Only in Utah

I am writing up this blogpost today and realizing that I may be the most boring person in the entire universe!   If one of my blogposts lately doesn't have something about hiking, food, the grandkids, or a house project...is it really even me?    Probably not.   This one has 3 of the 4, so you can rest assured that an impostor has not taken over control of my blog, although you may be wishing that were to happen!  😁

On Saturday, Glen and I trekked by  the Lindon Temple, which is currently under construction...

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WE loved the messages that were chalked onto the trail around the temple...

Only in Utah...😂

We ended up going 8 miles, bringing me to a total of 36 miles for the week...

ON Sunday, I raided Ellie's closet and found something green to wear to church for Saint Patrick's Day.  I also cried listening to a recently returned missionary from Adam's mission talk to our ward.  She's from another ward in our stake, so I didn't know her, but hearing  her speak and share stories about Adam's mission made me miss him all the more.  I awkwardly asked her for a hug afterward, because it helped me feel a little more connected to him to know she'd been  so recently doing exactly what he is currently doing.  

I also made some delicious cookies to share at the Worldwide Broadcast for RS, which they showed at our stake center...

Usually when I make gluten free cookies, they hardly get touched, but I made this sign to go with them and much more got eaten than normal!   😋

Glen stopped for a pit stop to go fishing on his way to Saint George   He didn't catch anything, but it was a beautiful day and he just enjoyed being outside

In the meantime, I am still hardcore purging our house.   I'm listing stuff on our BuyNothing group, trying to sell things on FB marketplace and Amazon, taking regular trips to Deseret Industries, and throwing things away.  Today I listed a bunch of my craft supplies and I'm in a bit of mourning.   They are supplies that have been well-loved for many years, but I have to acknowledge that I just don't use them enough to justify the space they take up.   I'm quite tired of all the work and the mess that decluttering entails, but hopeful that it will all be worth it in the end. 

I'm going to start now thinking of something outside my normal to post next week.   Will I be able to do it?   Perhaps.  Or perhaps I'll just tell you the 3 jokes I know, post about the 5 last books I've read, or start complaining about the weather.  

We shall see! 

PS  Have a great week!  Thanks for persevering through the boringness and reading my blog today!  💗

A Little Peek...

Here is a little peek into my life since I left Alabama.  It has included... 

A dog who is  simultaneously ecstatic that I'm home, but also watches me longingly anytime I dare to do anything that doesn't involve giving her my undivided attention. 

Me eagerly waiting for any photo or story from my Alabama peeps...

And even better than texts....FACETIMES...even when little Lucie is feeling a little under the weather and wants nothing more than for me to read her books and sing her songs for an hour.

A trek to Taco Bell to honor and remember our friend, Andrew, on what would have been his 31st birthday.

Me being glued to my phone all day on Tuesday, so I did not miss any texts or calls from Adam.  He was recently transferred after spending 6 months in the same area, and he was feeling a little down that day. 

Me going through closets, the garage, and other long-lost places in our house to find things to donate, sell, or toss.   Even if we didn't end up moving, this will be a good exercise in decluttering the house!  I've been visiting DI regularly lately and these are books I'm trying to sell on Amazon.

In the meantime, I'm also listening to "Far from the Madding Crowd" on double speed.   I read it several years ago, but we are discussing it for book group (at our house) tonight and I felt like I needed to reread it.   To be totally honest, I've had a hard time getting into it--hence my need to listen to it on double-speed.   I love the writing, but am struggling with some frustrating aspects of the plot, which I already vaguely know, because I've read it before! 

Me deciding that I have not made enough pies the last few years (since kids moved out and I discovered I'm highly sensitive to gluten), so Pi(e) Day and book group made for the perfect excuse!  

 Oh, and I also bought tickets for Cami, Lucie, and Oliver to come visit next month. 😆  I was feeling deprived of my sweet grandbabies and also really wanted Ellie to meet Oliver before she heads off to her next semester of school that begins in April.  I am so stinking excited! 

Speaking of Ellie...she's off on a grand adventure right now and I am missing her (and praying for her) like crazy.  This trip was a bit outside of my comfort zone, but I am glad she gets this experience! 

Well, off I go to make a lemon meringue pie while I finish listening to my book!   Have a great weekend! 

