tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84693584179435285422024-03-13T08:44:09.946-07:00A Day in the LifeAllysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03419478404083689083noreply@blogger.comBlogger45015tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8469358417943528542.post-75592552449165366912015-07-18T21:41:00.001-07:002015-07-18T21:41:45.840-07:00Instagram has taken over blogging...I really really really really want to get back to blogging someday. But for now, Instagram is doing the job on a much simpler level which currently fits my psychotic (or lazy) life much better. <div><br></div><div>You can find me under <i>brandonandallyson. </i></div>Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03419478404083689083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8469358417943528542.post-55878248748350062712014-08-22T17:27:00.000-07:002014-08-22T17:27:39.406-07:00Summer 2014: JuneYep, I'm going back there. 'Cause now that I have SIX HOURS A DAY TO MYSELF EVERY WEEKDAY (still pinching myself--I wrote <a href="http://powerofmoms.com/2014/08/can-someone-give-me-a-hallelujah/">this post </a>about it for Power of Moms and Deseret News), I have high hopes that I just may catch up on the 'ole blog.<br />
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As I've mentioned many times before, first and foremost, my blog is my place to record my family's history. And I do that <i>ad nauseum</i>. But I have another high hope that I can possible get to a point where I am caught up enough on my family's history that I can then go off on other tangents of which I have many thoughts and opinions. And maybe even get into some serious back stories. Because <i>there are stories</i>. I'm talking about life history stories B.C. (Before Children), not the least of which is mine and Brandon's love story which I started and never finished over two years ago. And with everyone in school all day this year, that actually feels like a possibility.<br />
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But for today? It's June 2014. June ended up being our busiest month of the summer by far. Kate had Girls Camp with the church the first week of summer (no pictures), Kate and Elizabeth both did some sewing lessons with Kate's friend's mom and made a bunch of clothes (Elizabeth) and an awesome <a href="http://www.cosplay.com/">cosplay</a> cape (Kate--also no pictures), Will had Scout Camp the second week of June (more stories and pictures to come) and also participated in a couple of merit badge classes through the rec. center (which means we spent a good chunk of time in June pushing and prodding him to do the "homework" for some of the most tedious required merit badges--definitely no pictures), and lastly, we did two full weeks of Reynolds Camp the 3rd and 4th weeks of June. (That requires a post of its own, for sure.) And now that Brandon is serving as the Bishop of our congregation (yep, lots going on these last several months that I haven't recorded!), he attended a few days of both camps as well as the older boys' "High Adventure" camp where he just about died from dehydration. Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but he <i>did</i> start to get pretty faint and sick after running out of water on mile 22 after hiking through 15 miles of slot canyons in southern Utah followed by 7 totally exposed to the sun miles in over 100 degree weather. All in one day. (Yes, another story, and you guessed it: no pictures.)<br />
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So while the older kids and Brandon were away at their various camps, me and whoever was home managed to fill in the blanks quite nicely. Our Kate-less week was interesting, because the other teenager in the house kind of morphed back into a little kid while she was gone and was perfectly happy to hang out with and play with his little sisters more often than not. Isn't it interesting how dynamics can change so much when just one family member is taken out of the equation?<br />
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There was a good day or two completely taken over by squirt gun wars:<br />
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And Will learned that when he cuts the grass he should BAG IT:</div>
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Another full day or so was taken up by creating this mini box apartment from our patio furniture boxes. Imaginative, cooperative, tech-free days like this make a mother happy. Wish they happened more often: </div>
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I took the three of them with me up to Salt Lake one afternoon to a lunch with some of my Power of Moms friends and then to an antique store William was dying to go back to (he and Brandon had gone before): </div>
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Outside Blue Lemon up at City Creek:</div>
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Will had some money burning a hole in his pocket and almost blew all of it on a cool, old pocket watch (it was really expensive!), but I talked him into thinking about it for awhile and he's never mentioned it again. Elizabeth, on the other hand, just <i>had </i>to spend some of her money on a (much less expensive) vintage camera from the time of her Molly American Girl doll and the year Mimi was born. (Not that you're an antique, Mimi, but the 40's <i>were</i> quite awhile ago. :D)</div>
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No, it doesn't work, but it sure looks fun and makes for great pretend play: </div>
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That same day my kids were excited to be asked by a neighbor who was going out of town to feed and walk their dog for a couple of days. Dolly is a big girl: </div>
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We introduced Will to the new Museum of Natural Curiosity down at Thanksgiving Point which is SO fabulous. Unless you're a 13-year-old boy. This was the one time in the week when Will was NOT on the same page with the rest of us. And why both of my sweet little girls have their fingers on/in their noses is a mystery to me:<br />
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And then Kate came home, and Will left for Scout Camp. The morning of:</div>
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Turns out he was the only one who got completely gussied up in full Scout regalia. I think he looks awesome, even if Scout uniforms are a little corny:<br />
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Such a great group of boys, and his Scout leaders are absolutely fantastic, too: </div>
