What Manner of Mom Ought Ye Be?

This last couple of weeks have been crazy.  The kids are crazy, our schedule is crazy and not surprisingly, life has decided to throw a couple of curve balls our way.  I would like to say that we've handled it well, but I'm not so sure.  The truth is, it's always easy to feel like we are lacking in some (or all) aspects of our lives.  I have found myself reflecting on the question that Christ posed to his followers in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 27:27 for those of you who'd like to look it up.)  "What manner of men ought ye to be."  The answer, he tells them, is to be "even as I am."

So, with that as my ultimate goal in mind, I changed the question to relate to motherhood.  More specifically, what kind of things will my kids take from the time they spend with me?  As I have thought about this, I have to say, I'm a little freaked out.  To give you some insight to the impetus of my thoughts, here is a rundown of the last couple of weeks.  (I don't share any of this because I am unique or special in any way, but just to provide some context.)

Taking into account school and the extracurricular activities of children, we spend a lot of time in the car going to: preschool, elementary school, junior high and high school.  Early morning swim practice, after school lacrosse practice.  And baseball (with it's early season mud and the promise of free food after every game.) We have taekwondo, piano lessons and playdates.  Erin is taking Drivers Ed, which requires us to travel to Layton multiple times.  Scouts and Young Women's. Taking Matt to and from the airport.  Picking up friends, driving to movies, driving to the store (oh so many trips to the store.)  Feeding the dogs, feeding the chickens, driving the carpool and going to the doctor.  We have had strep throat, head colds, migraines, diarrhea, bumps, bruises and sprains.  We try to go to the gym and take care of ourselves, although admittedly I am falling WAY DOWN in this area.  So these are pretty much the basics that you will find us dealing with at any given time.

Add to this the following:

A niece and her cute family in Pittsburgh who is struggling with some MAJOR medical issues.  How do I support them?  How do I let them know that I love them and I'm thinking of them?  Well, I visit for one.  And for two, I add the organization of a toy/gift drive to make some attempt at paying my gratitude forward.  They have excellent medical care and friends and neighbors that have taken them in and loved them when they are so far away from us.  So I ask for donations and am overwhelmed by the support I have received from so many of my friends and neighbors and family members.  Seriously, you all are awesome.  And then to wake up in the middle of the night on Saturday and find out that Jilly's lungs have collapsed and that her doctors have committed the situation to the Lord's hands.  Pulling my kids out of bed to pray and feeling that spirit in my home.  To feel like we're all united in a common purpose.

A sister-in-law who I have loved for 20 years who has to deal with the premature death of her dad.  A giant of a man (in body and spirit).  My kids know and love Grandpa Butler.  My heart is breaking for my brother's family; for the sadness and grief that they are experiencing.  I'm grateful for the Gospel, the Savior and the Plan of Salvation, but gosh dang it, this whole thing sucks!

Friends who are struggling in their marriages and watching them be brave and strong for their kids.  For the presence of a sweet little girl in my home every week who has an infectious laugh and loves to snuggle with me just like William.  For the fact that Jack feels like she is the little sister he wanted when Will was born but got a brother instead.  For her mom who is a great sounding board and who is always so willing to help me with anything I need.

For dear friends who have been missing from my daily life for far too long.  I want them back here and have more than likely inserted myself way too much in trying to get them to move by me.  Need a job?  Great, let's get you one!  Let's find a house and get the kids in school, just so I can finally scrapbook all day with my bestie (we won't scrapbook, but we could if we wanted to.)

Young Women's..... Oh how I love my calling in here.  And I hesitate to say too much for fear I'll jinx myself or because I know it always felt like the YW leaders were bragging about being in there when I wasn't.  Now, I know that we're not supposed to want positions in the Church, and that the Lord calls us to serve where he needs us, but I have wanted to be in YW since I turned 18 and got kicked out as a girl.  And it didn't happen..... and I felt terrible.  It felt like I was the last one being picked for a team at recess.  Why did no one want me to be there?  I know this may be insulting to those of you who have struggled for children, but that's the only thing I can think to compare it to.... I wanted to be there so bad, and it didn't matter what I did or said (to man or God) I didn't get to be there.  And then, last year, I got called to teach the Miamaids.  Oh my heck.... so excited!  And I have loved every minute of it.  I love the women I work with and the girls I get to be with.  I love preparing my lessons and going to activities, and I try not to talk about it too much because I feel like someone else could be where I was and I don't want to hurt their feelings.  But I love being in YW.  We had New Beginnings this week, which is kind of a big deal.  I didn't have to do a ton, but it got a little crazy on Wednesday night, I'm not going to lie.  That's Scouts for Jack too, so Will gets pulled along and we do a lot of shuffling sometimes.

