Food, Family, Fun--pre-Peru

With Heidi and Tucker home for the weekend, we planned a few family activities--all seven of my kids together for the last time before Ben leaves for Peru on October 8.

One of his best friends, Marissa, flew home from Provo to surprise him. Ben has the best friends ever, and I love how supportive they all are of each other.

Marissa even postponed submitting her own mission papers this weekend to be home with Ben. In a few weeks, she will know where she's going. Weird to think that Ben will have to find out through email, since he will already be gone . . . (not going there).

There are very few Peruvian restaurants in the valley, but we did find one in Chandler--Tumi, a little hole in the wall.

 It was so small that our party of thirteen took up half of the tables.

I know these pictures look the same, but look for Heidi in this second one. As Brad said, that is a very un-Heidi-like picture. The food was really good, the kids were mostly obedient, and the service was great. If you're in the valley, I recommend it.

Ben spoke in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. I was so overwhelmed by the reality of him leaving that I sobbed for most of the meeting. Don't get me wrong. Having a child on a mission is a great blessing. They learn more in those few months than they ever could at home or even at college. I love hearing from them and reading their letters and . . . it's still nearly impossibly difficult to let them go. I never fully understood it until Tucker left for NYC 3 1/2 years ago, but now? Now I know. And it's even harder, somehow.

When the meeting was over, all of his friends and family spilled into the foyer to hug him. Ben looked around the crowd and said, "Someone grab a camera. I need a picture with my three moms."

I couldn't have raised this boy to be the amazing man he is without these two ladies. Both have chauffeured him and fed him and listened to him and counseled him and loved him for most (if not all) of his life. I will be forever grateful for their influences and examples, for their friendship and for their listening ears. Shauna's son, McKay, is currently serving a mission in Korea, and Karen's son Logan is serving in Leeds, England. Who would ever have guessed that when those three boys were still squirrelly little bookworms that they would grow up to be men of goodness and strength and conviction?

Normally, I would have invited everyone over for some festivities, but since Ben isn't leaving for a few more weeks, we only invited family over for dinner--stay tuned for an open house on October 5th. There will be chocolate chip cookies. Just sayin'.

Three of his favorite cooks were invited, and he asked each of them to make his favorite. Amy brought salad with her trademark dressing, Shauna made pizza rolls ("If I have Shauna make pizza rolls, then I can have Karen . . . "), and Karen made cinnamon rolls (always thinking, that boy).

Karli's mom brought yummy carrots, and I made bac 'n' mac, cut up peaches and watermelon, and we had a carb fest.

No rice. No beans. No chicken. All that will be plentiful in Peru. For now?

We feasted.