24 April 2022
VOLUME 10 – NUMBER 449
Mom, Dad with London at BYU graduation
London
I'm officially done! It was a lot of fun, and really exciting to be able to walk for graduation last week. I had been planning on walking since I didn't do it in high school, and I wanted to celebrate, since this was a huge accomplishment for me. I have never really thrived academically in college, but I'm so glad that I just kept plugging along. It feels kind of strange now that classes are over for the foreseeable future, and I'm really looking forward to that freedom!
After graduation, we all went to Mom and Dad’s, and after a graduation meal, we went over to the church to play games. I'm really grateful to have such a supportive family who came to celebrate my graduation! I love that we always have enough people to play sports and games, and just have a good time.
London’s graduation dinner
I'm still figuring out what I want to do with my future, but I have accepted a full-time position as the events coordinator in the Management Department, which is where I have been working as a student for the past few years. It's not the ideal job for me, but I'm excited that it will give me some flexibility to do fun things this summer.
During the job hunt process, I had also completed several interviews for a position as an executive assistant for the MTC president, and I think they were seriously considering me, but I knew that I should commit to working in the position for at least a year, and I felt like I should go with a job that would allow for more flexibility and less of a long-term commitment.
London with former roommate Danielle
Caleb
It has been raining a ton, so it's been cold and wet everywhere, but honestly, it's been super great! I got to get some action from my umbrella and coat, ha ha! We continued to work and had some good visits with members, and a few with some of our friends we're teaching, so that’s been okay!
We also went to the temple, which was amazing and a nice break to really do something different. That took up all of Wednesday because we had to travel up to Concepción.
Also, we got transfers! I'm going to be leaving Los Angeles and going to a city called San Pedro. Tomorrow I say goodbye to Elder Emery, and then travel more north, almost to Concepción. Then I will meet my new companion.
Elder Emery and Caleb at temple
Honestly, I have a lot of different feelings with this transfer. I'm a little sad that I won't be able to continue to work with some of the people here, but I’m also super excited for a new start! It'll be great. San Pedro is super pretty, and there's a small chance that I've got the ocean in my area, but I really don't know for sure.
Really the mission is like life, just condensed into two years! It doesn't matter where you are, as long as you know that you're serving where you need to be! You make friends and say goodbye. And eventually it all ends, what's done is done, and then you return to your home.
These past almost six months have gone by insanely fast, and they have been amazing! I've grown a ton, and I have already seen many blessings that my family has received, and many, many other people. So that’s a bit from this week!
Caleb in front of Concepción Chile Temple
Endia
This week I definitely stayed busy, and I had a cold, so I felt extra drained by the end of the week. I went to our ward Family Home Evening on Monday where we played Yahtzee, which was really fun.
I went dress shopping with London for her graduation, and we found a really cute dress in like 15 minutes, which is the best way to do shopping, quickly and successfully!
On Wednesday night London, Ashton, and I went to see the new Fantastic Beasts movie together. I think the best part of the movie was beforehand when we were getting all of our treats ready to go into the theater, and Ashton stuffed a bag under his shirt and then two candy boxes in his back pockets, all of which were painfully and hilariously obvious.
London and Endia at graduation
We all couldn’t stop laughing the whole time we were walking in. Sneaking snacks into a movie is just a part of the awesome movie theater experience, and a long-standing family tradition!
London and Ashton came over to dinner before volleyball and we had a delicious cauliflower soup. On Friday we went to London’s graduation. I knew several people who graduated with her from my work, so it was cool to see them graduate too.
London, Endia, Mom at graduation dinner
London got some beautiful pictures afterwards, but just in time, because as soon as we were done it started pooorring rain and hail—instant soak. London and I ran from the Marriot center to the football stadium where I had parked.
It was so fun to be with everyone at the house and to eat the delicious food London prepared! On Saturday I worked, came home for a couple hours and then back to work until bedtime. Sunday was a much needed and appreciated day of rest!
Christian and London at graduation
Alex
This week Christian came back home from Hawaii! He came back in the morning, so he was really tired because of the time change. On Friday, we celebrated London's graduation! When we came back home we ate lunch…or dinner? Then we went to the church gym and played games. It was so fun!
