A lot of things happen in December

This week has involved a few busy days.
Monday: decided to finally make some Christmas cookies to share with others. Went to the band concert at the high school to support one of the young women I work with. Oliver was in charge of the lights so the boys spent time in the hallway.
Tuesday: Volleyball was cancelled & the phone & internet weren't working, so I went and bothered Oliver at school for a little while before picking the boys up from school. We played for a little while and then I took them to swim practice where Oliver picked them up. After practice I ran home to get food for the boys and then ran to the church.  The Young Men & Young Women were meeting to go see the lights on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. We got home around 10pm. I found out that Oliver and the boys had done well at the concessions stand at the high school while I was gone. Ryan got "lost" (Oliver went to the office and Ryan went to his classroom to wait, but Oliver was a little too long in getting back). They had walkie talkies and Ryan pushed Evan around.
Wednesday: A relaxed day. I got Ryan a donut for being such a good helper the day before for Daddy. Another batch of cookies down.
Thursday: Volleyball. Yay! Quick lunch/cleanup/etc before a friend came to watch the boys. I drove to the high school, left a quick note on Oliver's desk, saw him again in the hallway where I got to kiss him before getting on a bus with the swim team. The swim team drove up to Garland, Utah, to compete against Bear River High School. They did great! Its a longer pool: meters vs. yards, but they did well and won. Unfortunately, we ran into a bit of an emergency situation that we weren't completely prepared for, but it all worked out in the end. I again, got home at 10pm. The boys had a fun night. Ryan went with Becky & Jaxson to see some karate while Oliver & Evan stayed at the school to help set up concessions. Then pizza, a bit of the ward Christmas party where they saw Santa, and back to help clean up concessions.
Today: Oliver will be at the school all day to help with a dance concert, I think I'm going to work on some more Christmas cookies. :)

Thanksgiving 2013

For the first time in all of our family years, we celebrated Thanksgiving in our own home with just our immediate family members.

I cooked our first Thanksgiving turkey plus a handful of side dishes requested by those who know what's going on. Oliver requested rolls, & sweet potatoes. I wanted 7 layer salad & fudge. Ryan wanted turkey & rolls. I also made some stuffing from a box and some gravy from a package.

Ollie likes to take pictures of food.

It was good food, but it was also a good day. We just relaxed in our home with each other. I got in a game of bingo with Ryan-a throw back to my family's Thanksgivings. During our meal, Oliver suggested we play the alphabet thankful game which is much like any other alphabet game, where we take turns sharing what we are thankful for in alphabetical order. So we shared important things like our family members & our home. We also were thankful for snakes & zippers among other things.

Ryan immediately requested that we put Christmas up in the house which ended up taking the whole weekend. On Friday, we figured out that we wanted to put the tree up in our guest room, but Oliver wanted to make some shelves in the closet to put the "stuff" that had been strewn across the room. The shelves were finally made on Saturday and the tree was put up. After church on Sunday, we put the ornaments on it.

I am so blessed. We are all so blessed. 

A few things

Halloween was very low key for this house. Oliver spent the day with the marching band, so Grandma was able to come and share the evening with us. Thanks to Charlie & Chelsea's family birthday gift to Evan, we were able to come up with a quick Halloween costume. We also went to DI and found a few pieces of clothing to add to the look. 

 We went to our old ward's trunk or treat activity which got the boys lots of candy, but Ryan still wanted to knock on doors. So Grandma stayed home with Evan while I took Ryan around our neighborhood. Grandma ended up giving away some of Evan's trunk or treat candy to trick or treaters that came to our door. (Since I was too cheap to go out and buy candy to give away).

 Grandma brought us some pumpkin shaped bread bowls so we had them for lunch the next day.

 Ryan lost his first tooth! He was very happy about it. The tooth fairy even gave him a quarter under his pillow! And the same day that he found the quarter, his seven year old neighbor friend came to play and told him that I was the tooth fairy. Way to ruin the excitement of a five year old!

