Home Again

Four states, 11 hours, one snow storm, 3 gas stops, one crazy lady begging for a ride, one trip to the St George outlets, a desert crossing with high wind advisory, a heart stopping near miss with a coyote, and zero speeding tickets. It's good to be home!

Good Things

 A 3 day mountain biking trip is a good reason reason for my mom to drive to Utah.  A new nephew was a good excuse for me to make the trip with her.  

Watching Tara introduce herself to him for the first time was a sweet thing

But watching Ashlyn hold him was even sweeter.

 Having a good excuse to drive to Utah when our ski season in California is already over is another  really good thing.

 But 17" of snow in the 3 days leading up to my visit was GREAT!

 Trying to navigate a new mountain in these conditions isn't so good, but once I found several runs that were just my speed, the skiing was FABULOUS!

Two days of shopping, two Cafe Rio Salads in two days, and two awesome sisters at the very end of two very long days are all super good things

One darling nephew, one visit with a college roommate, and one trip to Orange Leaf makes for one good but very fast trip

One long drive home starting very early tomorrow morning and my bed tomorrow night will be sounding good!

Spring Soccer and My Sister

We decided to sign little miss up for spring soccer when we got a message from her awesome coaches that they were going to get the whole fall team together again to play.

The game could not have been any further away from our house and still be in town 

and I was starting to regret signing her up.

But once again that smile lit up her face as she played and I knew it was worth it!

Brynne was beyond thrilled to have Grandpa there as one of her cheerleaders and sometimes footrest

 But mostly cause he's the best to snuggle with!

But the best surprise was that Tara came back to town on her own for a quick weekend trip and arrived just in time for the game!

I was thrilled to have her back to hang with me again, but it clearly was a treat for Brynne as well!

Bye Bye Baby!

My little toe headed baby boy is growing up way too fast!

He is still the best big brother

And loves to play

His toys are just a bit more expensive now!

And instead of pushing them along the carpet, he really can drive them!

One of his best friends is a girl who's known him since 3rd grade, Miss Hailey Manes.

She and Maddy were determined to make his 16th birthday a good one.  

They asked if they could come over early and decorate a little before he woke up and brought over a nice homemade breakfast. They spent half of the day hanging out at our house as good friends came and went.  He even had another cute girl bring him a cake that she had made!

For weeks I'd been asking him how he wanted to celebrate, what he wanted to do.  Finally late Saturday afternoon he decided he just wanted to have some of his friends come over and watch movies.

 But on the big screen at the park next door to my parents house.  

 My dad has the best set up for all of this and is always happy to help get things ready.

 You can never go wrong with a classic movie like Sandlot

 As it got late and the crowd dwindled and the other kids came home from their friends houses we all ended up at the park

 The kids all clamoring for Grandpas lap

Wes had great day spent with his friends and we all loved the movie at the park.  Thinking it may be a weekly tradition for all of the kids friends this summer.  But as we were taking down our outdoor theater, and the busyness of the day was over the reality of things settled in.  My little baby boy is now 16.  

My baby is gone and I am the proud mom of an awesome young man.  He will be driving and dating, and in just two short years he will be gone. It seems the years have flown past too quickly!

One Year Older and Wiser Too!

From the time we are born birthdays are a big deal.  The day we arrive into our families every known relative is contacted pictures are shared and everyone celebrates you.  You are way too tiny to even understand that you are a big deal, but it's true, you totally are.  It's all about you!

In elementary school your birthday and the party are a huge deal.  In fact they're such a big deal that an invitation to a birthday party is a commodity that gives 7 year olds leverage year round!  "Oh yeah, well then I'm not inviting you to my birthday party..."  Guaranteed that would be one of the answers on Family Feud for statements heard on the playground. 

