The Pilgrimage Home to Florida September 2019

Russ was toddling off right before this picture and dad said "Man, I'm really going to miss that little guy." and my heart almost burst. Why did we have to leave!!?!?!?

Sterling had spent the entire summer studying for Step 2. When we went to sign up for it, the closest one that fit the time constraints that we needed was in Casper, Wyoming. We signed up for it and then Megan found out and told us that her great friends lived there and they'd for sure let us spend a night (no hotel, yay!) and it turned out being the best thing ever. I don't know that I have ever met more gracious and hospitable people in my life. The Bertagnolli's seemed to realize that this test was pretty important and we were all a little stressed out (okay, Sterling was in freak out mode and we were all trying to cope around it). Brian got up and made us breakfast, offered to take our kids for the morning while I dropped Sterling off at the testing center, gave me directions to fun places to take the kids during the day (it's an 8 hour test) and then they even took us out to dinner that night, complete with their son teaming up with Russ one on one and fully taking care of him the entire time. They were legitimately so amazing. I kind of wanted to stay in Casper and move right in HAAHAHAHA. I am so grateful they made that day so great---we can never repay them!

A hike he had told me would be fun to take the kids on. They LOVED it but we were definitely not prepared for the temperature drop in Wyoming.

Then we went to a park for a really long time.

We stayed a second night and then our road trip really began. I don't think we were driving right here...

And I guess that's all the pics I have of our trip back, haha. It went really well actually. The last day was horribly long--as it always seems to be. It felt SOOO weird to be home and also looked perfectly normal.

Temple Square-September 2019 (ruth's Utah class)

Oh here's a pic from the last post--the last Sunday with my fam.

Here's Ruthie carrying Russ along on her walk to the school bus.

And Will pushing Gracie along!

Berries from the garden!

Gracie, who seemed to think it was the most hilarious thing to crawl into a space too small for her, try her very best to squeeze through, and then shriek and shriek when she couldn't. Haha.

The last couple of days that I worked was at an office I picked up in downtown Ogden. Because I was so close to the area I had to drive past this little house that Sterling and I used to say was our house of dreams. It was right next to this TERRIBLE basement apartment I lived in for about six months. 

Ruthie crying about a homeless man holding up a sign. "Aren't we going to help him?" I love her heart so much. So, so much.

I think the very last day before we packed up and headed home to Florida was spent in Salt Lake City, temple square. It was something I'd been wanting to do all summer and since my kids still remember it when I bring it up in lessons and things, I am really glad we made the effort to go. I love temple square.

Touching the temple!

Ahhh these two. We reeeeeally need to live closer!

And I went into Ruthie's class to take a few pics because Ruthie really wanted to remember her Utah class. She loved her teacher so so much and she really was so amazing!

Her class. When we were there a lady from my ward when I lived there came up to me and said "You're Ruth's mom?" and I said yes. Then later she called up my mom to tell her that Ruthie became really good friends with that girl in the wheel chair and she good not get over how kind and sweet Ruth was. She told mom when she found out that I was Ruth's mom, it all made sense. I'd just like to say here and now--Ruth came that way all on her own and we ALL love her for it!!!