The MTC

Well, the day finally came! First I woke up with a hive on my eye, so nice big swollen eye for the MTC, then I got one on my arm and then my feet and hands started itching, but they quickly went down when we got the MTC, my tongue was even itching and it did not go away till the next day, but at least the swelling went down. Mic was pretty nervous, but he said "Well I think I have everything" meaning let's go! We first took him to Tacanos as a going away gift because he loves that place and unfortunately all our kids do to! As we were eating we were talking about all the things he needed and packed just to make sure he had everything and when I said journal, he said "Oh no" then that started all the other things he forgot, so we quickly called my sister Shari to stop by and get all the things he forgot. She was able to bring them to the MTC, so that was relief! When we got there they had people directing you to the parking lot for pictures, then they said we could walk over to the wall across the street to take a picture then walk back to our car get in and drive back over and drop him off at the curb. How sad, at the curb? But that's all we could do, so we did. As we came up to the curb there was 2 missionaries to greet him and we all got out and gave our last hugs crying the whole time. I miss the song they used to sing when you went in the MTC. Called to Serve, but I heard it a few times this last week, so it was okay. Well, that was it, very short good bye and now he has been in there for almost 2 weeks, I have got an email and 1 written letter. He is doing okay, he just said it's hard, but he is going to stick with it. We miss him! Here is the pictures in the parking lot

Mic and his Aunts(Karen, Shari, Mic and Joni), just missing one, and it's Shelley.

Mic ready to go

Mic waving goodbye. This is the picture that got me sobbing in the car. WOW! Can't believe he is going to be gone for 2 years!

Parker really excited to go! Okay, it just looks that way.

Ready or not! Only 1 more day left!!

MTC and Girls Camp all in one day on Wednesday!!!


Elder Lopp

We had more family there, but forgot to take a picture.
I will write more, just running out of time.

A weekend full of AMAZING things

Tulips at the Temple -- So Beautiful Andy came home for this amazing weekend and we were able to take Mic through the Temple for his mission. It was so neat and good to be together for these experiences.

Andy was also here for Haley's Patriarchal Blessing. Haley has been wanting one for a long time and she was so excited to go pick it up she was skipping to the Patriarchs door and smiling and laughing. This has been a great experience for her and she is so glad to have it.

Andy was also here for Reilly to receive the Aaronic Priesthood and become a Deacon. Andy did his Ordination. He was excited to get his suit and very excited to get to go do Fast Offerings for the first time. I was very impressed how the Deacons talked to him. Kadon Peterson told him about it and he kept saying "you get to do this" and "you get to do this", instead of "you have to" I think that made Reilly more excited and to believe it's very important.

This really was an amazing week. It took some scheduling with getting Andy home at the right time and Mic coming home from college. Mic did great and I think got straight A's. He got a job a few days later. He started Tuesday full time and can earn some money for his Mission. We are SO grateful for this job. It will help a lot.

Woman's Conference with Hillary Weeks!!!!!!!!!!!

Every year we go to Woman's Conference at BYU with my Mom, sisters and friends. This is a picture with Hillary Weeks after the big concert on Thursday night in the Marriott Center. We stayed behind and she was right there so I tapped her on the shoulder and asked if she would be in our picture with us. She was so happy to do it. She is an amazing LDS singer. She is also really funny and talked about laundry throughout the concert. They even gave a washer and dryer away and tons of laundry soap. I really don't know who the lady in the blue on the left is tho. She just joined in. The rest are my Mom, Angie, me, Hillary Weeks, Joni, Karen and Shelley all my sisters and my Mom. I actually stood right by her with her arm around me and Joni. Ha Ha! We had a great time.

Here is the video!!

Mic opening the post office box to see if his call came It came!!!!! It was the only thing in the box, a big white envelope. He is all smiles

Elder McKinly Thomas Lopp. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Here is the video of Mic reading his call. The only thing we forgot was to film all the people down below Mic. Our whole front room was packed with family and friends. You can almost here a pin drop while Mic was reading his call. Everyone was so excited to hear where he was going. I totally forgot to get pictures of the huge crowd we had. I can't believe I forgot to take pictures. I was so concerned about getting it on video that I forgot about pictures. Mic said the view of all the people was amazing and intimidating! It was so much fun to have everyone over and support Mic in this amazing time in his life.

