Keegan's Last Night of Freedom! A Very Busy One at That...

Keegan and mom went to the temple one last time on their Temple Trip Adventures. We saved the Salt Lake Temple for last. We had such a unique and very tender experience in the temple as we got to be the witness couple. It is a moment that both him and I will cherish forever.




We also got an amazing tour inside the temple where there were many things that we were privvy to see that we didn't know about. It was amazing to see the sacrifices made by our early pioneer forefathers and foremothers. The blessings of their sacrifices are being enjoyed still today and the spirit was so special and it gave both Keegan and I the courage to send him on his way...I cannot tell you the peace I felt with him as it finally came the day before he was to go! WHEW just in the knick of time!



On Tuesday night Keegan was getting Ordained and Elder at 9:30. We decided to go out to eat as a family and then go to his ordination. We met up at my parents at 6:30 but keegan wasn't home yet. He had gone to say good by to Kristen (his girl friend). When he got home he was pretty upset about it! I gave him a hug and told him he could hug me or mom since we were the only girls he could hug anymore!

Hugging Sissy

Hugging Mom

The only two girls he is allowed to hug, his mom and sis!



Keegan wanted to go to Olive Garden so all 6 of us climbed into one car (it didn't work so well with all four grown kids in the back seat) and made our way to the restaurant. We had a great time eating and spending our last meal as a family... especially since our awesome server brought us the Mint bucket and told us we could all have more then one!!!!

All of us "kids" waiting and waiting and waiting to eat...


Greg my brother-in-law, me and my sissy!


Me and my "little buddy" Dylan


Me, my mom and dad Ted


Celebrating my "thunder day" with my family...ahhhh!


Then we went over to the Stake Center for Keegan's Ordination! That was an awesome experience that I'm glad none of us missed! I'm so proud of Keeg and his Choice to serve a mission! Have fun in South Dakota Elder Maurer!

My mom and dad with their new missionary!


President Scott Anderson and Keegan


I'm an "official missionary" now!


A lot later that night...
Keegan's "guy" friends for one last trip down memory lane...no girls allowed!

One last breakfast before we leave for the MTC with my little brother Dylan

Sissy and Auntie Myrna and my dad Ted as the "master chef!"

Keegan's bedtime buddy Scamper...ahhhh I am going to miss him!

Time to leave the nest and fly away, first stop the MTC
(Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah)

Farewell!!!

Sorry about the picture! I was going to scan on the invitation, but our scanner isn't set up to scan and it was going to take a long time. So, I decided to just take one and either there was a huge glare or to dark to see. I had to pick out the best one but it still had a huge a glare.



Last Sunday Keegan had his farewell! Sooooooo many people came!!! Keegan gave an amazing talk. He spoke for an hour and he totally could have kept going for another. They asked him how many other speakers they should book he told them "oh just me." They didn't believe him and booked another speaker and a musical number that was left with 10 minutes. It was a super great talk though and very funny. He started out really nervous but with in a few minutes that went out the window and he did great. He started out his talk by saying that in a conversation he likes to dominate it, so this was the perfect set up we HAD to listen and he could just talk at us! Everyone laughed it was pretty funny! His topic was on Missionary Work, but he covered everything from that to Temples to prayer and repentance. The bishop finally had to tell him his time was up, it was cute he was like "oh I guess I have to wrap this up... But one more thing." It was really Great!

Afterwards we had a ton of people come over to the house and eat! Greg counted over 75 at the very beginning, and they just kept coming and coming and coming! Myrna was our amazing Catering service once again and made us super yummy food. We had chicken salad croissant sandwiches, pasta, potato, and fruit salads, there was also yummy Brownies and cookies and mini Cinnamon rolls and bunt cakes for dessert! There was so much food and a lot of hungry mouths to eat it!!!

Mom wrote on the back of all the invitations to have everyone bring a letter that they wrote to Keegan. She took all the letters (which was a whole bunch) and hid them all over in Keegs luggage so he would find them when he was at the MTC! It was fun getting to collect all the letters from everyone! It will give him a bunch to read when he gets home sick!

Seattle Temple

While in Seattle Keegan was lucky enough to get to go to the Seattle Temple. Adding another one to his growing list of Temples he's attended. So far he's been to the Timpanogus, the Salt Lake, the Manti, the Provo, and the Seattle.

I love to see the temple!

Keegan went through the temple a few weeks ago! It was such an awesome experience. Since then Keegan and Mom are going to a different temple every week till he leaves. He went through the Timpanogus Temple, and then last week he went to the Provo. This last Saturday they went to the Manti Temple. It was really fun getting to go out there and see the beautiful Manti Temple.

One last "Mommy-Son" Trip Before Keegan Leaves!!!

Keegan leaves in just a few weeks!!! Mom and Keeg decided to take a trip for a few days to get away and get to spend some time with each other before Keegan leaves for 2 years! They also got to see Keegan's aunt and cousins one last time before he leaves. They had a way FUN time at Disneyland!


So once upon a time...


Mom and Keegan took a "mom & son" trip to...




Disneyland!!!












They met Keegan's favorite character Goofy!








They met others too!




At the park there was a duck and her baby ducks. One was super tired and had to be ushered along!








They went over to California Adventures!








Keegan showed off how Incredibly strong he is!


















M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!!!






They met up with Keegan's cousin Andrew!








Keegan wishing he was a Happy!


The Two Real Happys!!!


The Hotel


And the View!



Keegan's girlfriend was going to Disneyland the next week, on their way to Disneyland they got this Tag on the flight. Keegan and Mom decided that they were going to hide it in the park with a note for kristen! They hid it under a log by the wishing well. We'll have to let you know if she found it when she gets back!











Mom and Keegan had tonz of fun!!! The last couple of weeks have been go, go, go trying to get everything ready to leave. So, it was really nice getting to spend some time just having fun before he left.