Brynlee and Teddy and so so fun right now. They play so well together all day and both communicate well. There are very few fits and they can go and go as long as I can. They both like to help me with chores and make my day go by fast and feel fun. I have it easy and feel very blessed right now with our health, opportunities and happiness. I've finally got control of my back. I have to wear good shoes non-stop and exercises everyday. Mondays are a struggle cause I don't exercise Sunday but at least I'm usually pain free during the day and it doesn't stop me from my chores. I have a new positive attitude in this new house. I'm loving it although it is hard to figure out how to do twice as much is less time with lessons. My calling has been a little overwhelming lately cause the other counselors have been so busy with their schedules. But it is a humbling calling because I'm always helping those who are going through something harder than I am. I'm learning a lot. Every presidency is so different. I'm a little nervous for the holidays coming up. The holidays in a new place is never fun and this year we are staying put and I don't think we have family coming. It will be different but nothing I can't handle. It always makes your family grow closer and rely on each other more. Devin's job is picking up again now that the shut down is semi-over. He has had braces for 2 months and is about to get them taken off. He only popped one bracket of which I'm sure the girls gave him crap for! He will definitely be more sympathetic to all his braces patients now! Now he wants to put them on me!
So Brynlee has been playing with her cousins a lot lately. I know it's like second cousin once removed or something but who cares. I tell her to call her Aunt Stephanie and that Eva (who is her idol), her cousin. It makes the admiration that much sweeter to her! They play so well together. They were jumping on the tramp with their shoes for an hour laughing together. It is fun to watch. It's the closest thing to living by cousins that my kids will get here in NM.
We have been to the mountains a few times riding. We mostly go out around our backyard to the 100's of acres of public land behind our house. But the mountains are so much prettier and more fun with hot dogs! Callen we so funny. He demanded his shirt off and his camo boots on! So we got our before and after pictures with a fitting scowl towards the end - it was a little cold!
And miss princess had her sunglasses, cowgirl boots and hot dog she cooked and couldn't be more happy. What is better than perfect weather, beautiful mountains, a fire and your family! Good memories.
We went to Mesilla Farms. It is a pretty good drive and a little expensive but everyone agreed it was worth it on the way home. They had mountains of tires, lots of huge vinyl slides, different originally made bike mazes, and a hay ride to pick your pumpkins. I think this is my favorite time of the year. Callen loved the tractors and Brynlee loved the slides. The funnest memory was Callen vs Brynlee's styles in the huge pipes. Callen just laid down for the ride and Brynlee couldn't understand why he wouldn't stand up and help her.
The kids were pretty tired by the end as you can see in the lack of smiles, but they sure got their money's worth out of everything.
Devin had an implants course planned to SLC. It wasn't until right before the course that we realized it was on our anniversary, during BYU homecoming and all of my family was coming from all over to visit. So we scheduled a babysitter for the two days and made an anniversary weekend of it. It was so busy and so fun! I felt bad partying with my family while Dev was in classes. Friday I went to Gardners Village with my aunts and cousins. It was so fun to talk to them. They don't know it but every time I feel inspired to be a better mom and wife. Cheesy, I know. But they are amazing women of 6-12 children, grandmothers and most of all wives. But they sure know how to have fun together! 7 of the sisters went shopping with me. PS-I was sad to figure out some friends and other family was in town that I didn't get to see but maybe next time. It is always so hard to try and see everyone you want to.
Then, my favorite part of the trip was Grandma Shaw's house. She is in her 90's and my top priority when I come to Utah. I love just sitting in her house and talking. It felt odd to have someone always fuss over me, cook me meals and cater to my needs. I felt like I should be doing that to someone's kids or something, but it was nice to a have a break from being mom. Grandma took me to Walmart to make sure Dr Scholls agreed with my tennis shoes. I also never say no to more hot pads. Those things are amazing! Friday after classes Dev and I went out to eat at a really really nice restaurant with a few dentists from the course. I think we ended up finding connections with just about all of them. When you have lived in 6 highly mormonized states in your life you find a lot of connections with undergrad and grad school! It was a 5 course meal that I was in heaven tasting all the different foods.
Saturday was the traditional canyon for lunch and football. I think I could have talked for another 10 hours here in the beautiful sunshine and with my beautiful cute cousins.
Then it was off the buy a BYU shirt for the game and try and make it on time! I got to sit by my cousin idol - Melanie. I've always looked up to her and loved every min talking to her. It has been so fun going through some of the same things and catching up about her life in ID! It feels like yesterday we were visiting her in NC for Thanksgiving.
Then I started missing my kids a lot on the way home and my back was starting to really bother me. But we stopped and ate ate at Frontier restaurant. It was unbelievable. Really good food and we were the 1000th customer that day at noon. It was good to get home and get settled though.
Oddly enough this is a big part of my life. This new house was throwing me for a loop. I've never cleaned really wood before or stainless steel. But don't worry, I've found some great products and have fallen in love with cleaning all over again. The last time might have been my maid job in high school!
Devin put in for a deer tag this year. It is his first hunt and has been preparing for for a bit. He scouted out the best spot - and I think found it! There are a few guys into hunting here that have gone with him. It started yesterday and he has his hunting beard thick and ready to go for it. The girls in the office were floored about the whole process. Which is such a contrast the last office! There were 1000 plus hunters out this weekend in the mountains and we have heard friend's stories of never even seeing a deer during the hunt. So by noon, Devin was riding up a crazy trail and at the top there was a buck in the middle of the road that was barely legal! On his first hunt he wasn't going to be picky with all the rumors of the depleting deer numbers. So he took one shot and got it! So proud of him! Now I have to figure out where to put the meat and how to make it taste better! We celebrated after dropping it off in Ruidoso at a really good pizza place called Cafe Rio. Hallelujah - the beard might be shaved this week!
That same day I had my piano group lessons. I usually get lucky and Callen takes his nap during my 6 hours of lessons tues and wed after school. I put him down for the group make up lessons and he was a champ again. Brynlee is a huge help and I'm always glad she is around during the lessons. She usually stays within ear shot and watches the lessons if she isn't helping me out. She started lessons and I think the only reason it is working at age 4 is cause I can sit down with her during every day of practicing and help/push her to figure everything out. She is doing well and keeping up with kids twice her age. I do a group make up lesson every semester and this one was my first group lesson and themed appropriately for Halloween. The games were so fun and easy to find free online but I've got to figure out how to do it a little cheaper next time. The copying and laminating was a lot! I always enjoy teaching the older students and soak up their attention span when teaching. But, the beginners learn so much in such a short time - their quick progress if fun to watch too. I have amazing students and although cutting two days out of my week after school and during dinner is sometimes stressful, it is always worth it in the end.
We said, "Do a smile or goofy face!" I love Brynlee's face!
The kids and I also made a sign for the local race. We had 8-10 friends running it. I had no desire to run, and enjoyed watching and eating instead of running. I didn't have a bad experience with my half marathon but my Ethiopian-skinny body still struggles when I try to push it running. Not worth it in my mind. But I admire their ambitions and great times. Good job ladies!
No comments:
Post a Comment