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mic got his call on Wednesday. We went to the post office to get the mail with all the cameras we have and pushed record before he opened it and the only thing in the box was slowly pulled out and it was a giant white envelope!! It was HIS CALL! It was so cool. I just wanted him to open it right then. I was so excited and my excitement starting taking over me by making me jittery, shaky, laughing and saying over and over; "I can't believe it's here." We drove right next store to get a yummy chocolate donut from Holiday to celebrate.

We drove to Staples to get little smiley stickers so everyone could put them on a map to guess where he goes before he opens it. We decided to open it at 9pm, so we had to wait like 11 hours! It was a very long 11 hours. While we were at Staples and buying our purchases, Mic bought his first and when he was done started walking towards the door, so did I with my items to buy. Mic said to me "Mom are you not going to buy your things?" I said "Oh yeah!" I almost forgot to buy my stuff because my excitement is taking over me. I guess it's time to just go home and wait.

We tried to keep busy all day, lunch, shopping, working, piano, cleaning, YW, and finally 9 came. All the cameras ready, guesses made and everyone there. Mic stood at the top overlooking everyone over the railing. He opened it and was so nervous said "where do I read it." He finally found where he was to read it and once there was total silence, he read, and even before he finished a huge loud cheer erupted when he said SWEDEN. He had to read it over to tell us where in Sweden. Stockholm, Sweden. He then read when he would leave; July 28th and he would be speaking Swedish, another cheer erupted. He leaves right during girls camp. Haley and I will have to come up with the Relief Society on Wed night.

With all the excitement I wanted to make sure I got everything videotaped and so we had 3 cameras going. I totally forgot to take still pictures. I'm so mad at myself for not taking any. My Mom got only 2 or 3. We did not even get a picture of the mass crowd of people in our front room looking up to Mic. There was a ton of people, the whole front room was crowded with family and friends. I did not even videotape the eruption of cheer that exploded. I told Mic we have to do it all over again.

I still cannot believe he is going to Sweden. I keep saying it out of the blue and it's been 4 days. I can't believe it!

I'm in St. George right now using my sister's lap top so I can't post the videotape of it, but I will when I get home. Check back later.

Yeah, Stockholm, Sweden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!WOW!

Prayers needed! The wait is almost over!

It's coming!!!!!! This week we are hoping. I'm bringing the camera to the post office every day with Mic. His call just has to be there this week because Mic is home for his spring break all week and Andy will be home too. It just has to come. Party at the Lopp's Wed or Thurs to watch him open his call, if it comes. They say they are supposed to come on Wed or Thur. EVERYONE SAY A FEW PRAYERS!!!!!!!!!

19 years ago and a TERRIFIC VALENTINES!

19 Years ago I was in the hospital with Mic and he was only 6 hours old, weighing in at 7lbs and 11 oz. I will always remember that weight because of the 7-11 convenient stores. Valentines was over for me 19 years ago, but hey what a great valentines gift. Actually I have gotten double. Andy and I still go out just the day before and he got me a dozen red roses and balloons for me this year and he was home and so was Mic. It's been a great Valentines this year!!!! We have done a ton this weekend as a family and we needed it. Both Andy and Mic leave tomorrow:(:(, but we look forward when they come home again because we will probably be opening Mic's mission call all together. It's driving me crazy wondering where he will go. I can't believe we will have a missionary! That's just crazy!!!!!!! Happy Birthday MIC! Love ya

All stitched up!!!!

So I got a call around 2:15 from Parker asking me if I could come and pick him up from school to go get stitches. What happened?? He said he was playing circle ball in his weight lifting class and ran into his friend and his cheek bone connected with Parkers eye. Nice! 8 stitches later and a matching scar from his other eyebrow he's home and proud of his lovely stitched up eyebrow. I think he needs to wear a helmet cause he has been stitched up 4 times on his head in his life. You can faintly see the scar in the middle of his forehead, ( top left of the picture) then he has a scar on the back of his head and on the other eyebrow. Nice!!!!

Where oh where have the Lopp's been

I just realized I have not updated my blog since Nov! Wow! That's been a long time. I'm usually up on that. We are getting ready to send Mic's papers off for his mission. Feb 20th is when he can send them off. Wow! I'm old sending a missionary off. Yikes!!!!!!! He is way excited tho and can't wait.
Here are some random pictures of what we have been up to:
Christmas candy houses

Anual family Santa party at the lopp's

We have gotten into bowling for FHE. The kids all love it. This was when Mic was home from college. The only person missing is Andy. He was home one time with us, but Mic was gone.

