I returned home from teaching a 5:30 am class at the gym to find that my spot in the bed was now occupied by a little Lovely, snuggled up asleep on her Daddy's shoulder. Apparently she had woken up crying but Daddy cuddled her back to sleep in our bed. I took a quick shower and then traded places with him. She cuddled in to me and slept another 15 minutes. Just as I was drifting off, I heard her stir. She waved sleepily to Daddy who was getting ready for work and then put her hand across my eyes. She giggled, then lifting it partway whispered "peek a boo". She waited, still covering my face and then did it again followed by "good morning mommy!"
Good morning Beautiful.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
loose teeth
A few nights ago, our oldest daughter excited declared she had a loose tooth. I brushed her off, explaining her teeth weren't ready to be loose yet and leave it alone. She persisted, I persisted and she finally explained she wanted the tooth fairy to visit. So I told her that her big teeth aren't ready to grow in yet and that the tooth fairy doesn't visit if you pull out your baby teeth before they are ready. She relented, leaving it alone but asking that I call the tooth fairy and ask how old she has to be before the tooth fairy can visit. I agreed to call and ask.
But I forgot. So when she asked again the next day, I pulled out my phone to google at what age children begin losing their teeth. Much to my surprise, it is in fact ages 5-6! How can she be so big already?! So I told her I found the answer and that the tooth fairy can start visiting once a child starts kindergarten (I'm hoping to buy a little time, especially if she is trying to force a tooth before it's ready). Seeing my phone she said "I bet the tooth fairy texted you didn't she?"
Who knew the tooth fairy had become so tech savvy?
And why is my little girl growing so fast?
But I forgot. So when she asked again the next day, I pulled out my phone to google at what age children begin losing their teeth. Much to my surprise, it is in fact ages 5-6! How can she be so big already?! So I told her I found the answer and that the tooth fairy can start visiting once a child starts kindergarten (I'm hoping to buy a little time, especially if she is trying to force a tooth before it's ready). Seeing my phone she said "I bet the tooth fairy texted you didn't she?"
Who knew the tooth fairy had become so tech savvy?
And why is my little girl growing so fast?
Friday, July 26, 2013
zoo date
Husband and I had planned a great adventure this week, going canyoneering in Zions. A friend had given us permits to Mystery Canyon, a challenging canyon that I've never done and for which permits can be hard to get. But in the end, very few people could go and the weather was iffy. So we decided to cancel and wait for another opportunity.
So instead, I joined Grandma and the girls on their playdate to the zoo. She had planned on watching the girls for us while we were gone and arranged with Husband's kid sister to take the kids on a field trip. So we drove down the canyon and met her for lunch. Ladybug devoured her mac and cheese, Butterfly had to be coaxed to eat and Lovely was somewhere in the middle (as usual, for all three of them).
We arrived at the zoo, found a great spot to park, slathered the girls in sunscreen and began our wandering. Our first stop was an impromptu visit to the gift shop where Grandma bought adorable umbrellas for each of the girls to use as a sun shade. (so cute!) We had a great time seeing the animals. We got to watch the elephant show where Lovely mostly played on the floor but Butterfly thoroughly enjoyed watching the elephants' tricks. We also particularly enjoyed the Rocky Shores exhibit with the seal lions and polar bears. Ladybug's favorite part of the day was the carousel, where she insisted on the baby elephant as her noble steed (as did Butterfly, even over the red panda she originally chose, and Lovely rode the kangaroo) and Lovely went crazy for the monkeys. Our last stop was the lego play area where the girls built towers of giant lego blocks, a new display at the zoo.
After so much wandering, especially in the hot weather, the girls were worn out and we took the long way home to admire our beautiful mountains.
So instead, I joined Grandma and the girls on their playdate to the zoo. She had planned on watching the girls for us while we were gone and arranged with Husband's kid sister to take the kids on a field trip. So we drove down the canyon and met her for lunch. Ladybug devoured her mac and cheese, Butterfly had to be coaxed to eat and Lovely was somewhere in the middle (as usual, for all three of them).
We arrived at the zoo, found a great spot to park, slathered the girls in sunscreen and began our wandering. Our first stop was an impromptu visit to the gift shop where Grandma bought adorable umbrellas for each of the girls to use as a sun shade. (so cute!) We had a great time seeing the animals. We got to watch the elephant show where Lovely mostly played on the floor but Butterfly thoroughly enjoyed watching the elephants' tricks. We also particularly enjoyed the Rocky Shores exhibit with the seal lions and polar bears. Ladybug's favorite part of the day was the carousel, where she insisted on the baby elephant as her noble steed (as did Butterfly, even over the red panda she originally chose, and Lovely rode the kangaroo) and Lovely went crazy for the monkeys. Our last stop was the lego play area where the girls built towers of giant lego blocks, a new display at the zoo.
After so much wandering, especially in the hot weather, the girls were worn out and we took the long way home to admire our beautiful mountains.
Pioneer Day
Most years, we spend Pioneer Day at the lake with Grandma's side of the family, playing with cousins and lounging on the beach. This year, the lake day was postponed, so we woke up on Wednesday with no plans. Grandma and Grandpa has invited us to go watch the Days of 47 parade with them but we ended up sleeping in and only send Butterfly. They later reported she had a blast! She made friends with a nearby family and particularly loved the motorcade of police officers and the princess floats. Afterwards, they did a little shopping (Grandpa bought some of her new school supplies) and went to lunch before joining us again at home.
Meanwhile, we slept in. And then piled into the car, searching for garage sales. On July 4th, there had been several in town. But we weren't as lucky on the 24th, despite being a similar holiday in Utah. But we drove around, stopped at the thrift store and snacked on donut holes and blackberries (Lovely was in heaven). Once we got home, I made a feast with crepes, strawberries, bananas, scrambled eggs and bacon.
We leisurely played through the day, watching movies, playing with toys, having a pretend picnic and eventually had a late night dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. I was putting Lovely and a very tired Ladybug to bed while everyone else slipped away to watch the fireworks.
