Dropping Off Branden at BYU

The time had come. We've talked about this day just about since Devin was born. And now it was time to take Branden to college, the last of our first four boys. Branden is ready. We had Craig to drive up with us. And we had rented a VW Atlas since the new ID.4 electric vehicle would cause a lot of stops to recharge. And the van is super expensive to fill with gas, and since we're trying to sell it, we didn't want to add a lot of miles to it.

We took off that Wednesday morning. It was a tough goodbye to Devin, leaving him home as the last child. It'll be a change, but there will be more on that as we adjust to that normal. 

It was a pretty uneventful drive up. We stopped at Craig's house first and got to check out his new digs. He moved here just recently to this house east of campus near Kiwanis Park. He has his own room, and it's cheaper than his apartment was. It's a beautiful area with lots of trees. We're excited for him.

After we dropped some things off at Craig's and ate our Costco pizza, we headed over to Ken's. We sat outside and chatted with them for awhile. Dehn and Catherine arrived with Anna. 

The next morning we moved Branden into Helaman Halls at Merrill Hall. The same exact room and bedspace Zach lived in. The guys across the hall helped us carry Branden's boxes up. I helped Branden unpack and get settled in his room. Met his roommate, Abe.

Craig met up with us when we went to get some lunch. We hung out eating at Cubby's, then dropped Craig back off before Branden and I headed out to run some errnads. We went to Costco first to get him some snacks. After we loaded the car, Branden was putting the cart away when a guy came up to him and asked if he was Jesse Blankenbiller's son. Yes.... They came over where I was in the car, and the man introduced himself as Aaron Zappe. He was roommates with Jesse at BYU and recognized Branden from my Facebook posts! Crazy!

We went to Target for a few more things, and then I dropped Branden off at his dorm to start hanging out and doing the college thing. I drove up to Vineyard and met Jared and Carman for dinner. It was a fun three-hour visit with them.

Friday was orientation. I met up with my friend, Jen Hunsaker, at the Marriott Center and saved seats for Dehn and Catherine. It was a fun Cougar Rally with the BYU Dunk Team, Yo-Yo club, International Folk Dance team, music and Cosmo, and more. The devotional was also good with great speakers. The freshman left the Marriott Center for lunch and then campus tours. Parents had lunch then stayed for a speaker just for the parents. They had breakout sessions for the parents next. And once we arrived at the JKB where the sessions were, they had containers of creamery ice cream. Yes! BYU knows how to take care of its parents. I ended up having two.

I met up with my SF roommate, Michelle Hilton. We walked over by the Wilk and ran into the BYU president, Shane Reese. We talked to him for a few minutes. I had a session I wanted to get to, so I met up with Dehn and went to it while Catherine went to a different session.

We met up with Branden and Anna after that. 

Anna and her parents were headed out, so Branden and I went to Helaman to grab his water bottle while we waited for Craig to finish up work, so we could meet up with him. On our way back onto campus from Helaman, we saw our friend from San Diego, Emma Lopez. While talking to her, her new friend's mom and brother came up to us. While chatting with them, I discovered the brother had just returned home from his mission to Denmark! I asked him if he ever met a Brett Craig. His mind was blown. Yes, he had served sounds like about a year ago in Brett's ward. He said the missionaries loved Brother Craig! He said they all said they thought he was top 10 most likely to work for the FBI haha. He just kept stepping back in shock that I was someone from his mission's sister. He then asked if he'd heard right that Aizhan was pregnant, which I told him she'd had her baby and showed him a picture of Arlan. Such a chance encounter.

We met up with Craig when he finished work at the Engineering Building. We went to the Creamery for dinner. Craig was going to help someone move. Branden and I hung out at Ken's for a little bit then headed to the Stadium for the evening's events. I waited for Dehn and Catherine. We watched the new freshman form the Y. Then the program started with the marching band, new football players introduced by Bear Bachmeier, and more. Including some rain. Ya, the heavens opened and the rain came down. Just for a little. Hard for a bit. Then lighter. It got us pretty good. But it was warm enough out to not make it miserable. And then the fun continued. They had a drone show to wrap up the night.