Reilly recieved his Tenderfoot award in scouts and has finished his 2nd class and almost his 1st class(I can never remember which comes first... 1st or 2nd class)
Zac will get his Bear at the Blue and Gold Banquet this Thursday

Playing in the snow and building a very cool snowman with Zac.

Be the Best of Whatever You Are

This is a picture of a trail that Haley took and I used this picture in my lesson last week and we found this poem that worked great with it. I wanted to share it with everyone. Hopefully you can read it. I love this poem and it reminds us to just be the best we can at the things we do. We don't need to be that pine on the top of the hill, we can be a trail, scrub or a leaf on a tree. That's a good place to start. Enjoy! If you click on the picture you can read it better

Canyon fall pictures and Ibuprohen

We decided to go up the canyon while Mic was home from a break from school in St. George to take some pictures with all the pretty leaves. It was fun but kinda stressful and by the time we got home 3 of us had to take Ibuprofen because we had headaches. As you can see in these pictures Zac would not cooperate very well. There is only a few that turned out with him somewhat smiling normal. The pictures are a little blurry, but we got them done and can choose one for a Christmas post card.

I wanted to get one of the kids with the leaves as the background so they just layed down in front of each other.

We brought a box of leaves and had the kids throw up the box so I could get a picture of leaves falling on them, but it did not turn out. As we were leaving a family of 4 were taking pictures in the same spot but by a tree and one of our kids said "Hey Mom that Dad just shook the tree while they smiled" What a novel idea. Well, I was too tired to try it again, so here is the picture of leaves falling on them.

Ah... Love this picture

Okay so Parker the brave, daring person he is, started walking across this log over the river of rocks about 15 or 20 feet in the air and HE ALMOST FELL. He had to get down on his knees to get back and made it.

Helping Hands

LIMES

The other day I was walking out of macey's grocery store and the lady in front of me had a employee helping her push her cart and the cart hit a bump and a box of about 25 or so limes tipped over and started rolling everywhere. I held on to my cart and started picking up as many as I could with one hand or my cart would hit the same bump. Then as I was picking the limes up I looked around and people were rushing over to help. People walking out of the store and into the store. Mom's with little kids were helping and single people. I just had a really good feeling then and thought that it's nice to have helping hands to be there when we need it. I think that made my day to be a part of those helping hands. It would be nice if everyday was like that, then maybe the world would be a better place.

STRESS

Here is my stress for each day:

Cleaning house, laundry(wait I just washed these towels yesterday), jobs, school, kids, dogs, bills, church, broken things, car problems, homework, getting chores done, needing more hours in a day to get all this done, car pool mom, soccer, scouts, college stuff, grocery shopping, no time to read, or watch TV or relax, school clothes(wait that will have to wait), yard work( when I have time, but I don't so that will have to wait too), trying to stay awake when I have a moment to lay down, having a bedtime at midnight or later most of the time, doctors, dentist, listening to a faucet drip that won't stop, oh and dinner which normally has a saying; left overs, cereal, or haley can you make dinner, and what ever else comes up(which it usually does).

Anyone want to trade a day?

Who said you could......

So I was looking to put a new post on my blog and I came across Haley's pictures and this is what I found. THEY ARE ON THE ROOF!! When did this happen? They could have fallen! Haley, you are in big trouble.

Uhm.... College life... maybe I should be more stressed

Crazy faces, girls, funny hats. Is this college? Actually Mic is doing well and not starving anymore since the Baughs brought him a box of treats I put together for him and his meal plan is working now, so he is doing good. He has been meeting lots of people and met his Bishop today. He LOVES being on his own. He has been gone a week and our piano is getting dusty, and it's quiet. SAD! Haley has been too busy with soccer to play it. I might play it or try to. Anyone is welcome to come over and play for me. I'm missing it.

Starting school and COLLEGE!!!

