Such a Fun May
Matt Turns 14
Matt’s Friends
Matt has such a great group of friends here in St. George. They hang out all the time supporting each other’s different events, playing pickle ball, walking around the golf course after dark, going to Stake Dances, watching the sun set up on the red rocks… and because tonight is Thursday night it means that Matt is with his friends for ‘FRIEND HOME EVENING’… a completely kid thought up weekly event complete with someone in charge of a lesson, another person in charge of a treat, and another person in charge of an activity. These kids are so fun! When I had Matt signed up for an event and his friends realized he wouldn’t be able to hang out, ont of the girls wrote Chris and I the longest text telling us how much they loved Matthew and how they were so sad that he is leaving to travel for a year and would we please reconsider and let him come to the event because they couldn’t possibly make this memory without him. The text worked in a heartbeat. Enjoy every minute with these guys, Matt!
Pictures taken at Matt’s 14th Birthday Party. Everyone came and Matt was spoiled. It was so much fun!!
Spencer, Locklan, Thomas, Matt, Kody, Emmett, Alix, and the girls.
Club Soccer
It was so fun to watch Megan play with this Club Soccer Team. They were so good and won almost EVERY game they played. ‘Imagine if we practiced’ Megan had told his Coach. She wished they would have practiced more but it was a busy year with girls involved with a lot of extra curricular activities and so the once a week practice worked out fine. Winning their last game would have made them LEAGUE CHAMPS. We led 2-1 most of the game. We thought we had it in the bag until they tied the game with a minute left in play. You can tell who the better team is when they’re screaming with excitement to have tied and we’re so depressed to have let them score a goal. It was a frustrating way to end the season but we knew in our hearts that we had outplayed them. At the end, Taryn and Sadie started to cry as they hugged Megan goodbye. So grateful for this team. Great memories and good friends.
Senior Trip to Maui with Megan
Celebrating Senior Sunday
Our last Sunday with Meg. We will of course have Sundays with Meg in the future, but this seemed like a big deal. One last Come Follow Me discussion around the table and sitting in our St. George ward together - just the five of us. We’re going to miss you around here, kid.
Sister Woolley reached out and invited Chris and I to come to Sunday School and share some thoughts about Megan during her Sunday School class. It was fun to hear all of the parents talk about their kids… Rachel Woolley, Jared Bennion and Jacob Banks.
My thoughts about Megan…
I talked about Megan being sassy ... independent, silly, energetic, creative, and stubborn as a child. She cut her hair SEVERAL times. She wanted to snack all day long. She often told me to 'Look at the clock". When I would say, "The clock says it's 9:15 and not time for a snack." she would get mad and say, "Well, then look at a different clock!" One time she was even so bold as to get on a chair and move the hands of the clock. She thought she was so brilliant. Then she asked me to "Look at the clock again". When I did I was both frustrated and silently amused. I talked about her being BOB for 10 years.
Then I shared that at her baptism she bore her testimony. She began by being thankful that she could be baptized and that everyone could be there with her and then she got choked up. She glanced my way with tears in her eyes, gave me a smile and shrugged her shoulders, and then continued with her heart-felt testimony. It was a highlight of the day. What a sweetheart.
I knew that her sassy independent stubborn traits combined with her emotional nature and good spirit would result in the best kind of girl.
I few months ago I asked the kids to think of something they needed to work on over the next week. Megan paused and said, ‘Would you like to hear my list of goals for the week. Um, yes, I would. She then rattled off three goals in each category: SPIRITUAL, PHYSICAL, INTELLECIAL and SOCIAL. I just love that she is list and goal oriented and that on her own she is striving to be the best she can be. So proud of you Meg. So many great things to come! Love you forever.
Seminary Graduation
Seminary Graduation was held at the Stake Center at 6:00pm. Megan sat on the front row with some of the other Senior graduates - but with no one she really knew. It would have been a little more exciting to be with all of her friends back in Colorado… but here we are. Chris was just happy to be enjoying the meeting, instead of in charge of it.
Proud of Megan for finishing four years of Seminary!
Megan and the boys grabbed a brownie and then we headed home.
As soon as we had changed Megan called us back in to the living room for a family meeting. When we got there she handed us each a white envelope with a handwritten note. We decided we would read them aloud. She gestured at Matt to go first but his emotions got the best of him and he couldn’t speak. In turn we read our letters aloud and all cried - except Luke, who explained that he still felt good and sad without the tears. Megan has always chosen to express her feelings in a letter instead of verbally. Her eyes were filled with tears as well, as she listened to her thoughts read aloud. It was a special evening. Our last real Sunday with Megan at home. We love you, Meg!
Hiking the Owen’s Loop
Chris, Megan and I started our week with a hike on Owen’s Loop. It looks over St. George in several locations and ends looking over Dixie Red Hills. It’s a great one. Then we picked up a Tropical Smoothie for Meg and headed back home.
Tarzan at the Tuacahn Theater
Katie, Emily and Shelley drove down to St. George just in time to head to Tarzan at the Tuacahn. It was delightful. So fun to do together!
Helping Megan Move
Grateful to have everyone’s help as we packed up all of Megan’s things and got her ready to move. We had piles and boxes for Fall semester, what she’d need for a summer in Provo and our European trip, and things she wouldn’t need for several years. She has a complicated summer and every single thing needed to be packed away and labeled well. Meg, it’s not going to be the same without you, but were excited for all the fun things in your future!
Lunch at La Cocina
Tuesday we got some work done at the house and then headed to La Cocina for lunch. We haven’t been here for years but really enjoyed it.
After lunch we did a little shopping. First stop… Urban Renewal. It was so much fun to try on a bunch of clothes with Katie and Emily. I bought a red dress and we bought Katie a cute blue jumper which I might borrow frequently! It’s adorable. She also got a few other things. Then over to the mall where Katie picked up TWO jean jackets as an early birthday present from Granny J. It was a fun day.
Getting Megan set up with Classes
It was handy to have Katie’s help with good Freshman classes for Megan. They pulled out all their laptops and worked on it for several hours, looking up professor ratings and coming up with a good schedule of Salt Lake Classes. I think Katie wants to do a class at the Salt Lake Center as well so they were looking to see if that worked. So much work to get everything researched and planned.
Megan’s Graduation from Dixie High
Wednesday, May 24th - 8:00am
Katie, Emily and Granny J came down to help us celebrate. After the Graduation we headed to Benja Thai for lunch and took our pictures around Pioneer Square. Proud of you, Meg!
Memorial Day Weekend with the Johnsons
Friday night dinner with the Moons and Grandma at Benja Thai - Late night pickleball - Swimming and Azul at the pool - Crepes at Tifany’s - Pizza Factory dinner and off to see the new live action LITTLE MERMAID at the theaters - late night talks with Ashlyn and Nikole - Church with Granny J and Rob and girls - Family Taco Dinner - Hike at Gunlock Falls - Celebrating Grandma’s 72nd Birthday with presents (decor for the St. George house) and Strawberry Shortcake - Movie Marathons for the Cousins - Evening walks and pool time - Dixie Red Hills Golf for everyone
