All About the Argyles

I have really been missing this kid a lot more lately.  I'm not sure what has brought it on. Maybe it is because he called last month when he was in urgent care and I heard his voice.  Maybe it is because he gets to call next month for Christmas!  Maybe it is because the older McKinley gets, the more she reminds me of him.  (She is a female version of Tanner- all that sarcasm and sass and absolutely no filter yet really really cute)  It might be because we are starting to make summer plans and I realized that we would need to work around his homecoming at the end of July.  We only have 8.5 more months before he comes home.  Maybe it is because I have been finding pictures of him on the "missionary Mamas" Facebook page every once in awhile.  I think it might have something to do with the fact that his birthday is this month.  And that I have been thinking about what I could put in his Christmas care package. ...

Her love of reading Her smile Her love of learning Her strong will Her conviction Her humility Her meekness Her forgiving heart Her kind nature Her keen mind Her desire to do right Her helpfulness She is amazingly responsible She is a hard worker I have never heard her say an unking thing about anyone Her love of music She is cheerful. Always. She loves a good movie, like me.  :O) She is a romantic at heart She is a nurturer. She is a good example to all of us in her family.

Her hair. Her beauty mark. Her sarcastic wit. She plays guitar like a pro. She does things even when she doesn't really want to because she knows its the right thing to do. She gets up every morning at 5:15 and and goes to seminary at 6, even if she was out late with   cheer the night before. She will do anything for a Whataburger honey butter chicken biscuit. She is genuine. She is loyal. She is a good friend. She applies herself to school. She is the most low drama teenage girl I know. She is crazy about her older brother. She has great fashion sense.  She doesn't worry about what other people think of her.

Good morning, my beloved sisters. I have been thinking about you for months now, and it is pure joy to be with you today. I’m at a loss, though, to know how to do justice to our theme, so I hope you have come ready to receive revelation, because the Spirit will teach you what you are ready to learn. Our theme is filled with hope and power: “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” 1 A dear friend who knew I felt drawn this morning to focus on the grace of Jesus Christ but was wrestling with this message, sent me an email that I’m sure she meant to be helpful. Here is what she wrote: “Here is what I hope you cover in your talk. What is grace? How do I gain access to it? What difference does grace make in my life? Can it help me with loneliness, with overeating, with bad relationships, with weaknesses and temptations, with insecurity, with heartache and stress? ...

Technically this was the end of September but I wanted to sneak it in because it was a decent picture and a fun night.  We went to our annual Women's conference and as is our tradition we went to dinner before the conference with some of our favorite people.   14 Down and 9 to go!  Man, I miss this kid.  This is still the lock screen on my phone and iPad.  Every time I look on them it makes me smile.  I love him so much.  It is going by so fast! What mother doesn't love to see this on a random missionary mama Facebook account straight outta nowhere?  Thank you to this sweet sister who lives in my son's mission boundaries and is taking such good care of him. Tanner has a new companion that he really is enjoying.  He is super upbeat which is always nice. Tanner had a little mishap and got a puncture wound on his left (don't ask).  He had a little scare and had to to go to the urgent care when it appeared to be infected bu...