Hello Family,
All the kids are settled into bed and we just wrapped up eating dinner on the porch with a couple from our ward. I made a salad from all of the lettuce and spinach from the garden, homemade biscuits and cookies. The temperature was absolutely perfect and I love being outside as the sun drops behind the cliff and the kids run around the yard catching ladybugs and stealing cookies.
Brian had a MAJOR week. The National Park Service wide Search and Rescue training was held at Canyonlands. Rangers from all over came to attend the technical rescue training. This training is for to help retrieve a person stranded after falling off a cliff or is stuck after base jumping or stuck on a climbing/ canyoneering route. They use ropes, pulleys and mechanical advantage systems to lower off the edge and then raise them back up again. Last Sunday it was Brian's responsibility to teach all of the instructors and then co-teach his group the rest of the week. He was gone until 10 or 12pm every day, but he definitely managed to sneak in a lot of fun with all of his co-workers from other parks while they were here: mountain biking, rock climbing, dinners etc. This was back to back with his helicopter manager training, so he hasn't been around much the last two weeks.
My friend Mary Burton came into town Monday-Wednesday. She is go-go-go and it was fun-fun-fun. I was grateful to have her here to get me out and doing stuff every minute of every day. The kids were muddy, sandy, sweaty and so tan by the end of the few days. We played at river beaches, scrambled to an arch the kids had never seen, played in the creek, biked the trails, bouldered at the park and ate delicious food. We even managed to sneak in a 10mile mountain bike ride while Leslie watched our kiddos.
By the end of her visit, I was so behind on life. I had a mountain of laundry, the car was 2ft high in who-knows-what, the house was a mess and I had an entire wedding to start editing and emails to answer. I spent the next several days trying to get caught up but never managed to do so. I watched friend's kids for 6hrs on Thursday and because of a rescue, I had 10 kids at my house at once right after school and through dinner... every single was was crying and hungry and I had two babies. I was straight up about to lose my mind-- especially since I knew B wouldn't be home until 11pm.
The next morning I was was working to clean the house between nursing and soothing miss B and Felicity wanted me to help her do a puzzle. I sat down and did one and she wanted another. I said, "How about you come down and be my special little clean-up helper?" She said, "How 'bout you sit and be my 'pecial puzzle helper?" To which I had to say, "Ok! One more." That child is just so cute. We played at another creek spot after Liesel got out of school and a friend of mine who was with me mentioned a birthday party at 4pm. I had the invite and had never even looked at it. We hiked back with dirty kids (hannah didn't have underwear which she reminded me repeatedly of for the next 2 hrs) and went straight to the party on the other side of town through thick tourist traffic that took us 40 mins to navigate. We got there late, but it was fun to talk to my friends while the kids played at the park.
Right after that was the Moab Broadway Review where the adults perform. Several of my friends and many ward members were in it and I really wanted to go and support them. I decided against getting a sitter since all of the youth were in it anyway, and brought all four kids with me. We didn't get home until 10pm. Bridgette was so loopy that I heard her laugh for the first time while there! Things I never would have done with my first.. .haha! I was so glad I went though. And there aren't a ton of opportunities for art and music here, so I was glad the kids get that exposure.
Saturday I woke up before the sunrise so I could go for a run out in the canyons. It was so beautiful. Desert wildflowers are my favorite and the cactus are in full bloom as well. The light was hitting the cliffs and I was just overwhelmed with the beauty of it all. I was running uphill and was neck and neck with a mountain biker the whole time until I finally passed him on the last leg of the uphill. Then its downhill next to the canyon with creek below. I love this time to pound out my thoughts and get my heart pumping before the tourists crowd the streets and parking lots and the worries and errands of the day crowd my mind. Brian took off when I returned to mountain bike with his buddies for the last time before they left from the training.
