Every year when we visit Utah, we take the kids into downtown Salt Lake City and visit the temple there. The center of Salt Lake City is a square block with the temple and gardens on it. Called Temple Square. It is VERY beautiful and I always enjoy going. Plus, it reminds me of the day that Juice and I were married, since we were married at that temple!
As per usual, my friend Mink joined us with her 3 girls, Spider, Fair and Minnie. Flower also joined us to help out. Because frankly, we had 8 kids and 3 adults. That calls for another hand!
These 2 are becoming such good friends!
After Temple Square, we walked back to the car across the street and saw the Conference Center and the waterfall down the building. Plus, City Creek that runs right past it. I love that creek.
This morning we all got up and made the trek over to the big park to go sledding with Butterfly’s BFF Vinny and his mom, Lala. We had such a great time! And by we, I was excluding Professor. The poor guy is just unhappy about the whole sledding experience. This time I didn’t even put him down once and he was still unhappy. Poor kid.
We brought Soot along because she needed to get out. Poor thing had to deal with this:
She did very well though once she was on the sled track. She ran after the sleds growling and barking and having a merry old time.
I could have stayed out there all day long but the babies started crying and so we decided to head on home. I think Butterfly would have fallen asleep on that sled if she could have. She was one tired girl!
After everyone had lunch and naps, we headed out to see the lights at the DC Temple. So beautiful! Butterfly and I had been there earlier this season during the day but this time we went to see the lights. We met up with our friends who come with us every year. It was fun to have their girl and Butterfly run around together.
We cut quite the path with our double wide stroller. We held up traffic in several places because BOB’s wheels were scraping each side of the snow on the little paths they plowed. What a great day!
This week for preschool we decided we should do C for Christmas of course! We are only 2 days into it but we’ve talked about hard Cs and soft Cs and Butterfly is going around pointing at all the Cs and spelling things like Cat. Today for school we decided to join some of our ward (congregation) at the Washington DC Temple visitor’s center and see a short movie.
We got there early and we were basically the only ones there. We walked around and saw the trees and the collection of nativity sets they have on display. I loved being the only ones there for that because you could take as long as you wanted. I took several cool pictures.
We were able to watch the movie, Joy to the World.
They asked us not to have food there but the boys were cross by this time so they ate prezels and I felt sort of guilty with every one they had. Oh well.
Once we got out of the movie (where Butterfly looked for Uncle MusicMan during the choir singing) the kids were done. We let them run around by the reflection pool for awhile and got them modeling the letter of the week with the reflection of the temple and the Christus in the background.
What a fun outing! We can’t wait to go back to see all the lights lit this weekend.
It’s sad. I was trying to write every single day for a year but it just didn’t happen. Oh well…here is a catch up post.
Friday we spent the day with my grandparents and enjoyed their company and their lunch! Thanks Nana and Grandpa!
Saturday we went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house with my grandparents and my bro and sil and Cappy. Fun but cold outside! We also took all the kids to get their hair cut. The first cut for the boys! Professor screamed through the whole thing (while dripping saliva from his sucker all over the drape and getting hair plastered to his face because of it). Professor had a bell he was focused on (the place had little cars for them to sit in) and he stood stock still. Ah, life with twins. Butterfly also got a trim and a princess hairdo. They had a slide in the hair cutting place and Professor loved it so much. He got so excited at the top bouncing on his knees. He then pitched forward to get on his hands to go down the slide but didn’t realize the edge of the slide was right there. He bashed his head pretty good and had a huge goose egg. I think he cried more that we were leaving the slide than the goose egg.
Sunday we spent at Juice’s parents house, going to church with them and eating a ton of fruit. I fell asleep in the mother’s lounge with one of the boys. I think I might be tired. We also raced downtown to see my brother sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir that morning. I love to see him up there doing what he loves to do! We also saw a good friend’s drawings and were able to see our Prophet.
Monday we went hiking wth BFF Mink and her girls. We had a great time until we had to run home so we wouldn’t be caught in the thunderstorms that are happening every evening. It has rained every day since we’ve been here. Juice’s BFF J came over that evening and we went for yet another hike (this time without the kids). We also went geocaching which I always find fun. We found one we had been looking for for over a week so I was excited. Juice and J stayed up until 1am talking and playing Rock Band.
Today was another day spent at my grandparents’ house for me and a day spent with Juice’s family for Juice. Juice had a great time with his nephews who are visiting from Idaho…mostly because we are here and they have never met our kids. Their youngest was a baby when we moved to Maryland so it’s fun to see how grown up they all seem.