PS. The lemon meringue pie was delicious and the crust was the best gluten free crust I’ve ever made!   😋 

A Piece of My Heart

   My days in Alabama were slow and filled with dreamy newborn snuggles and entertaining toddler conversations that often left us giggling!  I didn't sleep great and my exercise was definitely lacking in intensity and regularity while I was there, but I wouldn't have traded those two weeks for anything.   I think it's safe to say that grandma-hood is right up my alley!    Sometimes I wonder if I'd feel differently if they didn't live across the country from us, but I don't think I would.   I really liked the parenting toddler/baby stage of life and I find that 18ish years later, that still rings true for me...and it's even better as a grandparent, because I don't have to be the rule enforcer! 

 So, here's a little glimpse of the rest of our time there in Alabama.  Glen arrived on Wednesday, as did Garrett's parents,  and they blessed little Oliver Glen on Friday morning. Friday morning may be an unusual day to bless a baby, but the life of a 2nd year medical resident is not super glamorous and Friday morning was the day Garrett had off, so that's when they did it! 

Glen, Garrett, Travis (Garrett's Dad), and Graham (Garrett's brother) were in the circle to bless him.   Amy (Garrett's Mom), Cami, Lucie, and I were there to watch.   I found Oliver's blessing outfit at a cute boutique here in Utah and everyone else was dressed on the casual side.   Oliver is a pretty easy-going baby, mostly just crying when he needs something.   It was a special day and we were glad to be a part of it!  

Some other highlights of our time there, included helping Lucie perfect her potty-training skills.   Honestly, she's doing awesome and mostly just needed a little help getting to the potty in a timely manner or helping empty the potty after she goes.  There were a few messes here and there, but,  after potty-training five kids, I'd definitely say that she fell on the easy-going side of things.  

Glen and I enjoyed taking Lucie on outings and listening to what crazy thing would come out of her mouth next.   She is VERY verbal for her age (2 years and 3 months) and she is a delightful conversationalist.  She randomly quotes parts of books, she breaks into song, she asks to see our nipples, she tells us what sounds animals make, she tries to get Alexa to play certain songs, and just, in general, makes sure there's never a dull moment.    Lucie is quite fond of her "Baby Brudder" and it was fun to see how she dotes on him.

One of my tasks most days while I was there was to get Lucie out of bed, so Cami could keep sleeping.  It was a task I looked forward to for a few reasons.  First to hear what she'd say first (often quoting parts of "Caps for Sale" and telling me that the monkeys had stolen her cap or to request that we make breakfast together), but also to see what crazy bedhead she'd awakened to that morning.   

Glen's favorite task was to be the official Oliver snuggler.   He'd always loved snuggling sleeping babies back in the day when our kids were babes, so it looked really natural and invoked a bit of nostalgia to see him with Oliver snuggled into his chest for hours.   The two of us also enjoyed getting Lucie out of the house for a bit each day (with a quick errand, a trip to the zoo, or short walks around the hallways or outside).   I love how Lucie likes bringing her special "Bear Friend" with her on outings a lot of the time.  

The beautiful blanket you see Oliver wrapped in below is one that Emma knitted for him. I have done a bit of crocheting in my time, but never learned how to knit, so that is definitely a skill she learned from her Grandma Sandy!  

Glen left for home on Monday and I had two more days before it was time for me to say goodbye as well.   It was honestly one of the hardest goodbyes we'd had.   After two weeks, I felt like my bond with Lucie was stronger than it had ever been and it was so hard when she started telling everyone she was coming home on the airplane with me (as she's done before). I love that girl.   I also really enjoyed the opportunity to talk with Cami and Garrett, and of course snuggle Oliver as well.   All in all, it was a delightful visit and I hope I was at least somewhat helpful to them along the way. 

Though, I know they were good and ready to have their own space back when I left, I still am really missing them and definitely feel like I'm suffering from withdrawal pains.  It didn't help that I was coming home to a to-do list about nine miles long and a very quiet house with Glen in Saint George.  I've decided that the only way to ease these pains is to get another trip on the books as soon as possible.  Google flights...here I come! 

