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Sunday, June 30, 2013

Family


Two weeks ago we had one of those packed weeks where everyone's activities seemed to involve Mom in the car and had me question my judgement in trying not to overschedule.  I have decided that I need some calm spaces in the summer to tackle projects like laundry or weeds or bills otherwise I get to be a grump.  But it was a fun week.  Allison did swimming every morning and then came home to get ready to leave 15 minutes later for a story telling camp at UVU with her friend.  Spencer continued with cross fit and tennis lessons.  Robyn did swimming every morning and then was off to a different park every day with activities through a rec center program - crafts, cooking, swimming pool, movie theater etc.  Taylor was doing summer school for a few days.  And then we threw in a swimming pool trip and a concert at the park and it was just a week that required some good scheduling and a touch of insanity.

But late Thursday night a tired brother's family arrived from Denver and the fun and stay-cation commenced!  (I know Mimi and Jeremy have amazing pictures of all our fun.  But these are my handy dandy little camera in my purse photos)   We have never had my brother's family visit us during the summer and we packed in as many summer activities that we wanted to share with them that we could.  We just love their family so and everything stops when they come so we can just enjoy every minute with them.  Friday morning we got to hear Allison's final storytelling presentation and then we went up to This is the Place park.  I needed to redeem myself after taking them there in November and realizing that is not a fun time to visit it.  We only were able to do a small fraction of the activities there and Allison made me promise to go back.  Friday night was full of pizza, movies and Trader Joe goodness.

That week was our city's Strawberry Days.  So Saturday morning we went to our city parade.  We are blessed to have a friend who lives along the parade route so we went to his house for a pancake breakfast and to set up chairs in prime viewing spots.  Kids dive for candy and freebies that get thrown out and wave at all the floats.  Mimi and I snuck away to Kneaders later for a little girl time lunch and for Mimi to spoil our family silly with Kneaders treats.  Then off to the pool to cool down.  And thanks to our respite worker taking Taylor and later Daniel's baby boy Matthew we were off to the rodeo.  Matthew did have to make a token appearance to show off his cowboy duds but then he went home to sleep.  We gobbled up rodeo hamburgers and strawberries and cream.  We watched in awe some of the cowboys, the dirt bike half time show and the fireworks after.  It was an awesome night.  (I laughed as my kids thanks to Mimi's influence decided they better dress the part.  Allison wore her cowboy boots - with polka dotted socks and shorts.  Robyn and Spencer broke out button down shirts and jeans and even TUCKED THEM IN - an unheard of event around here)


Sunday was some tired kids with early church and naps were had as Daniel and family visited with friends.  Then we talked, visited, roasted hot dogs and s'mores and just enjoyed some family time.  We even had a great excuse to send kids to bed early as the next day...

We went to Lagoon!  Melissa came and spent the day with Taylor to make life easier for all of us.  A day at an amusement park is not his favorite thing.  It was the only day that was a little bit overcast which made the unheated water of Lagoona beach just a little chilly.  Kids didn't seem to care a bit though and played till their teeth chattered.  We rode rides, ate a backpack full of snacks, Spencer even got in some big kid rides.  Everyone left after almost 12 hours, happy and worn out.  (My one regret is urging my little niece to go on Wicked a super adrenaline rushing roller coaster.  She was a trooper but I really don't think she enjoyed it at all.  Not to mention the haunted house ride where little girls wanted to know why those beautiful women were being tied up.  Not my best auntie moments!)
Matthew was a hot commodity!  Allison and I passed him back and forth like a delicious treat.


The kids loved the century ride which was a crazy high merry go round swing.  It was just scary to watch them!

Tuesday Daniel volunteered to stay home with little kids while Mimi, Allison and I indulged in a visit to Taipan trading.  To show how tied kiddos were Robyn didn't wake up till lunch time!  And Matthew started to enjoy the sleeping arrangements less and less so Daniel and Mimi I think were getting a little punch drunk by the end with lack of sleep but that didn't stop our last day of fun together.
Allison had a Activity Days camp to go to in the afternoon where they go do the cub scout camp only with girls.  Daniel took Spencer on a long bike ride to Provo - brave, brave man.  The little girls and Mimi , Matthew and I got to go to the Princess festival at Thanksgiving Point.  Girls were in little princess heaven wondering around on 'adventures' and 'quests', meeting all the different storybook characters and being in costume.

 Then things started wrapping up.  I had to go do a pack meeting for a little bit.  We packed up, did one last bath together, treat run for milk shakes and visit.  Claire and Robyn giggled and talked together for a long time that night in their beds.  Wednesday we sadly said good-bye to family and returned to a quiet, lonely reality of being by ourselves again.  So with every a little hung over from family fun we dove back into jobs and laundry and regular life.  I must have been a bit grumpy as Allison has given me a hug and asked if I was tired (of course this is usually late at night so I usually snap Yes I am and now get to bed! - no mom awards will ever be handed out in this house after 9 pm.)

A heat wave has rolled in which has made every day go was over 100 degrees.  Yesterday we had Jason and Kelly's kids over for a cousin night and we spent the late afternoon at the pool. Taylor would not stop laughing and chortling as he tried to submerge his whole body under water.  He has been having some good days lately.

Friday night Jeremy and I got to have a date.  Dinner, shopping for hiking boots and seeing the play 'Guys and Dolls'.  The play was awesome and we even stopped by for chocolate cake on the way home.  If I can have a night like that once a week I can be happy all the other days.  Jeremy has been doing a lot of photography lately.  I haven't been bringing up some of his latest things but he has had a picture picked by Deseret book for their calendar, done a bunch of family sessions, teaching events, just for fun events and even had a picture of his on a billboard.  So he is having to pick and choose more what he does just to keep his schedule from getting too overloaded.



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