We are planning an epic 16th birthday bash for Erin.  It's going to be huge and be at the church.  Which is good because all of the prep will probably render my home a disaster area.  I know right now that I am going overboard.  I am indulging every single fantasy that this girl has regarding her birthday.  I know that I'm more than likely going to regret it when I have to match or top it in two years with Allie.  I know that Matt will roll his eyes and wonder why and how we are doing all of this.  And I wonder why, if I know all of this, I am still doing it?  I've taken measurements, planned for decorations, commissioned art work, for heavens sake.  Oh how I hope its fun.  I hope people come and I hope that the enjoyment that Erin feels is enough to make Matt not be mad at me anymore.

Teacher Appreciation Week..... the PTA.  Oh, that PTA.  I am about maxed out with school this year.  My kids are missing classes and days more than they should.  Is Senioritis a thing for the parents of sophomores?  It has to be.  I am dying because I am just ready to be done with school.  Ready to not worry about homework, tardies, absences, kids hiding in the bathroom because they hate seminary, and all the other stuff that happens.  I am trying to plan Teacher Appreciation Week and I am mostly doing it alone because I hate to have to try and make someone do something on my terms.  What if they don't show up?  What if its not cute like it would have been if I did it?  All of these thoughts and more.... so, a weeks worth of activities need to be planned and prepared and it's the same week as Erin's birthday.... and the dreaded free food assignment for both boys' baseball teams.

Drivers Ed.... online and then driving with a weirdo.  Like, I should probably be concerned leaving my daughter with him, but she's gotta do it and this is where it's at.  I hate that something that should be seen as a privilege (driving her own car, having insurance and gas money) is seen as an entitlement.  And yet, I so need her to be driving.  I spend all my time in the car.  Okay, not all my time, because I'm not there now, but A LOT of time.... in my car.  It's a mess.

And kids, and their friends and movies and the mall and practices and happy meals and McDonald's play land because they love it.  And toys EVERY SINGLE TIME we go to Target.  And being fine with the fact that my 5-year-old colors all over himself.  And that I'd sometimes (well most times) rather go buy new pants for the kid instead of doing laundry.

And back to the sister-in-law.... who steps up to help her mom and her family and I think, I should make them food.  So Friday, I planned and shopped and prepped and cooked meals for 14 people (6 of those people live at my house and evidently they have to eat too.)  I am so grateful to Allie because she is such a good helper in the kitchen.  And there is more to make tomorrow.  My fridges (yes, you read that right, multiple fridges) are chock full of food. Thank goodness for daughters and a mom who are willing to jump in and help.

And to the niece and nephews in Pittsburgh.... hopping on a plane on Thursday to visit them.  To take them toys for the hospital and junk from Target; kids love junk from Target.  To give my sister-in-law (a true kindred spirit) a big hug and hopefully take the pressure off of them for a bit.  To arrange a virtual play date for my brother-in-law to play video games with his brothers who live here.  Mostly that's just because I think it would be weird to take him for a pedicure.

It's Monday.  Matt has left.  The kids are at school and for the first time in a week I am sitting on a made bed while I am typing.  I have dishes to do and laundry to sort.  I need to dust and vacuum and clean the bathrooms.  They are on the list.  Life is crazy and most of the time, these things are not a priority; but they probably should be because Matt would be happier, life would be smoother and I wouldn't feel bad about my mothering abilities.  But then, you wouldn't be reading this fantastic blog post.

So back to the original question, what manner of mom ought I to be?  Last Wednesday, as I was preparing for New Beginnings and had Will and Tessa and all the other Wednesday junk, I found myself buying cookies for the littles at Cutler's, a Diet Coke for Allie at Swig, Fiiz for Erin and ice cream from Dairy Queen for Jack.  All of those goodies were purchased and consumed in a two-hour window, on separate trips while I ran errands.  The kitchen was a mess, but we all got a treat.  When I got to YW that night, I made a joke about our treat runs that day and said, "I guess that tells you what kind of mom I am."  And my friend Camille said, "you are a mom that cares about people."

