The Leiningers: Last trip to Irvine

So, my mom and dad are moving to Ecuador. If this sounds strange to you, that is correct. They are going to serve a mission for our church for the next three years. It was pretty unexpected, because they didn't apply to do it; they were asked by the leaders of our church to be mission presidents down there. (A mission president is the leader who is in charge of all the young, stereotypical Mormon missionaries that you have probably had knock on your door sometime, or seen in the streets. The mission president makes sure they are following the rules, that they are housed and provided with the money they need, that they are safe and healthy, etc.) My parents got a phone call back in October asking if they would talk to Elder Renlund, one of the apostles of the LDS church. He asked them a lot of questions about their situation in life, their kids, and their abilities to pick up and leave. Then a few weeks later, they had another phone call with President Uchtdorf, one of the First Presidency of our church, who officially asked them if they would serve as mission presidents. And a few weeks after that, they finally found out where they were going.

Ecuador is not a place I have ever thought much about. The only thing I knew about it was that the equator runs through it! I actually thought it was in Central America when they first read their mission call. But now we know we are going to go visit Ecuador at some point in the next three years. We will be able to call and Skype with my parents as much as they are able, and we can visit them as much as our finances/time allow. But they won't be able to come back to the US (although my mom can come back for weddings of immediate family), so we won't see them as much as we are used to. So that is why we have been in California so much the last few months (we were there in December, February, and now May). They are officially moving out of their house in a few weeks and going to Ecuador at the end of the month.

We are going to miss them, and at first after we heard the news, I really felt shaken up about them leaving. I felt a little bit cheated, because I want to be able to have access to my parents whenever I want them! I want to be able to call my mom for help when I'm frustrated or need advice on a sick baby, and I especially want my mom to come when we have our next baby (which will happen at some point while they are gone). But really, my life is the one that is least affected out of everyone in our family by this news--since I have a family and house of my own--and the last few months have been humbling (in reminding me that I am not as independent as I thought I was) and strengthening (in helping me to realize that I am strong and capable and can handle them being in South America for three years). I know they are going to be doing good things there. They will be serving and counseling the missionaries they are in charge of, but they will also be serving and helping the people of Ecuador, many of whom are in desperate need of help especially after all the recent earthquakes. It is a HUGE leap of faith for anyone to accept a call like this, particularly when they will be bringing Cole with them to Ecuador and leaving five college-aged and grown-up children behind in the US (plus their three grandchildren). It has been a great learning experience for me to see how they have handled this challenge and how they have accepted this opportunity for growth so willingly.

SO, keeping all this in mind, we knew this was going to be our last trip to Irvine for the next three years. We had to do as much with my family while we were there while checking off our California bucket list at the same time. My mom and dad wanted all of us to come out for Memorial Day weekend so we could do a mini-family reunion with all six kids together before they left, and I bought my tickets to come out a week earlier than everyone else so that I could help my mom with packing and cleaning the house and getting ready to ship a huge pile of stuff to Ecuador and store everything else. So we spent basically the whole week before everyone else came just working, packing, organizing, tossing, and cleaning. We took four carloads of stuff to Goodwill within 24 hours, and filled up the trash and recycling bins to overflowing (and then had maybe six extra bags of trash we took to the church dumpster). We also sorted through maybe 1000 pictures and put them in order by year. We also had to plan Cole's Eagle Scout Court of Honor, my parents' Farewell brunch, Bethany's 18th birthday party and her actual birthday day, and the whole reunion at the beach with the family. It was a LOT of work! But I am all about packing and organizing and decluttering, so it was pretty fun for me. And Dane and Graham were very good about napping and watching shows and occasionally doing fun stuff while we were there.

And now for some pictures, after that monologue:

I don't know why nobody wants to sit by me on the airplane! I LOVE flying Southwest right now because I always get the ONE empty seat on the flight by sitting Graham in it and pretending it's taken.

We were very happy to have Papa and Grandma meet us at the airport.

We immediately had to go to Grandma's sand park once Cole and Bethany got home from school! (The sand park is Dane's favorite place in California. He seriously liked it more than he did Disneyland last time we were there. It is not worth paying a lot to go somewhere when he is thrilled to just walk down the street to the park.)

Okay, this is cute.

Dane's a great multi-tasker.

We of course had to go ride the train at Irvine Regional Park while we were there!

That tongue always sticking out...

We got Yogurtland frozen yogurt I think three times. We had to take advantage! We will MISS Yogurtland.

Graham's a big helper with the piano.

I was so happy we got to go see Bethany go to prom. She looked beautiful and so happy to be going! She went with just a bunch of her friends and had a great time.

We tried to get Dane to take some pictures looking like her date.

My mom said, "Kiss Bethany's hand!" and this is what Dane thought she meant. Bethany looks so cute!

Graham really thinks he's bigger than he is.

So spoiled getting read to and entertained by grandparents and aunts and uncles all week.

The boys were being crazy one day so I went to Target with them. Even the buckles on the cart don't contain Graham.

Cora came on Monday! So fun to have a little cousin there. Graham and Cora are only 2 weeks apart.

Everyone loves the trash truck.

Again, always at attention for the trash truck.

I got to go to Cole's end-of-the-year choir concert at the high school. I thought I should take a picture for my memories at the old stomping grounds. The school looks basically the same, but I could not be more different than I was when I went there. It's so nice to have chances to look back and see how much you've grown. And it was really fun to see Cole's choir concert and our teacher, Mr. Halop--who has taught all six Murphy kids in high school (the only teacher to ever do so). He lived up to all his old tricks from when I was there 10 years ago.

Babies in jammies--what could be better?

Graham wouldn't eat his own food, but he would steal it from Cora.

Another day, another trip to Costco. We had to stock up on chocolate covered almonds for the visit.

Graham's face when he saw the hot dogs coming for lunch.

Graham stole Cora's sippy cup and they were passing it back and forth.

Our last night of Yogurtland. WE LOVE YOU YOGURTLAND! (Funny that it wasn't even there when I lived in Irvine, but I've had it soo so many times since that it feels like such an important place for me to go.)