... that the goodbyes are never ending?

I just sang the Never Ending Story song to myself, and I hope you did too.

After our fake goodbye on Wed with Cait, the goodbyes didn't stop till Saturday.  Kell and Jer and my parents came into town on Thursday night, and we were gonna pick them up and hang out with them before their big day on Friday.  Unfortunately, my parents missed their flight (this is proof that my inability to make it to an airport on time is genetically inherited) and didn't make it in till midnight.  Fortunately, Kell and Jer did not, and they were ready to party when they got in.  They suggested burgers at Lucky 13 in Salt Lake, and it was PHENOM.

The burgers were delish and the fries were awesome.  Then we went inside and watched the Angels game for a bit while we waited for my parents to land.

Jake flew in the next morning, so we all decided to meet at (you guessed it) Bruges.  We are predictable, us Blicks.

After a quick rest/tour at Kar's house, we all changed our clothes and headed downtown to the Church Office Building.  Elder Holland was recently put in charge of all the Asia missions, so he was going to set my parents apart.  One of my very favorite apostles!  I was so excited!  Oh and also, Cait would be there and we would get to see her again, so I was excited about that too :)  She was waiting for us right when we got to the lobby!

Then up to Elder Holland's office




Yes, the only two children who are missionaries are also the only two irreverent enough to photobomb an apostle.

So wonderful.  Elder Holland gave my parents some beautiful blessings and it was so awesome just to be in his presence and feel his excitement for the work!  We sat and talked (and took pictures) in the lobby until Cait's bus came to take her back to the MTC.

And then it was the real goodbye for this one!


It was hard to see her go, but we are so proud of her!  We were so sad, we decided to drown our sorrows in endless meat skewers and Brazilian lemonades.

So good.  We gathered afterward for a family testimony meeting at Kell and Jer's hotel.  That has always been a tradition in my dad's family, and my dad wanted to make it a habit in ours as well.  I am so grateful for a family that is so close to the Spirit and lives the principles of the gospel!

After a quick Costco run and a boba stop, we headed back to Kar's house to spend the rest of the night together.  It was nice to just be together and talk one last time.  Then Mom and Dad came home with us and spent the night at our place so that they could have one last round of Matt's German Pancakes in the morning.

And then they were off.

I love you, Mom and Dad!  We'll see you in Taiwan soon!

... that my baby sister is a missionary?

Cait flew in on Tuesday in preparation for reporting to the MTC.  Kar and I dutifully picked her up from the airport, and Kar only freaked out at me a little bit for being late, even though we ended up waiting like 30 minutes for Cait's plane to land.  Sigh.

 

The cutest Miss Goo there ever was!

Obviously, this happened as soon as Cait got in the car

I asked Cait where she wanted to eat dinner, and she requested Cafe Rio.

Then after a quick stop at the Distribution Center for some missionary supplies, we took the little missionary home just in time to meet her old roommate's sister in law for ice cream.

Then I went with her over to visit the S family.  Because she just HAD to see all these people.  Where did she get this uncontrollable need to please people????  Oh yeah.... me.

Aaaaanyway, I stayed up waaaaaay past my bedtime just to spend a little more time with her.  And take a few more pictures, because that is what we do best.

The next morning, I went to work for a little bit, then drove down to Kar's house to pick them all up.  Of course I brought her the requested Chicken Broccoli Casserole* leftovers

Which somehow miraculously survived a whole 2 days without being eaten.  Wait, it wasn't a miracle: Matt let me eat the rest of the leftovers and specifically saved this container for Cait because he knew she wanted it.  He is the sweetest :)

*I realize that this is the third blog post in a row where I have reference the CBC.  I apologize, but it is an integral part of my life.

We had a not-too-somber drive down to Provo, pulled up to the MTC, and were mobbed by hundreds of way-too-overly-enthusiastic missionaries.

And then she was whisked away.  I was actually really really glad that it was not the emotional sobfest that occurred when we dropped my brother off.  It was too fast for me to even get sad.  That, and I will see her tomorrow when my parents get set apart, so NBD.  Just kidding, it is a HUUUUUUGE deal!  I love this little baby so much, and I know it will be really really hard tomorrow to say goodbye for reals.  But I am so proud of her and what she is going to do.  Korea will never be the same.