 

In Gigi Heaven

NEWS FLASH:   I have arrived in Alabama, which I am now referring to as "Gigi heaven", because I get to spoil my TWO grandbabies!  Baby Oliver (3 weeks old) is sweet, snuggly, easy-going, and has already stolen my heart.  His little cry is the sweetest and I'm eating up every snuggle I can get with him!    Lucie (2-years and 3ish months old) is spunky, talkative, and may be the most fiercely independent toddler I've ever met and I've had a few pretty feisty ones myself.   Oh, and did I mention that she likes to test boundaries and pull hair when she's feeling overstimulated?   

In other words, it's a party over here, but I wouldn't choose to be anywhere else in the world right now. 

Reading books together is one of the ways Lucie and I connect and she currently is obsessed with "Bill and Pete" and "Caps for Sale," which were two of my kids' favorites back in the day!  It's so fun to see these fun books delight another generation and I have to laugh at how she giggles at the same parts my kids did.    We recently discovered, "Serious Goose," by Jimmy Kimmel and it has quickly a new favorite, especially since her nickname has always been "Goose".   

Some fun(ny) things Lucie has said or done since I've been here: 
--She LOVES her dinosaur dress, which she calls her "disonaur" dress and wears it every day it's clean
--She declared that she loves football (after seeing a BYU cup)
--She follows me into the bathroom every single time  I need to go...not to watch me...but to turn off the lights and use the flashlight on my phone for a minute.   
--She likes me to sing, "Blue Sky" and "Child of God" for her every night.  
--She sleeps with her "Bear Friend" and kitty cat stuffed animals every night

--She is a little smartie pants and learns things very quickly
--She patted my chest and asked me if she could see my nipples--clearly the curious toddler of a new breastfeeding mom.  Haha !  
--She has literally potty trained herself in 2 days flat.  One day she fought using the potty tooth and nail, the next she woke up and hasn't had an accident since....even while out running errands and during nap time.  She even happily peed outside when there wasn't a bathroom around.  

--She is the sweetest big sister to Oliver and her love for him is fierce, though she is still learning to be gentle with him.  
--She calls the baby wrap Cami uses, "a wrapper" and she asks us to wrap her baby dolls up and attach them to her.   
--She totally says things like, "That's unfortunate," and  "Goodness...gracious." 
--She loves to have some of my smoothie every day and somehow manages to make quite a mess of them.   Today she was dipping her lollipop (a reward for going #2 on the potty) into the smoothie and it made me giggle!  

Oliver doesn't do much yet other than sleep, eat, and fill diapers, but those newborn days are so darn short, it’s hard not to just sit and stare at how perfect he is!  And we’ve seen the first glimpses of his smile the last couple days, which is a newborn delight that never gets old! 

It's kind of a wild experience watching your own baby become a mother and  I am loving being here and getting a front row seat for a time, especially since I remember all too well how precious and fleeting these days with young kids are.   Blink and before you know it...they're all-knowing teenagers, and then blink again and they're scattered and living all over the country, so I'm trying to slow down and drink it up while I can.   

💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

Some Firsts...

I was reading through some old blogposts the other day and was reminded of the fact that I used to blog with an effort to be at least slightly creative...sometimes even with a bit of humor.   No more though.  I hate to say it, but I'm not sure my brain thinks that way anymore and I think those days might be gone for good.  I'm just happy to be blogging again and capturing little glimpses into the stories of our lives.    Long story short....this post is about as creative as I do these days. 

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Here's a look at a few FIRSTS in our family...

 

Ellie went skiing for the FIRST time with her friend Charity.   She ended up with a grand raccoon face because she didn't get the memo about applying sunscreen in cold weather.   It sounds like it was a hit, though,  and she'd definitely do it again.   She also recently started her FIRST ever job and is enjoying that challenge. 

All these pictures of Oliver are a FIRST, because he's our very FIRST grandson and we are a wee bit obsessed. 

I'm especially enamored with the pictures of Lucie and Oliver together.  Such big pieces of my heart right there and I cannot wait to meet him for the FIRST time soon!  

This FIRST side-by-side comparison of Lucie and Oliver wearing the same outfit was fascinating to see.  Lucie was definitely a little scrawnier and had way less hair, but the family resemblance is definitely there!  

I got my FIRST bouquet of flowers in the most Utah vase possible....a Stanley-like cup from SWIG.   The flowers are beautiful and the "vase" is actually far more useful than most vases and I imagine it will get a lot of reuse!    Definitely good thinking on Glen's part!  

I actually don't know if this was Emma's FIRST Galentine's party or not, but it was my FIRST time seeing pictures of one and they made me smile!   It looked like fun and now I want to plan a Galentine's party for next year! 

