What a difference a week makes!

Well, my life hasn't been the least bit boring.  In fact, two of the most significant events in a family's life have happened in the past 5 days...

Last Friday evening, Kelton proposed to Lauren!  The proposal was magical and beautiful!  Kelton called Rob and me last week to ask for our permission to marry Lauren.  The answer was easy.  :)  We adore Kelton.  He clearly loves Lauren and she is the happiest she's ever been in her life.  She sings out loud and smiles all the time.  They will be married on April 25th in the Salt Lake Temple.  Ahhhhh!  My little girl is getting married!  

Here are a few of my favorite photos:

Five days later, Drew reported to the MTC!  I'm not sure if I can put into words all that I've been feeling.  I've been blessed to have amazing friends who truly understand what I'm experiencing and have shared their insights with me.  My cousin, Tina, calls it a "painful joy."  Makes sense--because I definitely feel joy, but I can't deny the pain I'm feeling, too.  Lauren reassured me today when she said, "Mom, he was glowing."  :)  It's crazy because literally one minute I feel like I can handle it.  I'm smiling and talking and just have everything under control.  And then, out of nowhere, I cry uncontrollably.  Here's an example... Last night, I took Anthony and Trevor out to Panera for dinner.  Rob had to go out of town for a work meeting so the three of us were planning to have dinner and then go to an Eagle Court of Honor.  I walked in and ordered our food.  Then I saw a friend and started chatting happily about the events of the day.  I was completely fine.  Then, we sat down and started eating.  At one point, I looked up and glanced at the door--and completely lost it!  I was not prepared for the tears!  The reason why is because at least once a week, I'd meet Drew at Panera during his break from working at ShopRite.  Usually I'd order the food, and sit and wait for him.  I'd look at the door, waiting for him to come in and look for me.  So, last night, I instinctively looked at the door--hence, the reason for my tears.  These photos make me happy, though:  

I'll be updating Drew's blog as we receive letters and emails:  

www.elderandrewburns.blogspot.com

I'm one proud and happy mom!  I feel like my heart may burst.  :)

Called To Serve

I woke up this morning to the sweet sound of "Called to Serve" on the piano... Drew is so excited to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 Grandpa Allen would be proud. My cousins all know what I'm talking about! We all have memories of waking up on our summer vacations to loud hymns on the organ. Back then, we'd cover our ears, moan, and try to go back to sleep. Today, I smile at the memory--and am grateful that a little bit of Grandpa Allen is with my sweet Drew.

Another reason Grandpa Allen would be proud is that he and my Grandma served two missions to Argentina. I have been blessed to have all their journals and letters--and I look forward to keeping busy, organizing and writing about THEIR experiences while Drew is on HIS mission. They loved the people of Argentina!

Drew always planned to serve a mission. I love this photo of him in Primary, many years ago, dressed up as a missionary with a missionary name tag. I remember getting teary-eyed at the prospect of him one day "filling" that suit and being prepared to serve a mission.

Today I'm still crying at the thought. But I'm so happy and proud.

A Daughter is a Miracle

This week, I came across this quote: “A daughter is a miracle that never ceases to be miraculous...full of beauty and forever beautiful...loving and caring and truly amazing.”
-- Deanna Beisser It's Lauren's 20th birthday this week, and these words PERFECTLY describe my girl! After almost 10 years of waiting, Rob and I were blessed with this beautiful girl: She was definitely worth waiting for. I love having a daughter! Yes, she's miraculous, beautiful, loving, caring, and amazing! But she can also be... A bit silly And sometimes sassy I love you, Sunshine! You're "practically perfect in every way!"

Our first visitors!

We were so excited for Grandma and Grandpa Burns to come visit us in Connecticut! We have had a wonderful 10 days--and wish it didn't have to end. We spent a lot of time shopping for small items to make our new house feel like a home. Grandpa Burns hung lots of pictures and gave us advice on colors for painting. It is a beautiful time of year, and I'm so glad we were able to share it with some of our family who don't live here. We were able to visit the construction site for the Hartford Connecticut Temple and Tulmeadow Farm for some ice cream. It was General Conference weekend--and it was also the week Drew's mission papers were submitted to Salt Lake City. :)

So THIS is yardwork!

We went from having no grass in AZ (only a pool, rocks, and pavestone) to a small yard in IN, to 2 acres in CT! Quite a change!

Connecticut!

Well, my last blog post (actually the one Lauren wrote for me) was written when we just moved to Indiana. Now we are living in Connecticut! Just because I didn't write anything while we were in Indiana doesn't mean that nothing happened. Actually, some of the most significant events happened while we lived there. We loved Indiana! It became our home--and when Rob got a new position with The Hartford, I wasn't sure I wanted to leave. But here we are! In Indiana, I was able to be a school "librarian"--my dream job. It only lasted for a year because of our move to CT, but I'll be forever grateful for that experience. Lauren is almost finished with her Sophomore year at BYU-I and will be 20 years old this month! Drew graduated from high school (after just 3 years!) and completed summer term at BYU this past summer. He just submitted his mission papers last Sunday, so we're waiting for his mission call! He's working at ShopRite to earn some money and spend time with us before he leaves in early 2015. Anthony is a sophomore in high school and kept busy swimming for HSE Swim Club while we were in Indiana. He's now running cross country for Canton High School (whose XC team is first place in the state!). He earned his Eagle Scout Award just before we left Indiana. He's such a hard worker! Trevor is in middle school!! (My baby is in middle school!) He no longer wears glasses (he wears contacts instead), loves making people laugh, and is almost as tall as I am!! How can I write 3 years' worth of details in one blog post? I don't know where to start--but I can say that I'm very blessed with a great husband and beautiful, obedient children. We love our extended family and we love the Lord. I'm going to do my best to record our family history here as often as I can. Wish me luck!

It's Lauren...again.

My mom had mentioned to me this week that she remembered her Blogger password, so I figured I would go to the blog to see if she had posted anything... Nope! But it was still logged on, so I thought I would do her a favor and post something. (Although it's getting pretty late and I have some summer reading to do...so I'm going to keep this short!)

We have been in Indiana for just over two weeks now. It is SO pretty here. The weather has been really nice these last couple of days. Everything is going surprisingly smoothly! The ward is great and the boys and I have made some friends already. We've been keeping pretty busy with all the unpacking, but our house is starting to finally look [kinda sorta] like a home! We also got registered for school and Drew and I got to choose our classes for this year. (Ah!) It's all a little nerve-racking, but it'll be okay. Wish me luck in AP US History...sheesh.

Our house is so much bigger than what we're used to! We can no longer just yell someone's name across the house and expect them to hear us...so we got an intercom system. :) It's hooked up to the house phone and it is brilliant. We all have our own rooms which is great. But what's even greater is the fact that I have my OWN bathroom AND walk-in closet. My room is on the main level, Drew has the basement bedroom, and then my parents, Anthony, and Trevor are all upstairs. Has my mom told you about their closet?! L i t e r a l l y bigger than my room. I'm so jealous...but hey, I can't complain.

Well, sorry, but that's as much blogging as I'm up to doing for tonight. I'll teach my mom how to post on here and maybe she can tell you all the rest. :)

We miss and love all of you guys in Arizona!


Love,
Lauren

P.S. You're welcome, Mom. :)