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I wish you could hear Will tell his own stories from Scout Camp because you would be rolling with laughter, but suffice it to say, on the second day of camp, he didn't drink enough water for the heat/elevation/physical activity and ended up in the E.R. on I.V. fluids due to heat stroke after throwing up like 11 times when he tried to guzzle down a bunch of water too late. Once I found out what happened and how he was being treated I was okay, but my heart almost jumped out of my throat when I got that unexpected late night call from his Scout leader saying, "Will is just fine, but . . ." (Of course I knew that meant he <i>wasn't</i> just fine.) </div>
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Isn't this a nice room with really nice equipment? Wouldn't you pay $900 a night for this room? Apparently I would , because I just paid the bill yesterday. Moral of the story: drink lots of water when camping in high elevations in Utah!!</div>
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My surgeon husband has a favorite phrase he likes to use when I get too worked up over petty little childhood illnesses and accidents: "It takes a lot to die." Yes, yes it does. And Will was far from death the next afternoon after his leader brought him home late, late, late the night before and he slept until 2pm. Insufferable:</div>
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And then the very next morning I drove his rehydrated booty right back up to Scout Camp so he could complete all those crazy merit badges I didn't want to have to do with him at home. Because I'm that kind of supportive, involved mother. Doesn't he look like he's being totally deserted here:</div>
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Everyone was glad to have him back. And he was definitely glad to <i>be</i> back and not under the protective wing of his mother anymore:</div>
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And then, if you can believe it or not, after driving the two and half hours back home, I noticed I got a text from Will's leader about 5 minutes after I left saying he had cut his finger really badly in his woodworking class and did I want to come back. Seriously? No. He is the son of Mr. It-Takes-A-Lot-To-Die, so I was more than happy to hear that they just super glued that finger back together. His finger couldn't have been cut <i>that</i> badly because after never picking up a gun before in his life, he got 5 bulls eye's in a row on his first try in the rifle shooting merit badge class. I guess I have a natural sharp shooter on my hands! (One of the guys in his troop who hunts frequently with his dad was suddenly very interested in making Will his friend.) </div>
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With Will back at camp, the girls could get back to doing our own thing. Like getting a group haircut at the nice salon I usually only go to myself. All of them were in dire need of a really good cut and not just the whack across the bottom that they do at the walk-in places where I take them 95% of the time. Aren't they so pretty?</div>
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Finally checked out the shiny new aquarium in a nearby town. The shark tunnel:</div>
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Best shot of the day for an iPhone: </div>
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Maybe this one is the best. Rachael's face: </div>
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The chronology gets a little fuzzy from here on out, so I'm just throwing down the rest of June's pictures at random. </div>
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Utah has some really, really good shaved ice stands in the summer. Hokulia is a new favorite:</div>
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Elizabeth and I walking the girls (of the canine variety). June is one of my very favorite months because it's usually not too hot, everything is still green (as opposed to dry and yellow as it sometimes gets here in Utah in the late summer), and it feels like summer is going to last forever. That's what I was thinking about on this walk: </div>
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The creek behind our house. Will is the only one who tubed it this year, but I sure love to look at it:</div>
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The girls thought it was great fun to have sleeping bag "slumber parties" in our bedroom with the dogs several different times this summer: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibk1M3gpVW68pY4fLewFlM52eZ534OUAWzKRUCWOURv2NZ6PkDongiGzqzqGDNIOM9JIRUxtnzeJqOy3AxQRYUIJW-6PsuPGvHRLqMNAtX2UEp-rJp6nS2Bom1zajZ7U1qRRU1fb1mPYhQ/s1600/IMG_5971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibk1M3gpVW68pY4fLewFlM52eZ534OUAWzKRUCWOURv2NZ6PkDongiGzqzqGDNIOM9JIRUxtnzeJqOy3AxQRYUIJW-6PsuPGvHRLqMNAtX2UEp-rJp6nS2Bom1zajZ7U1qRRU1fb1mPYhQ/s1600/IMG_5971.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a><br />
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Much like the finger in the nose picture, why in the world Rachael is wearing this random arm band from one of the Halloween costumes in the basement is beyond me:</div>
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Rachael comes into our room to sleep in the middle of the night a few times a month anyway. I woke up to this hysterical sight one morning:</div>
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Swimming lessons with her bestie:</div>
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After Brandon started functioning as the Bishop of our congregation, I pretty much needed a different, less time-intensive position at church myself. How about team teaching the adorable three-year-olds? Several of them are quite a handful, and if I spent most of my days at home with squirmy babies and toddlers I might not appreciate this job, but I've been surprised at how entertaining it can be to try to teach theology to these little faces:</div>
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I spend a lot of my time just giggling. Especially the Sunday one little "Sunbeam" (as this class is called) was being spotlighted in Primary (or junior Sunday School) and when asked why she loved to go to Bear Lake with her family she replied, "Because that's the lake I get to pee in." What more do you need?<br />
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Teaching Will to pump gas for me. He has to learn sometime:<br />
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And now it's time for a brief Mommy brag moment where I point out that despite the lack of a medal hanging around his neck, all three of these kids earned some kind of exemplary music award this year. Will was invited to participate in an honors recital as the top scorer for his level in cello. Ditto for Elizabeth (whose program also included a medal), and then Kate just got the medal for a top score several years in a row in harp with no honors recital option. Thank you for listening:<br />
