A week in Utah with cousins

Annie and Noah loved playing together and even planted

this awesome flower garden, with the help of my sister, Megan.

I absolutely love this picture of Ben with his cousin Tai.
Now I just need a picture of my brother, Ben, with my brother, Tai.

Our three youngest with Madison, Kennedy, Noah, Tai and Gwen.

Okay technically not a cousin, but Mia was definitely Annie's
favorite friend whenever we were at my sister Tara's house.

Matt and Noah were so funny together and got along fantastically.

Our three youngest with their cousins Davis, Brynn, Alex and Noah.

Ben with little Lucy. This picture just cracks me up.
Okay he is four months older, but really...he is such a chunky monkey.

The Grandkids Olympics

Jacob's dad is so creative and fun. He planned and put on the Allen Grandkids Olympics and boy was
it a hit. Every detail was included. It was so amazingly cute. Thank you Grandpa Rex! We loved it.

The opening ceremonies. I'm not sure how far the athlete in the back
of the line will be marching, but he is just happy to be a part of it.

As the opening ceremonies continue, the gap widens. This was part of Lucy's plan to make
them think she was slower than the rest, and then when the events begin, take them all by
surprise and leave them in the dust. I believe she borrowed the idea from Michael Phelps.

The trampoline event. Some amazing air was witnessed.

Track and field. Expert runners. Every one of them.

The gold medal ceremony. Look at the pride in their eyes.

My three participants and their gold medals.

One last trip to the beach

One last bike ride

This morning, Jacob and his good friend, Josh, said goodbye. I've mentioned the Wests several times before on our blog. They have been our best friends here in San Diego and we miss them like crazy. They left about a month ago, but Josh has been back for the past several days to defend his dissertation and finish all of the paperwork involved. And while he was here, he and Jacob went on several rides together. Just like they always did when the Wests lived right next to us. But this morning, it was different because they were saying goodbye.

Now most of us say goodbye by eating, visiting and crying a bit. But not Jacob and Josh. They thought a bike ride would be a good way to part. And not just any bike ride. A fifty-six mile bike ride would probably do. And for those that are die-hard cyclists, that may not seem like a lot. But these two crazies have only been biking for a short time. But that did not stop them. It exhausted them. A lot. But they did it. And did it well. And even though men do not usually talk about such things, I think I have a small idea of how much Jacob will miss his friendship with Josh. And not just because Josh is the only one crazy enough to ride fifty-six miles with Jacob. Just for the fun of it.

One last date

At least in San Diego. Last night, Jacob and I were able to go on a long date together. For the last three years, we have been trading babysitting with our good friends, Isa and Ben. Every weekend, one couple gets to go on a date, while the other person (usual myself or Isa) sits with our sleeping kids. It has been absolutely wonderful and having two dates a month is going to be very hard to give up. While scheduling our last couple of switches before our big move, Isa and I decided we would each take a turn having a long date, instead of the two or three hours we usually have in the evening. And so last night, we got our turn to go out for the entire afternoon and evening. We loved it. And the kids had the best time ever with the Sabeys.

We started our date at the beach. Although it was the most crowded we have ever seen it in four years, it was a beautiful day and we loved relaxing and enjoying the sand and water. Jacob went snorkeling and saw a guitar fish, a sting ray and even touched a turtle. Super cool.

Next, we came home quickly to change and go to the San Diego temple for the last time. I love this temple. I loved being there with Jacob. I know we will love the temple in Boston, but this particular temple will always hold a special place in my heart. I just had to take a picture as we were leaving.

And then we headed to Old Town in San Diego for dinner. It was wonderful just 

to eat and visit and talk about our time here and how much we have loved it.

It was truly a fantastic way to spend out last date here in this beautiful place.

Thanks Isa and Ben! We will definitely miss you guys.

Max 30

Last Sunday, I woke up to my four darling kids and their incredible creativity. Jacob always has early-morning meetings before we all go to church, so he was already up and gone. I guess, just as he was leaving, Ben woke up. And being such a thoughtful husband, he asked the three older kids to tend Ben quietly so I could get more sleep. I woke up an hour later and when I entered the kids' room, there they all sat, quiet and happy and tending Benjamin. What a sweet moment for a mom.

