Your Mom Goes To College

“THAT’S MY MOM!” 🫶🏼 hearing those words are my favorite part of this experience. 

I am a first generation college graduate! 

Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences with a Lifespan Development in Diverse Contexts Concentration 

Not going to sugar coat it, this was really really hard. It turns out keeping my efforts as a full time student compartmentalized to the hours my children are in school was like telling a new mother of young children to “sleep when baby sleeps” 😂🙄 but I tried, and thanks to the best support system, here we are! We made it and learned so much! 

2024 University of Arkansas graduate with High Distinction 🐽♥️Woooooo Pig Sooie!! 

Be brave. Keep learning. Try hard things!

There was a special ceremony and dinner the night before graduation for all the 2024 first gen graduates. Each of us were called up by name and given a silver stole. 

I made the lei out of fresh spray roses Aaron picked up for me from Sam’s club. 

There are 7 little bee pins on my regalia—one for each of my children (7 little bees in my hive)

The yellow cord is for completing the razorback career track course and a 160 hour internship for Branded Equine Based Therapy Services. The purple cord is from the Volunteer Action Team for doing 100+ of community service for verified non profit organizations during my senior year at University of Arkansas. And the white stole and white tassle are for graduating with High Distinction. My final cumulative GPA for 159 university credit hours is 3.913. I think my high school

GPA was like a 2.7, so I pretty proud of myself for graduating from college with highest honors. I took 5 classes at a time both fall and spring semester so I could finish up this spring. It was ridiculously hard and I am really exited to have time to sleep again! I am so glad I did this and I hope my family knows how thankful I am for their support. I also hope they learn from my example to follow promptings and just do things. What’s next? No idea. Ok I have a few ideas, and I’m trusting that the path will unfold. 

To my Sunday school class of high school seniors: nothing is impossible with Christ, and no doors are closed for you. 

Quincy’s Junior Prom 2024

Quincy and David went to prom together with a great group friends. The call the group “Canes” because that’s the name of their group chat….which is also funny because they are more likely to end up eating at Don’s over Canes most of the time. They they pulled the Canes group together such a fun night.  Most of the same kids have been hanging out all summer. 
Quincy and David S, Baylee G and Zack V, Brightyn G, Ryan M, Parker O, Elle R, Annalisa G, and (her date). Quincy and David took a few pics at Tuckaway Farm and then met the group at handcut hollow, and an old schoolhouse on price coffee rd for the group pics. They missed their dinner reservation and happily ended up at Torchy’s for dinner. Prom was at the Record in downtown Bentonville, and they had midnight breakfast burritos, swimming/hot tub, and a movie at Saumweber’s after prom. Dave brought Q home and they talked and laughed with Aaron and I for an hour before he left and Quincy called it a night around 3:30am 😂 and miraculously everyone made it to church on time in the morning. Quincy says she had a magical night. 

The way David asked Quincy to prom was super cute. When the Saumi’s returned from sailing for two years, Dave enrolled at BHS at the semester. He had talked to Quincy a couple of times at parties and dinner with their family. One day, Quincy was sitting in her math class and Davey walked by her open classroom door. 

Then he walked by a second time, and waved and she tried not to laugh/be distracted. 

Then he walked by on his hands and stopped in the hall outside the door in a handstand. 

Then he did a backflip. 

Quincy noticed. Hahaha. They became friends and then started dating 6 months later.

So to ask Quincy to prom, over a year after David’s silly meet cute in the halls at BHS, he wrote prom upside down on a hoodie, and came out walking on his hands. Very creative, and so so cute. And Quincy has stolen the sweatshirt. 

Eyes on the Prize, Violet

I just applied for graduation and will receive a Bachelor of Science degree on May 11 from the University of Arkansas. 

I can’t believe it’s finally happening. 

Being a full time student during this very full season of life has been HARD. I legit have a countdown widget on my phone that reminds me daily there are 93 days of hard work left until that diploma is mine. Eyes on the prize, Violet. Eyes. On. The. Prize. 

Until then, I’m running wild trying to keep up with all the things. I really want to come back and document our life here on the blog. 

I don’t want to forget the little things. I’m just going full speed ahead these days and just need to finish school. I’m so sad my blogging has been sporadic the past 2 years, but I’ll catch up later! Here is a photo dump of life as a Willy when I’m not staring at my laptop. I am way ready for things to

Slow down a little but I will say I think we have become pretty good at cramming a LOT of life into one day. 

Q has been fighting a cold so I made a killer lemon orzo soup. The fresh garlic and citrus and homemade bone broth all together were sooooo good. 

