Rexburg or Bust?

My sister graduated from college the first weekend in April. There are a couple more things she has to do to get her diploma but she is done with BYU-Idaho. We are all so happy for her. It has been a long road for her and I am so proud of her hard work.


I talked to my parents as they were preparing to head out for the graduation and I was just so sad that I wouldn't be able to be there to spend the special day with my sister and see my brothers. My whole family hadn't been together since Hyrum and I graduated five years ago. I really wanted to be there. We talked about it and I thought and thought and thought and finally through a lot of praying and thinking decided I could give myself permission to go.


Hyrum's mom watched the kids for us since Hyrum has a crazy weekend that week and I flew out to Utah few days later. It was great. I met my parents at the Salt Lake Airport and we drove north to Rexburg, Idaho. It was snowing, a lot. Charlotte was with me and I was a little worried about how she would do, but she was a great little trooper.

We shared a room in Idaho Falls and surprised my sister Friday morning. We helped her pack and clean her apartment. Then we spent the day running errands and wasting time. We had dinner and watched the snow heavily fall outside. With so much snow we took Kallie home and headed back to our hotel. We enjoyed the Food Network while we were there.

Saturday was graduation, check-out, move-in and the drive back to Provo(again, in the snow). We got up at 5 to be ready to graduation and didn't get to Provo until 9 pm that night. Poor Charlotte was ready for bed. Sunday we spent the day with my brother, Nathan and for the first time in five years my immediate family was together. We missed Hyrum and the other two kids but it was so great to be with my family. I love them and miss them so much.


My niece and nephew loved Charlotte. Quinn just kept stroking her face saying, "cute." They were sweet. She loved it. I think she missed Hannah and Jonathan. Monday we visited Konni, and just hung out with my family. That night we had pizza at Nathan and Emily's. It was great fun. It was so hard to leave that evening.


I had such a blast. It was hard to leave knowing that I will never again be sure when the next time I will see my whole family together again. I am so grateful for the promise of an eternal family. I know that I have to live worthy of those covenants but I know it's possible. I also realized the importance of my own family. I am so grateful for Hyrum, Hannah, Jonathan, and Charlotte. They are such a blessing.