And what had kept them quiet and happy? They were working on a project together. They had decided to build a play area for Ben, to keep him entertained. And the idea went from that, to a play area that ALL could use and enjoy. But not just any play area would do. The setup was important, the plan for what each area would be used for was important, the grand opening was definitely important, but mostly, the rules were important. Now before I share these rules, please keep in mind, that this particular play area was about three feet by four feet. It was an area on the ground, with blankets and pillows neatly arranged over it. On each side of it was a bed. And apparently the beds were extensions of the main play area. Now on with the rules. I left each rule as it was written by our three kids. Spelling and all.

#1. Age 9 and under.

(That just makes sense. Nine-year-olds would probably be taller than 
the actual dimensions of the play area and we can't have that.)

#2. No electronics.

(Because who can enjoy a play area with all those cell phones going off?)

#3. Max 30.

(Phew. Thirty-one kids would definitely be too many.)

#4. Put dipers in basket.

(No one needs dirty diapers littering the ground where they play.)

#5. If you see a hole cover it up quickly.

(Safety first, my friends. Safety first.)

#6. Be quiet please.
(After all, our house is usually so calm and quiet, I'm sure this won't be difficult at all.)

#7. Only camras.
(Okay, maybe not all electronics are bad. I wonder where
they get their tolerance, I mean love, of cameras?)

#8. Only 15 toys at one time.
(Let's not be greedy. Fifteen is plenty everyone.)

#9. Only bottels.
(Cups can be messy and we can't spend all day cleaning up after you.)

#10. If your baby starts crying take out please.
(Please allow everyone to enjoy the peaceful surroundings.)

#11. Only 3 babies in the sleeping aria.

(I believe the sleep area was Annie's bed. I won't go into the safety factor 
of putting three kids on a bed without any railing or restraint.)

#12. Only 5 babies in play aria.
(Okay, if there are five babies in the play area, please make sure there are
only twenty-five additional children with them. Remember rule #3 please.)

#13. Watch kid at all times.
(Is this for safety reasons, or is this a hint that you should only
bring one child at a time? Kid. Singular, not plural. Got it?)

And then there was the grand opening. The kids spent hours after church making all sorts of decorations. They colored a huge red ribbon and stretched it from one bed to the other. Then they invited us in to watch the festivities. When we walked into the room, there stood the three of them in front of the red ribbon. Cam had a pair of scissors. On the count of three, they chanted in unison, "The play area is now open." The red ribbon was cut and happiness ensued.

So if you are ever in our neighborhood, please check out our play area. I think it would be well-worth your time. And goodness sake, when we move to Boston, think of the space we could have there. Max 30? Yeah right. New rule. Max 230. Come on over. I mean, really. See how happy your child would be enjoying our play area?

Bring on the gold

Oh, I'm so excited. I absolutely LOVE the Olympics! If you need me,
I'll be in front of my television for the next seventeen days.

Pioche

For real

We have a house! And it is beyond unbelievable. I honestly do not have the ability to put
into words how grateful I am, nor how excited I am. The way it all came about is absolutely
incredible. And this house is honestly ten thousand times more wonderful than any of the
other houses we considered. We were truly guided to it and I just feel so thankful and happy.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. We know ours were answered. They always are.
We are so thrilled with the house, the neighborhood, the ward and the schools.
It is a happy day at the Allen household. And now, a few pictures to share.

The front, but kind of from the side. It is almost 2300 square feet. What are we
going to do with all of that space? The neighborhood looks wonderful too.

The yard. Need I say more? I always do. About a fourth of an acre and totally
fenced in  except that small part straight ahead where the driveway meets the yard.

The only inside picture I will pester you with. Oo-da-la-lee.
Look at that kitchen, my friends. Happiness.

Okay enough of that already. We are just so very, very grateful.
For your prayers, for this house and for Heavenly Father's constant kindness.

Challenges and blessings

So I have not written about what is happening with the house situation and I feel like I should. Not because I think you are all sitting on the edge of your seats wondering, but because I need a record of it and there are some of you that are interested and have been thinking of us and praying for us. And we appreciate it more than you can ever imagine.

