Life After Dropping Off Justin

Well, we made it home after dropping Justin...I mean, Elder Heaton, at the MTC, we had a very long drive back to Arizona for Kevin to go to work and Emily to go to school. I spent the last two days finishing Emily's formal dress, for the 'Mormon Prom'. Yes, there is such a thing, in Flagstaff, Arizona.

We had to take lots of pictures to send to family and to Justin. My aunt Judy stayed with our pets and house and has stayed on to spend some time with us and got to participate in the 'prom' chaos of finishing the prom dress, hair, makeup, teasing Emily about her extremely high heels.

The hardest thing I've dealt with has been my computers crashing. We have gotten some of the information backed up, but some of my important photos and documents are still out there somewhere.

Kevin has been busy at work. Now that Justin has been delivered to the MTC, we will start getting the office ready so that he can get working on finishing that dissertation!

Marathon Weekend Photos

We had the opportunity to observe the wedding of Andy Monson and Margaret Heaton. Andy is the brother in law of our brother Robert. It was an all white ceremony in the St. George Temple. Justin was able to attend and see his first sealing.

We took the wedding pictures after the sealing, dealing with a LOT of sunlight and what I call the 'Family Papparazzi'. Everyone has digital cameras these days and it literally is like dealing with the papparazzi with all of the flashes going off!


After the wedding, we went to Denver where Justin's previous Stake President, Peter Christensen, who has been called as a Mission President in Las Vegas, set Justin apart.

We were able to visit with a lot of friends and had a great time.

We then went to Utah by way of Wyoming. We were able to take a cousin on the Blau side of the family, Heidi, to dinner. She is attending college in Logan.

We were able to visit and attend a session at the SLC Temple. I had never been through this Temple and enjoyed this opportunity.

This is our family at the entrance to the MTC. Elder Heaton is wearing the same tie that his father and his grandfather both wore into the Mission Field.

Kevin had the honor of 'Tagging' Elder Heaton with the nametag that he will wear for the next two year.

Emily and Elder Heaton after he has been 'Tagged' by his father.

Justin will be at the MTC until Monday, 12 May 08. He will fly to Tacoma Washington and be assigned to his first location and first companion.

Just getting started!

It has been one incredible year. We moved back to Arizona over a year ago. We just had a marathon trip, taking wedding pictures in St. George, Utah, over to Denver where we visited with friends and Justin was set apart as a missionary, up to Logan, Utah, by way of Wyoming, where we took our cousin Heidi to dinner (part of Justin's request), they down to Mary's house where she was in the middle of finals and we didn't get to see her much.

We went back up to Salt Lake City and took Justin through the Temple. It was incredible, to think of the sacrifice and incredible building skills that went into this structure (OK, the engineer in me NEVER stops!)

On Wednesday, 23 April 2008, Kevin, Emily and I escorted Elder Justin Heaton to the MTC in Provo, Utah. It was an incredible experience and I had told Elder Heaton beforehand that I wanted the 'bandaid' goodbye. It is painful, but much easier, to just rip off a bandaid. So, after listening to the New Missionary orientation, a tearful Elder Heaton hugged each of us twice (well, Emily got in three or four hugs) and then he headed off towards the door marked 'New Missionary'. We got to leave out of the door marked 'Family and Friends'. He was one of the first ones to walk away. I was very proud of him. Watching him change over the past year and even over this past week and especially since he was set apart on Wednesday, a confident, happy, young man has emerged. It had been a long road, but he is ready.

After leaving Justin, we went back to the Allred house (where Emily had forgotten her pillow) and was able to visit with Mary, who had just completed her last final of the semester, on her anniversary. It is always good to see them, even if they finally got to see the 'cranky Valerie'. OK, so I was a little tired and stressed.

We arrived home late last night and Kevin had to go off to work and Emily had to go off to school. I am recuperating and will be working on finishing Emily's mormon prom dress for tomorrow night.