Saturday morning came all too quickly. I had so much fun being on campus again and at the orientation. It was fun to get Branden settled in and seeing him take on the college life. It was fun to spend tim with Ken's family and Dehn and Catherine. I wasn't ready to leave. But the time had come. I knew Devin needed me home again. So I packed up and said my goodbyes. That's the hardest part. I was already crying before even giving the hugs. Craig hugged me a good long time, comforting me during my sad time. And Branden made me feel like he'll miss me. And then it was time to go. Drive home by myself, leaving pieces of my heart behind in Utah. Have a great semester, my boys!

San Diego Temple Dedication and Opening; Branden's Endowment

The San Diego Temple has been rededicated! On August 23, 2026, the temple was rededicated by President D. Todd Christofferson. We attended at our stake center which acted as an extension of the temple. We showed our recommends to get in and were able to sit in about the 5th row from the front thanks to Jesse who was running all the tech for the broadcast and got there early. We were there just over an hour early and had lots of time to sit, read, write, listen to the music as we prepared for the dedication.

During the dedicatory session, they had two youth speakers who both did a great job. The temple president and matron spoke. A general authority seventy on the temple committee spoke. And Pres. Christofferson spoke before offering the dedicatory prayer. A small choir also sang in between some of the speakers. They were all in the Celestial Room for the dedication.

I felt the spirit so strongly as I listened and thought about how grateful I am for our temple to be open once again. Jesse and I have had many sweet experiences in that temple together as we've talked about and prayed for our lives together, for our kids, for blessings we needed. It is wonderful to hear from our prophets and apostles at conference and the messages they share with the world. But there is also something really special about hearing them speak in your local area to that particular group of saints. I really felt that during this dedication about the work, the faith, the hope, the goodness of us, the saints here in San Diego. 

Here are just some of the words from the dedicatory prayer:

"In accepting thy gospel we have become a covenant people. We have taken upon ourselves the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and have promised to keep His commandments. Strengthen us in our resolutions and guard us against failure in observing the obligations we have accepted. In thy sacred temples we make further covenants with thee. Give us the will to live above sin and selfishness. Save us from pride and arrogance. Smile with favor upon us we humbly pray thee. Bless us with a spirit of benevolence toward all who are in distress wherever they may be or whatever their circumstances."

The stake purchased white handkerchiefs for everyone who attended the temple dedication which was very special to have our own embroidered temple handkerchiefs to remember this day.

Craig and Sam came into town that evening to be here for Branden's endowment that Tuesday. The first endowment session open again after more than three years. Branden was able to go through and receive his own endowment. What a special day it was. Quite a few people from our ward were working their temple shift that morning. As we walked through our newly opened temple, it was so fun to hug this sister and that sister and then another sister as we walked through to the endowment room. It felt like we were really home again.

Branden was well-prepared for his temple experience. There are always questions and things to learn, but he had read and prepared and went to stake temple prep and asked us questions. He had a great experience and really loved it. 

While we were with Branden, Devin was able to do baptisms for the dead. His first time in the San Diego temple. I walked him in and got him settled. He waited a while for friends we heard were going to be there at the same time as us. They did show up, but he waited a while for them. It worked out okay though since we took a while. He had a good experience and was happy to be there.

We had lunch at Urban Plates after the temple. Such a beautiful, wonderful day.

First Day of School 2026-2027 Year

And then there was ONE! One homeschooler! Devin and I kicked off our 2026-2027 school year with Devin as a 7th grader.  We took some photos as is tradition. Lucky to have Craig and Branden still here to take a first-day photo with.

I introduced this year's theme, which I chose because Devin spent the summer reading The Lord of the Rings series and loved it. 