It has been a hard week. Monday the first house fell through. I was sad and emotional for a few minutes and then Jacob and I decided just to move forward. Our next house on the list would be a wonderful option. It was a little more than the first, but well worth it. So we contacted our realtor, who contacted the realtor for the other house. He said the owner actually lived in Israel and he would email him and have an answer for us soon. Possibly even Monday night. In the meantime, we kept moving forward with two other homes we thought could work for our family.

To keep this account to a minimum, Tuesday came and went. Wednesday came and went. And finally, on Thursday morning, our realtor called to say that the other realtor had finally gotten a hold of his client and that his client had failed to mention to his own realtor that the people currently living in the home had changed their mind the previous week and were staying another year. A bit of a sock in the stomach for us.

We were disappointed, but moved onto the third option. Now by this time it was Thursday afternoon. And that may not seem like a big deal, as it was only three and a half days since we had received the call about the first house. But for those of you who have gone through something similar, each hour seems very, very long. At least it has for me. And the day we were headed to Boston was fast approaching. But I thought for sure Friday would be the day things would be resolved.

By Thursday night, applications were filled out and sent to the realtor of the third house that we felt good about. And when our realtor had not heard anything Friday, he called the other realtor. Several times. With no answer. And when he finally got a hold of him, the man claimed he had never received our applications. And had not checked his voice messages, so he did not know our realtor had tried to get a hold of him repeatedly. So the applications were sent again. With a follow up phone call. Which was not answered.

Saturday morning came and I was more than sure we would have things settled by nightfall. For sure, either the third or fourth house was going to come through. Hope springs eternal. We continued pursuing the fourth house, while attempting to contact the realtor of the third house. (For those of you thinking we must have the worse credit alive, we actually have wonderful credit and great references and even a dollar or two to pay the rent. And for those reasons, we just could not make sense of this all. But we kept going.)

When our realtor finally got a hold of the realtor of the third house, he once again insisted he had not received the applications (for the third time), nor had three messages been left on his phone. He said if our realtor wanted, he could fax the applications to his office, but he did not work on weekends, and did not want to go in on Monday, and could maybe get to it on Tuesday. Super, super strange. And while I do not want to call this older gentleman a liar, I am not convinced he was telling the truth. And I am really not sure why and what the problem was. But the third house was marked off our list. And we are still waiting for an answer on the fourth house.

Late last night, Jacob found an absolutely incredible home while searching through our options again. But it was almost Sunday, so we have not been able to act on it yet. And that has been a good thing. Because we needed to step back, take a deep breath and be still. And tonight we feel a lot of peace.

I have felt all along that this would work out. But I am not extremely proud of how I have handled each of these disappointments. I have handled many of them well and many not so well. I have been more frustrated with the kids than I should be. And more quiet and solemn than is like me. (Although, I’m not sure many close to me would complain about that.) And I have cried about it. Several times. And I have worried about it. A lot. And even lost some sleep to it. And I never, ever lose sleep over anything. And so while I know these are not abnormal reactions, I also know that I need to remember how many times I have felt it will all work out. Because that is all that matters. And the process, while difficult, is not what is important. Because the outcome will be the same. But how I handle myself is the true test. And I want so much to handle it well.

We are so grateful we were able to fast today. I am not a great faster (is that a word?). I fast every month, but it is hard for me. I get quite shaky and quite sick. And the minute the time for the two meals are over, I quickly close my fast. But today was different. And fasting did not feel hard for me. I fasted longer than I have in a very long time. Because I needed to show my Heavenly Father that I trust Him. And that I have faith that this is all happening for a reason. That He has a place in mind for us. And while I would love for all of this to resolve itself sooner than later, I would love even more to be able to observe myself handling this with faith and not fear. And that is the scripture, or small part of a scripture, that is running through my head today. Doubt not, fear not. And each time I begin to get worked up about this, I repeat this in my mind. Because with all of my heart, I know our Heavenly Father is aware of us. And what happens to us. And what matters to us. And what breaks our heart. And what brings us joy. And I want so very much to show my love and trust for Him.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Compared to so many hard and horrible things that happen to others, this is pretty inconsequential. But this is a big deal to us right now. And with all of our hearts, we want to do the right thing. And knowing that so many others are thinking of us, cheering for us, and praying for us, makes this silly little problem better. You cannot imagine how much you mean to us.

