On the Road again

Caleb loves magic tricks. He is often fooling around with one or another in his spare time. Yesterday, Adam pulled me aside and told me that Caleb had a new trick he was dying to show me. He asked me to go into the bedroom so Caleb could set it up. Then he said, "He is really excited about this trick. It's a little on the cheesy side, but make sure you give him a good laugh." I am use to being Caleb's guinea pig and thought nothing of it. I went into our bedroom for a few minutes and then came back ready to be a good audience. Caleb and Isaac were each holding up the corner of a large sheet. Then Caleb gave a winning grin and said, " This is a trick that is guaranteed to make you smile." The boys dropped the sheet and there were Ruby and Benjamin sitting in the double jogger I had ordered (but didn't expect for a few more days). I gasped, I screamed . . .I was so excited. It had come while I was out and EVERYONE had kept it a secret!

This was a huge purchase for me. I am not a shopper and we went through two weeks of rigorous stroller decisions . . . double or single, brand tests, feature tests, hundreds of reviews (literally), how much money to spend, used or new and on and on. Once we finally made the decision, the stroller could not come fast enough. My only stroller broke while we were in Moab. In addition, Adam hasn't been able to work from home as often - so I have only run a handful of times and never more than 3 miles. It has been really frustrating. Everyday, I kept wishing I had my stroller.

No more wishing. I immediately took it for a test run and it handles like a dream. I'm "on the road again."

Easter

We had a great Easter. For Scripture study we recounted the Easter story and what it means to us and for us. Theses are some of my favorite moments and I am always surprised by how much the kids are grasping. We had a great discussion about Pilot and what happens when we follow the "crowd" instead of what we know to be right. It is exciting to watch the kids get beyond the simple facts of a story and begun to understand the meanings behind them.

The kids, of course, had Easter baskets and their hard boiled eggs waiting to be found. (The plastic eggs were hid outside and were for after church.) Church was nice. In RS we had a discussion about conference the previous week. I love hearing what other people glean from conference.


After Church, we had Dad and Dolly over for dinner. It was really nice to be able to spend some quality time with them. Their life has been very stressful and it felt good to have a break from all the worries and just be together. After dinner, we ventured out for the Easter Egg Hunt. The weather was beautiful. This year was especially fun for Caleb because he got to help play the Easter Bunny and hide eggs with Adam.


About 15 minutes after dad and Dolly left, Becca came to help set up for our Easter get together with Mom & Mike, and all the kids and their families that live here. The house was full of people and food and laughter. It was great. Very different then the dinner we had just had, but equally nice in a different kind of way. We were still so full from our earlier dinner we couldn't eat much, but Becca's cake was worth feeling stuffed:) We had another Easter egg hunt with all the kids and cousins. After the "hunt," people slowly began to trickle on out. Our last guests left late. And we were left tired, but happy and grateful for the atonement and the opportunity we had to remember it with so many loved ones.

Ward Family

On Saturday, some friends in the ward invited us and a couple other families to an Easter Egg hunt at their house. One of the mothers recounted the Easter story and then they let the kids loose! It was really nice and reminiscent of the types of things we use to do in Boston. I appreciate that Emily had us over (especially since she just had a baby 2 weeks ago). It was a good reminder of how nice and important it is to strengthen the relationships in our ward family. I never thought I would need a reminder of how important that is. We use to ALWAYS have people over or throw large holiday parties. I began to ponder why we had stopped. We haven't stopped - it's just that we do it with our family now. I love that we can have family over, but I have got to get on the stick and extend ourselves more. When we first moved here I was critical of how people in the Utah Mormon culture didn’t extend themselves much past their own family. Look at me now - guilty.

Fourth Grade Program

Today Caleb had his fourth grade program. David and Melody are moving so we had Lilah and Gavin for the day. I think I looked like a preschool teacher as I marched into the cafeteria with five kids in tow. But they were all very well behaved. Fortunately, we got there early enough to sit on the front row, which helped hold all the little attention spans seated next to me.

In the fourth grade, they learn about the history of Utah - so the program covered Utah's history. The kids did a great job. For one of the numbers, Caleb was in a square dance. I kept thinking, "He looks so old." Maybe it was that he was dancing with a girl or maybe I just hadn't noticed how tall he's gotten. Either way, I was wondering where the last 10 1/2 years had gone.

