Welcome to Utah, Rieke

Today was the big day — we finally met Rieke in person after months of anticipation and a few FaceTime calls. The four of us — Jon (me), Jana, Molly, and Ryan — made the drive up to Salt Lake City to welcome her to Utah, and to our home for the next nine months. Molly proudly held up a hand-made “Welcome Rieke” sign while we waited at the airport, all of us buzzing with excitement.

When Rieke came walking toward us, she had a wide smile that couldn’t quite hide how nervous she felt — which, to be honest, matched our own mix of emotions. She looked just as sweet as we remembered from our calls, only taller than we expected — much taller! But within moments, the nervousness gave way to laughter and hugs, and it already felt like the beginning of something special.

Our First Rodeo (Literally) →