Graduation and the best kept suprise...ever!

These are all out of order...but it is the best I seem to be able to do
Nicole came down from BYU Idaho for Jeff and Sarah's graduation and so we were able to get somewhat of a family picture...however, there seems to be 5 more kids, their spouse, and 16 grandchildren missing. That is the problem with everyone living all over the country.

This is a favorite picture. Jeff's father-in-law (whose name happens to be Jeff as well) helping my son figure out how to zip up his gown. Not only do we have a great daughter-in-law. We love her family!!!!

Silly Jeff...cute Sarah at dinner after Commencement. The amazing address given by Elder Uckdorf.

Jeff's dad giving him a little advice with his carer on the way to lunch

This was such an amazing few days for us being a part of Jeff and Sarah's graduating. It was like being at conference with all the talks. We were so impressed with the respect given to the importance of not only being a graduate of BYU, but the importance of the ceremony surrounding graduation. Jeff and Sarah worked hard these past few years and to see them graduate together was a double treat.

Jeff talked his little sister into trying on his robes so she could "get a feel for what she is going to get to do in a few more years."

Wendy got a babysitter and showed up later on for graduation. I was sad she was not in the family picture but absolutely love this of her and her little sis, "Cola."

After all the graduations Jeff and Sarah had us and her family all come back to watch a movie and have popcorn. So we thought. Jeff stuck some movie in as we all sat around talking. No one was really watching the movie. The FBI warning came up and then what appeared to be some medical show starting coming on. Someone asked what in the world we were watching. Nicole being funny and not having any idea said we were watching a sonogram of her baby....Quickly Jeff spoke up and said. "That's a sonogram of our baby." All of a sudden Suzanne (Sarah's mom) and I realized it was true. We were crying and hugging the kids and in complete shock. Sarah was 5 months pregnant. The kids had told no one. Jeff and I are very close. Sarah, her mom and her sister are all very close. No one had a clue. So it was a real treat for all of us. Especially how they shared the announcement.....
We even could tell that they were having a boy...due around the middle of September.

Nicole, her brother....and Baby Jeff Jr. (or whatever they call him)

Our spring break entertainment...

Monmouth doesn't have so much going on. However, on this Sunday afternoon of spring break the whole town (almost) showed up for a practice burn on this building on the campus of Western Oregon University.(right across from the old indoor swimming pool) The building was huge and about the age of our home. We assumed it would go up like a tender box. We were wrong. It took 4 hours. There were beautiful old french glass doors on the bottom left floor of the building. All the women in the group were moaning as they caught fire. We figured they should have been saved.
No one listened to us.

The New Car...or "Hey, is Nicole home from school?"

This is our new car. I think it is cute. However for the first few days we had it people would say, "Hey, is Nicole home from school?"
It is a Hyundai Sonata. It does not look like a Honda Accord. Well, ok maybe it does. And maybe it does look like Nicole's car. But it is cleaner. (sorry sis)

Jonathan's Big Day

Our little Star Fish (Jonathan Allan Bates) front and center
with his parents, Allan and Hannah and little brother, Timothy, at his baptism this April

Jonathan with his Bishop on the day of his Baptism.
Ironically this great man is also the attorney who fought for Jonathan to be with his eternal family.

This is not the best picture of Rich....sorry hon.
But what is important is Jonathan. And really what a miracle this is with him standing in between us on his baptism day.
Jonathan came to us as a foster baby at 6 months of age. We fell in love with him and then fought 4 long years for him to be with a good family. Many special and sacred miracles surrounded his life to get him to his earthly parents and to be reunited with his little brother.
In the first picture I called him our "Starfish." Which comes from the story by the same name.

The Starfish
There is an old man walking along the shore when he sees up ahead a little boy picking up and throwing starfish into the sea. As he gets closer he realizes the little boy is doing this all along the shore and there are thousands of starfish which lie ahead of him. The old man comes close to the boy and says.."There are thousands of starfish you will never ever be able to get them back safely to the sea. You can not possibly make a difference. In the same moment the little boy gently picks up the starfish in front of him and lovingly cast it out to the waves and says..."I made a difference with that one."

There were several foster babies and little ones who came and went. Often it felt hopeless and overwhelming and we often questioned ourselves just like the old man did with the little boy.
With the help of an elderly CASA worker, Lilly, (court appointed advocate for foster children). We were able to have Jonathan's mother's parental rights dissloved so he could be free to be adopted. The day this happened Lilly gave us a card with the story of the Starfish and signed the card with;
"You made the difference in little Jonathan's life."
What a blessing it has to see him grow up in the church and a joy it will be the day he is sealed to his parents!
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