Nothing fancy but a fun, relaxing day.
And then last night, we set off our own fireworks. Lovely LOVES the little pop-its. She takes them one at a time, sets them down careful and then stomps on them, squealing in delight. The sparklers didn't go as well. Butterfly had a great time dancing with them but curious little Lovely touched the end and burned her thumb. I plopped her in the sink to run her hands under cold water. Daddy helped distract her by gentle washing her very dirty feet too (her first pedicure?). Once she had settled down and we concluded the burn wasn't too bad, I gave her a frozen teething toy to hold (her "fishie", and then she needed one for each hand) and went back outside for more fun. However, Ladybug was being fussy and didn't want to play so she ran inside to hide. But Butterfly and Lovely happily sat on our laps as Daddy played firework emcee, lighting a few small fireworks.
Meanwhile, we slept in. And then piled into the car, searching for garage sales. On July 4th, there had been several in town. But we weren't as lucky on the 24th, despite being a similar holiday in Utah. But we drove around, stopped at the thrift store and snacked on donut holes and blackberries (Lovely was in heaven). Once we got home, I made a feast with crepes, strawberries, bananas, scrambled eggs and bacon.
We leisurely played through the day, watching movies, playing with toys, having a pretend picnic and eventually had a late night dinner with Grandma and Grandpa. I was putting Lovely and a very tired Ladybug to bed while everyone else slipped away to watch the fireworks.
Nothing fancy but a fun, relaxing day.
And then last night, we set off our own fireworks. Lovely LOVES the little pop-its. She takes them one at a time, sets them down careful and then stomps on them, squealing in delight. The sparklers didn't go as well. Butterfly had a great time dancing with them but curious little Lovely touched the end and burned her thumb. I plopped her in the sink to run her hands under cold water. Daddy helped distract her by gentle washing her very dirty feet too (her first pedicure?). Once she had settled down and we concluded the burn wasn't too bad, I gave her a frozen teething toy to hold (her "fishie", and then she needed one for each hand) and went back outside for more fun. However, Ladybug was being fussy and didn't want to play so she ran inside to hide. But Butterfly and Lovely happily sat on our laps as Daddy played firework emcee, lighting a few small fireworks.
a new experience
On Tuesday, the girls and I attended a funeral for my cousins' grandpa. I'm not related to him since it's the "other" side of their family. But he's been at so many family parties and events that I know him. Even at 97, he always remembers me and my family, asking about our home and activities. The funeral was a Catholic mass. And just in case someone besides my three faithful readers has stumbled across this rambling blog, I feel that it would be helpful to clarify that I'm not Catholic, I'm LDS. As is all of Grandpa's family. But since he was devoted Catholic throughout his life, the funeral was a Catholic mass, held in his parish.
Just to set the stage, I think I should also offer a reminder that my children are wonderful and sweet. And not particularly well behaved. Or quiet. I've only attended a Catholic funeral once, for a friend and classmate in high school. The chapel was silent, there were no children, it was very formal, everyone was dressed in black and I remember the near-suffocating despair at the tragedy. Fortunately, Grandpa's passing was rather expected and this was a more intimate gathering with only the closest friends and family. So I took these three adorable girls into a Catholic chapel and was instantly grateful my parents were there to help. We said hello to cousins and talked for a few minutes in the foyer. Once we entered the chapel, they were full of questions. They asked about the stained glass windows, made observations such as "Their singing book is different from ours!" and played with the little bench in our pew meant for kneeling. The service began and I tried to quiet them with books and suckers. Not the most reverent, but they stopped talking. The row behind us was grandpa's friends, all who regularly attended that parish and were rather surprised but understanding (and hopefully even a little amused). The quote of the day was when Butterfly asked if we were playing Simon Says (standing and sitting and repeating so often). She was also a little put out when I didn't let her go up to get the "snack".
Overall, it was a beautiful service but I was still saddened by the finality of it. The priest words gave very little comfort and I missed hearing the eulogy and stories about his life.
The funeral was followed by a gathering at the cemetery where military honors were given (as Grandpa served at Normandy during WWII) and the services concluded. We lingered awhile and after the priest had left, my uncle dedicated the grave according to our LDS beliefs. After, he shared that it was actually at Grandpa's request, suggesting that Grandpa "played both sides" and wanted to be sure his bases were covered.
We attended the luncheon at the parish and chatted with cousins (this was the best part, when cousins got telling stories about him) before turning the girls loose at the park and finally heading home.
Just to set the stage, I think I should also offer a reminder that my children are wonderful and sweet. And not particularly well behaved. Or quiet. I've only attended a Catholic funeral once, for a friend and classmate in high school. The chapel was silent, there were no children, it was very formal, everyone was dressed in black and I remember the near-suffocating despair at the tragedy. Fortunately, Grandpa's passing was rather expected and this was a more intimate gathering with only the closest friends and family. So I took these three adorable girls into a Catholic chapel and was instantly grateful my parents were there to help. We said hello to cousins and talked for a few minutes in the foyer. Once we entered the chapel, they were full of questions. They asked about the stained glass windows, made observations such as "Their singing book is different from ours!" and played with the little bench in our pew meant for kneeling. The service began and I tried to quiet them with books and suckers. Not the most reverent, but they stopped talking. The row behind us was grandpa's friends, all who regularly attended that parish and were rather surprised but understanding (and hopefully even a little amused). The quote of the day was when Butterfly asked if we were playing Simon Says (standing and sitting and repeating so often). She was also a little put out when I didn't let her go up to get the "snack".
Overall, it was a beautiful service but I was still saddened by the finality of it. The priest words gave very little comfort and I missed hearing the eulogy and stories about his life.
The funeral was followed by a gathering at the cemetery where military honors were given (as Grandpa served at Normandy during WWII) and the services concluded. We lingered awhile and after the priest had left, my uncle dedicated the grave according to our LDS beliefs. After, he shared that it was actually at Grandpa's request, suggesting that Grandpa "played both sides" and wanted to be sure his bases were covered.