My kids decided to knock over a fake tree of my Nana’s and break some glass orniments she had hanging on it for decoration. They also decided that the orniments should be eaten!! Ack! I have no idea if they swallowed anything (probably) and we left soon after that. I also got a flat in BOB’s wheels from a thorn I probably picked up while hiking yesterday. My awesome cousin S (who is 14?) fixed it for me. I kind of miss being around my family.
I also got my hair cut today. Yes, cut means really different. I have bangs. It’s short. It’s seriously different. Pictures later since I haven’t taken them yet.
Cappy is spending part of the night with us and it’s been fun to have all of the cousins together. They are actually all sleeping (yes, they are asleep) in the same room. We took some pictures of all the boys in their pjs together and it’s so cute! It has also reinforced that I’d really rather not have triplets. My boys are running me pretty ragged these days and adding another one to the mix changings the whole dinamic. Triplet moms are amazing.
It’s a dinosaur! Today we went to the dinosaur museum with my BFF Mink and her two girls. We had so much fun looking at all the dinosaur bones and playing in the wet sand exhibit. (Which Professor promptly ate and grossed Mink out.)
Still it’s an awesome museum for around here. We have been to several museums in the past considering the Smithsonian is close for us in Maryland and this one is good.
Juice has been going to the Draper Temple every day in the morning. It’s so amazing to be able to walk to the temple. I can see it out my window now and it’s very beautiful.
The kids took good naps this afternoon and Juice and I played Rock Band. It’s fun to have so much time with him during the day. And our days aren’t terribly crowded with things to do so we can spend some actual time together.
It also hailed here this afternoon and I had to explain to Butterfly what the “little balls that are coming out of the sky” were. She’s observant.
Today has been on lazy day followed up by go go go go fast fast fast fast. Since Butterfly’s mild sneezing has turned into a huge watery sniffly mass, I decided we needed some quiet days at home. Much to my dismay. Not that I had anything planned at all. But I’m noticing as it gets colder and the boys get bigger I’m going out less and less. It’s just too hard to do things by myself anymore.
I was brave and went to the post office. And only because I had Netflix movies that needed to go out so I could get new ones. And I had a few other packages to send off. The post office was a nightmare with the crush of disgruntled postal patrons and my hyper bouncing off the wall trying to move her brothers which means she almost tips them over because she can’t move them preschooler and me….trying to address these envelopes and not put her in a box and ship her to grandma’s in the process. But if anyone is getting shipped to grandma’s it would be me. And the boys because they kind of need me to eat. And then we may as all go to grandma’s. Sigh…missing family a lot this year.
One fun thing happened at the post office! Butterfly was chatting away as I was trying to get into the building and I suddenly started paying attention because she kept saying, p p p p. Wait, bathroom trip? Nope, she was pointing out the letters on the building so she names them off: P-O-S-T. She wanted to know what that said. I asked her what she thought it said. She says, “Puh, ooo, sss, tuh. Puh ooo st. Oh! Post! That says post!” One smart cookie!
She took a 3 hour nap, along with the boys, when we got home. Lala, Vinny’s mom, came over to use my washing machine because her apartment complex machines were broken down. Again. We had a good time learning more about each other’s pasts and talking about boys and marriage and old boyfriends, etc. We also watched a Christmas Story because she had never seen it. It was a fun afternoon.
Then I was able to get dinner going, bounced and played with cranky babies and got them fed while Juice was coming home. We then rushed through dinner, shoved the boys into their winter coats (much to their dismay…they wanted nursing and bed time) and rushed out the door to see this. Isn’t it beautiful? It was so bitterly cold outside though. We met up with some friends from my play group and saw the concert they had tonight. It was a singing ensemble. And man, the instrument guy really got into it. Butterfly and her friend played more with the seats than watched the show but they’re three. We then walked over to see the live nativity and a few of the lights. I tried to get a family picture for them but the little girl wouldn’t cooperate. So they took a family picture for us.
Not that you can see all the family members. It was so cold and the boys were asleep. I wish I could have gotten one when they were awake but no such luck. Juice was great and loaded all the kids into the car and let me run around with my camera to get a few shots.
A good evening but now I’m exhausted. See you tomorrow!
We got a late start this morning. I woke up 3 times with Professor last night (I think). Combine that with the hiking we did yesterday and I was beat. So Juice was sweet and let me sleep in. Well, everyone got up at 8 am and Juice took Butterfly and Professor downstairs with him. I fell asleep with Pirate and we both didn’t get up until 11:30am. I only got up because Pirate was putting his hands all over my face. He lit up like a lighthouse when I opened my eyes. Man I love these kids!
