Triumphant Return

We have our Daddy back! Josh flew in to Salt Lake yesterday after finishing his internship in Dallas. Not only are we happy to have ten weeks of separation behind us, we are also rejoicing over the fact that Josh was offered a job as a consultant with BCG after he finishes school.

It took us less than 24 hours to consider the offer. Josh signed on Thursday.

We are excited and feel very blessed. Yes, I did tell Joshua as we headed to Wharton that I would go anywhere after school except Texas, but I knew the moment I said it that I was cursing myself. Such is life. Some things are too good to pass up.

I knew when I returned from Texas to Utah that the rest of the summer was going to fly by. It is. While I’m trying to slow things down a little for the girls so they can recover some sleep, I am desperately trying to wrap up all the projects I have started this summer. Like any mother I have a whole stack of things I really want to finish when I have time. I am determined not to add to that stack. This week, I altered the dresses I sewed for the girls so they fit a little better. I worked on felt dolls. I cleaned up the play room at my parents and sorted through all the toys. That may not sound like a lot, but it took all my time.

The adventure of the week was a quick trip up to Island Park. Friday we drove up to Jackson and spent the night at Doug and Carrie’s house. Saturday morning we headed to Island Park. Our first stop was checking on the progress of Idylwolf, Mom and Dad’s new home which they are building. The car I was riding in was full of the women: Mom, Carrie, and me. As we pulled up and saw framing on the main floor (it was much further along than we expected) we all started squealing with excitement. It reminded me of driving up to Pemberly when we visited England. Walking through the real structure was amazing. We have spent so much time dreaming and looking at plans that seeing the actual structure framed in and looking like it would turn into a house was great fun. The property is beautiful. The design is incredible. I can’t wait to visit next summer!

Our next adventure was floating down the Snake River in canoes, one of our favorite Island Park activities. We explored some great little inlets and saw some pretty birds. The girls loved riding in the front of the canoe and dragging their hands in the water. I think those few hours were some of the most peaceful I have spent all summer.

The greatest misfortune of the trip was carsickness. Mom, Dad, Alan, Kate, Jane and I all rode in my car because we didn’t want to split up. That was a grand idea except that Kate didn’t do so well. We had four car rides and four unfortunate incidents. The good new is that we are so used to such problems that we were well prepared with ziplock bags, baby wipes, and clorox wipes for emergency clean up. Nonetheless, it’s pretty nasty. The quote of the week is slightly gross. Kate puked for the last time just a couple of miles away from my parents’ house. It was huge. Just before we left we had a crepe feast with every kind of berry imaginable and, unfortunately it all came up again. I caught it all in a bag and Jane saw it as I was passing it out of the car. Jane looked up at me and said, “Mom, did Kate puke a smoothie?”

Texas Adventures

We just returned from our trip to Texas. Here is what I learned during my first visit to the Lone Star State:

Texas is hot.

Six and a half weeks is not long enough for girls to forget their Daddy.

When there is nothing blocking the horizon the sky looks huge.

Children can be entertained in a bachelor pad no longer than overnight.

Weekends at fancy resorts are delightful when someone else is paying.

Playing in the water is the solution to heat.

The fact that 80’s fashions are coming back is frightening.

Sewing projects are always harder than they should be.

Once in a while you should have a donut for breakfast.

Running at noon in August in Texas is not a good idea.

Barbecues are one of the highlights of summer.

We like bats. Bats eat bugs.

I’ll never forget looking out the window of our rental car when I was just about to explode with frustration after an early flight, the single mother act through the airport, the rental car procedure, navigating an unfamiliar city, and taking two hot and tired girls to eat lunch at a restaurant. I looked up and there was Joshua, dressed in a suit, smiling and waving at us from across the street. The girls started screaming and bouncing up and down in their seats. It was a race away from the comfort of the air conditioning and into the comfort of Daddy’s arms.

We had quite a night at the bachelor pad. We ate peanut butter sandwiches (that was the extent of the menu) while sitting on the floor (no table or chairs) and looked at the blank white walls (not a single thing hung on any wall in the entire apartment). The girls slept in the closet on Josh’s sleeping bag, which he has been using as bedding all summer. Josh and I slept on the bed sharing one pillow and covered with a single sheet. We swam in the pool the next morning (I’m sure Kate and Jane were the first two children ever to swim in that pool) and then we all showered and dried off using the same towel. As a souvenir from our trip to Glacier, we had brought Josh a bottle of huckleberry syrup. He and Kate went out in the morning and bought some pancake mix. We used the tiny frying pan to make one pancake at a time and had a lovely picnic breakfast on the floor.