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I was on a fresh squeezed O.J. kick every morning for awhile. Delicious:<br />
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And green smoothies:</div>
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One Saturday in June Brandon and ditched the kids for most of the day to attend the wedding and wedding luncheon of Brandon's cousin's daughter at the Manti Temple:<br />
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More shenanigans at the Museum of Natural Curiosity in the theater room:<br />
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And outside on the playground:<br />
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Father's Day weekend we got together for brunch with Brandon's parents and #6 (Brent) at #2 (Damon)'s home shortly before we went to church. Three pretty awesome dad's right here worthy of celebrating:<br />
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I can't even remember now how this began, but we started talking about nose size among the Reynolds boys, and I instigated a series of pictures to determine who, indeed, has the largest nose: </div>
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It took quite a few times to get one with no one smiling:<br />
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I sent this pic to the other brothers not in town and soon the most tech savvy brother (who also has the smallest nose) had everyone "weighing" in:<br />
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That was the last we saw of Brandon until much later that day, so I thought it would be appropriate to snap the annual Father's Day picture from the stand where Brandon now sits every Sunday. We can usually catch him for a few minutes in between Sunday meetings and services so I took my opportunity. Am I a lucky woman, or what? Look at this bunch:<br />
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And then this picture of me with my own wonderful father:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85H54UB2TtXF5VPmcWK5MKit4pX7k6Jxux8RoyzaldZswshF_clr43i80u9U-xqcPHXv9YRHjSJBnE8jFeQXRUQYw2lP0bD1YnCsjqdIskEcorerdQMNib9qo-p2XKvgGpMHhp2-EUkJN/s1600/IMG_6246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj85H54UB2TtXF5VPmcWK5MKit4pX7k6Jxux8RoyzaldZswshF_clr43i80u9U-xqcPHXv9YRHjSJBnE8jFeQXRUQYw2lP0bD1YnCsjqdIskEcorerdQMNib9qo-p2XKvgGpMHhp2-EUkJN/s1600/IMG_6246.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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The caption I posted with this one on FB on IG said, "What is a father? Someone who wastes and wears out the best years of his life sharing everything he has to offer in the hopes of giving his children all they need to be happy and successful. That's my dad. He's been "holding" and "feeding" me for as long as I can remember. Love you, Dad! Happy Father's Day!" </div>
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I would have much rather celebrated him in person, but sometimes insufficient tributes are all we can do.</div>
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Speaking of great dads, Brandon has been uber focused on getting our kids proficient at golf this summer. I know I've written about this before, but we aren't really competitive team sports people (especially after moving to the competitive team sports capitol of the world where you can't be on a high school team unless you received private training from a personal coach from 18 months on . . .). We like the idea of being active in sports and activities that can be enjoyed throughout life and together as a family. Brandon really likes golf, but he hasn't played much over the years because he hasn't felt like he could justify the time away from family when he's gone so much already, but now that the older kids have taken a liking to golf, he can have his cake and eat it too. And the good news is that Kate will most likely be on the girls golf team this year:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcuXmA_jbIewtSDELgOqAK17oOALuDzMxPlb62yp9f9fhobMtFdkP6SyPqSnwBhyXQsQ3CZTPqHCgW_lOsF5PQSE9khE6HA8qWGsYUGnW75g2xLvQD1nbxyzlo-GK1Mz0L4H7SZzUV5LK/s1600/IMG_6262.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmcuXmA_jbIewtSDELgOqAK17oOALuDzMxPlb62yp9f9fhobMtFdkP6SyPqSnwBhyXQsQ3CZTPqHCgW_lOsF5PQSE9khE6HA8qWGsYUGnW75g2xLvQD1nbxyzlo-GK1Mz0L4H7SZzUV5LK/s1600/IMG_6262.jpg" height="640" width="488" /></a></div>
All three of the older golf playing members of our family have nice golf clothes, so why in the world they are in Vans, cargo shorts, and flip flops on this day I can't tell you. But you're probably not a golf clothing snob anyway, so I'm hoping you'll turn a blind eye:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsbWXTF96H8KaPaCMShxiVS26ZootBUF3m6ElSPfy8XAf2ZwGL9kaODdgCIAYh4K25u2lwDDbT0hc63YFwCqyO8A8NIXnO8cl3iMVo7ihRkkCR76auzzsEvppGhXjdetp5VrW8zoeHP8x/s1600/IMG_6268.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOsbWXTF96H8KaPaCMShxiVS26ZootBUF3m6ElSPfy8XAf2ZwGL9kaODdgCIAYh4K25u2lwDDbT0hc63YFwCqyO8A8NIXnO8cl3iMVo7ihRkkCR76auzzsEvppGhXjdetp5VrW8zoeHP8x/s1600/IMG_6268.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYo7dmp-aczm3jOh2Vm3rACjYXd7v3d-ii796ShEJTzQxJrV0t_PHQp4PP4WO__qwgZEoLw0aiiZyIrEXefM-TUVCSVgpiMrpi-bKyigqxsonxMvVfXAehezEGfm5QCVfMtog53xmL-ij/s1600/IMG_6273.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNYo7dmp-aczm3jOh2Vm3rACjYXd7v3d-ii796ShEJTzQxJrV0t_PHQp4PP4WO__qwgZEoLw0aiiZyIrEXefM-TUVCSVgpiMrpi-bKyigqxsonxMvVfXAehezEGfm5QCVfMtog53xmL-ij/s1600/IMG_6273.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
Actually, the flip flops are on the girl who <i>doesn't</i> have any golf gear:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyf-Mhr5XVkbWvHPypaiP64sxxkp5Ttxq2CTvvgJWjJkpW9HwFgAZlFEQohvods25AbERyEzOTTGwS2J8AlSn7cA9s3aGQrAoUwimyGoHiTCn9_dJUhOtAkSTMod8Dl-7mAfdvypD01-W/s1600/IMG_6279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOyf-Mhr5XVkbWvHPypaiP64sxxkp5Ttxq2CTvvgJWjJkpW9HwFgAZlFEQohvods25AbERyEzOTTGwS2J8AlSn7cA9s3aGQrAoUwimyGoHiTCn9_dJUhOtAkSTMod8Dl-7mAfdvypD01-W/s1600/IMG_6279.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
Thank you, Will! Golf shoes:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgFKETZRv8M-o7WcbZuhVPDFXHFiPOV-9AtNMRxKiI4IEAmqECs8zYVMFSAcVzGIM9sHdlkRmn4ONs1g_v9AfgOe8jjYKqK-9nicBRMKtDS50WbQqdKqvaLh__SrwfkKmNPuCMzM6GRCR/s1600/IMG_6281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmgFKETZRv8M-o7WcbZuhVPDFXHFiPOV-9AtNMRxKiI4IEAmqECs8zYVMFSAcVzGIM9sHdlkRmn4ONs1g_v9AfgOe8jjYKqK-9nicBRMKtDS50WbQqdKqvaLh__SrwfkKmNPuCMzM6GRCR/s1600/IMG_6281.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