We attended the luncheon at the parish and chatted with cousins (this was the best part, when cousins got telling stories about him) before turning the girls loose at the park and finally heading home.
Monday, July 22, 2013
girl time
My mom, myself, my three girls, my sister in law and her three girls (plus a baby boy) just returned home from an amazing girls getaway adventure. My other sister-in-law was supposed to join us (with her two girls) but had to cancel last minute. And my kid sister would have been there but she lives in Florida. So our little group spent 3 nights at a rented condo in St. George. The plan for each day: swim in the pool, play at the park, do a little shopping, picnic lunches, dinners out and late night chick flicks with cookies and popcorn. Rinse and repeat daily.
Trip highlights:
the drive down was long. And the baby had a rather messy wardrobe mishap that resulted in her riding naked. At which point she began exclaiming "nakey and cute! nakey and cute!" with an occasional verse of "nakey and spoiled!" so true.
We stop halfway at McDonalds, both directions. Grammy and I eat lunch while the girls do laps on the playplace. Then they eat in the car as we drive on.
During this stop on the way down, I remembered I forgot my pants. I was wearing long jeans and had washed my lightweight capris and hung them to dry, knowing i would need them for the impending 105 degree weather. But then I forgot them. Which means we had to go shopping. I know, "had". (I love TJMaxx. And Ross.)
Grammy brought new water bottles for everyone to keep us hydrated in the heat. Very thoughtful and super cute. The girls loved them and went through buckets of water.
We arrived at the condo late in the evening. So it was rather dark and we were a little slap happy silly when we arrived. Which could explain why Grammy jumped onto the luggage cart at my suggestion to load the heavy stuff first. She forgot to account for the steep incline and went rolling away. She almost fell off laughing/screaming while my sister ran to catch her. I took pictures. I'm very helpful.
Day 1 was spent at the park, joined by sister's sister and Grammy's sister. This particular amazing park looked somewhat like a giant erector set with lots of fun climbing and balancing and twirling toys. The adults arguably had more fun than the kids.
For lunch, we were joined by sister's grandparents and we played the rest of the day away at the pool which featured a waterfall and a separate kid pool. And our fearless, rambunctious children ran amuck playing imagination games and splashing to their hearts' content.
We ordered pizza and watched a kid movie while devouring gourmet popcorn and baking the cookie dough I had brought along. It's hard to describe just how wonderful such simple fun can be. After we put the kids to bed, we put in a chick flick for the women (First Date, a new favorite).
Day 2 was more of the same wonderfulness: swimming, shopping and dinner at Texas Roadhouse. (Shopping was particularly wonderful, found some great deals and sister's sister was able to use her employee discount to boot!) We went to Texas Roadhouse because the kids would have had a BLAST dancing in the aisle with the serving staff. But the St. George Texas Roadhouse is super lame and doesn't dance during early bird hours. Even at request, we got turned down flat.
That night was more popcorn and cookies for a kid movie, followed by bedtime and a chick flick, First Knight, for the women.
On Saturday we spent the morning packing up, bid our cousins goodbye and Grammy, my girls and I drove to GrandmaGreat's house. We spent the day with her, visiting the thrift store (where we played in the shoes for half an hour and then had to give GrandmaGreat a "check up"), driving around town to admire all the classic cars (in town for a Model T parade), playing on the slip and slide and went out for burger and shakes in the evening. The girls loved playing with GrandmaGreat and her dogs and I think she really liked getting to watch them play and listening to their rambling stories.
On Sunday, the late nights were finally catching up to us. We had so much fun and loved the late night chick flicks but toward the end of the trip, the girls weren't sleeping as well. But we barely made it to church on time and struggled to stay awake through classes. After a quick lunch (and stopping for some caffeine), we were on our way home again, eager to see Daddy. My mom and I chatted for hours as we drove, planning other upcoming trips, birthday parties, family weekends, etc.
Such a fun trip. Can't wait for next year.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Gram Fam Reunion
I have an amazing beyond words, crazy fun, very talented, wonderful family. And last weekend, we joined some of them for the Gram Fam Reunion 2013.
This particular side of our crazy wonderful family is my husband's dad's family. There are seven siblings, (including Grandpa), 12 cousins (including husband) and a growing boatload of great-grans (including my kiddos). The beloved matriarch of this group, our Gram, passed away last August and the reunion was held to honor and remember her.
The "auntorage" (Like entourage, but of the aunties. They act as family social director among their other many roles) arranged for us to gathered at a beautiful, spacious and luxurious cabin in Idaho. The siblings gathered early in the week with the cousins and the kids trailing in later.
So on Thursday, I dashed home from teaching at the gym to shower and finish loading our truck and trailer before we managed to get on the road, only slightly behind schedule. The girls slept through Utah and roused just after the Idaho border. I happily searched out a 7-Eleven to visit, to celebrate free slurpee day (no, really!) only to find that the chain does not exist in Idaho. Sad news for me. The drive continued anyway with snacks, movies and a nasty headwind until we arrived just before dinner at the cabin. We parked the trailer and unleashed the children to run and play and discover the many cousins waiting for them. Husband parked and set up our little trailer (as big as the cabin was, our family is bigger and a few of us had brought tents. or in our case, our little travel trailer.) and we eagerly said hello.
Soon we were feasted on tender steaks, baked potatoes, poached salmon and other delectables. (which might not be an actual word but it should be. especially when it comes to this family.) The kids ran off to play with cousins, we lounged around chatting, excitedly greeting new arrivals and snacking on leftovers. We played a brilliant, fun and meaningful game. We made teams of three (I joined up with a few other "married in"s, deciding our short time in the family might be a disadvantage but had fun guessing answers anyway). Each team was given a Powerpoint slideshow of pictures and one page at a time, we were challenged to identify people, places and events. What a great game! I loved hearing the memories being murmured around us and family laughing as we wandered through the years. Then, once most of the kids were in bed we had a quick family meeting for cabin rules and such. We declared ourselves to be finished about 11:00 at night and adjourned. But rather than going to bed, the kitchen erupted into make-you-melt smells of goodness as cookies were baked and chocolate cake was made.