While he was gone we biked over to the park for the Moab Car Show-- the entire park is filled with rebuilt cars from as early as 1936- 1970s. I love seeing all of the colorful vehicles and reading the stories behind them. The kids were happy they got kettle corn and then we biked home. I worked on editing and then left for Dead Horse Point where I had a photoshoot. Meanwhile Brian took the kids on a dad date: playing up Hunter Canyon followed by watching the movie Coco and eating ice cream. Speaking of which, have you guys seen that movie???!!! I LOVED it. They nailed the tender and beautiful parts of mexican culture and such a wonderful message that embodies the spirit of Elijah. I watched it when I got home because I didn't feel like working on my lesson. I just wanted to sit on the sofa with Brian's head on my lap and do nothing. It was more stressful this morning while I scrambled to get it together, but I don't regret it. Church burn-out is real, and I didn't want to feel resentful while preparing and impede the spirit's guidance.
Liesel told me today that I can't add "rooskie" to the end of her name. She also told me I was embarrassing her when I was whooping and hollering at the Broadway show during my friend's number. Um, excuse me? I told her she can't tell me what to do with my friends, but she can if it's her or her friends. She agreed. Does that mean she's growing up? She's quite the sassy-pants sometimes, but she is also the sweetest and very helpful and obedient. She made all of us badges and armbands out of paper, markers and tape. Even Bridgette had one taped to her onesie and on her wrist (which she promptly covered in drool).
I know this letter is already long, but I want to end by reflecting on my week through the senses:
Seeing: Hannah's freckles popping up on her nose and cheeks in perfect little constellation patterns. Felicity's face always with a dried peanut butter smile extending across her cheeks and dried milk above her lip. And her chubby toddler legs sticking out from below her shorts now that it's hot. Liesel's spellings tests she brings home, her shiny hair and her silly faces that we make back and forth. Bridgette's bright eyes looking up at me while she nurses. A bathtub full of sand, a room littered with clothes, toys and tiny pieces of paper from kid art projects. A toilet that's never flushed and toothpaste on the counters. My row of greens in the garden and the weeds I need to pull. Brian pulling in the driveway. My fridge empty except for 100 eggs in perfect shades of browns and blues and an almost empty gallon of milk with no lid that was undoubtedly lost several days ago.
Smelling: fire smoke drifting in my window from the neighbor's yard, dijon mustard and bacon still lingering from the salad I made. Honeysuckle from the soap that Mary gave me as a thank you gift-- and it makes me happy every time I use it.
Hearing: Bridgette's tired cry. Felicity singing "Riding Free-ee!" as she runs her little horse around the room. Hannah fake crying and then her diabolical laugh after tricking me yet again with her perfect theatrics. Liesel orchestrating (ok, bossing) the girls in a game that usually involves fakes names and dressing up. Brian on the phone with someone. A hymn in church that said what I needed to hear. My phone dinging with a text. My laughter after Brian cracks a joke.
Feeling: Relieved when the parent's finally arrive after hours of kid-watching. Bridgette's hands grabbing at my shirt and skin and fingers. Her soft hair on my lips when I rub the top of her head. Felicity's sticky hands on my face. The wind that accompanies springtime. Hannah as she plops on my lap for scripture study before Felicity reaches me-- which then causes a fight. Exhausted after the 5:30am alarm for Crossfit. Elated returning home sweaty after the workout. A small bouquet of flowers in my fingers given to me by Liesel. Guilt for letting my kids eat so many sweets. Guilt for indulging on birthday cake, granola and spoonfuls of peanut butter. Guilt for taking as long to get through Alma 62 and 63 as the fifteen chapters before that. Hope for another chance.
Tasting: entirely too many things. Which is why the baby weight remains.
Looking forward to: planting the summer garden this week. Mother's Day. Elder Bednar coming for Stake Conference. The end of school and the lack of routine. Meals outside. Book club on Tuesday. Finishing the four shoots I have this week (and the two weddings on the same day). A new month. A new week. A new day.
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