The family that plays together, stays together:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHmmF_XJxWMMF7xCtXKYraCtwa7mWUPrtIKKaYCoN_UgTEKp7RZjuUEDzHVTpXU6z49JooWvdfQQ2i4hd8m5zi54OMYuWBM8YxfGdQw-z21fHmU3Ufy89ujwRJeYcJnqXwXGc0t7YIfHT/s1600/IMG_6285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHmmF_XJxWMMF7xCtXKYraCtwa7mWUPrtIKKaYCoN_UgTEKp7RZjuUEDzHVTpXU6z49JooWvdfQQ2i4hd8m5zi54OMYuWBM8YxfGdQw-z21fHmU3Ufy89ujwRJeYcJnqXwXGc0t7YIfHT/s1600/IMG_6285.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VABJmOMsj-ZFoGJCzmgKzTlpQzY6U_VvVp0XeXA25fpV1gQ4W5QCH-SfrDEPJ0PvWrdXd7c-upokaVHjDcNduz1A1Ibvvl4REIDla3qzed2URdLFIRAl2GUojI8UFPDfjtorYHHyJMiO/s1600/IMG_6291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0VABJmOMsj-ZFoGJCzmgKzTlpQzY6U_VvVp0XeXA25fpV1gQ4W5QCH-SfrDEPJ0PvWrdXd7c-upokaVHjDcNduz1A1Ibvvl4REIDla3qzed2URdLFIRAl2GUojI8UFPDfjtorYHHyJMiO/s1600/IMG_6291.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Okay, this is really sad to me now (for reasons I will disclose in a future post), but I started training for a half marathon in June. I have always said I'm not a runner (and I'm not) and how much I despise running (because I do), but Will's best friend's mom somehow talked me into training for the Hobble Creek half marathon with her and even managed to get me excited about the process of training for and hopefully accomplishing this pie-in-the-sky goal. The furthest I had ever run without stopping up to this point was 2 miles, so when I got to 4 miles I was definitely feeling pretty proud of myself:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoXe3tQcA9fsh2KZUmApphlAlkGGXrRQ4ANNNZSP07mfIL2SDwCw1SotzVrT2qBMJVVlOTSw0O76uhubATr0zrT_4wkhyA-j9PsIbFCjKvxAPZfZaMNQoYlvMbjm6KTUp5Jbl2xOPI0Gf/s1600/IMG_6654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoXe3tQcA9fsh2KZUmApphlAlkGGXrRQ4ANNNZSP07mfIL2SDwCw1SotzVrT2qBMJVVlOTSw0O76uhubATr0zrT_4wkhyA-j9PsIbFCjKvxAPZfZaMNQoYlvMbjm6KTUp5Jbl2xOPI0Gf/s1600/IMG_6654.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
After one of our Saturday morning long runs together:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieru337-O_v8a0lNonQ-LFw7oDOVUNBsnOTnMoEOJ54e0OS57odgLKm2E9P4DpUWKxcRH9Wn1LyO3LjAD6QnmracQuPzPzfixb9l3t5kj_WstwKmJmdOQidZs7kiFvUPCkeLvrSHYiPTfo/s1600/IMG_6548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieru337-O_v8a0lNonQ-LFw7oDOVUNBsnOTnMoEOJ54e0OS57odgLKm2E9P4DpUWKxcRH9Wn1LyO3LjAD6QnmracQuPzPzfixb9l3t5kj_WstwKmJmdOQidZs7kiFvUPCkeLvrSHYiPTfo/s1600/IMG_6548.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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My regular summer morning bike rides and runs were a highlight of my day and on occasion I would have to stop and take a picture or two of the gorgeous scenery. Or the llamas in the hood:</div>
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On this particular day, I ended my run on the trail behind our house and took a few "before"pictures of our "yard":</div>
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Because the very next day the machines started rolling in:</div>
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So exciting! We're getting a yard! (Significant progress has been made since this picture was taken, but I don't think we're looking at grass until September . . .)</div>
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Rachael has spent most of her childhood either pretending to be an animal of some kind (primarily a dog, cat, or cheetah) OR being pregnant/having recently given birth. She told me the night before this picture was taken as she was drifting off to sleep that her twins were going to be born the next day, and lo and behold! It came to pass:</div>
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Identical twins. Obviously:</div>
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The Utah County Parade of Homes lands in June, and that's always a fun date night for Brandon and I. One of my favorite ideas this year was this picture frame collage on a spiral staircase wall:<br />
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And framed family recipes from a mother/grandmother in the kitchen:<br />
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Love these colors for a girl's room:<br />
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And using book pages as wallpaper for a tiny book nook:<br />
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My walls are still bare despite all these grand ideas, but we have some other home improvements going on right now.<br />
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Summer Solstice date night with my honey. This was taken after 9pm:<br />
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Todd (#3)) came up to Utah from SoCal for a few days in June with his son, Tyler, while he attended one of BYU's summer sports camps, so we got all the Reynolds currently in town together for one big night of family fun and frivolity:<br />
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One thing led to another, and the next thing I knew Brandon was demonstrating one of his legendary homemade Pepsi One light backpacking camp stoves for #3 on the dining table:<br />
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Where's the flame?<br />
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Impressive . . .<br />
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And since we now had one of the contenders for largest Reynolds boy nose in town with us, the picture taking recommenced as did the absent brother's analysis via group text:</div>
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#2, #6, #1, #3 We were missing Marc (#5) who was in London doing some opera directing, but the rest of his cute family was with us. </div>
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Top contenders:</div>
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Trent (#4) is the small nosed, high tech analyst in Santa Monica who couldn't be with us either, but was happy to text in the results of our experiment:</div>
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Cute cousins playing dress up like Asians:<br />
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Where one finds such a thing and why one makes it I have no idea, but this sperm vase from our dear friends in Iowa is right up this urologist's alley:<br />
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A year's worth of super unique birthday and just-for-fun gifts came in one big package right before Brandon's birthday from some of our oldest and dearest family friends. We met the McLeod's at Courthill Condos at the beginning of Brandon's first year of medical school when Kate was just a newborn and Betsy was about to give birth to their first, Isabel. We love them for a lot of reasons, but how can you not love people who send you cool random gifts like this?<br />