The kids slept well and I was the first one awake, waiting to play with cousins again. Eventually Lovely bounced into wakefulness and we went in to visit with family. Breakfast was followed by packing lunches and after some group inertia, we made our way to Yellowstone Park. We stopped at the Grand Prismatic Spring to wander with husband's brother and family and Grandma. The colorful pools were beautiful and the girls exclaimed over the steam. We continued onto Old Faithful, watching the impressive geyser and looking for family. We met them briefly in the inn and then parted again. Our kids were so tired and we had seen a historical soda fountain we wanted to visit in West Yellowstone. But as we drove through the park a little more, admiring some of the pools along the way, the girls all fell asleep (me included) and we continued back to the cabin. The afternoon was relaxing and fun, chatting with family, playing outside in the sunshine and readying for another tasty feast. Late that evening, Uncle J got out his guitar and in his rich, deep and powerful voice, he sang and played as we sat and talked quietly. I especially enjoyed sitting and talking for hours with a cousin from Boston who I rarely get to see. She let me cuddle her beautiful, tiny baby and I loved talked with her. Our cousins, as many as there are, each are incredible individuals, with such depth and strength, and wonderful admirable talents. I love being with them, talking with them and hearing about their adventures, kids, careers and hobbies. Equally treasured was the time spent with the aunties and uncles, getting to talk and relax and enjoy being with them. They had so wonderfully prepared this weekend as an opportunity for us to be together and showered us with love, tasty food and fun activities.
Saturday was an adventure. Our family was on breakfast duty so I turned out fresh waffles while Grandpa fried fresh trout from the kids' fishing trips, my sister cut fruit and more. We took family pictures in our new matching "Red is Best!" shirts. Then, Uncle S gave a short presentation to the kids on bird watching, wonderfully spoken on their level and then thoughtfully gave them coloring books and crayons with various birds. The Aunties had arranged for us to go white water rafting while they kept the kids, filling their day with crafts and water games. But the logistics of the trip turned out to be more difficult than we hoped and we decided to cancel the trip. With a little more auntie help, we threw together an impromptu river float, managing to gather enough tubes from the garage and head down to the nearby river for a mostly gentle float. We piled onto our various devices into the river and had more fun than I could possible describe. Instead of spreading out, racing or competing as we drifted with the current, we joined together as a massive blob. We soon decided that a herd of tubes was to be called a "cousin" of tubes in our honor. We shifted and played, sometimes making various letter formations (an H, V, A, etc) or a large circle, trapping cousin K in the middle for her dance solo. We celebrated our Diet Coke and dove into the snacks the Aunties prepared for us, particularly the dried mangos and Peachie-Os that passed from tube to tube, precariously dangling over the water. Sometimes we separated around rocks and cried out again for more Peachie-Os. Eventually we made our way home where some cleaned up but most eventually headed back to the river, now with kiddos in tow for a short, gentle float. I stayed at the house with the baby, letting her run and explore and play with her little cousins (trying to curb her exuberance). Husband took our two big girls to the river where they had a fantastic time in a canoe with Daddy. After our river adventures and yet another delicious dinner, Grandpa helped the kids crack open rocks, discovering gems and then making rock collections. I took our rambunctious baby for a walk while they continued onto the next activity, using ample amounts of legos to build representations of Gram memories. The kids came up with creative examples that tugged tenderly and then we finished the activity with cousin J reading an inscription Gram had written in a book she gave him for his baptism long ago. The words were her feisty humor and determined strength testifying of Christ, the perfect ending for our evening. (followed by gingerbread cookies, made just the way Gram used to make). The kids ran off to play but the siblings and cousins lingered, looking at more pictures from the first night's activity and talking. Aunt C took up her guitar and began to sing. Once we quieted, she explained that the song was written in memory for Gram and played it again. Her voice rings with rich clarity, soothing strength and deep passion, the verses and melody being the perfect tribute to our Gram and touching us deeply. What a beautiful gift.
Sunday was our last day. We feasted, packed and played, reluctantly readying to leave. We gathered at 11 for a devotional, conducted by husband and featuring cousin J as the speaker, fresh off a mission to the Czech Republic to share highlights of his experiences. To close, the girl cousins sang the song they performed at Gram's funeral, "Where Can I Turn For Peace?" In perfect harmonies, enriched by generation of talent, it was profoundly beautiful and tender. And after, it was spontaneously asked of Uncle J to sang the song he performed a the funeral as well, "Amazing Grace/I'll Fly away". Uncle J's voice was strong, filling the room, while his daughter sailed above in high, gentle harmony with her clear, gorgeous tones and the rest of the family quietly sang along, adding the fullness underneath. Such talent and emotion blended together for an incredible experience.
After a flurry of eating lunch, final packing and saying goodbyes, we were on our way home. We napped, read books, snacked and eventually arrived home again.
This particular side of our crazy wonderful family is my husband's dad's family. There are seven siblings, (including Grandpa), 12 cousins (including husband) and a growing boatload of great-grans (including my kiddos). The beloved matriarch of this group, our Gram, passed away last August and the reunion was held to honor and remember her.
The "auntorage" (Like entourage, but of the aunties. They act as family social director among their other many roles) arranged for us to gathered at a beautiful, spacious and luxurious cabin in Idaho. The siblings gathered early in the week with the cousins and the kids trailing in later.
So on Thursday, I dashed home from teaching at the gym to shower and finish loading our truck and trailer before we managed to get on the road, only slightly behind schedule. The girls slept through Utah and roused just after the Idaho border. I happily searched out a 7-Eleven to visit, to celebrate free slurpee day (no, really!) only to find that the chain does not exist in Idaho. Sad news for me. The drive continued anyway with snacks, movies and a nasty headwind until we arrived just before dinner at the cabin. We parked the trailer and unleashed the children to run and play and discover the many cousins waiting for them. Husband parked and set up our little trailer (as big as the cabin was, our family is bigger and a few of us had brought tents. or in our case, our little travel trailer.) and we eagerly said hello.
