Our trip to Idaho for Megan's BYU-I Graduation!!

Though it doesn't seem possible that four years have passed since I took Megan out to BYU-Idaho to start her college career, apparently, I am getting old and can't keep track of time any more.  I'm obviously having a lot of fun, too, because time is definitely flying!!

In preparing to attend her graduation, Steve and I also decided to go on to Hawaii afterwards.  I know, seems kind of selfish, but we had been considering going for a while, and we figured that since we would be halfway there in Idaho, we might as well hook the two trips together.  The specifics on that trip will be coming in a future post.  

We arrived in Salt Lake City and Megan was there to pick us up and take us to Idaho Falls.  She has been doing her student teaching in Herriman, Utah and finished the day before.  We headed up to Grandma and Grandpa Tucker's house to spend time with family and prepare for Meg's graduation.

We got in very late on Wednesday night.  It was so good to see my parents.  They were sweet enough to wait up for us.  Thursday, I was able to go to lunch with my mom, sisters, and Megan.  Steve and Dad worked on Megan's car because she had been hit in a parking lot and had a dent in her fender. (Thanks, hun.  You did a great job!!)  I also treated Meg, Mom and myself to a pedicure.  I figured Meg was graduating, my Mom had just had a birthday, and I was headed to Hawaii. Right?!  I think it was definitely necessary.  :)

The next day we headed up to BYU-I campus to take photos, before the two graduation ceremonies.  

Here is Meg with one of the shirts we bought for her at the bookstore.  The photo was taken in the parking lot of the stake center by the Rexburg Temple, also seen in the background.

Near the sign on the south side of campus....

...and a close-up.

There she is, the star of the show!!

A classic pose on the sign

The "Rocky" pose...

....and one more for good measure!!

It was my bad idea to do the jump off the sign thing.  Poor Megan actually hurt her foot enough that....

...she decided to walk to the next photo op without the heels.  Sorry, Meg.  :(

We got to meet Bishop Pieper.  He had been her professor for a math class and she did not like him much because there was some kind of misunderstanding with some assignments which he called her on and she had to stand up to him and explain the situation in order to get credit.  Bottom line, she was not his biggest fan when she came home after that semester.  Well, as is quite often the case, the story doesn't end there.  While Meg was still home, she looked online, and saw that Brother Pieper was going to be her new bishop!  She was pretty bummed.  Then, a few days later, she got a call from Bishop Pieper asking if she would be willing to teach the Sunday School class the first Sunday.  She reluctantly said she would do it.  Well, long story short, she ended up serving as the Relief Society president that year, and he was the one person she wanted us to meet on Friday.  Such a fun story.

Megan by the Hinckley Education Building

Meg met Shannon Homer walking on campus.  

She was Meg's first ever roomate at BYU-I.

She has since served a mission and is back attending school.  

Kind of a full circle moment.  

I took a photo of Megan by this sign when I took her out to Idaho as a freshman.

Here she is in her cap and gown.

And with Dad and Mom

We knew that there would be a ton of people trying to go to dinner in Rexburg on Friday, so we decided to wait to do the graduation dinner on Saturday.  Grandma and Grandpa Tucker came up to join us for a light dinner before the graduation at ....wait for it.... Taco Time.  It sounds kind of funny, but they have a really good Fiesta Taco Salad there that both Megan and Grandma and Grandpa really like.  It was delicious. 

Megan had two graduation ceremonies.  The first was the commencement for the whole university.  This took place in the BYU-I Center.  Elder Rasband was the keynote speaker.  At the conclusion of the meeting, the graduates exited up through the audience.  

Megan waving as she exits the I-Center.

Meg's friend, Janae, after the ceremony

Jeri and Frank came to support Megan, too

These two are always a lot of fun

Meg, with Dad and Mom

With Grandma and Grandpa Tucker

Our whole group after the Commencement (thanks for taking the photo, Janae)

A view of the BYU-Idaho center....such an impressive building

Megan with Grandpa Tucker by the pulpit in the I-Center.

Meg by the beautiful flowers...

...and with Mom and Dad

Outside with Megan after the Commencement ceremony

After the main commencement, each individual college had its own convocation.  Megan had been asked to read a scripture as part of the college of education's convocation.

Here she is on the stand before the convocation begins

Shaking hands with Elder Kim B. Clark, former president of BYU-I

Elder Clark spoke at the College of Education Convocation

The woman on the far left is Sister Karla LaOrange.  She is the department chair and also one of Megan's teachers and one of her most important advisors and friends.

Walking down off the stand after receiving her diploma

One of Meg's advisors during her time at BYU-I

With Elder and Sister Clark after the convocation

Aunt Jan also joined us for the convocation

At Nielson's Custard after the festivities

Sister LaOrange even joined us for dessert!!

Just some Mom and Meg time on Saturday morning

We had to check out Freddy's.  Nate and Chloe used to go to a Freddy's over in Pennsylvania but we had never been to one.  Have to say.....the food was pretty darn tasty!!

We had previously planned to go out to dinner on Saturday night for the official graduation dinner, but we decided it would be more fun to do something more casual so that all the cousins could come, too.  Grandma and Grandpa were kind enough to let us do a hamburger cookout at their house.

Some of the crew in Grandma's kitchen

I love these great people!!

