They were able to walk on a glacier and see all sorts of beautiful wildlife. They spent two days deep sea fishing and caught everything from cool Salmon and Yellow Eyed Rock Fish to truly ugly Ling Cod. Rumor has it they had some popular fish to photograph! The guide they used comes highly recommended. In the end they shipped home 350 lbs of fish. Good thing we like fish and for great internet recipes! Then they were able to enjoy a bear sight seeing adventure in Katmai National Park. These two loves bears! And of course they have taught Caleb well. I love the pictures from the park. The trip was then completed with a kayak trip. Brydon is now just as convinced as his father that living in Alaska would be "pure heaven on earth". I can't deny that it sure looks amazing but I just don't know if I need to live there; especially during the winter. But I have been informed that Brydon will be going back!

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My Sweet Grandma

While we were out in South Dakota, my grandma fell and passed away a few days later. It is still hard to imagine her being gone but I am so blessed to know that she is in a better place surrounded by her loved ones. I know her mind is now whole and that she will be looking out for us, like she always did. I feel blessed to have had a very close relationship with my grandma. She was there when I was born and I have so many memories with her as a little girl. Grandma and grandpa were my cheerleaders through college and I never could have made it through school without them. Then we got to live by them while Brydon was attending the University of Utah. Last summer they even came out to visit us in Philadelphia and we had so much fun. She will truly be missed. She was a wonderfully amazing woman. Love you grandma!

The Great Big 4!

Well Caleb could not be more excited to be 4 years old! He has been dying to turn 4 like his friends and was so excited for the big day to arrive. He informed me that he is big now and can get married. I sure wish I could slow time down a bit. He will be 18 before I know it.
This year Caleb got to take 2 friends to the zoo with him and then we had a Scooby Doo cake with mint chocolate icecream in the evening. He had so much fun and can't help but tell everyone he knows that he is 4 now.

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I am so grateful for our sweet boy. He is so smart and observant. Caleb constantly keeps us on our toes but I wouldn't have it any other way. I will always see that sweet little round baby face when I look at him. Caleb we love you so much and are so so grateful you are in our family.

Adventures with Brydon's Sisters

Over the past few months we have had the chance to spend time with Brydon's sisters and their families. We spent 3 days in Washington, DC with Brydon's older sister and then spent a few days in Philly and a day in DC with his younger sister. We have really come to love DC and could spend a lot more time there. It is a beautiful place. Here are some of our favorite pictures from our fun outings.

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What did Brydon do for 2 years?

Well you may be wondering what Brydon did to receive a Master's in Public Health. For the past year, he has been working with an amazing professor, Dr. Jennifer Taylor, on a project for the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He has been evaluating their Near-Miss Reporting System to see how they can improve the system and what the current data in the system is telling them. This system is for any Firefighter that has a close call at work. So maybe someone almost fell threw the floor or there was a gas leak that could have exploded but didn't. When these occur, any firefighter in the nation can enter a report in the NMRS. The hope is that if enough data is collected then this system can help predict future problems before they happen. Brydon was able to give the IAFC many recommendations about how to fix the system and also found a few predictors for future hazards. It was a really big and complicated project that is now a 102 page book. He "rocked" his thesis defense(as quoted by his mentoring professor). I had the great opportunity to go watch him and it was so neat to watch him share everything he has accomplished in the past year. Below is a picture of Brydon with his poster presentation of his results.

Brydon's Graduation

Well he did! On June 11th Brydon graduated from Drexel University with a Master's in Public Health. It was a great day! We were fortunate enough to have Brydon's parents and his little sister and her husband come to the cermony and spend time with us. We are so proud of Brydon!

Finding Joy in Life

So the past few months have just not worked out like we had hoped. We did graduate but other than that we have no job, no way to even think about having more kids, student loans are running out, and there has been emotional stuff like family drama and dear friends moving away. Plus Brydon was just recently called as the 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric and it has us rethinking some of our future plans. Some days I do great and have lots of hope and faith, other days not so great and it is hard to remember that the Lord can see the big picture. But I have found some great things that have helped.

First is reading my scriptures every day. Even if it is a couple verses. Just the act of picking them up and reading a little everyday makes life a little easier to handle. I am more patient and less quick to anger.


A dear, amazing friend recommended this book to me and it really couldn't have been more perfect. Sis. Okazaki is an amazing woman who has weathered some very tough trials. Her attitude, stories, and quotes were very inspirational and a big help to me as I have come to accept the life I currently live.


Exercise is like taking my "happy pills" everyday. It helps me stay sane and I like myself better. I feel happier, more confident, and more productive when I have exercised. I miss running but the elliptical has become my new best friend. I can still get a great workout but my heel doesn't hurt as much after. It is amazing what just a little exercise can do for the brain.


Spending time with these wonderful people reminds me that there is very little in life you truly need to be happy. Their humble prays and powerful faith remind me of the power of the "refiner's fire". They have suffered so much and yet have an unwavering faith in Christ. They lead simple, poor lives and yet find so much joy. I am so grateful I get to have them in my home on a regular basis.


And of course, I saved the best for last. Everyday I get to spend time with my beautiful little family is a blessing. I am so grateful for the times we get to play and work together. It has not been easy to weather these storms together or to always understand each other, but I am grateful for family time and what it does for the soul.