And as if this post is not already too long, here are the words to a hymn that has been running through my mind for almost two weeks. I love this hymn.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
Oh my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
Join the great throng, Psaltery, organ and song,
Sounding in glad adoration!

Praise to the Lord! Over all things He gloriously reigneth.
Born as on eagle wings, safely His Saints He sustaineth.
Hast though not seen, How all thou needest hath been
Granted in what he ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy way and defend thee.
Surely His goodness and mercy shall every attend thee.
Ponder anew, What the Almighty can do,
Who with His love doth befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord! Oh, let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath breath, join with Abraham’s seed to adore Him!
Let the “amen,” Sum all our praises again,
Now as we worship before Him.

Sprayground

Elder and Sister Davis

They are gone. And I cannot believe how much I miss them already. I have spent the day,
watching the clock, wondering where they are and what they are doing. My head knows this
mission is right and good, my heart just hasn't figured it out yet. And I'm not sure it will.
Or really that is should. But I am still thrilled for them. And for those they will influence
and teach and serve. Because I've selfishly had them for thirty-one years.
So I guess I can share. At least for a little while.

Sad news

We just got a call from our realtor. The people have gone back on their word and decided
to sell the house after receiving an offer this past weekend. Sad, sad, sad. After our
lovely week last week, we are back to square one. But we can figure this out.
Just give me a few moments to be emotional.

Our week in highlights

This incredibly long post includes some of the highlights from our past week. It almost sounds imagined when put it down in writing, but who would pretend something on a blog? That would just be weird. No matter how crazy it all sounds, we are so incredibly grateful for the amazing blessings we received along the way. And now, for your reading enjoyment…

Monday
Late Monday night, I took the red-eye flight from San Diego to Boston. If I never take another red-eye as long as I live, I will be okay with it. Well, minus the one that is already booked next month for myself and the three youngest. Six hours, through the night, by myself with three small children. It should be about as successful as me using a GPS. Oh, but I had a window seat and the middle seat next to be was open the whole flight.

Tuesday
As some of you might have heard, I had a little trouble with the GPS when I first rented my car and started driving around Boston. Once I got out of the city, I did fairly well. Although, I cheated quite often, as I was following our realtor around during the times we were looking at houses. We only had appointments for a few houses the first day and I was not exceptionally thrilled by any of them. But oh how I loved Boston. I truly had never seen anything more green and beautiful. But it wasn’t just how it looked, but how it just had an amazing feeling about it. I was very surprised at how quickly I felt an attachment to it.

Jacob called early Tuesday morning, on the way to taking the kids to the tide pools (awesome dad award), to tell me that there was water leaking from beneath our house and he was pretty sure it was coming from under the kitchen. Super. When maintenance came, it was indeed true. They jack hammered a corner of our front porch off, dug a giant trench to drain the water, and reserved a hotel for Jacob and the kids to stay in from Wednesday morning to Thursday afternoon. They also gave Jacob the options. Either they find the leak immediately (after jack hammering up the kitchen floor under the stove) and temporarily fix it until we move. Or the leak is further back and they will have to jack hammer the kitchen, through the front room and down the hall to the bathroom. In that case, we would have to move out while I was gone, live somewhere temporarily, and then move our family to Boston in three weeks. Needless to say, I started praying immediately, and constantly, that if it is was right, the leak could be found in the kitchen. Jacob and the kids were not too depressed to be told they would be moving to a hotel first thing Wednesday morning until the site of the leak was discovered. It was a super fancy hotel complete with a swimming pool and cable television.

Wednesday
I woke up very early to head out to our first house. We had several appointments that day and we just kept going from morning to evening. I liked two or three homes we saw in the morning and afternoon, and called Jacob constantly to discuss them with him.

He and the kids got up early to be out of the house before the workers arrived. They got to the hotel and were told that there was only a “request” for early check-in, and that the room was not available. Unshaken, Jacob took the kids to the park (awesome dad award) for several hours until the room was ready. When the room finally was ready, they swam in the pool for a very long time and then Jacob took them out to dinner (awesome dad award).

