July 5, 2017

On July 5, 2017 Oakley headed off to work early and Rhett, Laiklie and I headed swimming with Yvonne up to Rexburg.  When we got there Yvonne asked me why Casie Hammer would be calling Chase to try and get ahold of Dallin that morning? Dallin was building grain bins with Ryan so it was confusing to me too.  She started to tell me that she had just heard that the Pugmire boy, Dallin's friend, had committed suicide early that morning.  Dallin isn't friends with any of the Pugmire boys and so we started putting pieces together all the while my head is swarming that one of the Pugmire boys would commit suicide.  It all came together when we realized the Dallin they were trying to get ahold of was Oakley's friend Dallin that works for Uncle Chase, not my Dallin.  It was Oakley's friend, Braydon Pugmire, that had committed suicide in the early morning hours on the 5th of July.  I then had to get ahold of Oakley and tell her. I started with a text saying, "have you heard anything about Braydon today?" She called me back immediately.  I could hear in her voice something was wrong.  She asked what was wrong with Braydon, I told her I didn't know.  She said, "MOM, WHAT IS WRONG??" I could hear the tears coming on her end of the phone and I choked them back as I told her that I had heard he had committed suicide.  She started to cry.  She told me that she woke-up this morning to a snapchat from Braydon that read, "I love you! I'm so sorry!" Braydon had sent out a snapchat to some of his best friends at some point in the night.  The next few days were full of so many tears and so many emotions.  Oakley gathered with her friends several times.  The day that it happened the Stake President gathered them and their parents at the church to visit with them.  The kids just clung to each other.  They stood and cried and hugged for hours afterwards, none of them wanting to leave.  It was like that for days.  The day of the funeral the stake center was PACKED! Braydon's mom asked for enough food to be prepared for all the youth to stay and eat afterwards.  She didn't want one teenager turned away! I was blessed to be able to help in the kitchen that day and watch from the sidelines.  My heart broke for Oakley and her friends.  She had a rough couple of weeks.  Even now, months later some days the tears come again.  We are grateful for the lessons learned through our trials.  Oakley has learned many from this. 

Fourth of July

We started our 4th of July off at the Menan parade with our Hawkins cousins and then headed to the ranch for our annual bbq.  This year most of the cousins got to be there so that was a ton of fun! Oakley had to work. :(  She was able to go with her friends that night to the fireworks, she just didn't get to spend the day with us. The kids had a great time on the water.  They played and played and played!

We finished the night off with fireworks in Menan with the Jacobson cousins and grandparents.  We love the 4th of July and the opportunity we have to celebrate our countries birthday and the freedoms we enjoy!

Special Visitor

On July 3rd we had a special visitor to our home. Her name was Leslie and her husband Larry.  Leslie's grandpa Garn built our old house!  She had some pictures and information she wanted to share with us and she was in search of MORE.  It was so neat to sit down with her and her sweet husband and tell them the things we knew and help them get in touch with some long lost cousins.  We took them over through the house and the barns and it was so fun to listen to her memories of the place from when she was a little girl and watch her soak it all in again. I am a lover of all things history and so I absolutely loved the pictures she had of our house back when it was first built.  It was so interesting to see what barns and buildings were still standing and what wasn't here anymore.  I loved our visit.  She came back later in the summer to drop off a treat as a thank you and update us on some more information she had found on her family.  What a special lady. I am so grateful to have met her and that she was brave enough to knock on our door!

Hawkins Boys

I am so grateful everyday that Ryan gets to work alongside his brothers.  What a blessing to know that these three have each others back no matter what.  We are very blessed!

Rhett Scout Camp

Rhett got to go to scout camp for the whole week this week.  I was nervous about it because, not only does Rhett not eat, but this year Dallin wouldn't be there.  Rhett did FABULOUS though! He came back sunburned, dirty and exhausted, but happy! He had a great week and learned so much! 

Like Father, Like Son

Oh I love these two! Dallin and his daddy are so much alike.  They love the same things.  They both know how to work hard and aren't scared to dig in and get dirty.  Dallin is Ryan's right hand man and Ryan is Dallin's hero.  I'm so very blessed to be a part of both of their lives. 

After checking all the fields Ryan took Dallin and I on a hike to Tara's lake.  Who knew Tara had a lake?!?! Ryan claims she named it after herself.  Hahaha, brothers! Tara claims her dad named it.  I'll let them both think the way they want to think.  I was just glad to know that it even exists. :) Fun day with my boys!

Me & Ry

 HE LOVES ME!