The teenage years are noted more for those milestone birthday's like the one when you officially become a teenager and miraculously know everything.  Then when you turn 16 and can date and drive yourself anywhere you want to go with out waiting for it to be convenient for someone else to take you, and you inadvertently become taxi driver number two in your household.  Then that 18th birthday when adulthood and that elusive freedom are finally yours.

Sometime shortly after that though we are supposed to be too mature to act like we really care at all.  We might make a big deal of turning thirty and feeling like we are finally adults for reals, or our 40th birthday the one that everyone warns you your body starts to hate you after. Then comes the 50th where you can't deny it any longer you really are a grown up but you're also finally comfortable in your own skin and hopefully are proud of the adult you've become.  

But still every year, no matter the age, we have come to expect that day to be all about you, whether you admit it to anyone else, including yourself, or not.  Just one day a year where you should be able to do what you want to do, eat what and where you want, and treat yourself to a few extra perks.

 I totally thought that I didn't really care about all of that stuff until this year.  I spent a lot of my birthday  alone and nothing really seemed to work out in my favor.  Good friends and family in town were a few less than they have been in recent years, and their absences were especially felt that day.  

 I ended up taking Brynne to get a pedicure and took Wes and Brynne out to dinner with me because the rest of the family had other commitments.  The day wasn't entirely business as usual though.  Wes and Carter posted sweet messages on Instagram, and  Carter sent the cutest flower bouquet that looked just like a cupcake!  Brynne and Drew made a sweet happy birthday banner and taped it to my bedroom door.  Brynne also called one of my friends while I was at the gym and asked her to take me to lunch so my "birthday wouldn't be TOTALLY boring!"  but my friend was up to her eyeballs in throwing a birthday party for one of her kids. Seriously though, how cute was Brynne for even trying, and totally on her own?!  I was so grateful for the effort all of my kids had made to make me feel loved.

And they weren't the only ones.  By the end of night Facebook informed me I'd had 106 friends wish me a happy birthday, I'd had a handful of texts and phone calls and a couple of friends had come by to drop off treats or a gift that night.  Jeff had come home with cake and ice cream and a gift. I even had a friend come by in her jammies to help me tackle that amazing chocolate cake when everyone else had scattered off in their own directions.

So the night wrapped up much better than the day had gone and since then I've had a couple of "birthday lunches" with friends.  I've felt loved by so many, but I'm determined to plan better next year.  I don't want to spend another birthday mostly alone.  Because even if that day is supposed to be all about me, I've come to learn that I'm all about the people I care about and I'm happiest when I'm with them.  One year older and wiser too...

Sweets and Treats of Easter 2013

One of the best things about Easter are the treats that the marketing world has decided "goes" with Easter.  Like the super yummy Cadbury eggs.  I love the big cream ones, like really really love them.  Not to worry though, like the rest of the general population, I love the mini's too.  Yeah the ones with the hard candy shells and creamy smooth milk chocolate in the middle...pretty much perfection in candy as far as I'm concerned.  But who do you think came up with the idea of an Easter bunny?  Okay, fine we can let a bunny be the symbol of this religious holiday, but then why the eggs, like chicken eggs? From a bunny? Seriously makes zero sense to me but whatever, this girls not gonna complain about her chocolate!   

Usually I don't mind coloring all the hard boiled eggs that don't make sense, in all sorts of beautiful colorful creations.  This year I just was not feeling it.  I was just too tired.  I'd had a horrible migraine and been feeling generally fatigued for a couple of weeks now, and the big egg dying party with my kids and Tara's that we had planned sounded like it would require way more energy than I had. Yeah I know that last statement is one close friends never thought they'd hear from me.  No energy, yeah right, but sadly its totally true.  So this year I passed the buck to Jeff.  He got to be the fun dad coloring eggs with all the little ones...They thought that was a real treat!

Due to the most amazing downpour that I was awake listening to at 4 am Sunday, it was way too wet to have out outdoor egg hunt.  So we kicked everybody out to my house and did it inside my mom's.  It was such a treat to open the door to all these cute kids ready for church with their baskets (or bags, cause they're "too old for easter baskets") ready for the hunt.

