A Weekend to Remember

Believe it or not our post Halloween week was pretty fun. It consisted of normal stuff like swim lessons, preschool, and watching Trent and Tori. However, it also included leaf jumping,  a visit from Aunt Kitt, a trampoline, a BBQ, a teacher council meeting, and regional stake conference.

Here in Colorado the weather has been beautiful. It is a little cold in the early morning, but it is November so I am not complaining at all. Anyway, on Thursday the weather was so nice and I really wanted to stay outside while we waited for Kylee to come home, so I decided there was no better time than the present to get the tempting leaves on my lawn into a pile. Tia, Trent, and I walked over to our neighbors house and borrowed a rake. Embarrassing huh, we don't own a leaf rake. Oh well, my neighbors do and they were more than willing to let me borrow it. So, we took it home and I raked up the leaves into a pretty good size pile. Before I was even done, Tia was running through the pile and playing in it, but Trent didn't even want near it. Even when I was done and held his hand or whatever, he wanted nothing to do with the leaves in a pile unless it was rubbing them between his hands. Tia on the other hand was game for anything. We took turns burying each other, jumping in, walking through them, and throwing them. We did that for like a good 15 or so minutes and Tia started getting distracted, so I raked the pile up and moved it closer to our bench. Then we did some more jumping and burying until Kylee got home. When Kylee got home we did more. By the time all the playing in the leaves was done we were down to like maybe a 1/3 of the pile we started with. After awhile, we went in and had lunch and naps. Then we played with our friends, but when they left we jumped in the leaves some more until really they were so mashed up it wasn't very fun anymore. So, then I taught my girls how cool it is to throw a giant pile up and let them 'rain' down on you. So, we let it 'rain' the leaves all over our yard and us until Gaupo got home. It was so fun. I really wish I had the pile proportions that Tia had when we started, but it was still so fun.

Tia in the leaves.

Kylee in the leaves.

Thursday night Kitt came to visit. WAHOOO!! I feel like it has been forever since we have seen her, so I am glad she could get away for a bit and come to our house. When she arrived on Thursday we stayed up and chatted about life until about 12:00 and then went to bed. Friday, we woke up and we had breakfast. I made a really good baked oatmeal recipe I found and then Gaupo, Tia, and I took Kylee to Preschool while Kitt got some work done. The rest of Kitt's visit encompasses the other great things of the weekend, so hang on.

After we dropped off Kylee, we went to Tia's OT's farm where we picked up the girls Christmas present--a Trampoline!! I have been wanting to get one for the girls, but they are expensive and I worried about giving it to them at Christmas because it would be their only gift from us and they might not even get to play with it because it could be snowing. Anyway, during Tia's OT appointment on Thursday I mentioned we were thinking about getting the girls a trampoline and Julie said, "Can I be your Santa Claus?" In my brain I am thinking you seriously have $250 dollars just laying around to give us, but not being one to turn down a good offer I said sure. She then explained that someone donated one to the farm where she works, but they don't need one so they were going to give it to someone, so if we wanted it we could have it. I was so excited. I couldn't believe it. So, we arranged to pick it up on Friday and we brought it home, and not being ones to let good weather go to waste we set it up and started jumping. Oh man, it is so great. It might be even better than I thought it would be. Tia loved helping us build it and Kylee was so surprised and excited when she saw it after Preschool. It was so perfect. We have had a couple of bonked heads and one tumble, but nothing major and I think it is going to be so perfect. I love that the girls will go jump and though they like me to be out with them I don't have to be. Kitt did have to help us with the setup of the tramp a bit, and then she had to hide for a bit while she got her work done. When she was done it was lunch time and I got the kids started, but then Gaupo and I left for a date.

Tia helping us out.

Kitt, Tia, and Gaupo putting the last piece together.

Tia and Gaupo on the finished tramp.

Kylee jumping on her own.

Tori, Tia, and Kylee working on getting their jumping legs.

