The Bryce's Visit

It's been awhile since I have posted. I miss it. I miss writing all the great stuff we did. I miss writing my stuff. I even caught up on a couple of blogs before starting this and I loved catching up on their lives too. Its been too long, but it got kind of crazy from mid-June on. I wouldn't trade the experiences for all the blogging in the world, but I wish I could record it better for my kids.

Anyway, mid-June we got such a great visit from my brother and his family. Thanks to Covid my brother is working from home and he loves it. However, it also gives him a lot of flexibility as far as where he works. So, one weekend he asked what I thought about his family coming to visit us. I said that sounds great. I did voice a few concerns because stuff like meat is getting a little bit rare, but overall I said it was fine with me. He agreed to bring some meat, Lindsay and I worked out meals and sleeping arrangements, and then they made the drive up and we got a visit with them for two whole weeks. Jack worked from our house. He had his office setup in our office and Gaupo worked in our bedroom when he needed to work from home too. We spilt fixing meals, so no one person cooked all the time. I loved coming back from a run to breakfast being made. I tell ya if I was rich I would hire a chef just for breakfast. I would do it for variety and so that it would be ready while I got whatever else I wanted to done. Anyway, we had a great two week.

Week 1 we mainly just stayed close to the house. We went to the neighborhood parks by my house and I made the kids do homework in the morning and in the afternoon. The kids played and played and played. In the afternoon, they played on the slip-n-slide and in the inflatable pool. My basement was changed into all kind of things that the kids imagined. It was by my standards a pretty typical week just a lot more people. Covid kind of cramps the ability to go places and with it being kind of hot and having small kids hiking doesn't really appeal to us. So, I hung out with my brother and we still kind of just stayed close. It sounds a little lame, but you know those kids hadn't seen each other in a year and so giving them that chance to play was awesome. They really didn't tire of it or fight. They just played. It was a nice break for me too, because I had someone right there to talk with me to help me when things were getting crazy. Lindsay was awesome and helped my kids with there school work when I had to go do something. They did it so well for her. I came home and she was like its done. I couldn't believe it because it is not the smooth and stress free for me. I joked I would have to employ them to come live with us so I don't have to teach my kids. Also during the weeks they were with us we rode a lot of bikes. We have good greenways and so when we went to these parks that were close we could just ride. Allen refused to ride his bike and insisted he could scooter just as fast as the bikes. He may not have been as fast but he didn't give up and scootered everywhere. He did finally get on Tia's bike on the last day and loved it. Everyone was like how did you get him on it? I said he acted interested and I offered to hold it while he got on and after that it was history. Anyway, we had a great time. I think the Bryce's went home a couple shades darker just from all the outside stuff we did. Betty did awesome riding her bike on my runs. I would take Roxy and the twins in the stroller and then the three big girls would ride. Some days pushing a stroller of like 80 or more pounds was a little crazy, but it was fun to have Roxy with us and to get a good solid start to the day.

Betty, Kylee, Allen and Roxy on the slip-n-slide.

The crew at the park.

The big girls riding their bike around the park.

Abby wanted to ride this bike so bad!

Kade on a scooter.

Doing a pick-up craft from the Library.

Homework time.

Kade and Abby want to be big and ride these bikes so bad!

Road rally of bike kids.

Swings at another park.

Kylee reading to Allen and Tia.

Good ol' Uncle Jack up for a dogpile.

Allen, Betty, Kylee, and Tia on the tire swing.

The day Allen rode a bike aka the last day of vacation.

Just playing because they had time to just play.

Tia, Kylee, Betty, Uncle Jack, and Allen. Happy Sabbath.

Week 2 I decided it was time to have some fun. We kicked it off on Sunday by venturing off to the Ft. Collins temple during naptime. It was just so nice to see the temple. We had a great time walking around the grounds and enjoying the ability to be outside. The rest of the week we played at parks that were a little farther away from my house. As in we had to drive instead of ride bikes. The routine for the day was wake-up go exercise, eat breakfast, adventure, lunch, naps and homework/reading, water-play, tv episode, dinner, books, bed for kids, parents chats and/or games and bed. It was a fun week.

Allen, Tia, Roxy, Kylee, and Betty

Kylee, Me, and Tia

Me and Jack.

Walk the edge.

During the week we mainly did parks, but one day we explored a new park that the city developed by the river and then the next day we got on our suits and packed snacks and went to the river. The kids had fun wading across, jumping off the rocks, playing in the 'sand', and just enjoying the outside. It was fun to be outside in the water, but just enjoying. Plus it did a great job of wearing the kiddos out. Another adventure that I wanted EVERYONE to have was a visit to the John Johnson memorial park in Lyons. So, Jack and Gaupo got off work around 4:00 or so and we took a picnic dinner. It was kind of overcast and eventually it did drizzle and finally rain, which was a little bit of a bummer, but it was also great because the park wasn't that busy as it wasn't great park weather. The kids had a great time playing on the zipline, climbing rock formations both man made and real, and climbing into the treehouse. It was so fun once again to be outside and be together. Gaupo and I had to leave before Jack and Lindsay so I could run activity days, and so the big girls stayed with them and got treated to ice cream.

Abby, Kade, Lindsay, Roxy and the big kids on the day we checked out the new riverside park.

Betty, Roxty, Lindsay, Kade, Abby.

Roxy, Allen, Tia, Kylee, and Betty crossing the river.

Me, Abby. and Roxy, Kade's little head is right behind mine.

Kylee, Betty, and Tia playing on shore.

Betty and Tia.

Abby and Kade.

Kylee and Betty at the park in Lyons.

Tia

Kylee, Tia, Jack, Betty

Kade and Gaupo

Abby and Kade.

Allen and Tia

Gaupo and Kade on the zip-line.

Jack at the river.

Betty, Kylee, Allen, Roxy, and Tia at the river.

It wasn't anything super for fancy or big because Jack said they were okay with just living there and that is kind of what we did we lived together for two weeks and I loved it. By the time it was over, I was kind of ready to be back down to just 6 people living in our house, but I wasn't ready for Jack and his family to leave we loved being able to play with them. I loved being able to go shop in the middle of the day and not have to plant the girls in front of the tv so they didn't bug Gaupo while he was working. I loved having people to chat with, having family so close was AMAZING, and it was so good to have a reason to play. Most people know I love to play. I believe in work, but I love to play, so it was good to have them come and play and help us work. It was a great, great visit I am so glad they came. I wouldn't mind if it became a tradition.