Here, There and Everywhere - Post-Session Here We Come!

Busy week - seems like a long time since the session has been over, but really, it's only been a week. I think when life changes so dramatically, it just seems like another life. Last Monday night Gary actually came home. Like, for dinner and stuff. Then, he prepared an FHE lesson while I did the dishes. THEN we had FHE all together, and afterward all of my energy wasn't totally sapped because I'd done it all myself. Regular? Maybe, but I really appreciate it. It's nice to appreciate things. Most of all we love having Gary with us. Today Josh said, "Since it's Sunday, it makes me think it's the session." He said that's because during the session that's the only time he'd see his dad. The kids are all in on the gratitude, too. Well, except for Andrew whose meltdowns have increased ten-fold this week. I think he's got a problem with change, even good change.

Having Gary around allowed me to go to Relief Society (hooray, awesome night) and community council (oh, my, I still have a headache from that). Hopped around to other places like the ENT on Wednesday (I don't need surgery, and the ENT has lots of ways to help me through sinus stuff, hooray!), and an awesome field trip for preschool on Thursday. We were on jet planes, but we weren't leaving . . . we got to see everything in the Sky West hangar because one of the dads is a pilot. We got to get in the planes and see anything we wanted inside. The kids loved sitting down in a seat, buckling their seat belts, pulling down the tray tables, and looking through the safety info and Sky Mall magazine. My kids have never flown when old enough to remember, so it was a super thrill. Even kids who have flown before never get that much free reign. We got to look in the cockpit, and up into the belly of the plane to see all of the wiring. The pilot ran one of the tests in the cockpit, which made the flight controls vibrate. The kids were in heaven. We also got to see into a few of the engines. Wow-ie, SO complicated. And expensive. One engine costs 2.5 million dollars, and just one blade costs $12,000 since they're made of titanium. You will love seeing the pictures of the kiddos having their VIP moments someday.

On Wednesday we were outside shooting hoops when we heard a track meet being announced at the high school, so we took our barefoot entourage and scooted over there. We climbed to the top and cheered our loudest for our school. It was adorable to see the kids' devotion. At the end of the girls' 800m, there was a straggler. Poor girl was behind by at least 100 meters. I suggested we cheer for her, and the kids went wild. Andrew said, "She wants a drink." 

Friday was yet another fun day - field trip to the Utah Museum of Natural History for Josh, and Utah county stuff for the rest of us. Josh actually requested a homemade lunchable this year, so I guess it's awesome and not pitiful. The kiddos and I stopped at IKEA and found a hammock we want, but instead stuck with our plan to replace the pad for the chair in Andrew's room. Also, Andrew picked up a pack of hangers and asked if he could buy them. We'd been needing some nice ones like that, so I said, "Yeah, Dad will like that." Later on Andrew was SO proud that he'd bought something for his dad. Funny critter. Next we made our way to Provo where we ate lunch with Holly at Kneaders. That was everyone's favorite part of the day, but with fun company and yummy food, it was a lock from the beginning. Finished up with the big "must-do," which was having Lindy cut my hair. It had been a long while, and she seriously does better than anybody else. She's been living in her new house for about 10 months, and it's adorable. Craftsman, pretty colors, white kitchen, fun moldings . . . anyway, if you know her you'll be interested. We got home from our adventure just in time to have kids over while their parents went to the temple, so the fun kept on until it was time for the kids to crash and mom and dad to watch a movie. Perfection.

You'd think I'd be done, but actually Saturday I went somewhere, too. Wow, I was really getting it all out of my system, usually I'm so home-bound. I went to the Utah Early Childhood conference, and it was especially amazing. Now I'm inspired to get my kids doing wood-working and attending a forest kindergarten. While that may not happen, I did come home with goodies, as usual, and right away we investigated Bernoulli's principle with the wind sock thing I had, and role played Three Billy Goats Gruff with my new wooden figures. Weird thing was, I almost didn't make it there because it was snowing like crazy on the way there. Luckily I had someone with me to keep me from going nuts staring at the snow. Saturday night I took Lissy out grocery shopping, and she loved it. Ah, cutie. Kind of a sick cutie, but what's new. Today I taught Sunday school on sharing the gospel. It was a good conversation and I felt the spirit, but I've never felt so lacking while teaching - I've got to get my gospel-sharing self going!