Soon we were feasted on tender steaks, baked potatoes, poached salmon and other delectables. (which might not be an actual word but it should be. especially when it comes to this family.) The kids ran off to play with cousins, we lounged around chatting, excitedly greeting new arrivals and snacking on leftovers. We played a brilliant, fun and meaningful game. We made teams of three (I joined up with a few other "married in"s, deciding our short time in the family might be a disadvantage but had fun guessing answers anyway). Each team was given a Powerpoint slideshow of pictures and one page at a time, we were challenged to identify people, places and events. What a great game! I loved hearing the memories being murmured around us and family laughing as we wandered through the years. Then, once most of the kids were in bed we had a quick family meeting for cabin rules and such. We declared ourselves to be finished about 11:00 at night and adjourned. But rather than going to bed, the kitchen erupted into make-you-melt smells of goodness as cookies were baked and chocolate cake was made.
The kids slept well and I was the first one awake, waiting to play with cousins again. Eventually Lovely bounced into wakefulness and we went in to visit with family. Breakfast was followed by packing lunches and after some group inertia, we made our way to Yellowstone Park. We stopped at the Grand Prismatic Spring to wander with husband's brother and family and Grandma. The colorful pools were beautiful and the girls exclaimed over the steam. We continued onto Old Faithful, watching the impressive geyser and looking for family. We met them briefly in the inn and then parted again. Our kids were so tired and we had seen a historical soda fountain we wanted to visit in West Yellowstone. But as we drove through the park a little more, admiring some of the pools along the way, the girls all fell asleep (me included) and we continued back to the cabin. The afternoon was relaxing and fun, chatting with family, playing outside in the sunshine and readying for another tasty feast. Late that evening, Uncle J got out his guitar and in his rich, deep and powerful voice, he sang and played as we sat and talked quietly. I especially enjoyed sitting and talking for hours with a cousin from Boston who I rarely get to see. She let me cuddle her beautiful, tiny baby and I loved talked with her. Our cousins, as many as there are, each are incredible individuals, with such depth and strength, and wonderful admirable talents. I love being with them, talking with them and hearing about their adventures, kids, careers and hobbies. Equally treasured was the time spent with the aunties and uncles, getting to talk and relax and enjoy being with them. They had so wonderfully prepared this weekend as an opportunity for us to be together and showered us with love, tasty food and fun activities.
Saturday was an adventure. Our family was on breakfast duty so I turned out fresh waffles while Grandpa fried fresh trout from the kids' fishing trips, my sister cut fruit and more. We took family pictures in our new matching "Red is Best!" shirts. Then, Uncle S gave a short presentation to the kids on bird watching, wonderfully spoken on their level and then thoughtfully gave them coloring books and crayons with various birds. The Aunties had arranged for us to go white water rafting while they kept the kids, filling their day with crafts and water games. But the logistics of the trip turned out to be more difficult than we hoped and we decided to cancel the trip. With a little more auntie help, we threw together an impromptu river float, managing to gather enough tubes from the garage and head down to the nearby river for a mostly gentle float. We piled onto our various devices into the river and had more fun than I could possible describe. Instead of spreading out, racing or competing as we drifted with the current, we joined together as a massive blob. We soon decided that a herd of tubes was to be called a "cousin" of tubes in our honor. We shifted and played, sometimes making various letter formations (an H, V, A, etc) or a large circle, trapping cousin K in the middle for her dance solo. We celebrated our Diet Coke and dove into the snacks the Aunties prepared for us, particularly the dried mangos and Peachie-Os that passed from tube to tube, precariously dangling over the water. Sometimes we separated around rocks and cried out again for more Peachie-Os. Eventually we made our way home where some cleaned up but most eventually headed back to the river, now with kiddos in tow for a short, gentle float. I stayed at the house with the baby, letting her run and explore and play with her little cousins (trying to curb her exuberance). Husband took our two big girls to the river where they had a fantastic time in a canoe with Daddy. After our river adventures and yet another delicious dinner, Grandpa helped the kids crack open rocks, discovering gems and then making rock collections. I took our rambunctious baby for a walk while they continued onto the next activity, using ample amounts of legos to build representations of Gram memories. The kids came up with creative examples that tugged tenderly and then we finished the activity with cousin J reading an inscription Gram had written in a book she gave him for his baptism long ago. The words were her feisty humor and determined strength testifying of Christ, the perfect ending for our evening. (followed by gingerbread cookies, made just the way Gram used to make). The kids ran off to play but the siblings and cousins lingered, looking at more pictures from the first night's activity and talking. Aunt C took up her guitar and began to sing. Once we quieted, she explained that the song was written in memory for Gram and played it again. Her voice rings with rich clarity, soothing strength and deep passion, the verses and melody being the perfect tribute to our Gram and touching us deeply. What a beautiful gift.
Sunday was our last day. We feasted, packed and played, reluctantly readying to leave. We gathered at 11 for a devotional, conducted by husband and featuring cousin J as the speaker, fresh off a mission to the Czech Republic to share highlights of his experiences. To close, the girl cousins sang the song they performed at Gram's funeral, "Where Can I Turn For Peace?" In perfect harmonies, enriched by generation of talent, it was profoundly beautiful and tender. And after, it was spontaneously asked of Uncle J to sang the song he performed a the funeral as well, "Amazing Grace/I'll Fly away". Uncle J's voice was strong, filling the room, while his daughter sailed above in high, gentle harmony with her clear, gorgeous tones and the rest of the family quietly sang along, adding the fullness underneath. Such talent and emotion blended together for an incredible experience.
After a flurry of eating lunch, final packing and saying goodbyes, we were on our way home. We napped, read books, snacked and eventually arrived home again.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
catch up
We celebrated our 8th anniversary with a date night. The girls stayed home with Grandma for a playdate while Husband and I went out. We started with slurpees and Home Depot to price refrigerators. Onto RC willey for more price shopping. Onto Ross for some returns. And then to a nice sushi place where we stuffed ourselves silly on the good food. So maybe the errands weren't the most luxurious date night activity but we're so excited about our house and eager to get ready, especially when we have the chance to look without the girls' "help".
