Quick Trip

On a thursday evening, we headed to Winnemucca NV to stay the night on our way to Salt Lake. My ten year high school reunion was happening that weekend... plus we had felt a little jipped not getting much time in SLC while we were in the middle of moving. We figured it was a great excuse to go spend the weekend there. I'm so glad we went! 

That afternoon was crazy while I tried to get the car loaded, kids bathed and in PJs, dinners packed to eat on the road, and then as soon as Ryan got home from work at 5:15 we headed out of town. It took us a little over 5 hours to make it to the halfway point where we got a hotel room. 

 The driving was really easy and low-key. The kids did just fine (Logan struggled a bit the second day with tantrums) but overall it wasn't bad at all! We got to the valley around 1:45pm, and ran into this wall of smoke. Yuck! This is looking north east into the valley from the salt flats area, so you should normally see the city and the mountains. I couldn't believe how awful the smoke was! But we were happy to be there. We grabbed some errands first to get them out of the way, and then went to my parents' house where we were staying for the 3 nights.

 That night we got TonyBurger for dinner with Thomas, Whitney, Jason, Jacey, Elsie, and my parents. I love that place! Mmm, fry sauce...

 Three generations in a beautiful place!

 On saturday morning we hung out with the Turners and the Berger kiddos. I LOVE when these kids can get together! They're just the sweetest together.

 We played some rounds of this version of corn-hole. Drew and I were on a team and we actually won!

 Then we piled all the kids in the car and headed to Cafe Rio for lunch. Of course! It was just what we needed.

 The very best part of the trip was seeing one of my YW from my Ohio ward walk into that exact location of Cafe Rio... while she is serving her mission in Salt Lake! Whaaa?!?!! I couldn't believe my eyes. I probably looked like an idiot - I was so blown away, and so was Sister Lange! I love her. She is one of my very favorites, if that's ok to say. She feels like a little sister to me more than anything. It made me so happy to see her. The craziest part was that this wasn't even her area at that time. She has been given special permission to attend a baptism in the 33rd south area, but she was actually serving in the South Salt Lake area. It was just awesome.

 After lunch we met another one of my dearest Ohio friends at This Is the Place park. Brooke Coon and her family actually lives in Cedar City now (moved a little after we did), and when I told her we'd be in SLC for the weekend we made plans to meet up at the park. I'm so very glad she came!! It was a sacrifice for her to drive a few hours with all 4 kids on her own. I really needed to see a dear friend, after weeks of not feeling closely connected to anyone in my new town yet. It was so great. We had a blast at the park too!

 If I have been feeling a little lonely these last several weeks in CA, these kids have been feeling it probably more than me. I am amazed at what they can handle and put up with. So much change and all new people to get to know. Not many friends for them to play with. It's been hard on everyone at times. It just made my heart so happy to see these 5 together again!

 That night was my high school reunion and Ryan was actually excited to go too. Once it was time to be there I was pretty nervous about seeing people I haven't in such a long time. But once I found my besties I was at ease and enjoyed the night so much. It honestly was a fun two hours, and even when we were asked to leave (so we wouldn't be charged more for the space) half the group still hung out outside chatting for awhile. 

Two of my favorite people: Mary and Jamie. :)

I was one of two girls (that I know of) who got married within a year of graduation. I also was the first of a handful to have a baby by the time we had our 5 year reunion. So I had several people asking me if I had FOUR kids now?! Ha! Some guys were still jabbing at me for getting married before they'd even left on their missions, or during, and had to miss out on being there. It was just a lot of fun! It's nice that a good amount of those who were there are people I still catch up with on FB and Instagram, so we all kinda knew in general what was happening in each other's lives. It made it easier to start up conversations. 

They did a raffle for a bunch of local stuff: restaurants, products, gift cards to local places, etc. I ended up winning the biggest gift card available (money towards a Madsen Bicycle) and was all excited at first! But then I realized that my $400 gift card towards that bike would barely make a dent... being that they're $2,000. Yikes. But of course as soon as my classmates heard that I had "won the bike gift card" (thinking I'd won a free bike) they were yelling "Didn't you win a car too though?! Now a bike?!" haha It was awkward. It wasn't until we looked up the actual product and price that I realized it was sorta worthless. 

 Anyway the night was so fun! I had Ryan head back to my parents' house (where the kids were asleep) and I went with Jamie, Mary and Jen to Jamie's parents' house to have some girl chat time... this is a place where we used to always hang out in high school. We practically all lived there every friday and saturday! So many memories. Just stepping up to her back door like the good ol' days was so surreal!