One Good Day

I just wanted to document my side of Wednesday this week. I liked it. I want to remember it.
It may not have started beautifully, since the children and I weren't on the same page, but we got them to school on time which is good. I also went into Ryan's class to volunteer. I have really enjoyed working in his classroom and this day wasn't any different. I even got to help the kindergarten teachers out a bit with the excel skills I acquired as a Hall Advisor.
I attempted to run an errand in Tooele when the boys were done with school on this early out day, but alas, I got a block away from where I was headed and realized I forgot the money to pay for it. Whoops. Oh well, we turned around back toward home and had an early lunch. After lunch, the boys relaxed while I put together a grocery list. Ryan even got some playtime with friends for a while. Then packed back into the van to take them to Daddy. We left a little earlier than normal and Oliver's phone was dead so we walked into the school to find Daddy. He wasn't in his room. So we decided to walk toward the band room. We passed a handful of students that we knew and as we walked past the front doors, I asked Ryan to run out to see if Daddy was outside. Nope. Now to decide between going straight or turning right to get to the band room. I instinctively chose straight and that was a definite blessing because as we started down the hallway, Oliver walked out of a classroom next to us, a classroom I never would have checked to find him.
After leaving a couple of happy boys with their Daddy, I got into the van and headed back to finish the errand I was denied earlier. Luckily, there wasn't another roadblock to completing it so I was able to head right over to the Tooele pool for swim practice. I've been enjoying the swim team. It's great to have some things to think about and learn about as well as seeing a swimmer improve.
After practice, I did my grocery shopping and came home to Oliver cooking dinner. Although, the first words I heard as I walked in the door were: "Mommy's home! Can I open the package now?!"

He loves this hooded blanket! It's his "Puppy Pal."

Thanks to Grammy & Papa for bringing such a large amount of excitement into our house. Thanks for thinking of Evan & Ryan.
After the excitement of the large box, it was time to carve the pumpkin that I purchased at the store. Something that Ryan had been asking about for a week or two and that I'd been putting off. But we did it. Ryan helped a little. Evan showed a little curiosity. But Oliver was enjoying himself. And I was loving watching him as Ryan and I read together.

Trying his hardest not to touch the "gooey" insides.

 

Concentrating!

 

The big reveal.

 

Happy faces!

I worked on roasting pumpkin seeds for the first time in my life(turned out pretty good...although the second day, not as good) while Oliver snuggled with the boys. And then it was time to put the boys to bed. Oliver ran to the store to get some snacks for his road trip the next day(he left this morning at 6am to drive the trailer full of band instruments to southern Utah) a little faster than he should have. He got back, the boys had fallen asleep and then we were able to have some relaxing time together before our own bedtime. I love that man.
I had a good day.

Mini trip

The first quarter of the school year is over as of yesterday. Last week, there was a four day weekend due to UEA Break. Due to low funds, we couldn't do a whole lot, but we were able to go visit Oliver's mom. As we drove down, we met her at Gardner Village where we walked around admiring all the fun things they have. Ryan and I did the witch scavenger hunt and then we all enjoyed a delicious dinner at the restaurant there.

 

The next day we relaxed a lot and then went for a drive up the Nebo Loop. We decided to not go the whole way along the loop, but we did stop and have a little snowball fight before driving back down. We stopped once more on the way back down and took a mini hike. We decided that if we wanted to see the fall colors we should have gone a few weeks earlier, but it was still nice. For dinner that night we went to the restaurant where I first met my in-laws when Oliver and I were dating. That was a fun thing to do, even if the location is the same while the food is different.

 

 

On Saturday, we again relaxed some more and then had to head back home in order to make it to the ward's fall festival. Busy day, but fun.

7

1. You used to be Mommy's boy, but lately you seem to prefer Daddy like when you grab a strong hold onto Daddy's hand when we say its bedtime or how Mommy can offer you a bite of food and you'll decline but then take it when offered by Daddy two seconds later.

2. You have been giving Mommy some amazing cuddle time this week though. Climbing into the recliner with me even though you are getting so big but still snuggling(it makes me happy!).
3. A few days ago I met with your teachers to discuss your IEP and it was great to have a moment for all of us to cheer a bit on all the accomplishments we've witnessed you make this last year, like finally accepting hand over hand in order to learn some sign language.

4. Going for a ride in the van or car is something you want to happen everyday. Or at least to play in the van(although I think its in hopes that I'll get in the driver's seat and start driving).
5. Your giggle still rocks. I love to hear it when we're watching a show and be surprised by how funny one part seems to you.
6. Your butt dance is awesome. Whenever a song comes on that you feel is your rhythm, you start to move. It makes me want to find music videos on you tube and play them for you constantly.
7. It's hard to believe that you are seven years old. We love you so much.