As my day neared the end, our realtor insisted on scheduling another house or two, even if it was getting late. And I am so very grateful. One of the houses he scheduled is the one that we are planning to rent. The minute we drove up to it, I just had a wonderful feeling about it. And the feeling continued throughout the time spent there. The other realtor, as well as the owner, were so kind. It was a happy thing. When I left the house, I called Jacob immediately to tell him I was pretty sure I had found our house. He was excited as well, and shared the news that the leak had been found in the kitchen and they could move back tomorrow afternoon. Talk about incredible blessings.

Thursday
I woke up, checked out of the hotel and spent the morning and afternoon driving around getting to know the area better. Because we had talked the night before and felt very good about the house, we did not have any house appointments today. I was able to drive to what would be our church building, the kids’ school, and other important places in the area. At the same time, our realtor was handling the paperwork issues to get us into the house. A couple of hours before my flight, I was scheduled to meet with our realtor to get him the security deposit. As I thought about what time I would need to be dropping off the rental car, I realized I knew the approximate time the flight was scheduled to fly out, but not the exact time. I called the airlines and was informed that my flight had been cancelled. Even though I felt good about how I handled all of the craziness and stress in the past few days, that was just too much for me. I needed to be home with Jacob and the kids and I just started crying. After feeling sorry for myself for several minutes, I realized that I hadn’t been grateful that I found out about the cancellation before I got to the airport. So, I proceeded to book another flight on Friday, call the hotel and get another room and call the rental car agency and arrange to keep the car until morning. I have to admit, I was still extremely sad about not getting home that evening, but of course, it all worked out.

Jacob and the kids were definitely disappointed when they learned I wasn’t coming home that night, but they soothed themselves by going out to breakfast, swimming at the hotel pool, going to the park and having a movie night (awesome dad award). Jacob just took everything in stride and was so amazing about taking the kids for another day.

Another small stress (well, large to me) came when there started to be a few problems with the arrangement of the house. Nothing gigantic, but things that we were hesitant about and that our realtor worked hard to figure out. We worried for several hours that we would have to go with a different option, and despite talking about it for a very long time, just had a hard time settling on a different house after seeing the one we had planned to rent. As the day came to a close, things started to work out and we still felt strongly we should go ahead with the house.

Friday
I woke up even earlier than usual (2:15am California time) and got ready quickly to head to the airport. I wanted to be early, as the only flight I could get would take me thirteen hours to get from Boston to San Diego with a stop in New York (four hour layover and a stop in Salt Lake (one hour layover). It took me way too long to find the rental car place (that crazy Boston city—I just do not do well driving around it), but made it in time to drop off the car and take the shuttle to the airport. The security line was absolutely insane, but I was still fine after making it through. As I was walking to my gate, I noticed a flight from Boston to Long Beach at a gate near mine. I assumed it was full (several cancelled flights had caused chaos in the airport) and that I could not change my ticket at this point. When I arrived at my gate they announced my flight was going to be delayed. I had a strong feeling to ask about the flight I had seen earlier as Long Beach is just over an hour from our house. It ended up having room and even though they probably should not have transferred me, they did. I called Jacob and he was more than happy to drive to pick me up, seven hours earlier than I was expected on my previous flight. I had a straight flight to California that was leaving in fifteen minutes. And I had an aisle seat with once again, no one in the middle. Happiness.

I jumped on the plane and off we headed to California. After an uneventful flight, we landed and I checked my phone messages. There was one from Jacob saying that they had left on time, but fifteen minutes into their drive, the transmission on the van had died and they were sitting on the side of the highway. My heart dropped and I called him immediately. His cell phone was actually dying, so he quickly told me a tow truck was on its way and he had found a friend from the ward to pick them all up. He said he would get home, find someone to take some of the kids and bring our small Honda to pick me up. I told him I would just rent a car from where I was at and drive home, as it was a much simpler version and not so hard on him. By the time I rented the car and called him, his phone was dead.