Just as the girls were realizing that there isn’t much to do in a bachelor pad, we packed up and headed down to Austin where BCG put us up at the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort for the weekend. We had a delightful time. It was great to be together in such a fun, relaxed environment. The girls went for a pony ride and decided they were real Texas cowgirls. We ate great food. I met several of Josh’s co-workers. We roasted marshmallows. We went for a shopping spree in the gift shop, compliments of BCG. We watched Robin Hood projected on a big screen outside on the green. We explored the hotel and had Bluebell ice cream cones. But the highlight by far was the lazy river swimming pool. We spent most of the day Saturday floating or swimming along the lazy river with an occasional break for trips down the water slide. The girls were glued to their Dad, especially Jane.

Each night the girls would go to Camp Hyatt and we would attend a dinner with all the BCG folks. The second night was an 80’s party. Josh introduced me to his Project Leader that night who was wearing a white dress shirt and boxers--slightly awkward, slightly amusing. Ah, the memories: slap bracelets, short basketball shorts, leg warmers, stone wash, florescent colors, hammer pants. I found it interesting that all the Partners from BCG wore light colored suits to the dinner while the young folk wore the fine fashions we remembered as kids. As uncomfortable as I feel dressing up for events like that, it ended up being a pretty fun evening.

Once BCG stopped footing the bill we left the resort and went to the LaPierre’s house in Austin. They greeted us with their famous baked beans and graciously welcomed the Woodford invasion of their home. The LaPierres are the kind of friends that, if unfortunately life demands, you can go for months or even years without seeing and then when you get back together you pick up where you left off and have a grand time. They treated us royally. The girls were in heaven playing with Sophie and Travis and I was in heaven playing with Lisa. We cooked, sewed, talked, shopped, and went swimming at least once a day. From the time Josh left us on Sunday to the time he came to pick us up the next Friday we were as happy as could be. In fact, we were so sad to go that we had to had to have a family bawl to get the girls (and myself) out the door without a meltdown.

For our grand finale weekend in Texas we went to Jon and Laura’s house. We pretty much had the perfect day on Saturday. We drove a few minutes down the road to a lake and Josh played with the Grace and our girls on a playground while I ran a 5K loop around the lake. It was beautiful. I have never seen so many varieties of dragonflies, a nice diversion to help you avoid thinking about the heat and the fact that you are running. When I finished we switched roles and I took the kids home while Josh and Jon, who had met us there after his bike ride with the boy scouts, ran the same loop. We found out that running at noon in Texas is not a great idea. In fact, we just about melted. To fix that we all went for a long swim in the neighborhood pool. Kate was so excited to show her dad all her new tricks: jumping off the side, playing alligator in the kiddie pool, dunking her head under the water, and even “swimming!” To top the day off we had a barbecue in Jon and Laura’s back yard and then after the kids were in bed we watched a movie. When you only have one full day together you simply have to make the most of it, which we most definitely did.

After going to church and lounging around most of Sunday we headed back to Dallas and the bachelor pad. The next day Josh went back to work. We had pancakes for breakfast, peanut butter for lunch, shared towels again, and then packed up and headed back to Utah.

The take home lesson from the trip: Texas isn’t so bad as long as you have friends, family, and swimming pools near at hand. ☺

Glacial Adventures

A few years ago I found a fool proof recipe for perfect Thanksgiving mashed potatoes. Here are the instructions: (1) Walk into my parents’ house with a large sack of Idaho potatoes (2) In the presence of my brother, Alan, mention that you have been asked to bring mashed potatoes to Thanksgiving dinner (3) Go outside to play football in the family Turkey Bowl. Upon re-entering the house you will find a bowl heaping with picture perfect mashed potatoes.

Now I also know the fool proof formula for an ideal family vacation. Here are the instructions to follow: (1) Hang around in the room while Greg & Shannon are planning their summer vacation (2) Look very poor and pitiful (mentioning the fact that you missed the Woodford family campout because you and your children were sick) until they invite you to join them (3) Let Shannon plan all the meals (4) Let Greg bring all the gear (5) Show up, try to help out where you can, and throughly enjoy yourself.