This year Devin will be taking some classes from a new place - 10X Learning Center - on Mondays and Wednesdays in the afternoons. He is taking Engineering and Life Sciences for middle school. His friend, Davis Solano, is taking them with him. He will be starting at MSA this year as well taking Key of Liberty and Shakespeare. That will keep him busy all day on Thursdays. We'll be doing pre-algebra, spelling, some English reading and second half of world history at home as well as piano and whatever else interests us. Looking forward to a great year.

Other Summer Happenings

Camps were done, the temple open house was done, and the family reunion was done. Those were the major events of our summer. But what else did we do? Here are some summer hpapenings.

We went to free Chick-fil-a day. Branden worked that day, so we went at the end of his shift and ate dinner.

Devin took on some fun cooking projects. He asked me to help him make an apple pie. So we used the apples from our tree and made a pie one Sunday. He used the extra crust scraps to cut out little people shapes and put them around the top of the pie. He said it represented our family. Then when it was time to cut up the pie, he started crying how that represents our family because it shows how we are all cut up and separated and apart from each other. He is feeling sad about being the only one left at home. Branden came in and cheered him up with talking about eating up the family member pieces and pooping them out and something about how that makes them always a part of us. I'm not sure. But I do know it made Devin laugh, and it was just what was needed. We're really going to miss Branden when he goes to college.

Another day, Devin had his friend Drew over. I had to leave for a while, but Devin said he and Drew wanted to make these rolls from his Fablehaven cookbook. I asked Branden to keep an eye on them if they needed any help. When I got home, they had these delicious pretzel rolls ready to eat. Branden said he only helped them know how warm the water should be to go with the east. Wow! So impressed!

I wanted to get out and do something San Diego-y on a weekend. I looked through some options and found a park about 15-20 minute drive in Sorrento Valley playing 80's music. I love concerts in the park. We took our chairs and plopped down in the grass. It was actually in a space inside of a cemetery which was interesting. They had free nachos and sodas and some games to play. Jesse and Devin played corn hole for a while. The music was great. Lots of great 80's music. It was a fun night.

Another night we went down to the Rady Shell to listen to the San Diego Symphony play the music of John Williams. We didn't buy tickets. We parked near Seaport Village and walked over and just sat out on the rocks around the outside of the venue. It was great. For sure they played some songs we had not ever heard before. But they played music from Indiana Jones, ET, Superman, Star Wars, Schindler's List. We loved it. And while wewere listening, SpaceX launched a rocket that we watched go through the sky.

Devin and I had an art day and worked on some paintings. He was doing really well on his but at one point had some black paint in his brush that swiped across his painting. He'd had it by then and decided to make a galaxy painting instead.

Branden and Devin had a trip to the dentist for their 6-month cleaning. It was Branden's last visit to our pediatric dentist. We were talking with Dr. Ambrosio and the assistant at the front desk, Brenda, that we have been with them since their SECOND day being open!! I remember those days when the actual dentist pretty much did everything, and they could only take one kid at a time. We'd be there for like 2 hours! I'd load up school work to do with kids while we waited. It's grown so much, and they have taken such good care of us. When Jesse was out of a job, and we didn't have insurance, I called them to cancel our appointment til we got insurance again. They called us back and said they'd see all of our kids at no cost since we'd been long-time customers. I cried on the phone. And I still cry to this day thinking of their kindness. They have been awesome. They gave Branden a water bottle and put the sign up about him going away to school. Such a great office.

Devin read the whole The Lord of the Rings series. And then we watched the movies. Zach was so proud.

Of course we spent a lot of time at the beach. We made it to every Monday beach day this summer. It was awesome. Plus some other beach time with friends. Aaron Olsen did his traditional night of tacos on the beach the second to last Monday of the summer. Branden's friend, Jack, opened his mission call that night with friends. He's going to Nashville, Tennessee!

The very last ward beach day, Jesse came down and had dinner with us. The sunset was INCREDIBLE. Then we had Handel's. Sad to see our beach days end. Love this time of year.