"Please"

Time for another Post

I guess I haven't been in the mood to share things online lately, but here's a quick rundown of the past few weeks.
Ryan has a lot of fun each day. He goes to kindergarten every morning where they are flying through the alphabet and numbers. He comes home, sometimes with homework which I totally use as a reason for him to not play with friends. He has to do his homework before he can play with any of the friends who come over asking to play. He usually gets a good amount of playtime in too though. And at bedtime we read together. His teacher sends home little booklets that he is supposed to read and he's doing great! He also has some flashcards with words he is supposed to learn for the first term. It's been an interesting reminder of how tricky English is. That word for instance-is. When Ryan sounds it out with a short I sound and the s sound he can't recognize the word so I have to tell him to sound the s like a z and then he gets it. Or the word look. He pronounces it as luke because the double o makes him want to pronounce it like zoo. I'm impressed with him and his desire for reading time. WE finished the book called The Magic Faraway Tree and are now reading Charlotte's Web. I'm having fun and I love having him try to act out little moments or to laugh at something said. This weekend the boys had a boys night that Ryan apparently LOVED. From Oliver sharing with me, they went for a drive without Oliver telling them where they were going and they drove into the parking lot for a pizza place. Ryan enthusiastically responded with "Pizza!? Yay!". And Oliver continued pulling out surprises. One being a 2 liter of pop and the other being a Redbox movie(Lego Batman) that he's "always wanted to see!"
Evan has been going to school and having a good time of it as well. His teacher came out the other day when I came to pick him up to ask me a few questions. During that interaction she told me that he seems more focused at school, he's allowing the aides to grab his hands as they work on a few sign language signs, and he seems to follow directions better. Yay! Thursday was picture day and she shared the experience she witnessed with me. Evan was in getting his photo taken(apparently its going to be a great photo) while sitting in the wagon they use for him when Ryan's class came in. Ryan's teacher asked if Ryan could say hi to his brother which Evan's teacher thought "do you need permission?". Evan was so glad to see Ryan, he gave him a big hug and started to pull him into the wagon with him. Apparently, several of the kindergarteners had looks on their faces that were a bit astonished at what they were witnessing. But Ryan was happy and kind and I guess they even took a photo together in the wagon. This made me extra happy because before school that morning, Evan really wanted to hug Ryan and Ryan wasn't awake enough to allow it and had instead been cranky and upset whenever Evan reached for him. Evan has also been busy with his destruction mode. I'm typing this on a brand new computer because two weeks ago, he woke up and rocked a chair on top of our previous laptop breaking the screen and pulling off more keys which is one of his favorite pastimes. He also has discovered that he can open the cabinet underneath the TV where we'd been keeping all of our DVDs which means that he has pulled out DVDs from the cases, ripped apart several covers and broken cases. Last but not least he discovered that the vents in the floor are not actually screwed into place. Boo. The little things that drive me crazy-having to replace the vent covers on a regular basis or trying to recover an item dropped down the vent and having to close the cabinets and try to save our DVDs. But he's still the best hugger ever and his snuggles mean a lot. He definitely prefers his daddy to me. I wonder if part of that is that I'm with him the most, but I also think its because his daddy is so cool.
Speaking of his daddy, Oliver has been heading to work every day where he is trying to teach his students how to think and not just about biology. He's trying to work out his grading system which is unique to his thought process but which I think is pretty brilliant. Instead of getting grades simply based on the number of questions you answer, he wants them to actually have a full grasp of the topic. It has been overwhelming as he's making changes at the beginning of the school year instead of already having the changes made before school started. I have faith in him that it'll all work out. He has a handful of students that are signed up for Honors Biology so he's been working with them a little differently than the regular classes and has started the Escape Club as well. He's also been helping out with the band which he loves and during his prep period he is going around the school helping the other teachers with their technological issues. He's busy. He's also trying to make up for the lack of hiking he did this summer and is trying to plan some hikes before it gets cold, but the weather has been very rainy lately. Hopefully, he'll have some luck this weekend.
I have started to help out in Ryan's class on Mondays. I've only done it once so far, but its awesome to be there and see how his class goes but to also be of some help to his teacher. On Tuesdays & Thursdays I play volleyball with a handful of other women while the boys are in school. Wednesdays are shortened days so I don't really do a whole lot for myself during that hour and a half. Usually I get breakfast and then get distracted on the internet. I've been reading and crocheting and cooking. The newest addition to my routine is being a part of the Young Women organization in our ward. It's a lot of fun although I still feel a bit out of the loop. This last weekend while the boys were having boys night, I drove to Logan for Time Out For Women, a day and a half of seminars and music aimed toward LDS women. I went with Oliver's mom & sister and sister-in-law. We were able to sleep in Beth's living room which was a 10 minute walk from the concert hall where everything was happening. We laughed a lot, cried a little and were inspired and also just glad to spend time together.
So life is busy, but not too busy. We're enjoying our time together and our favorite place(at least my favorite place) is with my family. Sorry for the wordy and nonvisual post, but as mentioned before-new computer-also interpreted means no pictures.