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Tenzi. The McLeod's find the coolest things you've never seen or heard of before:</div>
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Kate and I both got prescription glasses in June . . .<br />
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Experimenting:<br />
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We attended a humungous extended family swim and BBQ at Brandon's Uncle Don's home one Saturday evening and this was the best picture I came home with. This is probably less than a fourth of the people there:<br />
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A new move-in to our congregation. Turns out she was the mission companion of my younger sister, Elizabeth, in the Canary Islands back in the early 90's. The Mormon world is a crazy small one:<br />
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Rachael spent a few days being Twilight Sparkle around the clock. At breakfast:<br />
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The pediatrician's office:<br />
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Target:<br />
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The little girls took a couple of week's of tennis lessons and decided they like it so much they signed up again with the same fun college guy for a few months this fall. Another lifelong individual sport we can play as a family--yeah!<br />
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My father-in-law finally retired from urology at age 70, moved out of the home he and my mother-in-law have been renting for the last year while they decided what they were going to do (sold the family home Brandon spent his teen years in a year prior) and moved into a nifty little condo in Provo in June. Kind of a big deal! These were taken the night we helped with the moving process a little bit:<br />
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Whew! Who is still here besides my Mom (and maybe Tiffany :D). Martin? Anna? Are you as tired as I am? And just think, I didn't even include the pictures from the 2 weeks of Reynolds Camp that we held here at the house. That's coming up next.<br />
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But first, my very favorite picture of the month. Little Miss Personality dancing in her bedroom:<br />
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<img align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUN0P5w4V-Hen2cxJgBJFpfufKuMclMvoOHFUlAOZ9WULub3nzYCDG-mxH2B8YerQYzQ9RoQ0ZRAbIGDLhgB_p9qclltyonF4nyFUi2K4uDM2pUgALIvzMKZHsYIv9YkghethWRQy-OyI-/s1600/Signature.png" style="border: 0;" />Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03419478404083689083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8469358417943528542.post-83855960470363236942014-08-19T13:16:00.001-07:002014-08-19T13:16:11.584-07:00I Made It! (First Day of School)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Wow. It's happened. IT'S REALLY HAPPENED!</div>
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All of my four children are in school. All. Day. Long. </div>
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I just re-read my last post from the last day of school and relived the emotional trauma that was the 2013-2014 school year, and I can already say with full assurance that this year is going to be better. 3 schools instead of 4, an alleviated schedule for Kate since she took a couple of classes online over the summer (I highly recommend this route--doing low level classes online on her own took no time at all!), "regular" school for Elizabeth instead of the homework heavy accelerated program she was in last year at a different school (I hope I don't regret this decision . . . ), no Room Mom madness, and everyone out the door within an hour of each other instead of two. (This year Kate leaves at 7:00, Will at 7:30, and the girls at 7:45 coming home first at 2:30). And that might be the most transformational part of all: I will have 6 uninterrupted hours to myself. Every weekday. What?! </div>
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I feel like I should feel badly about this, but I've been absolutely giddy all day long. Maybe it's because I've already shed many tears over the last year anticipating Rachael going to school full time, maybe it's because Rachael is not a mama's girl and has the capable tutelage of her big sister guiding her into this new transition (Elizabeth has been absolutely adorable over the last 24 hours making Rachael's lunch, helping her pick out an outfit for the first day, getting her up and excited this morning--2 hours before she usually wakes up--and reassuring both of us that she would walk her to her class and pick her up after), maybe it's because I've had someone at home with me for the last 17 years and I'm about to turn 43 so it's JUST DARN TIME, but yeah, sending everyone off this morning was nothing but happy. Happy, happy, happy. </div>
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And you know what else? It's not like they are going to boarding school. They will start coming home at 2:15 for crying out loud! This idea of "what will you do with all your time?" just makes me laugh (I have a list a mile long) because it's not even that much time and then there are still many hours in the day to be together as a family. </div>
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Boy, I am totally surprising myself. I really thought I would be a big, blubbering mess today. But again, truth be told, I feel nothing but giddy. Any why not? Look how happy and cute they all were heading off to school this morning . . .</div>
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But wait.</div>
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That's the other thing. Kate got up and go herself all ready with no complaints and well before the time she needed to leave. That alone is a miracle worth celebrating since she has forbidden anyone to say the "S" word all summer long and pretty much refused to do her hair or make up most days except Sunday. I think she is really ready to have a different kind of year this year. I sense an attitude shift, and I hope I'm right. Isn't she just cute?</div>