And that, my friends is it.  When my kids look back on life in my house I hope they remember this... that their mom loved people.  Especially HER people.  That I tried my very hardest to love those who needed it and that people that crossed my path felt special for a bit.  I want my kids to remember that although parties and presents aren't what's important, that they (Erin, Allie, Jack & William) deserve to be celebrated.  I want them to know that planning time to spend together as a family is a priority for me.... and while it's hard sometimes, we will never look back on our trips with regrets.  I hope my kids will remember that their mom would pretty much let them explore every possible interest and drive them wherever they need to go.  That we will ALWAYS be able to stop and get a Coke because that just makes life better. I want them to remember that holidays and traditions are fun, that festive decorations are a must and even when dad thinks that mom is over the top (which I'm guessing you can tell happens a lot at our house) that even dad is happy because the kids are happy.

I want my kids to know that I want to learn about lots of people and places and the things around me. I hope my kids will look at their environment and try to find something they can do to improve it; even if it's knowing enough to hug a cousin who's grandpa has just died and give them lessons on riding your hoverboard.  We watch Netflix in mom's bed and spend our time making posters and hand outs and decorations for parties.  We like fuzzy socks and enjoy colored water in our baths.  We're open to all kinds of music and mom will probably cave and order pizza if they ask.

There are so many things that I am bad at as a mom; or even just as a grown-up.  But I love my kids and I love my family and my friends.  I want my kids to know that.  I want my kids to know and remember and feel like I try to treat people the way that Jesus would treat people; even the stupid ones.  Sometimes I yell, and sometimes I cry and sometimes I just want a nap.  I want them to know and understand that life is a marathon and right now, it feels like I am at mile 19 and limping along..... but that I will keep on keepin' on.  Hopefully they will be better than me.  They will understand the need for balance better than I do.  I live in a world of extremes and all or nothing is sometimes hard on a family.  But, we love and feel big in our home and I guess that is what I hope they remember most of all.

Please Make Sure Your Seatbelt Is Securely Fastened

It has been forever since I have been on here.  I half expected to pull my blog up and read "Page Not Found."  I have been thinking for a while now that I would like to start blogging again, but I have to say that one of the things I like best about my blog is when people find it (and me) funny.  And, the last couple of years, I haven't been so funny.  In fact, I took my kids to a movie a few weeks ago and laughed out loud and they were shocked!  "You never laugh Mom."  Really?  I guess I don't live with funny people.

Life is so busy.  Kids are doing lots of stuff and I am driving lots of places.  We are still nuts with three dogs and lots of chickens.  Matt still travels and I still try and keep up with the laundry and dishes.  Since last blogging, we have added lacrosse and swim to our schedule, picked up piano lessons for Jack and Allie, oh and Matt too.  The girls have been singing a ton, Erin has recommitted herself to practicing the piano and she plays the guitar.  Allie is coming right along with her violin, although orchestra at school will conflict with Madrigals so the jury is still out on a course of action there.  Jack has started taekwondo and has done really well with it. Both of the boys are playing baseball, Will only so he can get the participation trophy.  He HATED T-ball last year, until he got the trophy and then it was like "when does Spring Training start?"  Will is in preschool 5 days a week and is very excited to start kindergarten in the fall.  I'm not sure how I feel about this.  I love the idea of "free time" whatever that means..... but I will miss my little sidekick.  Will is smart as a whip!  "He knows words, he has the best words!"  As a matter of fact, I think Donald Trump needs to come clean and give credit to Will for his "best words."  Heaven knows Will is smarter than he is.... but I digress.

Coming back to writing on the blog always seems like a daunting task because, well, you've missed a ton of important stuff and the thought of trying to catch up is extremely overwhelming.  But then, it's also super lame that every three months there is "that post" that spends a paragraph per family member detailing how they've spent their lives lately.  And, let's be honest, most of the time life is pretty mundane and boring.  Okay, maybe not boring, but it's hard to have truly unique experiences as a stay-at-home-mom, and you kinda start to feel like a jerk when you're complaining about a life that you know is good.  But we all struggle and sometimes, I'm still learning, it is better to keep your mouth shut (or your fingers still in this case.)  To say I'm outspoken would be an understatement.  My mother regularly reads my Facebook posts and reminds me that perhaps I ought to be careful what I say because I don't want to offend anyone.  Meh??? I probably offend people when I try and say the right things, so that's not an excuse that works for me.  However, I do realize it is important to be kind and at times over the last few years as I have thought about blogging, what I really wanted to do was publicly shame people.... hence, my absence.