This was Denali's FIRST grooming appointment where she didn't come out looking totally ridiculous.  It's close to a shave, but not as bad as the last couple times!     We are committed to staying on top of her grooming better in the future, so here's hoping for better hair days ahead for her.  Taking care of  curly hair is no joke! 

I am pleased that, despite my extreme distraction level this past week (writing a talk and having a new grandbaby will do that to me), I am making our FIRST bit of a dent on decluttering our house and beginning the process of potentially selling our house.  It's all still pretty far down the road, but the decluttering needed to happen anyway and I was happy to donate several boxes of clothes and books to DI, 4 boxes of homeschooling books to a new library that's coming to our community, and also to give away a few items on the Buy Nothing group.  Progress is good.

  

On Sunday, I gave my FIRST talk in over 2 years.   There was a point in my life when I rather enjoyed the process of diving into a gospel topic and gathering and sharing my thoughts on it, but I felt VERY out of practice this time around and it was a bit more of a slog.    I did it though, and, while I wouldn't say I necessarily enjoyed it, I didn't hate how it went either.  I got a few texts, emails, and in-person comments after church...some asking for links to resources and quotes, so I guess it was okay at least.   Speaking of which, I received one of my favorite compliments ever after church on Sunday.   One of our Sunday School girls (from when we taught youth Sunday School when we first moved to the ward) came and tracked me down to tell me that she not only liked my talk, but that she really really missed us as her teachers and hoped that we could be her teacher again someday.  It made me very happy!   
 

Yay for lots of FIRSTS!   Have a great week! 

 

 

Marching Onward

 A peek at the last couple weeks, including a little announcement at the end:  

Ellie's been in the Phoenix area staying with a friend from BYU-I, while they work and go on an adventure in a few weeks.  I miss her here at home, but glad she gets this experience...especially since it would be incredibly boring here at home.    Being able to attend a vibrant YSA ward (the one in our community is a bit on the older side), having someone to go to institute and temple prep classes with, and just having a friend to hang out with is a good thing for her.  Not to mention she would have been stuck at home while I head to Alabama soon.

Glen and I went to a ballet performance at BYU of one of Adam's friends from Virginia.  Bella is a stunning dancer...so light and graceful on her feet...and it was a delight to see! 

 I went down to Saint George with Glen not this past week, but the week before.  I enjoyed the milder weather and the opportunity to spend the week with him.  We attended the Saint George temple together for the first time.  It's been closed for renovations for the last few years and only recently reopened.  It's a beautiful temple and I LOVED the colorful celestial room!    Click here to see pictures of it. 

I've been mostly exercising indoors at home (thanks to the wintry weather and all of the  public restrooms being closed for the winter), so I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to walk outside WITHOUT bundling up...

Speaking of Saint George, we are just starting the process of trying to wrap things up up here, so I can join him there permanently.   There are LOTS and LOTS of very complicated emotions  that are involved with starting down this path and I've found myself crying about it more than a few times, but we feel like it's the right way forward.  I imagine it will be a slow process, since getting a house ready to sell is about 1,208,599th on my list of favorite things to do and we have a new grandbaby I'll be trekking to Alabama to meet soon (!!!), but moving boxes have been purchased and the process is beginning.    It may take a long time and we may yet change our minds, but this is the plan for now.  Wish me luck.   I'm going to need it. 

Oh, Happy, Happy Day!

On a hot summer day about 26-1/2 years ago, a friend snapped this picture of us after church just days before I gave birth to Cami.  She was overdue and I remember walking many miles trying to get her to come on her own, but she stubbornly stayed put and had to be induced to come.

Fast forward to early Monday morning and Cami and Garrett snapped this picture on their way to the hospital for Cami to give birth to their second child.    She was scheduled to be induced later that morning, but went into labor on her own and bypassed the waiting time.

A few hours later...Oliver Glen was born. 

Oliver weighed 8 lbs. 1 oz.  and is perfect in every way. Cami had had had some minor health issues pop up during her pregnancy, but overall it was an uneventful labor and delivery. 

We are already completely smitten with sweet little Oliver and can't wait to meet him in a couple weeks (when Garrett's paternity leave is over).   I am over the moon to be on Gigi duty again!

Oh, happy, happy day!