Andy with Des Moines friends Crystal Driscoll and Lexie Thomas, who are also at BYU-I. Well, Crystal used to live in Iowa when her dad was the mission president. Now her family is back in Idaho.

Andy's drawer.

Notice the closet...clothes are organized by type.

A couple of weeks ago, I got to do something WAY fun! I got to spend 16 hours in a car with two of my favorite people, Tammy Thomas and Brenda Bahr driving to Idaho/Utah to visit our kids. We all wondered how time went so much faster on that drive with each other than it does when we take it with our families...hmmm....

Anyway, it was absolutely soul-filling to spend time with Joni and Andy. What amazing people they've become in spite of their incurably flawed mother! We first went to Idaho to the BYU-I Mother's Weekend. I got to see Andy in his new habitat and meet many of the people I have heard so much about. It is great to see him so happy and so...well...how do I say this?...mature? grown-up? responsible? Maybe all three. He told me on the phone that he had turned in to a neat freak like his dad, but all I could think of was that "neat" compared to how he was at home could still be pretty messy. He was right, I was wrong. He is a neat freak. Who'd have guessed it? Part of me is so incredibly proud of him and part of me is a bit miffed that he didn't decide to be neat when he lived under my roof! He also spent time choosing to study, a new development since high school. Go figure. And, I got the treat of hearing him sing with the Collegiate Singers group he is a part of. He is loving that group and appreciating it so much after the less than positive experience he had with his high school choir (not to be confused with his high school show choir that he loved.) Overall, I couldn't be happier with where he is right now and don't know when I've seen him so happy or at peace with himself. Very rewarding.

Next I got to spend about 24 hours with my wonderful parents in Ogden. Could I just say how much I love an appreciate them? It was great having some one-on-one and being the kid again. Thanks for the nummy lunch at the Union Grill, Mom and Dad! Can't wait to go back.

Finally, I spent a day and a half with Joni in Provo...well, most of our time was in Salt Lake shopping, but that is okay! I adjusted a while ago to having Joni live away from home, so seeing her in her native habitat wasn't a new thing like it was with Andy. Still, I always feel a sense of satisfaction and peace in actually being where she lives and seeing first hand how well she is doing. And, we shared our first Ikea experience together. How's that for bonding! We also got to eat lunch with my wonderful friend, Jana Sneddon, another person who always warms my heart!