The goods and not so goods of our week in St. George

GOOD..............catching up with family. I always love getting to sit and talk to family at get togethers. I love hearing what everyone has been up to and getting to hear the details and random stories that no one bothers to share if you're not sitting around with nothing better to do than talk to each other.

NOT SO GOOD...............drive time. No one should have to spend over 20 hours in the car with small children, unless that 20 hours is spread over a month or so, not a week.

GOOD.....................cousins entertaining Emmie. I have 2 cousins that are a lot younger than me. They are 9 and 11. I sincerely wish that they lived in my neighborhood because they were the best babysitters ever. Emmie LOVED them. They would play with her and she would just laugh and laugh and be completely entertained. It was amazing.

NOT SO GOOD.............Emmie took to sticking her finger in her nose. It's kind of a security blanket thing. She's always been particular about her nose, she hates having boogers in it. But it was ridiculous how much of the week was spent with Emmie 's finger up her nose. (And BTW, this photo captures only a sliver how drastic her finger in the nose truly was.)

GOOD.............Listening to my niece Bailey. While sleep talking one night she yelled out, "But Bria gets to do everything!!!!" I don't know why but sleep talking is just funny in general, and when she yelled that out about her sister I couldn't help but laugh. It was also funny one night while she was talking to her sister on the phone when she said, "Tonight I had waffles for dinner (she had pancakes) and ya, I'm familiar with that." What does that even mean?!

GOOD..............The spinny park. The spinny park saved us. We went there twice while in St. George. I'd never heard of one before, and the thought of it makes me a little dizzy. But the kids loved it and didn't mind all the spinning at all.
GOOD..............The weather. It was gorgeous!!!! We left Salt Lake withe 6 inches of snow on the ground and got to enjoy afternoons in the 70's. I had to go buy my kids cooler clothes. Seriously. I wish we were having that gorgeous spring weather here!


GOOD.............Looking at things of the past...pictures, clothes, etc. I always love to do stuff like that.

NOT SO GOOD.................Boredom. I wasn't prepared for a week away from home. I had very little entertainment for the kids and my grandma's house is a bit lacking in the toy/baby supply department. But we made it work.

GOOD............. My dad entertained Owen one morning for an hour and a half with some magic. My dad convinced Owen that he was magic and could change the time on the clock. Owen would stand in front of the oven clock and wave his hands and say random magic words until the time changed. My dad was sure to tell him what time to try to change it to. So when Owen would come excitedly tell him that he had changed the time to 10:32, my dad would just as excitedly tell him to try to change it to 10:33. And sure enough, with a little patience, he was always able to get the time to change.

GOOD..............We were able to spend a day or so in Salt Lake and visit John's family. Unexpected visits are always nice, right!

NOT SO GOOD..................Exhaustion. I was seriously exhausted by the end of the week. I still don't know that I've recovered. I'm definitely not 20 anymore. Being up until 1 or 2 for several nights on a row and then up with kids at 7 every morning really took it's toll on me. I still don't know that I've recovered.

THE VERY BEST.................After the burial on Saturday we took a walk down memory lane and visited the first 2 houses I lived in as a kid. What was amazing was that shortly after we pulled up to the house I was born in (literally) a Realtor showed up for a showing. The house was vacant and he let us wander through it. It was so cool to see things as an adult that I hadn't seen since I was 7 years old. There was still the same linoleum in the kitchen, the same kitchen cupboards, and the same little moulding in the kitchen that I used to pretend was a door to a magical kingdom. I absolutely loved being there. I wish John and Ainsley could have been with us.

But then it got even better when we went to the second house I ever lived in (the farm house) and we wandered around the property a bit. There was a little girl that came outside who was probably the same age as I was when we moved from that house. I watched her play in the driveway and jump the ditch just like I used to. It was all too nostalgic. But then my mom and uncle knocked on the door just to tell the owners we weren't there to cause a raucous and just passing through and the current owner's graciously welcomed the herds through the house. My mom's uncle Vance built the house. Not a lot was the same. There had been a lot of remodeling over the years, but the white living room carpet is the same carpet that has been there for over 30 years, and the kids bathroom still has the original pink tile. The owners had actually torn a bunch out but the tile on the ground was laid into cement....so that will have to stay. And then while we were there 2 people from the ward I grew up in just happened to stop by and visit with my parents. How random is that? I just love that a cute little LDS family with young girls lives in the house I remember growing up in. It was really cool.