Project 365: 115-126

April 25- She was watching dinosaurs sing on YouTube and she started doing a loud dino roar.  I don't know where she learned to be so dramatic...

April 26- Our view for the weekend in Dana Point.

April 27- Another day in Paradise.  Unprompted hand holding while shopping in Dana Point.

April 28- Beach Day!  The sand in Dana Point is the best I've seen in California. Soft. White. Clean.

 April 29- We went with Dad on his lunch break to a picnic fundraiser.

 April 30- Buying loads of stuff at Party City to finish our booth for Great Strides to raise money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  The cashier finishes ringing me up, points to this stack, and says, "Would you like to make a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation?"  Yes, yes I would.

May 1- I'm starting to wonder if that tattoo is ever gonna wash off.  She's so hard core.

May 2- Sitting on the lawn at City Hall in Whittier.  A beautiful evening at the National Day of Prayer.

May 3- In awe at M&M Nursery.  It's like a real life fairy garden up in here.

May 4- I made this onesie at a friend's baby shower.  Pure talent.

May 5- Golden Oreo sombreros.  Happy Cinco de Mayo!

May 6- We're taking Garrett's love of helping to the next lever.  Chore chart!  And Addie gets one too because they aren't great at sharing.  And she'll hopefully need it soon enough.

Happy Shower day for my nephew.

My nephew made it kind of hard to have his baby shower when the family had planned because he came before the shower date.  He spent three and a half months in the NICU, and during that time there was talk about when we could do one... if we should... maybe it would be best to just collect some money and send it to them... etc.  But I know that if I'd been through all my brother and sis in law have been through, I would welcome a traditional baby shower to make the new mom experience feel more... 'traditional', I guess, and just to have fun!

My cousin actually had the idea to bring the shower to them, because it will still be months before they can leave the house with the baby.  And with the family shower, ward shower, and friend shower all being postponed, and a few months of bed rest, coupled with a very early baby, they didn't have much to welcome baby home.

So, three moms/aunts, six siblings/cousins, and five kids/babies, all met in St. George to 'shower' Taylor and
Samira.  We rented 2 condos at my parents' time share, and it was so much fun.  I mostly just got pictures of the party, because it was essentially a shower sandwiched between two days of driving.  But well worth it!

I left Addie home, and Garrett and I hit the road at 6AM friday morning.  Easiest drive ever.  He watched a movie, then slept for a couple of hours, then pointed out all the biggest trucks.  We made our first and only stop in Mesquite, just 30 minutes away from St. George.

Friday night I bought dinner for Taylor and Samira and went alone to hang out with my nephew.  Garrett couldn't go with me because kids can't be near him until after flu season.  I even had to shower and put on clean clothes before going in the house, because I'd been with Garrett just before.  He's such a sweet little boy and he's been through so much all ready in such a short time.

(insert nonexistent picture of me holding and and looking lovingly into my nephews eyes.)

That night I hung out with my cousins laughing, talking and staying up way too late.  Garrett told me it was nigh, night time, and when that happens, you know it's late.

Saturday was the shower day.  Samira's mom stayed with the baby so Taylor could come too.  I had a lot of mustache stuff from Paul's birthday party, so I pulled the red stuff out, added lime and turquoise, and a couple 'little man' things and it turned out cute!

Party favors.  Candy in coordinating colors and a mustache bottle cap magnet.

 The candy bar guessing game.  I'll list the clues and answers at the bottom on the post.  My family is not a slower game family, but everyone really had fun with this one.

 A banner and t-shirt I made for W.

Everyone was laughing and talking as we ate.  And I'm pretty sure Garrett thought we were laughing at him, so he kept doing fancy dance moves to entertain us.

 And when he got board, he went back to his train.

Garrett loved helping with the presents.

 He went with his Grandma here to build a bear the day before we left, and made a monkey for baby Will.  It has a little recorded box thing in the hand that you push and it's Garrett saying, "Love you".  Garrett was SO excited to show Aunt Samira.  And then he was SO, SO sad when he realized he made the monkey for his cousin and not for himself.

To keep germs from spreading, everyone just agreed that only my mom and I would go in the house.  And I only went the one time.  After the shower we all went over to see him through the window.

Garrett finally gave in after a couple of late nights and no naps.

