3.22.2023

Utah!

I went to Utah! It was so lovely. I talked about compost like 10 times. Dreamy. I took all of two pictures, the one above of our hat tea party/birthday party where I got to see so many of my cousins. Please note that everyone's eyes are open in this picture. Only one. Second picture is the one below where grandma got herself a breakfast of corn chips and praline pecans. 

I ran one day and the altitude was rough. Then I went to an exercise class with my cousin Jenny and fifteen minutes in I asked how long it was...an hour. We're going to blame that one on the altitude too ...I feel really good about that excuse. I did make it the whole time and have confirmation that Jenny is a beast. 

I spent some time with my grandma, gave her a manicure, watched Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (love that show, also, it's so dumb! Who thinks it's a good idea to steal 7 women?!), made some meals except for the corn chip breakfast. 

Bryan informed me that the house was spotless with me gone and perhaps the problem is me. House was pretty clean, I mean, spotless is a stretch. I got home around midnight, but when I got up in the morning there was puke all over the kids bathroom. That's not what I'd call spotless! Really though, something woke me up and I thought it sounded like the tail end of barf session, but no one came to get me. Apparently Jac said she did try to get me but I didn't wake up! There was nothing in her bed or on the carpet, but the bathroom was destroyed - to the point that I keep thinking about it and laughing. My poor peanut was sick and she couldn't wake me up, so she just left it. Wade slept in and when I heard him get up I was downstairs getting clean up supplies, so I yelled up for him to avoid the bathroom and he said "Oh, I know!" Guess he was surprised in the middle of the night, luckily surprised before stepping in anything and went downstairs. 

I've gone out of town one other time since having kids. ONE. TIME! And I also came home to a kid who started puking the night I got in. I do not like this scenario. Coincidence. Better test it out again.

Wade and Jac were in a community school art show. I am obsessed with Wade's skeleton Pokémon! 






Girls had their choir concert - it was nice snowy evening where we got 2 inches in March. They did so good - Jac had a speaking part and Blake got to be in a dance. 


Wade had an activity where they made smores and he informed me that he learned the right way to make them and they're so much better. And he made a double decker.


Bryan had his birthday, we went to Texas Roadhouse. He said he wasn't going to sit on the saddle. The girls informed every worker we interacted with that it was his birthday and when they brought that saddle over they did not give him a choice! 


A few of Jacqueline sleeping. Cause she's always delivering quality content: 



I am really, really tired. I had way too much fun. Not too much, but I took my limited time in Utah very seriously, so now I'm going to bed. 



3.08.2023

Tapirs and eagles and otters, oh my!


Wade presented at the zoo!!! His group's project about the Malin Tapir was chosen to present. His group didn't win anything overall, which he was bummed about, but we reminded him that the winners got a zoo pass. We have a zoo pass. It eased the sting a little bit. 600 schools participated, or there were 600 projects submitted? I don't know, but the number 600 kept getting thrown around. Regardless, it was pretty awesome he could go.

Our Malin Tapir, Tuah (added in case you, like me, had no clue what a tapir was): 


When we found out Wade's group won Bryan immediately said he was going. He thought he was staking claim, but there was no way I was missing it! And watching him present was so enjoyable. They had to present their idea to 3 judges and then answer their questions - watching him get into explaining was just frosting on the parent cake - he totally took charge for his group. The night before we decided to bring the girls and just be one big supportive family playing hooky. 





Girls didn't think watching Wade present 3 times was icing on any cake, but they had a great time. I no longer have any pennies or nickels. 


Went to snap a picture and his teammate snuck in bunny fingers


Which lead to one of my favorite pictures of all time: 


I love the zoo in colder weather, it's when I see the coolest animal stuff! I was an arms length (including a wire barrier) from this bald eagle: 


We saw an otter swim a loop on repeat, using the glass view wall to push off so we got to see his little feet. We saw a beaver dive in the water and take a huge poop. We also saw a dolphin poop. A wolverine was pacing back and forth in front of the viewing window (I guess he had anxiety, poor guy). The puma was sleeping right next to us, and the other one was up high and tracking Bryan. It was such a good day.


Brett and Leah visited this weekend. It was a good time, just brief. We tried to show them the best Minnesota has to offer by taking them sledding. We took probably almost an hour to get everyone geared up in clothes that fit and to the hill. We started with 4 sleds and within 10 minutes had 5 sleds and not of them worked (one broke in half). We tried again the next day with 6 new sleds purchased. We made it 5 minutes before the first one broke. Everything slowly died, but we got a good 45 minutes. 


Bryan signed us up for a marathon. It's this October. Running a marathon has always been a dream of mine, but one I've been telling myself isn't really a dream cause I didn't think I could ever make it happen. I mean, maybe I still won't. I've started training a few times and I always get injured or pregnant with twins, the usual set backs. Running really helps with my headaches and I've been trying to figure out how to make exercising more of a habit - just last week I was praying for help on this, and slid in that I really want to run a marathon, don't need to, but would like to. TWO DAYS LATER Bryan asked if I wanted to run a marathon with him. God works in really cool ways. In this case it was that Bryan told his brother he could run a marathon without training* and his brother laughed in his face and then they made a bet. They had no idea their bet was an answer to my prayer. 

*He's allowed to exercise, but not do an actual marathon training schedule. I am. He hates running. We ran 3 miles Monday and one block in he got a side ache. I made so much fun on him, as one should. Today Wade wanted to go with us, we did 2 miles and he kept up! He had to stop 3 times to "take some breaths," which if he ever stopped talking he probably would have no trouble with his breaths. Hahaha, oh I love reminders that he is my kid. 


When you ask your kids to pick up the living room and they find logical spots for everything (knee brace in the vacuum handle): 


They discovered this week they can do this: 


And this: 



Jac was just asking me what an apostrophe is, she said, "mom, what's that writing thing that's like a pyramid, but with a tail and it's high? Like by an I..." Finally figured out she meant that it's like a period with a tail, and she was asking specifically for the word I'd.

We were in the car and everyone was talking, Blake was trying to tell a story/her opinion, but everyone kept talking. She said so loud and clear, "everybody listen to me!" and everyone did.