Olivia, Jocelyn and Megan

Jocelyn and Meg

The burger chefs - two grills going

A very familiar sight at Grandma and Grandpa's house

On Sunday, in addition to our regular church meetings, we got to go over to Jan's ward and see her son, James, ordained to the Aaronic priesthood.  He is a month younger than Evan.  It was pretty cool to be in that very full bishop's office.  So much family!!

That night we got together at Jeri's house for one last family gathering.  Family, food, and games.  

So much fun!!

Jan, Caitlin and Jocelyn, Megan and Grandma Tucker

Steve, Brian, Jeri, John, Grandpa Tucker, and Frank

Ashlyn (Spencer's girlfriend), Jake, Spencer, Sawyer, and Austin ready for the next game!

Thanks, everyone, for making our trip to Idaho so memorable. Megan has loved being so close to all of you during her time at BYU-I.  We love you!!

Seneca H.S. Represents on THE VOICE

So, here's a fun little thing that happened this Spring.  For the last several years our family has watched The Voice, a TV program where singers, try out and are coached trying to become  "The Voice" for that season.  This season, we got to watch one of Nathan's friends on the show.  It was just so much fun.

Here is a photo of Nathan's choir at Seneca High School.  If you look two people to Nathan's right, you will see Nate Butler.  They also performed together in the musical, Big Fish, last Spring.  Nate played the lead and did a fantastic job.

Fast forward to this Spring....Yep, that's Adam Levine's team on the Voice with Nate Butler standing third from the left!!  Kind of surreal!!  We actually heard that Nate was going to be on the show from Nathan in Russia.  A friend of his from high school who gets his emails, sent him a heads up that he had made it through the blind auditions and was on Adam's team.  It was a lot of fun to watch him progress on the show.  He did pretty well.  After being eliminated once, he even got called back when the coaches had the chance to pick one artist to come back.  The show ends in a few weeks and Nate is already off the show, but we were so proud of his courage and the great job he did.

Way to represent, Nate!!

Our Sweet Ginny

(Written on March 30, 2016)

Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our beautiful little dog, Ginny.  It was such a sad day.  We made the decision last week.  It was a miserable decision to have to make, but we knew it was the right one for her.  Even though we knew this day would eventually come, it was still so, so hard.  I don’t know if she knew what was happening, but she was so good and patient with us all the time.  I’m sure that all the diapering and having us carry her places was not her favorite thing, but she learned to just be calm and let us do what we had to do.  She had a good last week, eating anything she wanted...always better than just regular dog food.  She went on lots of assisted walks around the yard and spent time on her pillow next to Mommy.  Daddy was kind enough to give both Evan and I blessings beforehand because he could see how hard this was going to be for us.  

The process of saying goodbye was, thankfully, very peaceful.  There was no suffering and I was able to hold our sweet girl through the whole thing.  She was so brave and calm.  I am so thankful. Knowing that she did not suffer was so important to all of us.

I am thankful for the knowledge I have that she will be resurrected and live again.  I don’t exactly know how things will be in heaven as far as us being able to interact with our pets, but I sure look forward to seeing her again.  She will be able to run like crazy again and have lots of teeth for chewing.  Her face will probably be a lot browner instead of all white like it was the last few years (though I do love that little white face).  She will even have her little missing toe back, I’m sure.  But one thing I know that will not have changed….She will come running and wagging that beautiful little tail with the black tip again like she always did when she saw us.  She loved her people and we loved her right back.  Thank you, Ginny, for being such an amazing blessing in our lives.  You have changed us for the better and we will never forget you.  You have truly filled the measure of your creation.  We hope you are full of joy now.  

SOME OF OUR FAVORITE PHOTOS

A much younger Ginny enjoying the snow

Family Picture taken at Christmas time - 2012

I guess Ginny was just checking to make sure everyone looked ok.

In the Albania scarf and sitting in the car...

Ginny loved a good tummy rub....she totally looks like she's cracking up here

More often than not, we would see only part of her sticking out of the blanket!
She loved Daddy's red blanket the very best!!

Keeping a careful watch with Lorelei out the front door - one ear up  :)

Ginny was part of every celebration!!

We're a close knit group here....
When Ginny had surgery on her toe, Nate and Megan were right there to make her feel better

A classic Ginny pose

She even occasionally snuck up to Mom and Dad's room in the morning.  

The pillows on the floor made one of her favorite spots.

She also loved Meg's room

Here's Daddy helping Ginny walk around the back yard for the Easter egg hunt this year.  It made her so happy to be with us.

These last pictures were taken the day before Ginny was put down.  I think we just wanted to make sure we had one last good picture with our sweet girl.  Trust me, these are just a few of the many we took.  :)

Just the best doggy ever!!

Being patient with Mommy...

....and Daddy....

....and Evan. 

There's a smile!!!

A little hug

Thinking about a kiss for Evan.....

...awww, why not!!  

Evan wrote a special poem for Ginny that we read at her burial. 

Laying in the sun

Is how I had fun.

When you let me run out to the "pee tree"

I knew how much you loved me.

I liked taking care of my family

Sometimes in my bed at the bottom of the stairs

And sometimes barking at dogs much bigger than me.

I will always be Ginny Foulk

Thank you for taking such good care of me.

We will love you forever, Ginny.  Thanks for being a part of our family.