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Will claims to not be excited about school starting, and I believe him, but I think he is playing it up a bit more than necessary. I ordered him a new backpack on Amazon since his other one was pretty worn out (and smelled like a dead animal), but it didn't arrive in time so instead of using a simple drawstring backpack or something he left for the bus stop with nothing more than his tiny sack lunch in hand (not sure what he put in there) and a pencil in his pocket. That's it. I tried to get him to take a notebook or SOMETHING, but he insisted that he'd be fine. He's got that "I could care less" coolness thing going, and I'm not totally sure, but I think he knows what he is doing.<br />
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My gosh, he's morphed over the last year:</div>
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Okay, too funny, but I just noticed after looking over my last day of school post that these girls are wearing the same outfits for their first day of school as they did their last. I guess these must be their favorite outfits . . .<br />
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Both of them were pretty excited to share their fandoms with the world (matching lunch boxes inside):<br />
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And just like I said, off they went without a second thought. No need for Mommy to walk Rachael to her classroom even. She had her big sister, Elizabeth:<br />
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It's enough to make a mom cry. Or feel absolutely giddy.<br />
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I'll take the latter.<br />
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<img align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUN0P5w4V-Hen2cxJgBJFpfufKuMclMvoOHFUlAOZ9WULub3nzYCDG-mxH2B8YerQYzQ9RoQ0ZRAbIGDLhgB_p9qclltyonF4nyFUi2K4uDM2pUgALIvzMKZHsYIv9YkghethWRQy-OyI-/s1600/Signature.png" style="border: 0;" />Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03419478404083689083noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8469358417943528542.post-42633194129009990182014-05-30T22:06:00.001-07:002014-08-19T12:22:40.033-07:00Last day of school/First day of summer<br />
It's finally arrived. The day marking the end of the longest 9 months of my life. No, I didn't just give birth to octuplets. Today is . . .<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span><br />
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I have to be honest. I feel like I have a little bit of PTSD after this school year. I can't put my finger on it exactly. Was it the 4 kids in 4 schools on 4 different schedules? (Leaving at 7:00, 7:30, 9:00, and 12:30, and coming home at 2:30, 3:10, and 3:30.) Was it the accelerated learning programs that both Will and Elizabeth did with their multitudinous projects and homework? Was it Kate's profound sorrow and anger over the irrelevance of every. single. assignment. she received all. year. long. and the hours upon hours that I spent trying to get her to either focus and finish her work or JUST GO TO BED FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! (Yes, I'm exaggerating, but this was not the best year for Kate the Great. Or her parents. Especially the one who can't stay awake past 9:30pm.) Was it my mistake of answering the phone back in September and saying "yes" when the PTA president-elect personally called to ask if I wouldn't consider signing on as Room Mom for Rachael's kindergarten class? (And I was the worst room mom ever, I might add. Thank goodness there was a surrogate mother-type who did all the "extras" that a real room mom <i>should</i> do. I stopped after delegating via email.) Was it a combination of all these things while also trying to tackle a variety of home improvement/decorating projects and my responsibilities as the monthly party planner for the ladies at church? (1st Counselor in the Relief Society presidency for the Mormons in the room.)<br />
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I don't know, really. Maybe if I had 4 more kids in the queue waiting to start school I would have had more endurance, but getting to the end of my last child's last day of kindergarten after an eternity of half-day hades (okay, Kate went to preschool around 2001 I believe, so I guess that's just 13-ish years of half-day hades) was much harder than it should have been. It felt like doing the last of a hundred push-ups, or running the last mile in a marathon, or forcing down the last hot dog in an international eating contest. In fact--and I feel really badly about this--I actually got to a point somewhere in May when I not only started to lose gratitude for my children's schools and teachers, but I actually started to feel <i>angry </i>with them with each additional assignment, paper, email, or special invitation that showed its ugly face in my inbox. It was as if they were trying--<i>deliberately trying</i>--to complicate my life and destroy my relationships with my children as I was forced to go into SuperNag mode. (I know this is completely irrational, and my rational brain is still eternally indebted to these people, but I hope you know what I mean.)<br />
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So it is with great joy and supreme gladness that I present to you a few low quality iphone pictures of our last moments of school and first moments of freedom. Sweet, sweet freedom.<br />
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Here we have Rachael and Elizabeth on the second to last day of school. (Because the second to last day of school is really the last legitimate day of school since going for an hour and a half on the <i>last</i> last day without even a backpack doesn't really feel like anything. It's so totally anti-climactic and made even more so in our home by the fact that Kate and Will don't even go to school on their <i>last</i> last day. Anyway.) Aren't they just the cutest things ever?<br />
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Today (the <i>last</i> last day of school) started off with a bang as Elizabeth (wearing her new Dr. Who t-shirt and necklace she bought with her birthday money) and I went by Smith's grocery to get a bouquet of flowers for her teacher. (See? My rational mind really is still intact.) I dropped her off early at school so I could get back home in time to pick up Rachael for kindergarten carpool. (They had to be to school at the same time--but again, different schools. So fun!) </div>
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I will actually really miss kindergarten carpool and all the hysterically cute conversations I've overheard over the last year. Wish I could have recorded them all because there is no way to recreate them. As much as I was complaining back there, you know there is a big chunk of my soul that is weeping over the fact that I will never have another preschool or kindergarten age child at home with me half days doing all the super cute things preschoolers and kindergartners do. </div>