Mic going off to college!!! This is a day I thought I was prepared for but lost it an hour before he left. This was a day I was supposed to go with my sisters and my mom to party all day cause all of our kids are in school all day. Breakfast, shopping, pool and a treat, but I missed the first one because I wanted to stay until the very last moment to get Mic off. I wanted to spend every last moment with him ( a friend came to our house to pick him up cause she was going to Dixie too in St. George). First he got all packed and ready then I had him sit at the piano and have him play my favorite songs and sing one of the songs. This is when I lost it and I cried through all the songs and just watched him. I was even crying drying my hair thinking about him leaving. He is only going to be about 4 hours away, but it feels like he is going to be millions of miles away. My sister Shelley said this will help tho for when he goes on his mission and it won't be so hard to let him go because I have a taste of it now.

This is a picture of him with all his stuff that we fit in her tiny car. She already had a microwave and another huge box in the back seat so we stuffed and stuffed and got it all in. I am so grateful for her taking him down, it helped alot and he probably had more fun anyway.
I This is a whole new change for us and I was not prepared for how I was feeling. I'm really missing the younger years. And to top it off, his phone is not working down there and I have only talked to him on his friends phone 2 times. He starts school tomorrow and I hope his scholarship money is in. It wasn't when he left. This college stuff is stressful and makes me miss the younger days even more. Treasure those little days, every second, cause they go by fast. I wish there was a way to slow down time. I try not to think about all these changes but they are all around me and I can't stop them. They just keep coming whether I'm ready for them or not. Chocolate helps a little but too many changes will get me fat with eating chocolate with every change. What to do? Just remember to treasure the little days as much as you can cause they go away too fast! Some of the elementary kids going off to school. This is my favorite years that I'm missing of Parker, and Mic. I love this age

This is another growing up part that you just want to hang on to. Jr. High with the 2 Haley's and Parker in 11th grade. I made Mic stand in too cause this is the way we always have taken first day of school pictures. This will be the last picture of Mic on the steps. SAD!!!!! Very SAD!

"His Hands"

As I was planning my Laurel lesson this week which is on service, it talks about Heavenly Fathers tools and the tools he gives us to use, to serve others, and I thought of this song and found a video to go with it. It's amazing! It reminds us how we should use these tools (hands) to lift others up and to be more like Him. Doug Taylor was so nice and put it on a DVD so I could show my class this amazing video. Thanks Doug. Hope you all enjoy it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFibyjcyYsE

Too many changes

Do you ever feel like life is going so fast and so many changes are coming that you don't want to deal with anything sometimes. Life is crazy here: Mic going to college at Dixie, and mission coming up, new job for Andy( which could be stressful for our family but we need the job bad), Feeling like YW is so busy and feeling overwhelmed, but I love it and I love all the girls( I just want all the girls to feel loved), friends moving, school starting, and the list goes on. All these changes have made me feel stressed and feeling like I don't want to go on, but I have to, so I force myself to do things. I feel better after I do them, but these feelings are still there and don't seem to go away. I'm always on the verge of crying, but I try to think of good things and have stopped it a few times. I think all these feelings is why I have not blogged in a while. It was nice to sit down today to read everyone's blogs. I have not done that in awhile.

I have been walking/running lately and going on 4 weeks now. The canyon is my favorite and that's where I think alot and I think has helped me with these bad stressed feelings. I hope it does not get cold soon, cause the canyon and running is helping a little. I don't like to run in the cold. I think running, the canyon and reading all your blogs help. I will post some pictures soon if I have some.

This summer has been very boring for our kids. Except for Haley. She has been gone for 3 weeks this summer. Girls camp, EFY, Soccer camp at Dixie, and Student council at Dixie. She paid for all of it herself. She made over $700 this summer and we are so proud of her. Paying for all these things have made it more meaningful for her. We have not done much but go to a movie or two, just working alot and trying to make it. Our California Beach trip(family vacation before Mic leaves to go to school and his mission) got thrown out the window, but there is always next year. Sorry Mic. I think the kids are actually excited about school starting, hey my house will stay cleaner too. I'm excited for school to start and it might make things better. Hope everyone is doing well.

Kinda a little bit NERDY!

This was our Daddy/Daughter Nerd Night at Young Womans. It turned out to be a success. All the dads were troopers and dressed up and did all the activities, mainly eating contest. Hope no one got sick. I better run and hide with posting this picture. All the nerdy girls

All the nerdy Dad's. Great face Mark. Ha Ha!