Work on the house is zipping along quickly and we can't help ourselves but to visit nearly every day and admire the new work. The trim work inside is nearly finished, the stair rail is installed and stained, the closet shelves are in and all the interior paint is finished. There will need to be some touch up work before they finished but it looks amazing and I love the feeling and space as I wander from room to room. This week the crew began installing tile and the stone and stucco work on the exterior. Six weeks to go! Meanwhile, home interest rates have skyrocketed, much to our dismay. But it is what is, right?
Family bike rides have become another favorite activity lately. Sometimes we even get grandma and grandpa to join. Last week we rode our bikes around town a bit and to a cute local pizzeria. We sat outside in the cool evening, munching pizza and finished off the evening with ice cream (purple ice cream, at Ladybug's request).
Another new fun family activity--Grandma taught the girls to play "no bears are out tonight", a fun night game similar to hide and seek. The girls loved it! The first time, they came out of the house, ready to play wearing their bathrobes over their night gowns and donning the arm chair covers as their hats. I'm not sure why but they declared that's their "hunter clothes". So fun.
Husband and I went rock climbing. It's been awhile and I wore out quickly but was a fun challenge and something I haven't done in years!
We celebrated Independence Day with our girls here at home. We started with a festive breakfast, donuts, strawberries and blueberries arranged like the flag. Then Husband had to work so the girls and I played at home for the morning, visited Daddy for lunch and ran a few errands around town (including slurpees and firework shopping) before we headed home for naps. In the evening we had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and then gathered int he driveway for fireworks. The girls loved the little poppers! The sparklers had more mixed results with Butterfly dancing around waving them proudly, Lovely tentatively and eventually excited trying it out and Ladybug adamantly refusing and shying away from them. Husband ran the fireworks show, with similar results from the girls. Butterfly loved every minute, Lovely started open mouthed, sometimes covering her sensitive ears while Ladybug curled into the chair, nervously clutching her blankets as she watched. Her favorite was the Purple Rain (always a hit) and Butterfly loved the Pink Diamonds that she picked out. The dragon was a bust but the Mystic was particularly unique and fun. Our finale was the Red, White and Bling, our only aerial but very impressive.
Then we launched into our busy and fun weekend. Husband spent Friday night painting our new garage (an upgrade we decide we would do ourselves instead of paying the builder) while the girls and I played at home.
Saturday was wedding day for one of our cousins. So Husband went down early on set up crew while I readied the girls and picked up the food and layers of cake. I arrived at the church to help finish the set up and then we all went to the wedding luncheon at Olive Garden. The girls colored happily and played with the princess figurines I had brought in between devouring their food. After lunch we returned to the church where my assignment was to assemble and decorate the cake. It turned out pretty beautiful, wrapped with black lace and pearl pins over the smooth fondant and decorated on the top of each layer with pink and white flowers. I like to decorate cakes but was worried I might be in over my head. However, it turned out really nice and I think the bride was pleased. The wedding ceremony was brief, but even as quick as it was I missed most of it chasing out noisy toddler in the hallway. Then the girls and I played in the nursery while husband helped clear the ceremony and finish setting up for the reception. The food was fantastic, we loved chatting with cousins and the girls made friends with other children their size. Their favorite part was dancing at the end of the evening. But tiring quickly, we decided it was time to go and we headed north to spend the night at my mom's house.
The girls were thrilled to go to Grammy's house and especially to check on Papa and play with cousins who were also staying over. We played through the morning and attended church. We brought wedding leftovers for lunch and put Lovely down for a nap while the girls watched a movie. Lovely didn't last long though and needed Daddy to cuddle her to go back to sleep, for which he happily obliged her. There was a steady stream of visitors from church, coming to visit Papa and the girls coyly introduced themselves to each one.
And soon we were on our way to a cousin's birthday party. We had dinner, ran around and then celebrated with bubble toys. It was brilliant and so fun. Each kid had a battery operated bubble gun, filling the whole yard with the enchanting bubbles while my brother used a new bubble toy to create giant bubbles for the kids to chase. Bubbles were followed by presents and cake and the long drive home again.
This week is a couple of days at home, classes at the gym, swim lessons for the girls and readying for our next adventure. Stay tuned...
Work on the house is zipping along quickly and we can't help ourselves but to visit nearly every day and admire the new work. The trim work inside is nearly finished, the stair rail is installed and stained, the closet shelves are in and all the interior paint is finished. There will need to be some touch up work before they finished but it looks amazing and I love the feeling and space as I wander from room to room. This week the crew began installing tile and the stone and stucco work on the exterior. Six weeks to go! Meanwhile, home interest rates have skyrocketed, much to our dismay. But it is what is, right?
Family bike rides have become another favorite activity lately. Sometimes we even get grandma and grandpa to join. Last week we rode our bikes around town a bit and to a cute local pizzeria. We sat outside in the cool evening, munching pizza and finished off the evening with ice cream (purple ice cream, at Ladybug's request).
Another new fun family activity--Grandma taught the girls to play "no bears are out tonight", a fun night game similar to hide and seek. The girls loved it! The first time, they came out of the house, ready to play wearing their bathrobes over their night gowns and donning the arm chair covers as their hats. I'm not sure why but they declared that's their "hunter clothes". So fun.
Husband and I went rock climbing. It's been awhile and I wore out quickly but was a fun challenge and something I haven't done in years!
We celebrated Independence Day with our girls here at home. We started with a festive breakfast, donuts, strawberries and blueberries arranged like the flag. Then Husband had to work so the girls and I played at home for the morning, visited Daddy for lunch and ran a few errands around town (including slurpees and firework shopping) before we headed home for naps. In the evening we had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa and then gathered int he driveway for fireworks. The girls loved the little poppers! The sparklers had more mixed results with Butterfly dancing around waving them proudly, Lovely tentatively and eventually excited trying it out and Ladybug adamantly refusing and shying away from them. Husband ran the fireworks show, with similar results from the girls. Butterfly loved every minute, Lovely started open mouthed, sometimes covering her sensitive ears while Ladybug curled into the chair, nervously clutching her blankets as she watched. Her favorite was the Purple Rain (always a hit) and Butterfly loved the Pink Diamonds that she picked out. The dragon was a bust but the Mystic was particularly unique and fun. Our finale was the Red, White and Bling, our only aerial but very impressive.
