Sunday September 6, 2015
Dear Cass -

Well - it's been quite a week here. Before I get to that let me thank you for answering ALL my questions last week complete with pictures! That helps me picture where you are a little bit better. Last week you mentioned you had a harder week. I agree that you've been gone a long time! I can see how things would feel like being a rut every once in a while. Remember to stay positive! I loved that you wrote home about the "little things" last week. That was great. Hopefully you had a little better week this week.

So I'll run through this week for us...

Monday Dad and Colten went to the Toto/Yes concert. I'm sure Dad told you about it. Colten said Toto was awesome, Yes was weird. I think they had a good time though. The getting to and from things is always a challenge. Has anyone told you they're doing big construction on the freeway again? Yep, up by Thanksgiving Point, etc. Not fun.

Anyway - while they were out doing that I took the girls to a fancy dinner at Taco Bell and then we went to see the latest LDS movie in the theaters, "Once I Was a Beehive." It was great. I will put it on your list of things to see. That will actually be a great movie to watch straight off your mission:)

Other things for the week included River going to her first day of Pre-team gymnastics. Its a 2 hour class. She loved it and was sore for a couple of days afterward.

Colten finally had his first day of internship at the hospital. He loved it. He got to observe in the EKG dept. Hopefully this will be a positive experience. One funny thing...the hospital has a strict dress code. He has to wear khaki pants with a button down shirt and a lab coat every day he's there. Imagine how excited he was about that. He hates those clothes. And he thought he'd be wearing scrubs. 

Dad and I went out to visit some recently returned missionaries. We went to the Hiskey's. Hunter and Shalie both returned home in the last 2 weeks. Shalie said to tell you hi. She got your email address from us so maybe you'll hear from her. They spoke last week and gosh I cried through her whole talk. She just reminds me a little of you. Her feelings about her mission reminded me of something you'd say. She talked about how she was changed for the better because of her mission and how that place of the world would always be holy ground for her.

On Thursday the real fun began. After Hadlie's piano lesson (she could not believe I made her go) we headed to the airport to pick up Jen & her girls. We got them, got checked in to our hotel and went to dinner. After dinner we got cookies from a bakery up by the UofU and then were driving back towards the hotel when the girls spotted East High. Much screaming ensued in the car and so we stopped. We took pictures out by the front and then we decided to see if it was open. It was! We were all nervous about going in but did it anyway. We took pictures in the open area with the big E and then went on a scavenger hunt for Sharpay's lockers. That school is 3 floors and very big. We were scared about getting kicked out but only saw janitors. We decided to go back outside before we found the lockers. We took a few more pictures and then River really wanted to try one more door. Walla! That was the one. We ran in, took pictures by the lockers and dreams came true. All the girls were talking about how proud you'd be of us! And how they want to go there with you when you're home and they can show you RIGHT where those pink lockers are.

Friday we hung around City Creek for many hours. Ate breakfast and lunch there then went back to the hotel and hung out for a few hours. The girls decided what to wear to the concert and how to do their hair. We took the hotel shuttle to the concert and got there before the doors even opened. Good thing because once inside we stood in line for t-shirts and picture booths for forever. We made it to our seats in plenty of time though. Our seats were pretty awesome. 2nd row, not on the floor but on a side. Vance Joy opened for her. He was alright. Taylor's show was pretty awesome. It was a big, huge production as I'm sure you could imagine and tell from the pictures I sent. We all had a great time and there might have been a couple tears of joy shed. Hadlie and Brynley didn't sit down one time in the whole 3.5 hours we were there. That Taylor Swift has come a long way and has changed a lot since we saw her 9 years ago at the Sandy amphitheater! She talked about that show during the concert. It was fun to think I had done that with you!

Saturday morning I took Jen & girls to the airport from the hotel at 7am. Then I woke your sisters up finally at 9:30am to get ready to go to Katelyn's wedding. We were all pretty dang tired! The wedding was at the Salt Lake temple. The sealing ceremony was great. Grandma Bonnie & Grandpa Jim made it just in the knick of time. Katelyn looked beautiful and seem so happy! I tried my best to get a few pictures for you at the temple. It was a super windy day and started to rain as they were nearing the end of the pictures. We didn't stay around for all the pictures of their immediate families but I did get one of Katelyn and her fam. Luckily they did some bridal/couple pictures last week during a beautiful day in the golden hour.

After the temple we went to the luncheon at a Chinese restaurant in Bountiful. Then we went and hung out at Kari's for a little while. They're reception was in a little place by their Stake Center. It was kind of a big pavilion type thing but had a kitchen and no big picnic tables. So they decorated it up and it turned out great. They had a fun photo booth there where Paige would take a polaroid picture of the group and then put it in their book and you could sign next to your pictures. They had people bring apple pies and then they had a soft serve ice cream machine and a bunch of toppings. Things were pretty low key but cute and fun too. I sent pictures of the cake, the table center pieces, etc. We left the reception at about 8:30 and were VERY tired.

So there you go. I'm thinking this coming week will be pretty darn boring after all that. It is however, the week that you turn 20!!! I'm holding out hope that you'll get our package this week somehow:/

I hope all my pictures got through to you. I sent a lot!

Well - I hope you have an awesome week and that you'll have a happy birthday and do something fun to celebrate. Just think if you were me - you'd already be married! I'm glad you're on a mission:)

Love you - Mom