The tow truck did arrive though, followed by our amazing friend and her son. Thank you, thank you, thank you Lara! Several minutes into my drive home, Jacob called and said that in the chaos of getting into our friend’s van, the diaper bag had been forgotten on the side of the road. Although we loved the diaper bag, we could have done without it. The problem was that the registration, insurance card, and all important information concerning our van were in the pocket of the bag. I headed toward the exit they had broken down at. Before I could get there, Jacob called to say our amazing friend had driven back to where the diaper bag had been left, and then turned around and brought it back to our house. Lara, you are beyond incredible and thoughtful. We are so very grateful.

Jacob and the kids got home. And then I got home. And the kids came racing down the sidewalk to give me a hug when I got out of my car. And although sweet Ben was sleeping, when he woke up he smiled at me like only a baby can smile at his mom. And I think I have been forgiven for leaving him. And being back with Jacob is beyond words.

How I love my amazing kids. And how incredibly grateful I am for Jacob and all that he did and all that he handled without a single complaint. And while this has been one of the craziest weeks of our life, we are all fine. Because we are here together. And honestly, all that truly matters is my handsome husband and my adorable kids. And our prayers were indeed answered. Over and over and over again.

Can you imagine if this really happened?

A woman picks up her rental car in a city far from her home.

Agent: "Did you still want the GPS unit with your car?"

Hypothetical woman: "That would be great."

Agent: "Okay, here are your keys and GPS. Enjoy. You car is in stall C4."

HW: "Great, thanks." In her mind, Hey, nice car.

The GPS is hooked up and the address of her hotel is entered.

HW: "Stinkin' Lewis. The thing talks to you. Fantastic. How hard can this be?"

GPS: "Drive 0.2 miles. Take a right on Harbor Drive."

HW: "Harbor Drive? Harbor Drive? Was that the road I just passed?"

GPS: "Recalculating. Drive 0.6 miles. Take a right on McClellan."

HW: Half in her mind, half out loud, "Okay McClellan. That should be coming up. Wait, did it say right? I need to be in the right lane. I can't get in the right lane with all of those cars in my way. Where did all of those cars come from?"

GPS: "Recalculating. Recalculating. Drive 0.4 miles. Take a left on Merrimac."

HW: "Okay, I'm in the left lane. Good start. Merrimac? It should be coming up. What kind of a weird turn? Is that a true left? Do I turn here? That's not an actual turn..."

GPS: "Turn left on Merrimac now."

HW: "Now? I just passed that weird turn. Does "now" mean two seconds ago? What the...?"

GPS: "Recalculating. Recalculating."

HW: Hysterical laughing—which seems to get worse each time "recalculating" is repeated.

Forty-five minutes pass with the same conversation happening over and over, although the street names change accordingly.

And then, almost an hour later...

GPS: "Drive 0.2 miles. Take a left on Harbor Drive."

HW: "Harbor Drive? Looks familiar. As does that Avis car rental sign. Weird. Hey, I just made a left on Harbor Drive. I think I'm getting the hang of this thing."

GPS: "Travel 0.3 miles. Take a left onto Highway 90. Oh, and you have now taken longer than any other human being alive to correctly follow a single direction. For the sake of everyone, please return your rental car immediately."

Twenty minutes later, hypothetical woman arrives at her hotel. Just in time to enter the address of the first home she will be viewing. Granted it should only be twenty-five minutes away, but she only has an hour to get there, and being a direction expert, thinks she will play it safe.

Note to those thoroughly embarrassed for this pretend woman that cannot follow simple directions—no more mistakes for the rest of the day. Even if it took a lot of talking to herself to accomplish. She is much better at this direction business outside the city. And in her imaginary defense, three words...red-eye flight.

Oh, and if I knew this hypothetical woman, I would ask her what she thought about this far away place she is visiting. And I'm pretty sure she would tell you it is beyond incredible. And that she cannot believe how fast she has fallen in love with it. But that she has not taken any pictures of the beautiful place, even though she has wanted to a hundred times, because if she stops, she might mess up her GPS. And end up at Harbor Drive. And that would just be plain embarrassing.

I'm leavin' on a jet plane...