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And maybe <i>that </i>has been a part of my personal trauma and drama over the past year as well: feeling angst over wanting to move on to the next stage and be done with half days while simultaneously not wanting it to ever come to an end. Honestly, sometimes motherhood feels like nothing more than a big ball of emotional contradictions and paradoxes. It's exhausting. </div>
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While the little girls were attending their last hour and a half of school (I hadn't seen hide nor hair of Kate or Will by this point who were obviously still blissfully sleeping in their beds), I headed back to the grocery story to get lunch stuff for the first day of summer get together Will was having at our house. After picking up the girls again and getting lunch ready, I took Rachael to a first day of summer party at one of her friend's homes. The mountains are so green right now!<br />
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And by the time I came back, cute teenage girls had invaded my home. Is it just me, or do 13-year-old girls look <i>way</i> older than 13-year-old boys?<br />
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After lunch the five of them went tubing in the natural lazy river in our backyard. Will's poor friend popped our tube just two weeks ago when the two of them tubed the river, and then he managed to pop our neighbor's tube again today in addition to cutting his arm on a tree branch. I don't think he's going to be tubing our little creek again! (It's pretty cold and gnarly down there . . .) I love this picture:<br />
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While they were down in the lazy river, I had Kate do some driving. (She's getting her license next week--finally!!!) First we went to the next neighborhood over to pick up Will's back pack from the porch of someone who emailed me saying they found it on the sidewalk in front of their house. He actually left it where the bus picks him up when he realized it was yearbook day and he didn't need it-- that is called teenage boy brain, right there! Then I had Kate drive me to the copy store to pick up the flyers we're going to take around to nearby neighborhoods to advertise for our 2nd annual "Reynolds Camp". (Taking reservations now! If you are in the area and feel like you could trust your children to the care of me and my children, text or call!!)</div>
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Not long after Will and his friends got back from the lazy river, he had to finish packing up for his campout at the sand dunes with his scout troop tonight. After dropping him off at the church, I dropped Elizabeth off at a friend's house to go with her family and a few other friends up the canyon to make a bonfire and burn all their old school papers and make s'mores. (I want to burn all <i>my</i> paperwork!!)</div>
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Look at that big bag of knowledge about to be burned to ash:<br />
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About this time Rachael was already getting bored, so we invited over her bestie for a late-over. So glad she could come entertain my little fireball! These two have spent the majority of this school year pretending to be cheetahs, and the last I heard them playing tonight, Rachael was complaining she had hurt her tail:</div>
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So ya, it's the last day of school/first day of summer, and I'm already kind of exhausted. THIS IS A BAD SIGN, PEOPLE! But I will tell you what makes everything okay. Kate has spent the entire day in her pajama clothes (you know, the kind you can wear to run errands and no one would even know you slept in them?) listening to music and drawing. She has morphed into the calmest, nicest, happiest person in the world. Overnight. She's back to drawing instead of studying, sleeping instead of procrastinating, and what a difference that makes in this girl. And what a difference <i>that</i> makes in this mother! I heard one of the truest things ever said just the other day from a friend: "A mother is only as happy as her saddest child." So if summer means happy, carefree kids for a few months, then I say bring it! Bring on summer!</div>
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<img align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUN0P5w4V-Hen2cxJgBJFpfufKuMclMvoOHFUlAOZ9WULub3nzYCDG-mxH2B8YerQYzQ9RoQ0ZRAbIGDLhgB_p9qclltyonF4nyFUi2K4uDM2pUgALIvzMKZHsYIv9YkghethWRQy-OyI-/s1600/Signature.png" style="border: 0;" />Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03419478404083689083noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8469358417943528542.post-74979315430586340392014-05-06T22:36:00.003-07:002014-05-07T12:21:26.893-07:00January 2014 (I'm baaaaaaaaack . . .)<br />
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Sigh. (Happy sigh.) It feels good to sit down at the computer to relieve my brain of thoughts, and the hard drive of pictures. It's been way too long since I've logged into Blogger--longer than ever before. And I've had mixed feelings about being away.</div>
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The pro's? Not worrying about chronicling my life as much as living it. Being in my own little bubble. Feeling free of the pressure to keep up with my blog like it's a project, and wondering who, if anybody, is reading. (And caring.) Having more time in my schedule for other things besides sitting in front of a computer. Technology has felt like a burden to me lately. An indispensable burden. This is probably the biggest pro, because for some unexplainable (and some explainable . . .) reasons, my life feels busier now than ever before even though I no longer have any babies or toddlers clinging to my body all day long. (Actually talked about this <a href="http://studio5.ksl.com/?nid=56&sid=29772295">in a segment on Studio 5 yesterday</a>.) I just really feel like I don't have the time anymore to keep up with regular blogging, and who knows? That might be the long-term reality. Only time will tell.</div>
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The con's are that I realized I really, really do need to write for my own sanity. Writing my mothering articles for Deseret News and Power of Moms is a wonderful outlet, but I need the perspective that comes from writing about and chronicling my family's constantly changing life. And I <i>want</i> to chronicle my family's life. If I don't, who will? It's really important to me that it happens. So while I have been an Instagram regular all along (@brandonandallyson if you want to know), I need to have a place where I can really dig in and write more than a one liner--though I find it pretty amazing how much those snapshots and one-liners can communicate! Plus, I know my mom would like a few more details and pictures of our comings and goings. So here I am.</div>