Sloane gets the big 3! We got her on a 504 for dyslexia and she’s getting some speech assessments next week. 

Corbin lives for boys and girls club bball right now. Soren and Kellan are jr coaches and take their job seriously. 

Watched the youth broadcast for New beginnings this year 

A picture from summer because these two are a vibe 

We live our updates from Elder Hayes

Last night with my missionary home was an all night snuggle sleep with her on my chest like a baby. I love her. I love being her mother. I’m so proud of who she is and the hard work she does. 

We sit in the back row at church and we are a circus. But every other week or so we make it through the whole meeting without one of the triplets needing to be excused for a bit. And we get regular teenager friends who pop in to our sacrament meeting to sit with our family and it gives all of us life. The tres always room on our pew for friends. 

My work and glory right there. 

Another favorite heading out on a mission. We love you Hermana Shaw! 

Quincy is working on her CNA right now.

Sloane has sensory processing anxiety and hates getting in the shower. Once she’s in there she won’t leave, but it’s a daily battle that we all (including her) laugh about after. Every day. It’s a thing. 

I give haircuts to any young people who ask. It’s my favorite way to serve the youth in our stake and several regulars come by faithfully every 4 weeks for their trim. I have zero training and they know this, but I’m free, I’ll cut hair in a style they want (even if I hate the fluffy flip thing and think the butt part should’ve died in the 90s) and I can give a quite excellent fade, so they come back again and again. I genuinely love these kids so much and they know the drill. While I’m managing general afternoon chaos, they go bring up a chair from the basement, get the haircut supplies out from the bathroom drawer, pick out a record and get their favorite music going, then they flex in my kitchen mirror a few minutes, chat with my kids, and usually stay for dinner or go out for a sonic run with Quincy. I harass them about school and dating and their car, job, gym, seminary, music, and mission plans while I cut their hair and they eat snacks. I hope when they look back they know some random mom cared a lot about them and their futures. One just got a mission chop and opens his call tonight! So proud.

Corbin got a glorious black eye at his first ball game. It progressed in the most horrific way and he was proud of it. 


A screenshot of the humor we need to keep going. 

Steezy boys and krusty krabs for life


Corbin and Quincy made honors orchestra and performed in a concert following a weekend long clinic. 

A scene I found at midnight. Esme ran to her bed and feigned sleep. Sloane gives zero apologies for the world she lives in. I think we are all just NPCs in her game. 

Snow Day Esme

Snuggle Bear

Their favorite game is Trouble and the irony is not lost on me! Hahaha 

Standing out on frozen lake ann. David is really good at getting Quincy to do brave things. 

My other set of twins 

We’ve spent a lot of time at Climb lately because it’s something all my kids can participate in together. Quincy got belay certified and also goes with Chloe (Isaac) and Saumwebers on occasion. 

This duo. They are such opposites and so hilarious to be around.


Corbin needs to wrestle. A lot. I am his same weight and wrestle him twice a week, but the kid seriously needs constant sparring. Reese was his wrestle partner (usually unwilling) and it always ended in her tapping out with “I’m going to pee/fart/throw up” on you! 

We tag along to pizza probably every other weekend with the Hayes. Only Benny can eat as many wings as me.

Big Chloe gets a mission cut! 

That fade is money. The local

Missionaries asked for cuts after they saw Isaac. 

Get it, Quincy! 

This PB&J is brought to you 30 seconds after walking through the door where we had gone out to Parkside for burgers/fries, etc. 

Beautiful daughters 


Esme is so strong! For a child who needed years of Occupational Therapy to build core muscle strength, I’m so impressed with the progress she’s making in gymnastics. 

They love gym! 

This photo! The bookshelf is now home to vertical jump tape markings. Davey had the highest tape for awhile, but was recently topped by Landan Shaw, then Gabe Miller. Corbin refuses to put a tape up until he can beat Will. 


Ignite is such a great program! 

Accurate. I’m such a blanket mom. And I love BeReal 

Corbin has been hosting friends a lot lately. One night it was “can I have a few people over? And he invited 25 kids. I don’t mind at all but wish I had known to prepare with better snacks and maybe make him clean his gross bathroom. Aaron and Jesse had a good dad vs teens foosball game. I don’t know how the littles can sleep through this madness and records are blaring downstairs and usually a few kids are on the piano or guitars. But when it’s like a regular Tuesday night and bedtime, they don’t sleep at all and play in their room for hours into the night. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

Ok that was some of January life and I’ll call it enough for now, I have essays to write!