So what is the impetus for this blog post that has been over two years in the making?  Spring Break!  Disneyland and Southern California with the kids and our van (that's one of the things that has happened in the last two years.... we purchased Honda Odyssey #2 and named her Vangelina, because let's face it, minivans are sexy.)  We went on a road trip that my kids' friends have all taken multiple times and that we've clearly been depriving our kids of (dang those frequent flier miles).  Outfitted with food and drink, trivia cards and road trip games (I Spy, Alphabet, License Plate Bingo) we hit the road last Saturday after Andrew's baptism and headed for a quick overnight stay in St. George, hoping that the Easter Bunny would still find us, which he did.  But this year, instead of bringing the kids baskets, he brought them all umbrellas full of stuff.  He still hid them in some crazy places, but hunting at the St. George house was a new twist on an old favorite.  Each of the kids had a theme or character that their Easter haul was centered around.  And it wasn't Jesus, although I honestly did try to bring him in on the action too.  No, since we were headed to Disneyland, they were Disney characters.

Erin loves Tangled, so she looked and found her umbrella in the den closet.

Allie is a big fan of Lilo and Stitch... the Easter Bunny had a heckuva time trying to find stuff from that show, I'll tell you.  Here's her haul, placed under the dining room table.

Out of all of the kids, Jack was the most concerned about the Easter Bunny not knowing where we were.  Jack is holding tight to the last vestiges of childhood, and I'd be curious to see what he actually thinks about all of these traditions.  I try so hard to keep things going for him and Will, but at 10, I gotta think he's getting close to growing up.  Our damn Elf on the Shelf didn't fly back to Santa like he was supposed to, so you know, I think I see a talk in our future about stuff.  But, back to the point, Jack had to look for his Star Wars umbrella and was delighted to find it in a box in the garage.

And finally, Mr. William.  He would be pretty much happy with anything.  This kid personifies the idea of "love the one you're with."  He likes superheroes and dolls, kitchens and video games.  So, the Easter Bunny decided to give Will an umbrella filled with Cars.  And it was in the shower.... which Will thought was pretty crazy.

And then, just because he's awesome, the Easter Bunny left our family an awesome Sport-brella that I have been coveting since I first saw them at Jack's All-Star games two years ago, and some rockin' sand toys and fun stuff for the kids to do in the car on the way to California.  All in all, we were pretty lucky this year.

Now, lest everyone mutiny and think that I don't know that Easter is about Jesus, just calm yourselves down.  I know about Jesus (but I think he wants us to have fun too.)  Anyway, I had a few things about Jesus that I wanted the kids to know and understand.  Thanks to an awesome blog that I love....

The Red Headed Hostess

the kids got a book explaining why we celebrate Easter and another album that talks about all of the names and roles of Jesus Christ.  I, of course, do not have pictures of these.  But I am putting the link to the files below.

Easter and Names of Christ Books

Sad to say that they were put in the car when we left on Sunday morning for our drive to California, and with a couple of exceptions, they are still there, even though we are home.  The Easter one, we are going to talk about a bit.... but the Names of Christ books, I think, are going to be used by me as an attempt to hold Family Home Evening.  Matt is gone most Mondays, so it's hard to want to do it, but I think we have enough attention span between the five of us to do one name a week.  I think.

Our Easter Sunday drive hit traffic just past Las Vegas and we dealt with it all the way to our hotel.  Which was awesome, by the way.  We stayed on Matt's points, because that's what we do, and so sometimes you find yourselves in hotels that are affordable, but not great.  Well, that was NOT the case with this hotel.  Anaheim Springhill Suites near the Convention Center.  Only a year old, big rooms, free (better than average) breakfast and there was a CVS Pharmacy open 24 hours attached to the hotel!  We were two blocks away from the entrance to the parks which means we didn't have to drive and were able to enjoy some of the California sunshine.  So if you ever find yourself looking for a place to stay near Disneyland, this is the hotel for you.

