IT REALLY HAPPENED!!!!!!!

The process we began when Austin was 12, finally finished ONE WEEK before he turned 18. He's an EAGLE SCOUT!!!! We owe much thanks to terrific leaders in Utah and Mass who really encouraged and loved him. (He owes a heck of a lot to his dad too!)
Just think - if he'd gotten it a few years earlier, he would have been shorter than both of us!

We planned the Court of Honor for when Grandma was here watching the kids - it was perfect. Grandma is one of Austin's biggest cheerleaders.

I got to pin it on! The man in the white shirt is David Dame - the Young Men's president who took a very special interest in Austin. Come to find out, his brother-in-law was in Richard's mission! The one behind/between Austin and me is Alex Romney, another amazing YM leader. What an example for the boys!!

Austin pins me. I'm secretly thinking - is this all I get for years and years of tears and sweat and worry and yelling and pleading and hassle?? Seriously!!

Proud Papa (and shorter too!) A better view of Alex Romney to the left.

A little admirer - who wants to be just like his brother and I hope he is! (I have since bought new church clothes for Coop that aren't too small. That shirt was fairly new - he just had a growth spurt!)

All of us.

Austin's friend Reuben Carlisle also received his Eagle Award that night.

Austin with some Boston friends.

We celebrated at Macaroni Grill the next night - yum.

I'll post pictures of his cool gifts in a little bit.

Florida in March

Remember how I told you that Massachusetts is DARK all winter long!! Richard knew the only way I would survive was to take me to some sunshine - so he and I went to Hollywood, Florida for a week. Grandma Kappel came and watched the kids for us so we had no worries. We truly took a vacation, not a trip! Sleep and sunshine is all I wanted!!


This was the view out our room. Even though we were there over Spring Break, we saw none of the college crowd. Richard did get flashed once, but unfortunately for him it was by an elderly lady.


We stayed at the Marriott (so art deco - very cool) right on the beach!

There's a great walkway that stretches two miles down the beach. It's lined with shops and restaurants on the opposite side. Very fun.