Then we launched into our busy and fun weekend. Husband spent Friday night painting our new garage (an upgrade we decide we would do ourselves instead of paying the builder) while the girls and I played at home.
Saturday was wedding day for one of our cousins. So Husband went down early on set up crew while I readied the girls and picked up the food and layers of cake. I arrived at the church to help finish the set up and then we all went to the wedding luncheon at Olive Garden. The girls colored happily and played with the princess figurines I had brought in between devouring their food. After lunch we returned to the church where my assignment was to assemble and decorate the cake. It turned out pretty beautiful, wrapped with black lace and pearl pins over the smooth fondant and decorated on the top of each layer with pink and white flowers. I like to decorate cakes but was worried I might be in over my head. However, it turned out really nice and I think the bride was pleased. The wedding ceremony was brief, but even as quick as it was I missed most of it chasing out noisy toddler in the hallway. Then the girls and I played in the nursery while husband helped clear the ceremony and finish setting up for the reception. The food was fantastic, we loved chatting with cousins and the girls made friends with other children their size. Their favorite part was dancing at the end of the evening. But tiring quickly, we decided it was time to go and we headed north to spend the night at my mom's house.
The girls were thrilled to go to Grammy's house and especially to check on Papa and play with cousins who were also staying over. We played through the morning and attended church. We brought wedding leftovers for lunch and put Lovely down for a nap while the girls watched a movie. Lovely didn't last long though and needed Daddy to cuddle her to go back to sleep, for which he happily obliged her. There was a steady stream of visitors from church, coming to visit Papa and the girls coyly introduced themselves to each one.
And soon we were on our way to a cousin's birthday party. We had dinner, ran around and then celebrated with bubble toys. It was brilliant and so fun. Each kid had a battery operated bubble gun, filling the whole yard with the enchanting bubbles while my brother used a new bubble toy to create giant bubbles for the kids to chase. Bubbles were followed by presents and cake and the long drive home again.
This week is a couple of days at home, classes at the gym, swim lessons for the girls and readying for our next adventure. Stay tuned...
Monday, July 1, 2013
Ragnar, Papa Watch & our Anniversary
The plan:
Run Ragnar. Home with girls for a few days. Annual camping trip with my side of the family in Zions. and somehow squeeze in a celebration of our 8th anniversary.
What happened:
I ran Ragnar. And it was amazing! And in the middle of all, I found out my dad was in the hospital. So when we ran through my hometown (stopping for breakfast and showers), I grabbed some extra clothes just in case. We made it to the finish line and I hitchhiked north to pick up my vehicle and head for the hospital. (I didn't really hitchhike. But it's the closest I've ever been. I asked around at the finish line who was driving that direction. I found a friendly family and rode with them.)
I arrived at the hospital late Saturday evening, straight from the finish line. Which meant I was still wearing my black and pink poka dot tutu, running bib (with my team number) and medal. (I was hoping to make Papa smile.) I lounged around his room in the ER with my mom until he was admitted to the hospital. Around 2 am, we got him settled into his new room and mom and I settled in at the hospital guest house.
I spent all day Sunday and Monday there, wanting to be with them, listening to doctors and waiting for tests. I had to go home Monday night, but came back again to spend Tuesday afternoon there. By then, they were settling on a diagnosis (I'm leaving details out for his privacy but it was fascinating!...and scary.) I spent Wednesday at home with my girls, trying to catch up on stuff at home and eagerly returned to the hospital Thursday again. They took Papa in for a procedure to fix the problem. My girls were staying with one of the favorite aunties so we ran down the road to visit them (Grammy needed hugs and we weren't able to take the kids to the hospital at that time) and came back just as Papa was finished with the procedure and was moved to a new room. His recovery thus far is slow and still painful but hopefully that won't last too much longer.
Husband returned home from a business trip late Thursday evening and we were eager to see him. By then, we had decided to cancel our camping trip to Zions, wanting to stay closer to Papa. Friday morning, we were on our way to the hospital when we heard he was being released. We met them at the door so the girls could give him a quick, gentle hug and we sent them home to rest. We had a quick lunch at the hospital, ran some errands and then went to the nearby Cherry Hill water park for a playdate with cousins. We had a blast! I loved the lazy river. I lounged in a tube while the big girls splashed and swam around me, pretending to be sharks attacking my toes. Lovely watched with wide eyed fascination. She sat contently in our laps at first but curiosity took over and she braved her way into the water, wiggling and squirming, climbing in and out, hanging on daddy's feet and giggling. We also played in the pirate's cove. They went down the little slide, explored the pirate ship and ran around in the splash pool playing tag and jumping through fountains. Lovely liked to lay on her tummy, kicking her feet in the water. Or slowly reaching her fingers into the heavy stream of a fountain before jerking them away giggling (and then trying her feet, her hair, her bum, her tummy, etc). Dad took the two big girls on a water slide, which they loved until the last two turns where it got a bit rougher.
We splashed and played with cousins until we dinnertime, when we drove over to a local Mexican restaurant. They put us in a back room meant for private parties and we had a great time, letting kids explore, devouring lemonade and fresh chips and salsa.