Monday morning, bright and early, all of the troops, except Mom and Dad were ready to get going.  Our plan for the day was to head to the beach and hook up with our friends, the Stringham's, who were also in town for Spring Break.  We had been planning our "bonfire on the beach" for a couple of months and were so excited.  After a lot of research and asking around, we ended up at Corona del Mar beach, and we were able to snag a fire pit.  Yay!  We were also able to use our awesome Sport-brella that Mr. Easter Bunny left.  We got to the beach about 1 on Monday (pacing ourselves so the kids weren't totally done by the time it was time to light the fire.)  Anyway, the kids were so excited for the sand and the ocean.  They ran right in, and flat out lied when we asked them if they were cold.  It was cold.  Now granted, cold is relative.  It was snowing at home on Monday.  But there was a

pretty stiff breeze blowing and I think the kids fantasies of Hawaii and the Bahamas beaches were quickly put to rest.  But, we sallied forth and built sandcastles, dug holes, buried boys in sand, did a little sunbathing and some splashing in the water.

And then, the Stringham's arrived... and we were so happy.  The plan was to kick it on the beach for a bit and then do a fire with s'mores.  Well, after Don and Jenny getting the wood and the food, and coming back to light the fire, it was kinda all downhill from there.  The wind was too brisk to keep the flame lit; a problem solved by Don's affinity for making friends with folks who had lighter fluid.  We got the fire going and then came the smoke.  Which, you know, would be bad enough on it's own, but then there was a lot of wind, and sand.  So yeah, this is what we all looked like now.

And then, we called the game.  We ran as fast as we could, our eyes watering from the smoke and sand, to the cars.  We threw everything in the back and that was that.  All in all, it is going to make for a good story, but it was kind of a bummer.  To top it all off, the car smelled like campfire for the rest of the trip. However, we will live to s'more again, Stringhams.

On Tuesday, we were up early (thank you time zone change) and we got ready for one of our other "non-Disney" adventures.  Which is kinda huge, because we love the Mouse.  But today, we were driving north to Burbank, in super crappy traffic, to take the Warner Brothers Studio Tour.  Over the last year, Erin and Allie have discovered Friends on Netflix and have binged on the entire series at least THREE times.  Allie has also recently discovered Gilmore Girls, which I have yet to watch.  Anyway, we found out that this is where these shows were filmed, so it became a "must see" on our list.  Too bad for Matt and the boys, Will was too little to go.  So, he spent a good portion of his day in more traffic, listening to whiny boys and briefly visiting the La Brea tar pits (which I'm told almost nobody does.)  Anyway, the tour was fun.  We saw several sets for movies and TV and got to go on the sound stages and learn about the way everything is produced.  We saw the set for Two Broke Girls, sat in the studio audience seats at the Ellen show and got to experience all the studio hype for the new film, "Batman vs. Superman."  I actually felt bad, because there were some pretty awesome costumes and props that Jack would have loved.

Oh, and then there was Harry Potter, but we are just going to have to go back and do that whole deal at Universal Studios.  But they had some pretty cool props that we couldn't resist taking photos with.

The girls were also sorted into their Houses: Allie was Slytherin and Erin was Gryffindor.  No wonder they have issues sharing a bathroom.

Finally, the highlight of the trip for these girls was the Friends set.  They have watched this show WAY TOO much, and maybe this says something not-so-good about me as a mother, but I love the fact that my girls are willing to go back and appreciate things from the past (even if it was only the 90's.)  Here we are at Central Perk... with our cupcakes and grilled cheese sandwiches.  And no, Gunther was not there.

Finally, as we were waiting for Matt and the boys to cut their way back through traffic, the girls humored me and took a picture with Bugs and Daffy.

After what was a very stressful day, I'm sure, for Matt and the boys, we headed back to our hotel for a Disneyland surprise.  Grandma and Grandpa Homer were flying down to meet us and bringing...... Lizzie and Abbey, our cousins from Denver.  After they arrived at the hotel, and the joyful shrieking was complete, we left to walk over to Downtown Disney for dinner.  We had reservations at the Storyteller's Cafe, which we had never been to before.  Despite the fact that Jack is not smiling, he is happy.  He's just going through "the phase" where he can't smile on command.