That is one way I got Kitt up here was using on of her free babysitting coupons. Gaupo and I didn't really know what to do, but I decided that we would go to lunch at Texas Roadhouse. Texas Roadhouse is my favorite place to eat. So, we went, but I miss guessed and they don't open till 3 on Friday. So, we decided to go try out Bufflo Wild Wings instead. We ordered an sampler appetizer that included wings, mozzarella sticks, nachos, and onion rings. Then we got as many sauces as we wanted to try with our wings. Gaupo and I had a great time tasting all the ones we got and deciding what was good and what wasn't. It was just such a good time for us to try lots of things. Both Gaupo and I decided we would go back, but not because the food was super awesome, but because we like trying lots of stuff. After eating lunch, we went to Cold Stone and used our gift cards from our dentist and got some ice cream. It was pretty tasty and it was fun to do it fancy. We never go to Cold Stone, but it was definitely way fun to try all the flavors there too. It was a simple date and was only two hours, but it was so perfect and it was fun to do it without interruption and together.

That night we had a BBQ with the families that Gaupo home teaches. It was really fun to talk to them. I don't get to sit down with those sister that often, so it was fun and Kitt was a good sport to go with us. It made for a fun evening. When we got home we were pretty tuckered out, but we decided to play a couple round of Sorry. It has been too long since I have played that game and so it was really fun to play it with Kitt and Gaupo.

Saturday morning we sent Gaupo off to work and then us women had breakfast and headed to the pool. The girls were really excited to show Aunt Kitt all the fun stuff they can do. Kylee can jump in the water, front float, front glide, swim, and kick. She has recently almost accomplished a back float. Tia can jump in, go under water, 'dive,' and of course loves to go down the big slides. Tonight she started to kick while holding onto the barbell. She also is doing better at getting her feet of the ground. She is coming along and I am so pleased. So, anyway it was way fun to let Aunt Kitt see all the tricks they have learned since this summer. After swimming we headed home, and had to send Kitt off, so she could attend the teacher council broadcast at her stake center.

Once she left, I got the girls lunch and down for a nap and then turned on the computer to watch the broadcast myself. It was AWESOME!! I loved the spirit that accompanied that meeting. I felt unified with the other members listening although I could not see them, but I felt united. I loved the way they demonstrated different teaching methods, answered questions, talked about real challenges, and acted like real teachers. It was so cool. I loved the way they looked at the scriptures for examples and actually picked them apart in the scriptures. I love the videos. One thing I noticed in one of them, was that most of the 'family' teaching they showed the parents and children were gathered and learning together where they felt most comfortable. I guess I always picture a family sitting perfectly on couches, but it wasn't that way. They were on the floor or where ever worked for their family, but the important thing was they were together and learning. It was just totally awesome and I am so glad I was able to participate and focus on it.

Not much else happened on Saturday. I did do our vegetable 'canning.' Gaupo made a great dinner and we watched a show together and had popcorn. I love when my family slows down and gathers together. Sure sometimes I wish we could play a game instead of a movie, but I think it is more important that we are excited to be doing the same thing together and I love those sweet short moments when we do.

Sunday we our regional conference. It was really good. A lot of it was actually on repentance and knowing that process and that it is OKAY to have to repent. We all do and we need to. They also talked about temple attendance and taking refuge in the temple. Once again, I already can't remember a lot of what was said, but I loved the feelings I felt there.

I am so grateful for the tender mercies of the Lord. He knows what our family needs. He cares enough to help us get a trampoline. He cares enough to help Gaupo and I get out on a date and love it even though it didn't go as planed. He knows what we need to hear and feel. I needed to feel the spirit and I loved being able to feel it in my home and at church. He knows I need socialness especially now that Frisbee is over and I don't have someone to talk to at swim lessons. He knows and loves me enough to not give me all the answers I want all at once and to send gentle reminders that He is here and I need to wait. He knows that I miss my brothers and sisters, so even a virtual hangout is better than nothing. I know God loves me and is in the details of my life. That does not mean my life is perfect, that I am perfect, or that I never ask for things I shouldn't. It jut means that I know that when what I want doesn't happen I can trust that God has something in store for me if I will just wait on Him. I am so grateful for the weather this weekend and the wonderful time I had with my family. So simple and yet so wonderful.