"And at last we see the light..."

Aaron finished his fifth and final paper for his dissertation. He and I got in a rowboat and set off paper lanterns to celebrate.

At least, that's what we did in my mind. In reality, we took the fam to Coldstone where we told the kids they could get whatever they wanted. We were reminded why we never have (and never will again) take the kids to Coldstone. They just don't appreciate it. Annie chose oreo creme as her base and put gummy bears and sprinkles in it. Blech!

We were in Idaho visiting my recently-returned-from-a-mission parents when Aaron finished. He got up at 4 in the morning on Monday and finished by 9. Then he came upstairs, raised his arms in victory, and we all cheered. The Provo aunties were there, too. It was nice to be able to rejoice together. 

It's been such a long road, and it's not over yet. But the tough mental work is done. And it's just so great! Now to put all the papers together into a dissertation, schedule a defense, actually defend, and find a job. We can do it! 

We had a lovely weekend visiting Idaho. My parents stopped at our house on Wednesday. We made them a sign.

On our way up to my parents' house, we stopped to see my 93 year old grandma and my long-lost cousin Hannah. It was a nice little visit. I'll have to add pics later. My grandma is an amazing woman! She is always cheerful despite her many health problems. And Hannah is a fellow homeschooler!

It was nice to see my parents were reunited with their little town. Everyone was so happy to see them. The aunties and sisters and elders from the ward helped get the house in working order. The ladies went to the women's session together. After, they served the best cinnamon rolls ever. 

Sunday we heard the mission reports, which were great, and had a Texas feast. Annie had been praying for that meal for about a week. I'm not sure why she felt like she needed to pray for it to go well, but her prayers were answered. The brisket, cornbread, potato salad, coleslaw, blackeyed peas, banana pudding, and peach cobbler were delish! 

My parents were excellent, faithful, productive missionaries. We're so proud of them. And glad to have them closer for a little while at least. 

And it's just really great that Aaron finished that paper. Did I say that already? Hallelujah!