The kids had a great time with the buffet (always a great experience for kids) and all the chocolate milk they could drink.  After about 15 minutes of culinary celebration, Jack laid his head down on the table and said that he didn't feel good.  Too much chocolate milk!  Well, the big girls took all the littles outside to play and burn off excessive energy, and within a few minutes, Erin was back at the table telling us that Jack didn't feel good.  We assured her we'd be there in a few minutes and she left.  Immediately, she was there again; Jack had thrown up in the waiting area of the restaurant.  All over.... buffet all over.  Sweet, the fun starts then. Unlike our various barfing episodes in Walt Disney World in Florida, these folks didn't seem to know what to do.  Fortunately for the dining public, we had an 8:30 reservation so it wasn't as awkward as it could have been.  But Jack's sweatshirt was a total loss (the zipper had broken off on the way to the restaurant) and the barf sealed the deal.  Matt got Jack cleaned up enough to get him back to the hotel and Erin and I were off in search of a new sweatshirt.  When we got back to the room, Jack had showered and was asleep.  We all headed to bed for the night hoping that it was just a fluke (it was.)  However, about an hour later, I heard noises coming from the bathroom.  Matt said "It's Erin... she's not feeling well."  By her own admission, it was sympathy puking, but still not a fun thing to listen to; your kid trying to make herself throw up.  This scene from Christmas Vacation kept going through my mind as I laid awake listening.

The role of Snots the dog was played by Erin.  Fortunately for all involved, that night was the last of our sickness this trip.

Wednesday morning, we were up bright and early to get to Disneyland when it opened.  We didn't quite make the rope drop, but for a party with two grandparents and six kids, I felt good about our performance.  Here is the obligatory first day at Disneyland photo.

Next, onto the rides.  First the Matterhorn, then Mickey's Toontown and then all over.  

We didn't really have a plan for what we were going to do in the park; except for one thing.  We were wholeheartedly committed to my favorite Disney meal: the Monte Cristo.  If I were condemned to die, this would be my last meal: it's that good.

Here are a couple of pictures from the park that day.  The glee on their faces as they head down Splash Mountain is awesome.  And the pictures of the kids with Thor, those are special because our kids got picked to come back and visit him after his "shift" was over.  He was so fantastic with the kids.  I have been around a lot of characters in Disney parks, but he was THE BEST.

After our time with Thor, I kept the big girls at the park and the rest of the folks went home for a swim and an early bedtime (we were going to try and get Fast Passes to Radiator Springs Racers on Thursday, and you have to be there when the park opens.)  Anyway, it was kind of chilly and despite the fact that they are perfectly capable of packing their own clothes, neither of the girls brought a pair of long pants.  So Grandpa bought them some super awesome Disney pants.

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Yes, Erin is wearing spandex Princess bell-bottoms (and loving them!)

Friday, we got our ticket to ride and everyone LOVED Radiator Springs Racers.  

Then we had breakfast at Flo's V8 Cafe.  I got the Brioche French Toast and it was A-MAZ-ING!

We rounded out our day in California Adventure with California Screamin', Grizzly River Rapids and Soarin' Over California.  Then it was time for Grandma and Grandpa to take Lizzie and Abbey home. So sad.  So what do we do when we are sad?  We eat our feelings at Earl of Sandwich and buy Lego sets.  The Earl of Sandwich is one of my Top Ten places to eat.... on the planet!  If you get a chance, you should go.

Friday, we finished up our time in the parks and met up with some friends from high school who live in Seattle.  They are every bit as nuts about Disney as we are, which is super fun.  It's nice to have someone understand your brand of crazy.  I didn't get any pictures of us together, but we did the Haunted Mansion and chatted for a while, all the while Erin, once again, ate her weight in giant dill pickles.  Oh, and if you're keeping score, the FOUR pickles she ate the day she barfed may not be coincidence.

Friday afternoon, we were off on one of our last adventures of the trip.  We drove to Palos Verdes to have dinner with my cousin Liz and her family.  We drove down along the beach and it was beautiful.  We snapped a couple of pics before dinner overlooking the ocean.  You can barely see him, but Jack is hiding in the void between the girls in front of Matt.

Just for reference, here are some pictures of the resort where we ate.  I'm telling you what, next time I go to California, this is where I'm staying.  Ha ha.  Probs not.

We had some really awesome food.  I had a great steak, and my kids at as much seafood as their little bellies could stand from the buffet.  There was a live band and they were playing some great music.  My cousin Liz's dad was my Uncle Dave.  He was kind of a hippie and very unconventional (in my eyes) when I first met him.  But he LOVED music.  Music of all kinds.  Dave died in 2007 and left a bigger hole in our family than I ever thought possible.  While we sat there eating dinner, our kids playing and talking the band played music by the Eagles, Jimmy Buffett, Simon & Garfunkel, CSNY, Cat Stevens and countless others that really made me feel like Dave was truly there with us in spirit.  After dinner, we walked down toward the ocean and roasted s'mores.

