Before we get to the trip where I go enjoy my lovely family in Utah, I give you a BEFORE and AFTER. We have this great room right off of the kitchen - we like to call it the solarium. It's where the previous owner had an excessive amount of Pilates equipment. It soon became our catch-all for all things office/craft/homework/sewing/project/play/junk. When you move as often as we have you acquire things in each place, and with each new place you have to find places for all that stuff. Thus enters, the solarium. Office space is kind of my sanctuary. In Virginia we were lucky enough to have an extra room with a door, on the main floor. The last year that we were there I bought a doorknob with a key and locked everyone out. Without the luxury of a locking door, this room was a disaster in our new house and it was not working for me, or anyone for that matter. It was dark and cluttered with stuff, including boxes that still had nowhere to be unpacked. So I do what any daughter of my mother does - I started a binder of ideas, with tabs for different rooms and reference pages with pictures, prices and dimensions. Then we waited. I planned and calculated and waited until we had the funds to do something about it.
BEFORE:
See? Told you it was a hot mess.
So we moved everything to one end, cleared it all out and Jonah and I set to work assembling a million different pieces from Ikea.
(Don't let that sweet face fool you. I did most of the work. Plus, his tools are all plastic, so...)
(Don't let that sweet face fool you. I did most of the work. Plus, his tools are all plastic, so...)
TA DA! I mean, AFTER:
At first I thought we would have an entire work space for Clark and myself with that whole counter on the right for kids and their own workspace. But when it was finished I decided that Clark and I (mostly me) needed the whole darn thing. So on the very right the counter ends, then there is a filing cabinet and then I gave them a token kid desk with their own computer and everything so they will stop getting on ours and ruining everything for crying out loud.
It's also very important to show you the inside of the cabinets because that brings me joy. Uniform bins that are now all labeled and everything. Joy. That, my friends, brings me joy.
I was hesitant to post the before and afters because it is still lacking in some cute finishing touches but seeing as how the funds ran out before all that, it will have to wait. I was able to make some huge buffalo check curtains that were in my little binder of ideas. They make me happy too.
On Memorial Day we attended a ward breakfast. Clark had gone before us to help set up and when I arrived with the kids I was pleasantly surprised to see him in his uniform-it made me miss the Navy for just a few moments. The breakfast was delightful. I got to witness a formal retirement of both a Texas and American flag. It was very interesting and educational.
We had some perfect weather for a while. I was hanging on to every blessed day, knowing that summer was just around the corner. Well, the summer heat has arrived with its ugly cousin, humidity. I sweat the moment I step foot outside and getting in the car feels like I am trying to bake my entire family alive. I'll get over it once the pool is open every day. And I will try and breathe deeply when we receive our electric bill every month.
Bike rides and outings with my family. That brings me even more joy than an organized office. Mostly because when we are out and about playing, it distracts us from being in confined spaces, bickering.
Clark made amazing mother's day plans for me this year. He really went above and beyond to set something awesome up. And then I batted my eyes and traded it in for a trip to Utah when I heard my sister and her family were being sealed to their youngest daughter.
Clark is a good sport. I hope he remembers everything he had originally planned for next year.
Jonah and I took a little trip.
It was wonderful, to say the least.
A few years ago my parents met some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Three professional golfers from Norway, Zimbabwe and South Africa. They happened to be in Utah for the month and offered to do some golf lessons for us one evening.
Yeah that's right, I had golf lessons from some pros.
I would like it stated on the record that the golf pros said we were "pretty good".
We convinced them to go to dinner with us afterwards where we sat and listened to the most amazing stories of family history, testimonies and service. When we got in the car afterwards I felt like I had had a spiritual experience, I was exhausted. I am in awe of the work they do. They started a charity called Eyes 4 Zimbabwe but that is just the tip of the iceberg of what these women accomplish. Really. Go read their blog for 2 minutes and you will want to drop everything and move your family to Africa to be a part of it. I've been trying to figure out how to move to the bush all week.
Did I mention that ALL of my sisters were there?! I was missing one brother or else every single sibling would have been there. But having my sisters all in one place was heavenly. Also on my bucket list of things to do over the weekend was to run with my running sister, Sarah. I'm pretty sure she was just warming up when I told her I couldn't breathe anymore but it was a lovely run nonetheless. We inadvertently matched all the way from our Korean headbands to brightly neon tennies.
Then there was this whole story about our comedy of errors as we tried to buy our oldest sister, Amy a treat. Whipped cream in a Diet Coke was the best we could do but the little adventure provided us with laughter until tears as a poor adolescent thing from Sonic created our new tagline "This is really hard...cause I'm on skates." A story which I found out is totally a "you had to be there" kind of story.
Then we witnessed the reason we had all come together, to see this family gain another little sister for eternity. What a sweet, sweet ceremony and special occasion to be a part of.
We sat in Amy's backyard and hung out. I feel so immensely grateful to love this family so much. Being with my parents and siblings truly is heaven. I miss them all so much, it hurts to be so far from brothers, sisters, parents and nieces and nephews that are so darling and interesting.
I had a weekend with my sisters and this is seriously the ONLY picture we all got together?!?!?!
Jonah played and frolicked with cousins. Boys are boys and they were adorable. I loved just sitting in the backyard with my sisters one afternoon, in the shade, while our kids played together.
Again, heaven.
One morning, Mo and Sarah and I were able to go to the Salt Lake Temple. It was beautiful and wonderful. And then we dropped by Mo's office where I sat at her desk and enjoyed her view. The same immaculate office where a couple of days before, Jonah and I had joined her for lunch and Jonah tracked cookie all over her white carpet while loving ladies just smiled and cooed at him.
Sarah and I shared a bed. We felt like pioneers except the bed was huge and there were only two of us in it...and there was no dirt floor, or bed bugs. Roommates, like the good old days.
Then Mo let Jonah take a bath her gi-normous kitchen sink. I was tickled that Mo was routinely emptying the dishwasher with a big 'ole baby just sitting in her sink.
Jonah and I had a deal on a red-eye which would have been perfectly alright if it hadn't been delayed a couple of hours. We walked in the door in Houston at 3:15am. Every trip needs a little hiccup.
But I came home to a handsome husband, cute kids that missed us, a clean house and laundry done. A perfect trip.
I missed all these faces.