Joanna
So, um, we went to London’s graduation, and when it was raining, and it got harder and harder, and it dripped on my neck. Then we went to go to the church after dinner, and Quinn and me and Emma and McKay and Brigham got to play with the little purple ball. And then we got to go to the bathroom, and Mckay’s bum started hurting, and I don’t know why.
Christian at Maui youth conference
Christian
The flight back from Hawaii was kind of long, and I didn't really sleep on it, but it was fine. Hawaii was a fun trip, and I met a lot of cool people. By the end of the trip, I was kind of sick of riding on plane's because I went on a lot.
When I came into the house, I saw the dogs, which was nice to see them again. Everyone else was asleep but were about to get up. I went to bed because I didn't sleep a lot that day. It's nice to be back and to see everyone else.
Aunt Rebecca and Christian on last day
Ashton
Finals were this week, and I am officially all finished with school for the semester! It was a great week. Finals closed on Wednesday, and for the next week I still have Thursday's off from work, so on Thursday, I didn't have any school, any work, AND... It was payday! It was awesome!!
I took some time to go shopping for some new clothes, since I haven't really done that since coming home from my mission, so it felt nice to get out and go shopping.
London’s graduation
On Friday, we went to London's graduation, and the party at the house that evening was AWESOME! The food was delicious, and my favorite part was going up to the church and playing games with everyone.
After the party was over, I recruited all the boys down to Kai, and they came with me back down to Provo to spend the night. However, it wasn't just for a quick getaway, it was so they could help me with my cleaning checks!
I had cleaning checks on Saturday, and it was awesome that the boys came and helped me out. They were up until about 2:30am, and I stayed up until about 3:30am, but we got it all done.
London’s graduation dinner
We are in a six-man apartment, but there will only be two of us staying next semester, with two others moving in. Our apartment looks amazing! It feels so much bigger, and now I enjoy spending more time here, and won't be so hesitant to invite other people over—ha ha!
I think by the end, with all the cleaning that we did, we threw away over 20 full garbage bags of food, trash, or random stuff that had been left in that apartment over the years. It was a great week, and I'm ready for Spring to be here!
London and Mom after graduation
Gloria
I am so close to finishing school! I need one more lesson, but I also need to bring my grades up. Monte and I had a week off of work up at the school, so that helped me get more school done.
It was also London's graduation on Friday. Afterwards, it started to rain a lot when we were leaving. Then we went home and had some lunch-dinner. It was so delicious. Then we went to church and played some games. It is fun playing with siblings that we don’t get to see all the time.
Children playing at church after graduation
Veidi
London graduated and we had a party afterwards. We had food and then Me, Vanessa, and Gloria dried Misha, Mable, Max, and Remi off (they were out in the rain), and it took a while so we did one at a time from the easiest to the hardest. After that we went to the church and played Crazyball, and then we did Tornado. I liked playing with Olders.
Quinn
London graduated from college. A lot of people might not know how to write college or graduate, but people might know. After the graduation we all gathered up in our house and the whole family almost filled up the whole house.
We went to the gym to play games, like Hot Lava, which I played with Emma, Mckay, and Brigham. We each had dinner, which was delicious. There was some cream that I didn't like so I was full.
London and Danielle in matching dresses
Dad / Arkin
It was so nice to be at London’s graduation on Friday, but it was strange for me to think that it was the first college graduation ceremony that I had been to for one of my children, even though Yarima and Endia have graduated as well. COVID has robbed us of a couple additional graduation ceremonies!
Before COVID, when Yarima was debating whether to travel up to BYU-Idaho for her graduation, I told her: “Yarima, it’s not an option. You are the first college graduate that we know of in the history of your family. You are an incredible example for all your siblings about what is possible when you just keep working towards a difficult goal.”
I wish we could have seen Yarima and Endia walk, but I thought of both of them when we watched London graduate.
London and Endia after graduation
It was touching to have Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Lin with us. Each is also a BYU graduate, and Grandma Sharon, Mom, Endia, and London all graduated from the same college at BYU—the College of Family, Home, & Social Sciences. Yarima graduated with a similar degree from BYU-Idaho as well.
A college degree isn’t for everyone, and Mom and I are supportive of our children with whatever path they choose. We just want to acknowledge that Yarima, Endia, and London put in a lot of work—“blood, sweat, and tears” as they say—to accomplish such a difficult goal. We are so proud of all three of them!
Three generations: BYU family science grads