The Half Marathon

I did it. I finally ran the half marathon I have been training for since January. It was a great experience. These were some of the highlights.

1. Seeing Adam and the kids at mile 11. The first 10 1/2 miles are through a canyon. It is beautiful, and the huge cliffs provided ample shade. But after that, I was running on highway and smaller roads through town. The last miles were hot and miserable. Seeing my family was far more of an energy boost than any pack of GU. I was so thrilled to see them, I about knocked them down. This was a very short trip and Adam had to carry most of the burden alone. I will always be grateful that they all came happily to cheer me on.

2. Seeing all the children spectators. Maybe it is from the years of taking our family to the Boston Marathon and the memories of my own kids giving high fives, passing out water, etc. If I saw a kid on the side lane, it didn't mater what lane I was in, I ran and gave them a high five. Or if I saw them watching on the cliffs, I always smiled and waved. I loved it. I loved seeing every one of the kids. They were definitely a highlight.

3. Accomplishing my goal. It always feels good to accomplish something you set out to do. I never walked and I came in 7 minutes faster than my goal. (don't let this fool you, I was still slow). And I finished - alive.

4. Doing this with friends. I trained alone and ran alone but it was nice to have comrades doing the same thing. We began at the start line together and they were there to cheer me on as I crossed the finish line. Thanks gals.




This is me with most of the gals from my ward that ran. When I look at this picture, that Sesame Street song pops into my mind "One of these things doesn't belong here. One of these things just isn't the same." I am clearly the running impostor. But here's to more training and at least one more half marathon this year.

Couldn't Keep Up

So I haven't written in a long time. No good reason - just couldn't keep up. But if I was a better juggler, these are some of the things I would've written about.

1. got hit by a school bus (my car - no injuries)
2. more trips to the ER
3. training for a half marathon and GAINING a pound
4. Our Total Money Make Over
5. Missing my cousin and my Dad's wedding
6. The Job chart upgrade and the new "gold coin" system
7. Benjamin's raw talent - eating
8. Making yogurt and granola - barefoot of course
9. My surprise- new running gear, caffeinated jelly bellies and Gu
10. Working at the Temple Open House
11. Adam's grandma's 80th Birthday Party

Barbilyn 08

For Christmas this year we had a family reunion with my mom, all her children and their families; and my aunt and all her children and their families. My aunt's name is Barbara and my mom's is Marilyn - hence - the Barbilyn family reunion. It was wonderful from the early planning stages to the actual events. Some of my fondest Christmas memories are with these cousins and it was so fun to be together again and watch our kids make memories together. We had a talent show, nightly devotionals, crafts, swimming, volleyball, hiking, slide shows, poem exchange, dirt bike riding, air hockey games, and lots of good food and long conversations. I can't wait for the next Barbilyn reunion!

Christmas Morning

My mom made these fantastic pj's for all of the kids.

Merry Christmas

Then . . .



and now . . .

The Stockings Were Hung by the Chimney With Care

The first of these 35 stockings was made by my great grandmother, "Granny" for my mother and aunt when they were little girls.



As they got married and had children, Granny made stockings for their families.



After she died, my mom and aunt continued to make them.



We now have three generations of these beautiful red felt sequined masterpieces. To me, these stockings are more than holding bags for Santa's gifts. They represent my family and the times I want to always remember. Though similar, each stocking is different and unique, just like it's owner. The first time it hit me that we had a "large" family was when I saw all of our stockings hung on the stairs in our Lexington house. I remember thinking, "Are all of those stockings ours?" I imagine my mom and aunt must have thought the same thing as they looked at all of our stockings this Christmas.

We Share Everything

Ruby and Aaron share clothes, toys, a room AND eye patches. (Ruby fell off a chair and put a chip in her cornea.) Seriously, what is WRONG with us!!

A Lovely Thanksgiving

We had a lovely Thanksgiving. We hosted Adam's family and Christy for a total of of 22 people. I was able to use my China and had a great time decorating the tables. I wanted the kids to enjoy a "fancy" Thanksgiving too, so I went to DI and purchased some China to use for their table. I was so pleased with how it turned out. Everyone pitched in so the cooking wasn't overwhelming and yet extremely tasty. Our beloved company stayed late into the night. We played games (including the name game) and talked. To me, it was a perfect Thanksgiving. Among many things, I am thankful to have in-laws I love and look forward to spending time with.