I loved watching these sweet girls gathering up their goodies

And laughed as these guys went selectively through only grabbing a few of their favorite treats. 

It was so sweet to have all of us together on a Sunday again

We waited too long to get a picture of all the adults.  My dad left early for church because he had been asked to speak.  My dad is amazing and I love the way he teaches and presents to a group.  He knows how to make you feel whatever he's talking about.  When you're feeling something you're not easily distracted and you're more likely to remember it.   I will not be forgetting his sweet testimony shared this Easter Sunday. I love my dad.

And I'm not gonna lie, riding in Ms B going anywhere is always a treat!  We all rode to church together and remembered when we had gone to a ward in Santa Cruz in the bus with all of the Bohn, Greenlaw,  VanWagenen, and Rickards crew.  When we showed up at church in the bus and people just kept coming and coming out of the bus we joked that we looked like one of those kidnapper vans sneaking across the border.  (Yep totally aware that it's probably not politically correct to share that, but c'mon you know exactly what I'm talking about!)

This time when we got to church the Greenlaws pulled in right behind us.  Corey said he thought to himself, "Hey how sweet someone went and picked up all the old ladies and brought them to church for Easter!"  and then he saw me step out. Instead of it dawning on him that Tara and Jason might be in town, his first thought was, "hey wait, why is Jen getting out of the old lady bus?!" THEN it dawned on him...

Our church programs include singing from the younger children 3-11 years old on most holidays.  Drew falls into this category for only a few more weeks,  and feels way too mature to be up singing with the younger kids, but went reluctantly up after some encouragement form his brothers (totally in jest), and from his mother (totally serious).  

His brothers and cousins thought it would be so sweet to make awesome faces at him the entire time he was singing to try to get him to crack up laughing while he was up there.

My brilliant sister suggested I snap a few pictures of them doing so...

Which I happily shared with Drew.  Just to be sweet, he shared all of their lovely faces on instagram.  

My grandparents came over to join us for dinner right after church.  It's always a treat to see them!

When I asked the guys to get together for a picture wouldn't you know my sweet Grandpa would be the one to give me his backside and let me know it was his BEST side!

My Wes.  Most weeks he keeps his Sunday clothes on long after everyone else.   Not sure how comfortable that might be but for some reason I just find it kind of sweet to see him still in is suit and tie 

Ashlyn and Brynne got matching little dresses and cardigans this week and were so dang cute in them, but when I tried to get a picture they refused to treat me with anything but this super silly one with their arms tucked up inside their sleeves.  Sweet.

This little love takes her time warming up to anybody.  So when she lets you hold her and love on her it is a special treat!

Having my dad and my son working together in the kitchen to get dinner ready was sweet

Not having to make the rolls this year and getting lots of help from all the family in the food prep was a treat for sure!

As close as I have always been with my grandma, I don't think we have ever taken a three generations picture.  I now wish I would have grabbed Brynne to make it four, but still getting one with the three of us is a treat. 

Can you feel the love Grandpa has for his grandkids.   

Can you see the way we all adore him?

This is pure and genuine sweetness.

The best treat was after dinner having all the guys in working on the dishes til they were all the way done!!! Wahooo!

Of course whenever Grandma comes to visit we have to get in a good card game.  It's such a treat for her!

The treat for us was that my Grandpa actually played!  I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen that happen!!

And in the other room my dad was sweetly playing a game of headbands with the little girls.  Totally melts me!

In the middle of all of this my dad came in and said, "Jen there is the awesomest lightning storm going on outside right now I just know you'll love it come on out!"

We all went out and quietly sat on the back porch balcony and listened to the rain pelt the water in the pool and drip off the flowers in the pots of the porch.  We were treated to the best light show I've seen in years.  Best way to end a sweet day was with a treat like that!