So I wasnt very good at taking pictures at Flaming Gorge. I had forgotten my camera so what I do have was taken with my phone one afternoon. I wish I would have gotten alot more. We had so much fun up there. We had Allie's friend Doc Cronin come up with us. He had never been to Flaming Gorge before. I think he had a pretty good time. Even cousin Mike was not able to scare him away.
I was a little bummed we did not get our traditional watermelon football game. That's always so fun. But the kids had fun with their traditional kayak wars of trying to dump the other off their kayak and their king of the tube games. This year having Doc up there he is pretty buff and strong and all the kids decided to gang up on him and take him down and try and get him off the big tube and constantly was trying to knock him off his kayak. The needed a little help getting him off the big tube so I had to pull out the big guns and come help them tip the tube over. I think that took him a little by surprise.
Doc trying to get back on after being tipped off the kayak.
He was trying hard to stay on..
The girls found some baby crawdads.
I took Allie up to the canyon to try and get a few pictures pre mission for her missionary plaque but my camera battery was dead so I had to use my phone camera and I wasnt impressed how they turned out so we had our good friend Christina Noorda take them at the temple after her farewell and she got alot of good ones so I will have to post them later when I get them back.
He likes carrots!
Allies Farewell was so great. She did an amazing job on her talk. She gets that from Steve. They just have the natural ability to talk and have it sound so amazing. We had so many come to us and say how amazing it was and how wise she is beyond her years and how she sounded like a missionary giving her homecoming talk. and how shs going to be an amazing missionary.
Of course I was so busy I totally forgot to grab the camera and take picts of her with all those that came to see her. We prob had at least 100 people here. We had some come all the way from Santaquin to see her. It was a great day. I managed to get a couple picts of those who were here at the very end.
The Cronin Family
Afterwards we ran down to the temple to have Christina take some pictures of Allie for us. These are just a few I took with my camera. they wont be nearly as good as Christina will be but thought I would snap a few anyways. I will post the others as soon as I get them.
August 16th that night Allie got set apart as a missionary. Our Stake President happened to be out of town so his First Counselor was the one who got to set her apart. It also happened to be pretty cool because Allies mission is the same mission President Lowe served in, so they were able to chat awhile about it and he was able to share some experiences with her. Another really cool thing that happened was he was relating an experience he had while at the MTC in the beginning of his mission it was the night before he was to leave for Kentucky and he was feeling very homesick and he said he prayed for a very long time that night for help. In the morning he was prompted to turn in his scriptures to D&C 68:6 and it reads "Wherefore be of good
cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by
you, and ye shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the
son of the living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come".
As soon as he told us this Allie just started to tear up. For this was also her scripture she had chosen to be her favorite scripture to go on her missionary plaque. Pres. Lowe didnt realize why Allie was tearing up about this and when we told him he was just taken back and astonished that they both shared this same favorite scripture. He said he had no idea that she had chosen that scripture. This was just further testament to us that he was meant to be the one there this night to set her apart and to share that story with her. There just is no coincidents in the Church and in the Gospel. Further testament that she is going where she is supposed to and heavenly father is aware of her and her needs and is with her.
This is her pinning her pin on the map of where she will be serving.
The day had to come to take her to the MTC. It was a very solemn day. Probably one of the hardest things to witness was Allie and Austin having to say goodbye. Austin couldnt go to the MTC with us due to him having a Madrigal retreat so they had to say goodbye at home. Also both of them knowing it would be 3 years before they got to see each other gagain because in 10 minths Austin will also be going on his mission. So the emotions were very high and it was very heartbreaking to see watch them say goodbye. I thought I was doing good till I had to see that.
The ride down for the most part was pretty quiet minus the sniffles going around the car. We stopped off in Provo to have lunch at Costa vida one of Allies favorite places to eat. Then we drove over to the temple across the street from the MTC to take a few pictures. It was pretty tough.
Posing for some selfies.
we had 5 minutes to spare after taking pictures and getting in the car so we decided to pull over and say a prayer. I offered to give it. It was so hard. It took a couple minutes just to calm myself down enough to talk, but I think it was a pretty good prayer for her. Dropping her off at the MTC. It was very emotional for all of us. She puts on a pretty good face.
I had to drop Steve off at the airport right after dropping Allie off so he could go back to Cali for work, which left me going home alone with the girls to be sad. When I got home I found these on the counter. She had arranged for my mom to get these for me and had a note to go with them already written which said she missed me already but the time would go fast. Of course the waterworks started all over again.
An awesome sister in our ward had brought this to us the day before. It is so beautiful. She owns a flower shop.
I went for my allergy shot and on the way home I ran into Doc on the corner. He had just left our house dropping something by for me. So he turned around and came back when he saw me. As soon as I saw him I just grabbed him and hugged him and started to cry which caused him to cry. But it was good to talk with him for a bit. He had brought this for me for a source of comfort. What a thoughtful guy. It couldn't have been a more better gift. Tissues to wipe away me tears and chocolate kisses to make me feel better. What woman doesn't need chocolate to make her feel better. What a sweet guy.
Life here without Allie is different. I miss her every moment. I am always worrying and wondering how she is handeling the homesickness. She has always been my child to struggle with that so I worry about that. I did get a email that night saying she got her first companion and she wasn't impressed with her first mtc meal. She wasnt sure what to think of her first companion yet. She said she was cool but had a take charge go get em type of personality and kinda ignored Allie a bit. I told her to have patience with her that in no time she would soon be the same way. She was still struggeling with homesickness but said they were throwing alot at them so to keep them busy which is a good thing and I am sure is for that very purpouse to keep them busy so to not dwell on missing home. Her P-day will be next thursday so we will hear more about her first week then. In another quick email she sent today She had said she got another blessing which has helped make her feel a little better. I am glad she was able to do that. I feel bad she is still struggeling with the homesickness but its only been 2 days so I know it will get better. I told her to not be afraid to ask for as many priesthood blessings as she needed. That is was a privelage and honor to use the priesthood and receive its power. That is what it's there for.
Cant wait to hear from her Next Thursday. We have a missionary blog for her for those who would be interested in following her. Its alliegatorsmission.blogspot.com Let me know and I can add you. Also her mission email is allie.hoyt@myldsmail.net for those who would like to email her. And if your interested let me know and I can give you her physical address as well.
Doc gave her a kentucky state flag which was so very thoughtful and cool. 
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