...I know when I'll be back again. Thursday. Tonight I go to Boston. By myself. To find a house. Well, not a house in general. Our house. The one we will live in for the next year. We feel strongly that we do not want to buy until we really know the area and the schools and the neighborhoods. So I am off to find a rental house. And sweet Jacob will be tending four children for three days. What a guy. When I get back, I'll definitely have to remind him that he absolutely insisted I be the one to pick the house. In the meantime, I'll be praying constantly as I try to find my way around a place I have never been. I think I should do well. After all, I got lost in the town I grew up in after I had lived there for fourteen years or so. It should go well.

Jacob keeps asking me why I am so calm about it. I really shouldn't be. At all. But I feel very peaceful. I feel very strongly that it is going to work out. And when I step off that plane on Thursday, I will be so very excited to know where we will be going when we get to Boston. And to have many a picture of our home. So I can plan to my heart's content. But even more exciting to me will be coming back to my four darling kids and one incredible husband. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. And really, I'm already so fond of them. Wish me luck.

Seriously though, what am I thinking?

Hot

Because really, how else would you cool down a quesadilla that just came out of a microwave?

Torrey Pines at sundown

Happy

How can anyone be sad with this little guy around? Ben turned six months old several days ago, but I was waiting for his well check at the doctor so I could post his height and weight. Poor little thing, only gained a little over three pounds in the last two months, while only growing two inches. Nineteen pounds four ounces and twenty-six and one fourth inches. He is passing up his contemporaries, along with his elders. He is just so funny and chubby and makes us all laugh.

He is pushing himself up like he wants to crawl and I feel scared. Our kids usually do that late (he should have three more months before that milestone), so I am hoping he is just messing with his mom. He also loves his bath and waves his arms and legs like a crazy man. The kids call it his "bath angel."

The pictures below show his darling personality. The first one shows his love of food (there is a peach inside that child-safe-mesh-thingy) and the second just shows his happy, funny self. How I love having a baby around again. Even if these pictures were taken yesterday and he spent today fussy and mad at the world. (If those teeth don't come through soon...) I still think I'll keep him. How we love this boy!

Sad

I just feel sad. Last night, we said goodbye to my mom. She came to visit us before she and my dad
 leave on their mission next week. She took two days, out of the only three weeks that they had to
prepare to leave, and spent them with us. And we are so very grateful. We loved having her here.
And we love her. It was such a wonderful two days. But saying goodbye was really hard. Two years
 seems like a long time right at this moment. I'm not dealing with it especially well right now.

And then just a few minutes ago, we had to say goodbye to our best friends. I obviously knew

we were going to miss them, but right at this moment I am realizing how much. We did

everything with them. Our kids spent every moment they could together. They were like

 siblings. And Layne and I used to joke that our husbands talked more to each other than

to us. And while we wanted it to be funny, it was pretty close to the truth. I cannot even

put into words right now how much I will miss Layne. She was truly my best friend.

I know that compared to so many other traumatic and hard events, these two goodbyes are

 probably not a huge deal. But they are to me. And to our kids. And I just feel kind of broken

 right now. And I should probably stop crying. But I don't want to. Quite yet. Because I miss

 my amazing parents and our wonderful friends already. And I don't like feeling this lonely.

And I grow to love people so much...almost too much. And I hate goodbyes. I just feel so sad.

Moving slowly

The lazy days of summer are here. Things seem to be moving very slowly. We are taking the days as they come. There are days when we are exciting and visit a museum or the beach or a new park or the swimming pool. And there are days, many more days, when we play with friends. And then have lunch. And play with friends. And then have dinner. And play with friends. And the days seem to last forever. And the sun seems to stay in the sky indefinitely. And time moves about as quickly as a snail. And that is how it should be.

I don't have much to blog about lately. So you may be getting plenty of our favorite pictures coming your way. Because we are busy doing nothing. And creating fabulous memories. With people we are going to miss more than we can put into words. So here's to sporadic blogging and lazy summer days. Because right now for us...that is how it should be.

Wanna laugh?

Our Independence Day

We had a fabulous day yesterday. Having Jacob home was enough to celebrate for us,
but being with our wonderful friends made the day even more perfect. We spent the
day swimming, eating, visiting and watching fireworks with many of our close friends.
It could not have been more busy, nor any more fun. I kept forgetting my camera
everywhere we went. But I can always count on my friend Layne to save me.
I love this picture she took of us watching the fireworks. Happy, happy day.