On sunday we attended my cousin Tanner's homecoming. It was perfect timing to be able to be in town and support him. I used to babysit him and his brothers all the time when they were little.

That evening my mom made a wonderful early-birthday dinner for Thomas and I. It was so nice to celebrate it with family! We missed the other Californians and the Ohioans though. This was the first "family dinner" we'd been to at my parents' new town home. It feels like "home" when we are there together. :)

 "Happy Birthday to YOU.... no you..."

 That would be a picture of my dad accidentally-on-purpose blowing out our candles before we had a chance to. Ha!...

 Thanks to Whitney for making a super amazing chocolate cake!

 We were so glad we had taken a weekend trip to Salt Lake. It felt amazing to know how easy it is to get there (especially compared to 3 years in Ohio). It's 10.5 hours if you do it straight, or an evening and morning drive of 5 hours each. Not bad at all! I'm grateful we could go. :) We love our family and friends, and always have a blast visiting.

August Photo Round-Up and Logan Funnies

Before Grace started school we tried to get in a few more fun things. It was pretty hot here most of the month, but we tried get out on bikes in the morning hours. This is at Bille Park.

We also got to enjoy some last-day-of-summer doughnuts together!

 We have been really lucky to have welcomed here by our new friends! The Chatfield family has been so incredible to us. I don't even know where to start! Brynn offers to have my kids over when I need it the most, brought me my beloved Grandma Sycamore bread when she visited Utah in July, invites us to dinner often, texts and checks up on me, and the list goes on. I'm so grateful for her! My kids love her daughters as well. It has been a great blessing to us that we could start our experience here in the Paradise 3rd ward and meet these friends right away.

 We bought Logan a Police uniform costume for Halloween and to play dress-up. Ryan stuck the plastic handcuffs on Logan and whispered to him to go show me... Then I heard Logan laugh-whining saying "No! I don't want mom to see me like this!" haha! 

Other funny things he has said lately:

We were having ice cream for dessert and there was only one cone left. Grace and Logan both wanted it, but after a moment Grace gave it to Logan. This happened next...

Me: "That's so nice! Logan, what do you say to Grace?"

Logan: "Umm... Grace, you can have the bowl." 

Logan: "How do you make refried beans?"

Me... starting to explain...

Logan: "Then you mush them... and cook them... 

The end. 

I love that story."

The kids and I were eating cupcakes for dessert. A big crumb from Grace's fell onto her plate and into her leftover ranch dressing.

Grace was laughing, and said "Ew, cake in ranch!"

Logan (in a somewhat evil voice): "Do you LOVE it?!!!"

Grace's first day of kindergarten finally came on August 13th (which was actually a short orientation day with parents). She has been counting down the days for a long time and talked of nothing else all summer! This new school, Ponderosa Elementary, was originally just half days and I was happy with that. But then they decided a week and half before school started to change it to full day. I was so sad and upset at first! I think 8-2pm is a really long time to be away from each other, and simply a long time for her in general. I knew she would come home exhausted and ornery. The school district here is open, so if we want to switch her to one of the charter schools or a different public school we could. But I figured we would stick with this for now and see how it goes. 

Anyway, we got her nails all pretty, picked out a cute outfit, and all her own accessories.  

 My big, beautiful girl!!

For the rest of the morning before we headed to orientation, she wore her backpack all around the house and insisted on unloading the dishwasher with me like that. I didn't mind one bit!

 We got to make handprints.

 Her teacher, Mrs. Dailey, showed the kids where the playground is and then how to line up when she rings the bell. This school is a typical California school... all the classrooms are in small buildings that aren't connected to any other buildings. It's nothing pretty (especially compared to where I went to Elementary school!) and nothing to write home about. ;) But where the facilities are lacking, they make up for in faculty. The people I've met there have been amazing. The ladies who help with drop off/pick up, the yard-duty ladies who keep the kids safe during recess, the office ladies, teachers, principal. Everyone is wonderful. In fact, that's how all of Paradise is from everyone I've met so far. Such nice people!