Freedom to Choose

Our family is now back into the school routine. Last week, Oliver & Evan had their first days of school. Two weeks ago, Oliver was at school doing band camp & preparing his classroom for the incoming students. On Friday of that week, the principal told the faculty that he had been moved to a different school and a new principal was going to be coming in on Monday. Monday he met the new principal, did some more final preparations for the first day of school on Tuesday. That morning, Ryan had an assessment with the kindergarten teachers in order for them to help place the students in appropriate classes. The elementary school had a back to school night that evening so we went to meet the first grade teacher who will have Evan's name on her roll, Mrs. Pratt. She seems very nice and I hope that Evan is able to get to know his fellow class mates a little bit throughout the year.

Unfortunately, Oliver couldn't sleep on Monday night. He still gets a little nervous before the first day of school I guess. On Tuesday, he was up early & dressed quick so I didn't get a picture of him on his first day of school. As always, he looked sharp. Oliver is blessed to work with coworkers that are trying to be good teachers & who help him enjoy his job. I'm glad he likes what he does. And I personally think he's great at it. He came home on Tuesday afternoon and I'm pretty sure he passed out before his head hit the pillow. He took a couple hour nap & was pretty groggy when we woke him up for dinner.

Ryan & I drove Evan to school & walked him to his classroom with his aide, Lacie, who worked with him last year. He was very excited while we were there. He kept pulling things down, knocking things over, bringing things over to show me. I finally decided that he was probably so overwhelmed because Ryan & I were there so we finally left after about 20 or 30 minutes. He stayed until 12:30 all that week with them feeding him his packed lunch. He did well. 

So excited to get in the van for his first day of school!

Going in with his aide on the second day of school.

Now, today Ryan had his first day of kindergarten. Yesterday morning we went in to meet his teacher & get a lot of information. Unfortunately, it was about 45 minutes of Mrs. Johnson telling the parents stuff and Ryan was getting bored. But we made it through and I think he was excited despite being sad to have sat still for so long. 

Yesterday, also gave me some anxiety. I thought I would've been fine with this whole going to school thing considering he went to preschool last year and he will still only be gone for 2 hours and 45 minutes each day. But yesterday afternoon, Ryan wanted to go to the playground. So we went to the school playground after school was out. There were three boys still there from school-2 brothers and a friend of the older brother. I eventually realized that the younger brother wanted to go home but the friend wanted the older brother to stay & play. The friend wasn't being very kind to the little brother, teasing him & taunting him. A little while later two other boys came to the playground. When one of the new boys replaced the last syllable of the little brother's name with a swear word, and the friend of the older brother thought it was awesome, I'd had enough. I wish I could say that I was a great example & gave those boys a stern lecture or had a discussion with them about bullying, but no, I just walked away & took my boys to the other playground. Do I wish I'd said something, yes, but the feeling that lingered with me more than what I didn't do, was the fact that 8 & 9 year old boys have this meanness in them. They weren't just trying to be funny, they were being mean, purposefully teasing and taunting. Thankfully the older brother eventually took the little brother home & I hope that he'll learn to stand up for his brother sooner rather than later. But more than that, I hope that I can teach Ryan how to stand up for what's right. To be kind to those around him even when its hard and may not be the cool thing to do. To know that if someone says something like that about him, that he can ignore it and not let it be added to his identity. 

So my sad feelings lingered for several hours until we were able to have family home evening. Oliver had to stay late at school for the high school's back to school night followed by a meeting of the Community Council. When he finally made it home, we had our family night. Ryan chose to sing "Do as I'm Doing" which Oliver made us sing 6 times. then we had a discussion about choices. With a little discussion about Satan's plan for our lives vs. Christ implementing Heavenly Father's plan for us and a discussion about all the choices we get to make each day. We also talked about the things Ryan will get to choose each day: how to treat those around him, how to have a happy look on his day, etc. It was good. Then Oliver gave Ryan a father's blessing and while I wasn't the recipient of the blessing, it was good to hear it said and actually helped me with my anxiety. 

Today, Ryan woke up so excited this morning. I hope he stays excited for awhile and gets to make new friends and learn so much this year. 

