Exciting things!

This past week has had some really exciting things going on!! Our cousin Ben got home from his mission to Argentina on Wednesday! All of us, except Dad and Malia, went to Jerome on Wednesday so we could be at the airport with all the others in the family to see Ben get home.

 A couple of Ben's sisters made this "Welcome Home" sign for him, so Heather and I posed underneath it in anticipation! :)

While we were at the airport in Twin, we look over toward the arcade section, and a couple of our sweet, innocent, little cousins are rockin' the "Deer Hunt" game!

These are two of Ben's nephews who were so excited to have Uncle Benjy come home.

 He finally made it!!!!! The whole, tiny waiting room in the airport was FILLED with our family, and some of Ben's friends. Every window was lined with grandparents, cousins, Ben's siblings and their kids, and especially his mom, as the plane came in for the landing. He came in with a big grin looking exactly like he did two years ago! All his changes happened on the inside; he's even more amazing than when he left which is definitely proof of a good missionary!

 His little nephews went around the minute he came in yelling, "BENJY!!!" But they got their turn to be hugged just like everyone else. Ben (and some others) were shedding a few happy tears, so Ben had to throw in the disclaimer, "I'm not usually like this!"

Anyway, we came back to Boise that night, but all of us went back to Jerome on Saturday for a big family reunion, so we got some good time to visit with Ben. He gave a great talk in sacrament the next day, plus him and his mom sang a really pretty song.

After church we all hung out at one of his sister's houses on the Farm and heard some fun mission stories. 

In this picture from left to right it's: Scott Pettingill (one of Ben's best friends, who got home from his mission to Switzerland the day after Ben), cousin Hardy, David, cousin Ian, and Ben. Ian and Ben hadn't seen each other for several years, because Ian left for his mission, then Ben left just a few months before Ian got home. Needless to say, all of these best friends are happy to all be together again!

Here's a few more of us, Kelani, Malia, cousin Maddie, me, and Ben's sister Heather.

It's GREAT to have him back!!!!!

    On another note: Our family reunion was one that involved people who I have no idea who most of them are. That sounds terrible, but my great grandma had somewhere around 9 or 10 siblings, and so it was with all of them and their kids (the ones who could make it). There were a TON of people.
         My grandma was in charge of the reunion this time and it was so fun! For part of a little program, my grandpa read this wacked out version of "The Night Before Christmas" with a "Swedish" accent. I guess he's done it before, but not in my living memory.
I didn't know he was going to do it, so when Grandma announced him and he came out of the bathroom looking like this, I died laughing!

      And after church, Grandpa came out of his room wearing this totally ligit' head dress that he got in Israel when they were there (they just got home the day before Ben). My grandpa is awesome! :D
                     

So there you have it - those are some of the fun new things happening in our family!