We spent Saturday at home with our kids. We slept in, went grocery shopping, did some long overdue cleaning, Husband worked on the truck, we took naps and played. and then in the evening, we went to the drive in theater to see Monsters University, now joined by some family friends and husband's kid sister. We piled the truck with cushions, blankets and pillows and were plenty comfy. The movie was great and the big girls loved it (only distracted by the frequent dive into treats and snacks we brought). But Lovely bounced around for the whole movie. She was happy and adorable and full of energy, never staying in one spot for more than two minutes. She climbed all over, playing and giggling. Daddy patiently followed her around, sometimes taking her for walks, or just staying close so she wouldn't toppled off the tailgate. We wanted to stay for the second feature, Superman, and fortunately, little Lovely was willing to let us to that. We buckled her into her car seat, wrapped her blankets around her and told her to go nite-nite. It took her awhile (as it usually does) but she played quietly with her hands, arranging her blankets and looking around until she drifted off and slept soundly for the rest of the night. Meanwhile, the big girls stayed with us in the truck bed to watch Superman. Ladybug went to sleep quickly but Butterfly made it until the end of the movie, wanting to watch and cuddle.
Sunday morning, we slept in a little (having arrived home at 4 am) and then lounged around. It was really nice to play with the girls and get caught up on things around home. We grilled buffalo burgers and corn for lunch and after naptime/quiet time, we took the girls and kid sister to visit our new house. We admired all the new trim work on the inside, measured windows for ordering blinds and peeked in the boxes of stone and stucco, ready for the outside. Less than two months to go! At home, we had a nice dinner plus ice cream and cookies, explaining to the girls that it was a special day, the day our family began 8 years ago. Husband and I will have a date night soon but it turned out to be a nice way to celebrate, including our kids in this special occasion.
Run Ragnar. Home with girls for a few days. Annual camping trip with my side of the family in Zions. and somehow squeeze in a celebration of our 8th anniversary.
What happened:
I ran Ragnar. And it was amazing! And in the middle of all, I found out my dad was in the hospital. So when we ran through my hometown (stopping for breakfast and showers), I grabbed some extra clothes just in case. We made it to the finish line and I hitchhiked north to pick up my vehicle and head for the hospital. (I didn't really hitchhike. But it's the closest I've ever been. I asked around at the finish line who was driving that direction. I found a friendly family and rode with them.)
I arrived at the hospital late Saturday evening, straight from the finish line. Which meant I was still wearing my black and pink poka dot tutu, running bib (with my team number) and medal. (I was hoping to make Papa smile.) I lounged around his room in the ER with my mom until he was admitted to the hospital. Around 2 am, we got him settled into his new room and mom and I settled in at the hospital guest house.
I spent all day Sunday and Monday there, wanting to be with them, listening to doctors and waiting for tests. I had to go home Monday night, but came back again to spend Tuesday afternoon there. By then, they were settling on a diagnosis (I'm leaving details out for his privacy but it was fascinating!...and scary.) I spent Wednesday at home with my girls, trying to catch up on stuff at home and eagerly returned to the hospital Thursday again. They took Papa in for a procedure to fix the problem. My girls were staying with one of the favorite aunties so we ran down the road to visit them (Grammy needed hugs and we weren't able to take the kids to the hospital at that time) and came back just as Papa was finished with the procedure and was moved to a new room. His recovery thus far is slow and still painful but hopefully that won't last too much longer.
Husband returned home from a business trip late Thursday evening and we were eager to see him. By then, we had decided to cancel our camping trip to Zions, wanting to stay closer to Papa. Friday morning, we were on our way to the hospital when we heard he was being released. We met them at the door so the girls could give him a quick, gentle hug and we sent them home to rest. We had a quick lunch at the hospital, ran some errands and then went to the nearby Cherry Hill water park for a playdate with cousins. We had a blast! I loved the lazy river. I lounged in a tube while the big girls splashed and swam around me, pretending to be sharks attacking my toes. Lovely watched with wide eyed fascination. She sat contently in our laps at first but curiosity took over and she braved her way into the water, wiggling and squirming, climbing in and out, hanging on daddy's feet and giggling. We also played in the pirate's cove. They went down the little slide, explored the pirate ship and ran around in the splash pool playing tag and jumping through fountains. Lovely liked to lay on her tummy, kicking her feet in the water. Or slowly reaching her fingers into the heavy stream of a fountain before jerking them away giggling (and then trying her feet, her hair, her bum, her tummy, etc). Dad took the two big girls on a water slide, which they loved until the last two turns where it got a bit rougher.
We splashed and played with cousins until we dinnertime, when we drove over to a local Mexican restaurant. They put us in a back room meant for private parties and we had a great time, letting kids explore, devouring lemonade and fresh chips and salsa.
We spent Saturday at home with our kids. We slept in, went grocery shopping, did some long overdue cleaning, Husband worked on the truck, we took naps and played. and then in the evening, we went to the drive in theater to see Monsters University, now joined by some family friends and husband's kid sister. We piled the truck with cushions, blankets and pillows and were plenty comfy. The movie was great and the big girls loved it (only distracted by the frequent dive into treats and snacks we brought). But Lovely bounced around for the whole movie. She was happy and adorable and full of energy, never staying in one spot for more than two minutes. She climbed all over, playing and giggling. Daddy patiently followed her around, sometimes taking her for walks, or just staying close so she wouldn't toppled off the tailgate. We wanted to stay for the second feature, Superman, and fortunately, little Lovely was willing to let us to that. We buckled her into her car seat, wrapped her blankets around her and told her to go nite-nite. It took her awhile (as it usually does) but she played quietly with her hands, arranging her blankets and looking around until she drifted off and slept soundly for the rest of the night. Meanwhile, the big girls stayed with us in the truck bed to watch Superman. Ladybug went to sleep quickly but Butterfly made it until the end of the movie, wanting to watch and cuddle.
Sunday morning, we slept in a little (having arrived home at 4 am) and then lounged around. It was really nice to play with the girls and get caught up on things around home. We grilled buffalo burgers and corn for lunch and after naptime/quiet time, we took the girls and kid sister to visit our new house. We admired all the new trim work on the inside, measured windows for ordering blinds and peeked in the boxes of stone and stucco, ready for the outside. Less than two months to go! At home, we had a nice dinner plus ice cream and cookies, explaining to the girls that it was a special day, the day our family began 8 years ago. Husband and I will have a date night soon but it turned out to be a nice way to celebrate, including our kids in this special occasion.
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