So, evidently this is a thing?  This is freaking genius.  You don't have to worry about finding your roasting sticks in your garage from last summer, the chocolate and graham crackers are cut to size... and the wooden sticks they come with can be burned in the fire pit when you're finished with them.  I am so ordering a bunch of these for our campfires this year.

After dessert, we walked back to the main are and took a few photos.

Such great kids and a fantastic time.  We're already contemplating a return trip with Aunt Suzy.  Thank you Tony and Liz for your hospitality and a great night.

"Now it's time to say goodbye" to our fantastic week in California.  Saturday morning we got up, packed our bags and headed on our way.  But we had a couple of stops to make.  The first was the Anaheim Angels Team Store.  Baseball season is just starting and we found out last week that he is on the Angels this year.  So of course a hat and shirt must be purchased.

And we found this awesome little mouse guy there too.  Had to get a picture with Mickey.  And then, more traffic on our way to the one place I really wanted to go; Olvera Street.

I had been to Olvera Street when I went on my school choir trip when I was a junior in high school.  I remember thinking the street market atmosphere was so fun.  I had never been to a street market or farmers market at that point in my life.  It was so fascinating to me to see all of the different colorful things available to buy.  It's true, that as an adult I look at the stuff and realize a lot of it is pretty much the same, but it was so fun.  Having been to Mexico a few times at this point in my life, I have seen a lot of folk art and hand work that is awesome and some stuff that is just designed to sell to tourists.  But I love to walk in all the shops: clothes, shoes, bags, blankets.  It is fun.  So, this was one of just a few things that I wanted to make sure we did.  The kids were blown away by all the fun stuff to look at.  It nearly killed them that we told them they had to walk around the whole market place before they could decide on a souvenir to take home.  Erin ended up with a beautiful dress and a guitar.  Jack is sporting a new fedora and a guitar.  Allie didn't want anything and William ended up with a barrel of slime, albeit a small barrel.  It is florescent green and it got everywhere.  One last thing we did in LA before we left to come home was to go to lunch at Phillipe's for French Dip sandwiches.  You could choose from beef, pork, ham, leg of lamb or turkey.  Pick your cheese... and it was sooooooo good.  And, Matt got tapioca pudding, which he loves but I think is disgusting and he said it was really good.  Thanks for the recommendation Suzy and Liz.

Following lunch, we were finally in the car and on our way.  Traffic was kinda bad getting out of the LA area, but then we were golden.  We pulled into St. George about 10:30 and decided that maybe the kids should eat dinner.  Now, something happened on this trip that has NEVER happened in all the years Matt and I have been traveling together.  We NEVER went to McDonald's this trip.  NOT ONCE.  We even went to the Golden Arches in France, despite the fact that I could hear my high school AP European History crying tears from across the pond.  So where to go for dinner?  Well lets just say that Matt got the short end of the stick and we ended up at Little Caesars, when their selection of Hot n Ready pizzas were not so Hot n Ready.  We settled for two crappy pepperoni pizzas and no Crazy Bread much to my kids dismay.

Ten minutes, we were at Grandma's house and in our jammies.  Matt and the bigs started Star Wars (at 11:30 p.m.)  And Will and I went to bed.

So Sunday.... usually I am the one on the day we're leaving for home to crack the whip and get us out the door.  But, we decided that it would be nice to actually be able to watch the last two sessions of General Conference before we got in the car.  We weren't able to listen on Saturday and there would be no concentrating on it in the car with kids.  So we stayed at the house, and watched General Conference.  I never really liked watching Conference as a kid, but I find that I really enjoy it now.  There have been some super talks and programs presented to us over the last couple of weeks and it is always fun to hear about new temples and the growth of the Church.  One of the things that I was so touched by this session is the attention the leaders of the Church are giving to refugees.  I am posting a couple of links to talks or videos that have touched me.  This is the doctrine of Christ.  I don't generally like to be super religious on the blog, but these are human stories and this is human suffering.  We can all do something to help.

Refuge From the Storm - Patrick Kearon

I am so grateful for the opportunity to listen to these wonderful messages.  I feel inspired to try harder to help those who may be struggling around me.

This was probably the first time EVER that I have truly wanted to stop time, to just enjoy the peace and joy that I found with my family this weekend.  This was a super fun experience that has filled my bucket to overflowing.  I am grateful for my life, for my family and for all of the many things that I have been blessed with.  I am grateful for my trials and the lessons that I am constantly reminded that I need to learn.  I am happy to be home and to know that it is my refuge from the storm.