I love my baby sis!!!  Come home safe!!!

... that I am the new Mom?

I got this text on Monday:

The rest of my sisters might be lost without my mother, but apparently it's okay because I am here.

Totally kidding.  If we're being honest, Kell is a way better and more qualified mother figure than me, so I was surprised that Kar even called me instead of her.  But thinking about my relationship with Kar made me come to the conclusion that I am def her second mother.  And this is why:

Despite the fact that she TORTURED me for probably the first 10 years of her life, we eventually repaired our sistership and became roommates in college.

I don't actually remember a lot about college, but everything I do remember has everything to do with this one.  She was definitely my best friend for the two years we lived together before she got married.  And yes, I was absolutely Mom.  I told her to clean her room, taught her how to cook, made her do the dishes, and did her laundry for her.  We did everything together, mostly because she was deathly afraid of going anywhere on her own.  She even forced me to come on one of her first dates with her future husband Zach, which is a hilariously horrible story.

Aaaanyway, even after she got married, I was regularly called upon for cooking help and home advice.  Since I was in Utah, I was the closest help she had, and let's be honest, she needed it a lot :)  I mean, who else would have made her whole office Russian Chicken and brought it to work for her on Office Lunch day?  Nobody else, that's who.  PS, I'm still sorry that I forgot to make the rice and was therefore a half an hour late to lunch.  My bad.

She abandoned me in Utah for several years, but lucky for me, she and Zach are back now, and they brought the cutest, sweetest, most precious little Miss Goo with them.  So with the combination of them living so close again and my parent's leaving the country, we are right back to where we were in college: Krissy to the rescue.  This fact is only further evidenced by the fact that I ended up making Zach's Father's Day dinner for her last week because she has apparently never actually made the famous Blickenstaff Chicken Broccoli Casserole by herself before.  How is this even possible??  Because whenever she wants it, I make it for her.  Just like I did two Sundays before Father's day as well.  And just like I will whenever she calls me up and needs me to make dinner for her.  Because I am New Mom.

I love my little sis :)

... that it was Father's Day?

Matt and I were planning dinners for last weekend, and we decided to go with an old staple: Chicken Broccoli Casserole.  It's been a Blick fave for as long as I can remember, and is now one of Matt's favorite dishes that I cook.  I make it the best (ain't NO skimpin on cheese in this house) and it is requested of me on quite a regular basis.

Exhibit A:  This text convo on Sunday morning.

We had already invited Renee over for dinner, so I thought why not Kar and Zach too?  But when I asked Matt, I think his response was, "No!  They'll eat it all and we won't have any leftovers!"  So we compromised:  I would make 1 ½ pans to ENSURE that there would be leftovers, and Zach and Kar could come.  And there was much peace and happiness in the land.


See?  Plenty of leftovers!


But maybe not for long...

 HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, sorry Kar :)

Just before dinner, we also got lucky enough to skype with Mom and Dad in Japan for Father's Day!  It just happened to be our week, and we were so excited to talk with them.  I can't believe they will be home so soon already!  We gotta get out there to visit!

Renee saved the day and made the most delicious dessert like she always does.  Sometimes I feel bad asking her to make dessert every time she comes to visit, but she seems so happy to do it and they are always DELICIOUS, so I will probably never stop.  Sunday's creation was ATK's "pots de creme."

GLORIOUS.

I am in love with everything ATK.

Renee serenaded us as usual


Matt loves to make fun of how much we Blicks love our iphones

And Kar likes to take pictures of herself.  All the time.

I love having family over!  As Monica says, "I am always the hostess!!!"

Exhibit B:  This text convo Sunday night:

Yes, that is the third request for my Chicken Broccoli Casserole in one day.  Am I the best wife and sister ever?  Yes.  Is this casserole really that amazing?  Come on over and you can find out.  Cause I never say no to a CBC request.

I love feeding the people I love :)