Legos + Potty Humor + Field Trips = Tired

If you dropped by our house recently, you would have found bowls of half-eaten Apple Jacks and Life Cereal, candy wrappers, Taki crumbs, and wrappers from various fast food restaurants we never usually go to.   

Additionally, there were piles of Legos and cars on every flat surface in the house....

No, I haven't taken up Legos and junk food in my middle age....but we did watch our nephews-- Manuel and Isaiah, while their Mom, brother, and sister took a spring break trip to Washington DC and NYC!  

Manuel and Isaiah are 8 and 9 years old, which meant we had A LOT more potty humor happening in our house than we've had in many years!  Cards Against Humanity (Family Edition) is pretty epic for kids this age.  It was good reading practice and had them rolling on the floor in laughter (mostly at the silly potty humor  that is plentiful in this game)! 

We also had a lot more random field trips to places we normally don't go, including mini golf, the country store to see the baby chicks and bunnies....

We went to the aquarium...

We made a visit to the butterfly biosphere in Thanksgiving Point.... 

And the dinosaur museum....

Denali got lots of extra love....

We made cookies for Nana...

And then brought them to her....

I was a wee bit tired at the end of the time we had them, but they are sweet boys and I was glad to give my sister the opportunity to take her other kids on their own adventure!  💗

Easter Bunnying

The older our kids have gotten, the more laid back our holidays have become.   What fun is the Easter Bunny when your kids don't even like candy (much) anymore?   Or when you wouldn't dare buy an item of clothing for any one of your five children, because chances are, they wouldn't wear it in a million years.   Combine that with Glen being in Colorado for the weekend helping his mom with a few things, so I decided I needed to liven things up a little. 

Instead of playing Easter Bunny for my kids, I decided I'd be Easter Bunny for a whole lot of other people.   First off, I made a bunch of little goodie bags...

and printed this note for about 10 missionaries (some of Adam's friends, some of my Thailand peeps, a young man from our ward, and Adam of course), and enclosed a pack of small pictures of Jesus!   Then I traipsed to the post office and sent them off all over the country!

Sadly, I doubt that a single person received them before Easter, but, hopefully they'll smile anyway.  

Then, I realized that I bought waaaaaaaaaay too much candy and I decided to make a bunch more goodie bags...

This time the goodie bags were for kids at church who brought me pictures of Christ at the end of church on Easter Sunday.   Yes, I bribe children for pictures of Jesus.  No, I am not embarrassed by this fact whatsoever.   In fact, I rather enjoy being the candy / picture of Jesus lady at church and I was quite happy with my picture haul!   They'll take care of the artwork for the cover of the program for weeks!    

 

So don't mind how completely exhausted I look in this picture...or all pictures, for that matter...

But it was very fun to have Ellie (freshly home from Vietnam), and Emma up from BYU for the day.   Spence was also there, but, for whatever odd reason, he didn't voluntarily join me for any pictures.  If you could see the live version of this one taken a few days before, you'll see he was still for about 1.7 seconds and was ducking out by the end.   😂

It was very fun to have Emma and Ellie together for the first time in a few months.  The G Girls vibes were strong and there was a lot of loud singing along to Disney songs, laughter, and much cooking going on.   Sadly, we were off our game in the kitchen that fine day and most of the food was lackluster and bland.    The best part of the meal was this cake Emma made and the ham and rolls my Mom and Heather brought with them!   

Speaking of Easter dinners, I was happy to hear that Adam and his companion were invited to several!  They only ended up eating one, but it sounds like it was a good day.   Four of the people they are teaching opted to sing with the ward choir for Easter, so that ended up being a special experience for them.  

Last but not least, what would a holiday recap be without pictures from my favorite Alabamans?!   Lucie and her matching friends were as adorable as can be...

And check out this over the top preciousness!   I adore these peeps and can't wait for them to come visit in a couple weeks. 

Also, let's take a closer look at that last cheesy grin!   I'm dying at the cuteness!    😁

Hope you all had a very happy Easter!   💗

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...

.

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!