 The next day (friday) was her first officially full day of school. Ryan came with us for drop-off. We walked her into to the back playground and gave hugs. She was SO excited! Kept waving at me happily until I had rounded the corner, with tears in my eyes. I didn't let her see, but I think she could tell it was about to come, as she kept looking to see how was I was handling it. She is just so grown up and so very READY for this step. Her teacher and classmates are lucky to have her. :)

Since then, I've been able to help each week for a couple hours. Her teacher is so sweet and calm with the kids. I don't know how she does it! It's a straight up zoo sometimes and I know I could never do it, haha. Some of the kids feel like they're closer to Logan's level of maturity (3 year old-ish) and then there are several I can tell who are like Grace. Very helpful, good listeners, know how to sit still and wait their turns, etc. Such proud mama-moments when I see how well she behaves and how happy she is in class. 

Going on the "shape train". Choo-choo!

 Logan and I have had lots of time to hang out together these days. I have done very small preschool lessons with him... but really I just sit with him and we practice writing his name a couple times. Then we do several pages of these preschool booklets with different activities in them. He loves it and it's simple enough that I don't have to prepare anything and get all stressed out. When I do finally sit down and do things like that with Logan, I am reminded of just how smart he is and how much he absorbs without me realizing it! I'm so proud of him. I can't think of anything off the top of my head right now, but he knows what things are or what words mean that I would never have guessed it of a 3 year old who hasn't had any formal education yet. By the time Grace was his age we had done some sessions of parent co-op preschool. I have felt so guilty about not having a desire to do that with Logan. But he seems to be doing just fine! :)

He likes when I pull out the beads and pipe cleaners, so we do that often.

He sure keeps me smiling. His fun-loving personality reminds me to quit being so serious. 

Unfortunately, part of living in California in the summer (especially in a drought) means we get a lot of wildfires. There have only been a couple of very small ones this summer near us (only burning an acre or two). But there have been lots all over the state and into the northwest. The smoke isn't bad up in Paradise since we're higher up, but as I drove into Chico one day it was PARTICULARLY bad. It's pretty nasty and oppressive in the valley. I'm so glad we live above it.

You can see the smoke in these photos.

That's Chico down there which you can't see... Usually you can see mountains on the other side of the valley and lots of farm fields.

Part of school starting up means that Chico welcomes back all of it's college students going to Butte College, Chico State, and others. It's a college town, so you can imagine how crazy it gets when school starts... Well I completely forgot about that when I took the kids to Target. Bad idea!! The line to check out was wrapped around the store! Craziness. Thank goodness I had two dum-dums in my purse. We made it out alive.

I have met some really wonderful ladies here in Paradise. There are 3 wards... although not very big ones. Scattered throughout those 3 are some ladies who I've been able to hook up with here and there. The funny thing was that I realized these girls know each other but they rarely get together. They don't do much socially- but say they're all really close. It's been different for me, trying to figure out the dynamic of this new social scene. I finally decided to create a Facebook group with any ladies who wanted to be a part of it! We could use it to stay connected, be aware of events, hook up for girls' nights, plan play dates, etc. Not everyone is LDS and it's very inclusive! I've heard of a "closed" book club that some girls are a part of but others have been offended by not being invited to. I didn't want this to be like that. Anyway we had a great time at dinner and frozen yogurt one evening! It was just what I needed.

Rachel Nelson, Brynn Chatfield, Sara Hanchett, Kerri Laufer, Jen Curtis, me

One of our new friends also has a kindergartner at another school, and a 2 year old son. So we trade off boys so we can help in the classrooms once a week. Logan likes playing with Will even though he's almost twice Will's age. Logan has finally been able to learn how to give things up to a friend because they're our guest or younger than him. He has "youngest child syndrome" but I have enjoyed watching him practice new, good behaviors... both with Will and with Tiny Tots (more about that later).

Exhausted boy. He never does this and I was loving it!

And a cute shot of Logan and Daddy lounging. I love the toes!

He and I went to Bille Park so he could ride his bike while I jogged next to him. He was just too cute "stretching" with me, I had to catch a photo.

The kids are LOVING our floors here so much better than the carpet we're used to. They build these awesome train tracks almost everyday.

A couple weekends ago, the local gym (which Ryan goes to) was hosting some food trucks in their parking lot. We took the kids and each picked out something. The food was really good and my italian soda was yum! 

The Paradise 3rd ward put on a party behind the church. With the drought, they couldn't do the traditional water games... but they improvised and it was still fun. The kids each got to pick a rubber duck to keep and Grace had her face painted by the YW.

Corn dogs and ice cream sandwiches! ;)