Evan wanted to help as I tried to get a picture of Ryan's first day of school.

I hope that Oliver & I are able to help teach him the things that will help him be strong & be kind. Things that aren't part of the core curriculum for the state, but are part of the core curriculum for me.

Trying to get a normal smile out of my son. This one works well.

Walking confidently in to school to find his classroom. I'm so proud of you Ryan!

Words

I finally got a library card. Yay! Our little town just got a new library that opened back in April. It took me 3 months, but I finally went over and got a library card and borrowed some books.
In the previous nine months, the only books I had read were either ones already in the house, or that I would borrow from the "library" in the Creek house basement. So recently, I'd read a few series suggested by my mother-in-law. One series was about a group of quilters. The stories were about their lives, what makes quilting special and then several books about their ancestors and what made quilting connect one group to the other. It was good to read.
I just read a little series about women in a book club. The interesting part about this series is that each book is from the point of view of a different book club member in the same time frame but is written by a different author.
In the last 3 weeks, since having the library card, I've read The Hobbit, Anne of Green Gables, The Help, & The Book Thief. We also got the first Boxcar Children book and read it to Ryan. He really liked A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein as well. There's a poem called The Meehoo with an Exactlywatt. It's the longest knock knock joke ever.
Last week, we went back to the library and got some more books. The second Boxcar Children book, Charlotte's Web, & The Magic Faraway Tree. We're almost done with the Boxcar Children book and I know I'm excited to read the other two with Ryan as well. For me, I borrowed The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, Gathering Blue & The Secret Lives of Walter Mitty & James Thurber. I'm so excited. I love words. I love how people can combine words into different ideas and different expressions. How the words they think up, the stories they tell can bring out emotions in me and help me think about things in a different way or to just think about things that I haven't thought about in a long time.
Sadly, I can't find every book I'd ever want to read in our little library, but I'm so grateful for the ones I can find.

Birthday Camping

I had a birthday. Oliver has stopped worrying about silly things like ages. That's okay, luckily he still loves me. Even after 2 nights of camping with no shower.

We drove up on a Thursday night because Oliver was wise enough to realize we wouldn't likely get a spot on Friday. We camped at Trial Lake Campground off the Mirror Lake Highway. Our plan was to get out of the heat. We did that. It was around 40 degrees each night. 

The perfectly numbered campsite.

My boys gave me a hammock for my birthday (and a pink birthday crown).

I don't know, but it reminds me of Hulk.

The hammock was a hit with everyone in the family.

Fudge bars are pretty mandatory for my birthday.

"Happy Birthday to you!" "To me?"

Making fire!

Trial Lake with Mt. Watson and Notch Mountain.

Notch Mountain behind Trial Lake

My blue eyed boy.

Some awesome flowers that we found that Oliver shockingly didn't know right away.

"Hut Hut Hut Hut Hut Hut"

I told him to just throw his rocks, so yeah...he's totally posing for the picture.

 I had one request for Oliver, I wanted to feel special on my birthday. So he decided we should go camping. He got up with Evan and took him on a long walk so I could go back to sleep. He made breakfast, lunch and dinner. Natalie came up for a short visit with cake and ice cream. The weather was beautiful. My sons were great. We had a wonderful weekend.

Reunionizing

The last eleven days have been full of family. A gathering occurred to honor Oliver's grandmother's birthday. So on the 4th of July, we woke up and Oliver went to meet the band for the 4th of July parade. The boys and I walked over as well where we met Mitchell and Sandra who were stopping by on their drive south. Note: next year, bring a bag to put all of the candy thrown at us during the parade. We got to see the band and daddy snapped a quick picture of us before they continued on their march along the parade route.

After the parade, we packed up and headed to Hobble Creek campground for the family gathering. Sadly, we missed most of the program where each family honored grandma in their own way. But Evan walked straight to the little pool that was set up and climbed right in-clothes and all. We hung out for a few hours before heading over to the Creekhouse and for more family fun. Even though we arrived late, we were able to spend time with Chris, Jen, Toby, Hannah, Chelsea, Macy, Andrea, Allie, Jimmy, Ari, Beth, & Ollie's parents. It was a great gathering. I will confess to being very excited by some other friends I found that night too. David & Cathy Fairbanks were visiting Dave & Amy who live next door. It was awesome to find some old friends. Evan spent the evening in a little kiddie pool in the backyard and then we all watched fireworks for a little while before going to bed-Evan and I inside while Oliver slept in a tent in the backyard with Ryan and Macy. Unfortunately, it rained that night so Oliver spent a while shifting the sleeping kiddos from the drops falling inside our leaky tent.

