Time Together

President Nelson has said, "The Lord loves effort." I think he truly does love effort because when we put forth effort it shows how much we want something. Some things are really hard to put effort into. Somethings we put effort in and it never seems to pay off. Sometimes things just require effort. This past weekend Gaupo and I spent some time with just the two of us. It surprised me how much effort it took for us to get this time together.

Gaupo and I went out for a date on Friday night. We had a dinner of pizza with the kids. Then I fed Hope and then we left. We went to Sams Club first where I picked out a big pot that I want to put flowers in on the deck this year. Then we went to a place called Scrumptious to get some ice cream which shared and enjoyed just the two of us. It was nice to take our time in the store, talk about what we wanted to, and just enjoy being together. The crazy thing to me was how hard it was to not break the date. I kept wanting to do one thing or another that night and had to keep remembering--NO, I have a date. I wanted to go look at a gardening spot that I am hoping to help with. I wanted to do a couple other things and kept having to shove things out of that slot. I can't remember what Gaupo had to say no to, but there was something he was thinking of doing but then remembered we had a date. We are apparently very out of practice for setting apart time for us, but you know it was a great evening and I really enjoyed being with him. A great plus was Kylee was the babysitter. She did a great job. We got home and she said it went good and she was kind of getting ready to tell me about how hard things were, and then I paid her. She got this huge smile on her face and she said "It was great." Translation is probably "Worth it." She did a good job and we got a night out. So grateful she is willing to help us out.

Saturday we went to the temple. It took so much effort to keep a date to the temple. It has been years since it took that much effort to get to the temple. We were orginally going to go do sealings at 4:30, but then the girls had a kidzing  thing that it wouldn't work with, so we changed to 3:30 and got a friend to help us get the girls to the event. Then more details came out about the event and 3:30 wasn't going to work either, so I texted my friend Siri Jacobson to say we just weren't going to go we couldn't make it work. Then she called and offered to watch the kids if we wanted to go earlier. So, we thought about it and thought of a time that would work. Scheduled it. Thought about Hope's eating schedule decided it was time to wean one of those feedings. Started doing that. Then on Saturday we hustled trying to get things cleaned up and didn't quite make it but were close to finishing chores, but instead of finishing got ready. Didn't have time to have lunch but left for the temple. Writing it out doesn't sound like much to get there, but usually we pick a time and go or go separate or whatever, but this time it seemed just like when we had it worked out something would come up, but we made it. I am so glad we did. Our sealing session was great. Gaupo and I were able to enjoy the temple and hearing the sealing ordinance over, and over was so great. I had honestly forgotten how much it had changed. It was a great use of Saturday afternoon. 

I so enjoyed the one on one time I had with Gaupo. It was great for us to be together and enjoy the quiet uninterrupted time together. 

Birthdays And a Busy Weekend

 This week has been quite the week for me. After I blogged last week, I thought this week would be able to be the blogpost about Gaupo and I's birthdays but so many great different things happened that our birthdays' seem so long ago. But, Gaupo and I both got a year older and hopefully a little wiser. Gaupo had the weekend birthday and it was a double bonus because the kids had off school and he took off work. We spent the day just being with him. We had some delicious fish tacos and cherry chocolate cake to celebrate. My birthday was on Tuesday which is a pretty lame day to have a birthday, but it went better than expected. Gaupo arranged his schedule to have the night off, so he made dinner for me. We had mexican hotdogs and then I made some mint brownies for dessert. Although, we didn't end up having my cake until Wednesday because I offered to be the second adult at Activities Days at the last minute and in all the hustle to get there and feed the baby and stuff it didn't happen. It was still good Wednesday night when I made my family sing to me and we enjoyed the cake. One of my favortie 'gifts' was my friend Siri came by with her brownies (just a box mix, but her's are really good and she knows I love them) and we got to visit. Having twins and then the pandemic started me believing that I didn't really need to connect with others. However, I am learning I love connecting with others. I love have a good solid conversation face to face with people. I was so grateful she took time to come and visit with me on my birthday.

My Mexican Hotdogs

Me and the kids with my brownies.