We spent the last week camping in Glacier National Park. Greg and Shannon rented an RV for their family and we trailed along in their car and slept in our tent. Glacier National Park is beautiful! The scenery reminded me a lot of places you see when you are backpacking. The difference is that you are driving in your car or hiking just a few miles to get there. We hiked across glaciers, explored the mountainside just feet away from wild mountain goats, saw beautiful waterfalls, made fairy houses in tree stumps, roasted marshmallows, enjoyed night time thunder storms, and got caught hiking in heavy rain and hail. I was reminded again how much I love being outdoors. Somehow keeping your spirits up and looking out for your children when hiking, even in rain and snow, is much easier than wiping up the fourth glass of spilled milk and picking up the toys for the ninetieth time. Something in nature rejuvenates you faster than life can deplete you.

The girls loved every second of playing in the dirt, sleeping in the tent, and especially playing with their cousins. It was easy to get them to sleep at night because they were so exhausted from their adventures of the day. Jane called the tent her “fancy hotel.” I would tuck her in and zip up the tent and then I would hear her little voice say, “Mom?” I would say, “What Jane Jane?” “I love you,” she would say and I would walk back to the fire a happy mommy.

Kate was a great hiker. I was carrying Jane in a pack on my back, so I couldn’t carry Kate. She held my hand or her Grandma’s hand or her cousin’s hand and bravely hiked along. After two difficult hikes on consecutive days I thought she would be ready for a change of pace. We were discussing whether we should attempt a canoe trip or something a little different and she pipped in, “I want to go hiking right now!”

One day we drove up The Road to the Sun. It is a beautiful road that climbs up a glacial valley. We hopped out of the car at almost every turn to take a picture. One of the stops was right on the edge of a hundred foot drop off. Of course, Kate and Jane went right over to the stone barrier and lay on their tummies on top of it to look down (I had a firm hold on the backs of their shirts). Just ahead of where we were stopped was a stunning waterfall and then the water continued down in a stream at the bottom of the ravine. As Jane peered over the edge she got really excited and said, “I found it! I found it! A waterfall!”

The trip was a great success. Thanks to Greg and Shannon for letting us tag along and benefit from their fastidious preparations. Thanks to Mom for helping me survive without Josh. Thanks to all the cousins for entertaining my girls. And, thanks to the mountain goats for being so obliging (next time pass the memo on to the bears).

My Toady

I just had a wonderful week with my sister in town. We spent all our time creating things with the excuse that we were following the counsel of President Uchtdorf. We had a grand time but were also reminded how much we miss each other. I love you, Toady!

Pretty Is As Pretty Does

This was week two of sickness in July. Something seems wrong about having beautiful Summer weather outside while battling nausea, congestion, head-aches, and exhaustion. I feel like I have been living in a haze of tissues, medicines, and tears. You can’t curl up in a blanket next to the fire, sip hot chocolate and watch Pride and Prejudice when you are sick in July. It’s no wonder it is taking us so long to recover.

Fortunately there have been cousins around to distract us from our misery. Kate played with Gracie non-stop all week. She was feeling better and I was thankful to have her entertained. One day there were five little girl cousins 4-years-old and younger at Grandma Shelly’s house. They were all clad in pink dancing skirts, plastic high heels, and sparkly crowns. As each princess went past me she told me her name: “I’m Snow White,” (Grace) “I’m Belle,” (Kate) “I’m Cinderella,” (Jane) “I’m Aurora,” (Jillian) “I’m Jasmine,” (Sadie). Then off they ran around the corner of the house to play in another section of the garden.

I was somewhat worried about the reaction I would encounter when Grace left yesterday. Kate was tired and wouldn’t even walk to the car to say goodbye. I figured she would be melting down and ready for an early bedtime. Instead as I walked back through the gate I saw her deep in a new pretend game with Jillian. Where there is one best buddy cousin, another can be found!

Jane has started singing real songs. Her favorites are Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, Itsy-Bitsy Spider, and the ABC Song. When I put her down for a nap I can hear her through the door singing, “A-B-C-H-I-J-K-L-M-N-O-P-U-V Next time won’t you follow me.” That little singing voice will melt your heart!

Jane knows that her Dad is in Dallas. Every time we call him and I put the phone to her ear Jane says, “Hi, Dad. Are you in Dallas?” This week she figured out that Dallas is in Texas. Now she says, “Dad is in Dallas. Dallas is in Texas.” The other day when Grampa asked her where her Dad was she said, “Daddy’s not here. Daddy is in the computer.” If anyone can figure how to reach into a video chat and pull out the real thing, please let me know. We could use a few hours of Daddy time!

Week Off

I'm taking a week off from writing a letter. Kate was sick last week, so all I really have to report on is tylenol, ibuprofen, and antibiotic doses. As interesting as that may be, I will spare you. Jane woke up with a fever today, so it looks like the fun will continue this week too. Who ever heard of fevers, congestion, and coughs in summer! Errrr.