On Friday, we went to Deer Creek Reservoir for some water play. Adding to that same fun group as previously mentioned, we were able to see Keilani, Tyler, Andrea, & baby TJ.

Natalie, Mitchell and Sandra also showed up at the latter end. Highlights of our boating day would involve the tube that many people tried. The kids loved it as it floated calmly in the little bay. Ryan again didn't like it when it was pulled behind the boat even though they never went fast. The water was really choppy so all those who rode the tube were tossed every which way as they went. Oliver and I went together and I elbowed him in the face multiple times and we flew off the tube and came back to land hard. Mitchell tried to learn how to water ski, but unfortunately, it didn't happen this time around. Evan loved riding on the boat even though he wanted to jump off it into the water. Oliver water skied and I felt old and didn't even try this time around.

The main lingering memory is the fact that I didn't apply enough sunscreen and was left with a horrible burn that is still peeling. After we left the lake, we grabbed some dinner with Mitchell, Sandra & Natalie and had a little time with Dave before it started to rain and everyone left on their own journeys-driving south, going back to the creekhouse, or going to a movie.

Saturday morning, the women went to breakfast together for Chelsea's birthday and then relaxed that afternoon. Evan was again in the water for a while and we eventually left to come home that evening. Oliver took the boys back to the Creekhouse on Monday while I stayed so I could wash some clothes and go to swim practice. Tuesday afternoon I met them at the This is the Place State Park in Salt Lake City. Thus began Oliver's motto of "I'm making memories" to justify the fact that we weren't carrying our camera with us everywhere. It was fun though. There's a little trolley that goes around the property and a lot of fun little houses that have either been replicated or moved from all over the state to this one location. Grandma Betty came this time around although we didn't have Chelsea and the girls and we all learned a few things and had some fun times in different parts. Ryan had a little pony ride that was much more successful than the last attempt several years ago where he was frightened of the little animals.
On Wednesday the kids were being watched by the grandmas while Oliver's dad, Oliver, Chris, Jimmy, Ari, Beth, Keilani, Tyler, Andrea, TJ, & I hiked up to the Timpanogos Caves.

We definitely got a workout. Not all of us were prepped for the hike and the cave tour. I didn't bring tennis shoes, so I was hiking in sandals and we were told it would be about 45' in the cave. Luckily, Oliver brought his hiking backpack to carry water and he happened to have two lightweight but warm sweaters that were shared amongst those who were the coldest. It was a fun adventure. I had only made that journey once before, during my freshman year at college and Oliver thinks he did it one summer between moves when he was younger. It was really fun. We had made meatballs for everyone before leaving so that we could come home to have meatball subs for dinner. I drove home alone that night to again be ready for swim practice the next morning while the boys stayed one more night.
Chris & Jen stopped by our house on Friday and Chris & Oliver drove up for their Great Uncle Frank's memorial service. Jen and her kids drove up to meet them and Oliver came back home late that night. Saturday morning we packed up and headed up for the reunion for Oliver's other grandma. This reunion is a little bigger in that its for grandma and all of her sibling's, not just her immediate descendants. They have met at Cherry Hill for a multiple number of years now. It was a really good day despite my crankiness when I woke up. Sorry for that Oliver, but thanks for putting up with me anyway. The afternoon was filled with lunch, games, Evan again sitting in a kiddie pool, spite and malice tournament, a quick family photo, a rain storm that soaked me and Evan as I chased him around, a short hike up a trail after the rain stopped, mini golf, baby holding, and all sorts of fun times. Charlie was finally around this time so all of Oliver's siblings were able to spend a little time together with their parents and we all enjoyed the company. We camped Saturday night and Sunday was filled with low key family time as most of Grandma's siblings had left and their kids had also gone home. One highlight from Sunday was that despite having to keep an eye on Evan so that he wouldn't go to the next campsite or pull someone's hair, he also learned how to shoot a watergun. It was the cutest thing to watch and his giggle whenever he shot it was hilarious. Who knew?
While it is stressful to take Evan to such large gatherings, it was a huge blessing to have Oliver's family be so open and willing to take turns in pushing Evan around the campground, or play with him or sit with him so that Oliver and I could go do something else like get food, or play spite and malice or just sit and not worry about him.
Family is good and I'm glad that at the end of two family reunions, I can still say that and not have negative feelings about the gatherings.