That night we stayed up again, too late, laughing and talking.  I love that I have so many cousins and that I have so much fun talking to any and all of them, even if a lot of time goes by between visits.  Garrett loved my cousins baby.

St. George fog, the morning we left.

 Garrett loved visiting "Baby Wiw", even just through the window.  We call this the favorite cousins high five.

 Garrett just just as well on the drive home.  We had a great trip together.

Here's the Candy Bar game:

1. Good News!  (I found a candy bar at a little candy store in Orange that actually sold a candy bar called 'Good News!'. I'd never seen that before.)
2. Big Hunk
3. Look!
4. Skor
5. Now and Later
6. Rocky Road
7. Chunky
8. Air Heads
9. Life savers
10. Sweetarts
11. Chicklets ( I found a pack of chickelts called 'Tiny Size')
12. Pay Day
13. Red Vines
14. Mike and Ike
15. Whatchamacallit
16. Zero
17. Mike Duds
18. Snickers
19. Rolo
20. Milkyway
21. Jelly Bellys
22. Fast break

There were a lot of versions on pinterest but this was the list I compiled and it was a lot of fun.  And everyone won.  I purchased all 22 candy bars and candy so everyone got to take some.

June Trip to Utah: Part 3

We found out during our trip to Utah that my dad was going to be having surgery while we were there.  After some back and forth conversations with Paul we decided that the kids and I would stay a few extra days to be with my dad.  Grandkids are a great distraction when you're recovering and waiting for results.  Paul flew home the day after we got back from Bear Lake (Sunday the 24th) and then he flew back late on the 27th to drive back with us on Thursday the 28th.

It was nice to have nothing to do for a couple days after our Bear Lake trip.  Being at my parent's house, where they are the clear choice when it comes to playmates, I got my vacation from my vacation.

I helped with a bridal shower for my cousin Elizabeth.

We played at the park.

Garrett showed me his owie's.

We went to Wheeler Farm one afternoon.  Garrett thought every duck, every chicken, every animal, every tractor, every barn, every stick, and every rock was the coolest thing ever.  And my laid back Addie was happy just being along for the ride.

I love the bottom right of Garrett in the picture above.  Pure joy!

The kids and I spent an afternoon with my Grandma and Grandpa Garrett.  My Grandpa has a friend who lives just a couple blocks away who he helps garden with everyday.  My Grandpa had an immaculate garden when he lived and Sugar House and I think everyone knew that giving that up to move to their town home with a tiny yard in Centerville would be one of the hardest parts for him.  He met Bobby in his new ward and just asked one day if he'd be willing to let my grandpa come over and help out.  I think they've saved each others lives.  My grandpa has transformed an already beautiful garden into something incredible.  They also have ducks, chickens, quail and bees.  And my grandpa just does it because he loves it.  And he gets all the vegetables he needs!

Anyway, my Grandpa was on his way to Bobby's to do some watering and he asked if he could take Garrett.  My cute old fashioned Grandpa just sat Garrett in the front passenger seat of his car, belted him in, and they were off.  I probably should have insisted they take the car seat, but my grandpa was just so excited and Bobby lives so close that I just said a quick prayer that they'd be safe.

When they got back about an hour later, Garrett was SO excited!!!  I've never seen him try so hard to communicate everything he'd just seen.  Even though the only thing I understood was 'QUACK', I knew it must have been fun.  I'd never been to Bobby's and I knew when I saw this excitement that I'd be sad if I didn't get a picture of the 2 of them, so the next day I took Garrett back for some pictures.

I loved when Addie would grab my Grandma's hands.  Such well used hands with tiny brand new hands.  The pictures didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, but it was so cute.

Just before Paul flew into town, my dad got results from his surgery.  The doctor had said it was a text book procedure and that everything should be fine.  Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.  Some cancer was found in a lymph node.  He went in for a CT scan on Saturday, and has an MRI scheduled for tomorrow.  Hopefully we'll know all we can know by Thursday and then treatment options will be discussed.  We almost stayed longer, but felt we needed to get the kids home and back in our routine.

The drive went better than expected, and although I said I'd never do it with both kids in one day again, we did.  We stopped in St. George, where Taylor and Samira are living now, and had a nice break.  I think that helped.  And I'm guessing that won't be the last time we do the drive in a day, so I won't say it again.

Home at last!  And still (mostly) happy!