Gaupo and the kids with his cake

Gaupo playing on the Nintendo mini he got trying to tide him over while he saves for the Switch.

This weekend was fun and very, very full. Friday was the school districts annual 5th grade field day. They run it more like a track meet and its just for 5th graders. Gaupo was home because it was his Friday Saturday switch, so after I fed Hope I went to field day with the twins. Kylee ran the 50M, the shuttle Relay, the 800 relay, and then participated in the tug of war. I got to watch all her running events, but the tug of war was after lunch and I needed to get home to Hope, so we missed that one. It was fun to watch her be with her friends. She looked pleased when she was running and said she was so tired after. When I picked her up from school, she said on the way to field day the bus was so loud and on the way home it was so quiet. I guess everyone was pooped from a day in the sun. I told Gaupo later that night "I hope that when I get to do this for Hope I love it just as much as I did today. I don't want to get bored of being a mom ever." I am not sure how that will play out but like everything I have been able to watch this year, I loved watching her try something new.

running the shuttle relay

handing off to her friend Kiera

That night we went as a family to the rec center. It was so empty. It was awesome. Gaupo really does not like the water and so it took him a little to warm up to being there, but eventually he started racing the girls down the slides, and taking Abby a few times down them and even Kade once. I got to go down slide and off the diving board. I love when I can play in the pool. Usually I just have to be responsible, so its nice to share the load. I loved that evening as a family. It was one of those perfect nights where we got along and connected as a family.

Saturday Gaupo had to work and we had our first ever dance recital day, but first we had swim lessons. I took the twins to lessons. While they did that I grabbed some pictures of the girls in their dance costumes. Then as soon as they were done it was into the car and up to Thompson Valley High School for rehearsals. We got Kylee there in time to get setup and Tia was there really early, but she was starting to play a game and was fine being left, so we did. Kade, Abby, Hope and I went home. We cleaned up breakfast, had lunch, fed Hope, and waited for the babysitter. When Joy Wheeler arrived to watch Hope the twins and I left to go to the 2:00 dance show. It was fun to watch not just Kylee and Tia, but also our cousins Betty, Allen, and Roxy. Added bonus we got to sit by Jack and Lindsay at the show. It is really uncommon (pretty much never) to have dance recitals on Saturday. However, this season it was and we were so excited to go. Kylee said "You act as if we are going to nationals." To which I replied, "This might be as close as we get and its still great." After the 2:00 show I brought everyone plus Betty home where we attempted to mend some stockings and failed. So, we switched tights around and got everyone a workable pair (both Kylee and Betty got holes in theirs some how). I fed Hope, quickly made some cheese floppies for snacks and then got the oven all set to cook dinner while we were gone. Then we were off again to get them back up to the high school by 5:30 for the 6:00 show. Gaupo was able to meet us for the 6:00 show and it was once again fun to watch but kind of long this time and the kids were hungry. Plus, I had to wrestle Hope this time. Alright, so it wasn't as fun and I was so done when the show was over, but still glad to have the experience. We left and got home and I went to the oven to pull out dinner and it wasn't in there. I FORGOT TO PUT IT IN. The oven cooked air while we were gone and we had nothing to eat. So, Gaupo ran out to grab some Hot and Ready pizza while everyone got bathed and showered. Well, those quicky cheap pizza are now expensive and they were out, so Gaupo had to wait. So, it was like 9:00 by the time people ate. Kade was so exhausted he threw-up. Luckily he got it all in the toilet. By 10:30 I crawled into bed and slept until morning. It was a very long day, which if given the chance I will do a little different like probably bring dinner up to the recital and just hit a park or something, but I don't konw, but it was exhausting. All the kids slept in today. Kylee didn't get up until 8:30. Luckily, it was fast Sunday so breakfast was super fast and could be done without those still sleeping.

Tia

Kylee

Sisters

So many, new things for our family to try this week. It was fun and exhausting. I love my family. I feel so blessed to be a mom, and though there are time when it just makes me cry and be so frustrated other times I love it and it brings me much joy and satisfaction. I love watching my kids grow. I love experiencing life with them. I love that I get to teach and love and grow through them. They really are an amazing and crazy group.