We had a nice quiet morning, a nice quiet lunch and I wish I could say a nice quiet afternoon. We were able to go out to Juice’s oldest brother’s house today for dinner. (Remember Flower my niece helper? This is her dad.) Both boys were sleeping and Butterfly was in need of a nap herself. But we got everyone into the car (with all the kids screaming…that was fun) and headed out. Juice had gotten directions and we were on our way.
The reason why we got everyone into the car right at nap time was that we were hoping to miss the traffic and be there for the afternoon a little too. The drive there was a breeze. We drove right to it, as Juice’s directions said we should. And then…Juice realized that he didn’t have a house number. Wait, the directions are only half here. Yes, we are in a residential area and Oldest Brother’s house should be here some where. We tried to call him. No luck. We tried to call Juice’s parents. No luck. We ended up getting a hold of Juice’s sister, Splats, and she gave us the address. (In the meantime, we drove up and down this street picking out houses that could be Oldest Brother’s. The ones without trucks, with very little work for the lawn and without major frilly stuff. I think we had it narrowed down to 5 houses that we were going to knock on if no one got back to us.)
So yeah, that address Juice had? WAY OFF. As in at least 15 miles and half an hour of driving off. I called my mom and had her look up directions from where we were to Oldest Brother’s house. We got there 30 minutes later.
As we pulled up, there was a strange car and a strange guy walking out the back door. Who was that? Oh, it was Next Brother and that was his car. We didn’t know that he would be here. We thought it was just going to be Oldest Brother and maybe Juice’s parents would be there. Turns out, everyone was there except for Splats and her family (picking up Seraph from the hospital, yay!) and Oldest Sister and her family who live in Idaho. So basically it was his brothers today.
Among the group was Flower. Oh how we miss and love Flower. I want her to come and live with me all the time. She can help me hold babies, be spit up on, play with Butterfly and talk books with me. It was great to have her and everyone there. We had a little bbq and Butterfly and her two young cousins (Flower’s little brother and Next Brother’s boy) played outside and on the tramp. I barely saw Butterfly all night she was entertaining her cousins so much.
Oh, I almost forgot. As we got to the house, Next Brother was on the tramp and Butterfly was introduced to him. She then took her turn introducing me and her brothers to him. “This is my mom. She’s a little crazy.” Um, what?! Where did she get that!? And she said it so seriously. It was funny but strange for her. Looks like I’m not the only crazy one in the family.
The boys were not happy all night long. I think they were tired. I did take them to the wilderness yesterday after all. There were lots of people, lots of noises and lots of unfamiliar faces. Pirate basically had a melt down and I had to hang out in their basement with all the lights off to get him to calm down and go to sleep. He didn’t sleep long. Just long enough for me to get Professor to sleep with lots of bouncing on Flower’s bed. And I tried and tried to get Pirate to go back to sleep but he would not let me put him down. Finally, I did to go tell Juice it was time to go.
We gathered up Butterfly from the trampoline and her cousins and got her in her pjs. She started to cry. They boys started to really cry because they were in their car seats and not sleeping. Everyone is trying to say good bye to everyone else. Oldest Brother said, “I don’t think we’ve had this much noise in the house ever.” Yeah, we were that loud.
But, we got on the road and the boys fell asleep about 10 minutes later and we sang to each temple we passed; Bountiful, Salt Lake, Jordan River and the new one in Draper. Once we were home, I had to spend another hour or so calming the boys down and putting them to bed because they were once again woken up. Poor kids. Hopefully they will sleep well tonight! I know I will!
Safire
PS- Again pictures in the camera downstairs. More later.
PPS- A tropical storm is headed for our house in Maryland. I suddenly want to be home!
Today I thought Butterfly needed a down day so we spent the day at home. Okay, she spent the day at home with the boys and Nana. I did laundry all morning (yay clean socks!) and relaxed with a book. Juice had one of his best friends come over so they spent the morning carrying around babies and playing strawberry shortcake with Butterfly. It’s really funny to watch almost 30 year olds on the floor saying, “Don’t do it Strawberry!” or “My name is Lemon Pie.” Especially since one of those guys is a bachelor. Very cute.
Anyway, Juice and I took advantage of our free babysitting and did some work at the temple. It was relaxing to be there. I can see the new Corner Canyon Temple from my bedroom window and I am looking forward to doing work there when we come back next time. Butterfly cried because she couldn’t come to church with us and play with the toys.
While we were out, we bought some fresh fruit. I love Bear Lake raspberries. So good!
This evening the boys have been majorly cluster feeding and I’ve had one attached to me for close to 3 hours. (One after the other.) They are both currently sleeping in their beds and hopefully I will be shortly.
Here is the picture from yesterday. Yay for the first ever Cousin Camp 2008!