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So if anyone is reading, and if you have read my blog in the past, then you know that I get totally weird about trying to catch up when I've been away for awhile, and yes, that's what I'm feeling compelled to do now. I just can't resist. So even though I'm in the middle of end-of-school-year craziness and the full onset of a Utah spring, I'm going back to January. That's right! Don't argue with me. This is my blog.</div>
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But first, a bit about my feelings for January. I think it might be my new favorite month. January-March actually. The very three months I used to dread so much here in Utah after leaving our sunny and fragrant L.A. winters, these months have become a respite in my otherwise crazy year driven by school/extracurricular activities and seasons/holidays that take over every square inch of my time and energy. January to March is so quiet and undemanding. No holidays, no yard work, no birthdays, no breaks that call for vacation planning, no end-of or back-to season/school year anything. It's just <i>dead</i> in the best kind of way and I really do love it. Because of the dearth in the schedule, and the dark, cold days, I feel completely licensed to hunker down at home and do whatever I want to do and not what everyone else wants and needs me to do like during the busier months. It's almost like the nesting instinct of pregnancy in the sense that I feel super homemake-y and have this urge to put my home and family life together and keep to myself while doing it. It's like I'm trying to realize my unrequited (and wholly unrealistic) dream of living in the 1800's when a person would have to actually rig up their horse and carriage and travel over miles of terrain if they wanted to talk to me and make a request of my time and energy. (Only, I still want to be able to drive to Costco when needed.) </div>
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And maybe that's why I stopped blogging in January. Because when I blog it feels like I am reaching out to and inviting the outside world into my life, and I think I really just wanted to hide out for awhile and do my own thing. And truthfully, part of me still thinks that sounds like a good idea. Sure, I could just have a private blog and only invite certain friends and family to read, but then why blog at all, right? Just send a mass email. Who knows. Like all forms of technology and social media, things change and evolve so quickly that blogging might not even be around in another five years. But I guess I haven't moved on or gotten entirely sick of this mode of communication yet, which is why I'm here right now.</div>
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On to January! (Or should I say back . . . ?)</div>
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Good-bye Christmas! It was nice seeing you:<br />
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Disney Just Dance:<br />
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Some people sleep in even when school is session. Oh, to be an afternoon kindergartener! We only have one child left who occasionally wanders into our room at night. Look at those lashes:<br />
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I was unusually "regular" in the kitchen making many home cooked dinners, hot breakfasts, and even packing lunches the night before. This is what happens when there is nothing else going on! First Sunday of the month during the winter months is always--<i>always</i>--Japanese curry rice:<br />
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My kids didn't know how good they had it. Most of our current school week breakfasts are just cereal:</div>
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Yes! Downton Abbey returned! The best part of January:<br />
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Does this take you back to your childhood like it does me?<br />
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The temple is beautiful year round, but there is something about a white temple with a white winter background:<br />
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Kindergarten carpool minus one:<br />
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We enjoyed lots of specialty hot cocoa and Teavana tea in January:<br />
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Pumpkin hot chocolate:<br />
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My favorite flavor of herbal tea was a white chocolate peppermint:<br />
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Another favorite:</div>
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A lazy pre-kindergarten morning at the McDonald's playland. Considering these two spent months and months pretending to be cheetahs, this picture had to happen. Rachael is in her ready-to-pounce position with her "paws" also in character:<br />
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Cheetahs like ice cream, too, you know:<br />
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An afternoon lunch at Zupas with this cute girl after something that had to do with that sticker on her shirt which I can't remember now:<br />
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We enjoyed lots of lazy Sunday morning brunches since our congregation doesn't meet until 1:00 in the afternoon:<br />
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The little girls made Olaf:<br />
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Doing a segment on Studio 5 was the one and only slightly stressful "extra" during the entire month of January. And when you only have one "extra" in an entire month, it just doesn't seem that bad. Maybe I could learn something from this? (You can watch the segment <a href="http://studio5.ksl.com/index.php?nid=54&sid=28346527">here</a>.)<br />
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My requisite trip to the Salt Lake Trader Joe's after:<br />
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I got so homemake-y in January that I started organizing and using my <a href="https://www.lds.org/topics/food-storage?lang=eng">food storage.</a> What?!<br />
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We called this "bugs" when we were little. Cooked whole wheat berries with warm milk and honey. Mmmmmmm . . . .<br />
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I cleaned out both the garage and the basement. DID YOU HEAR THAT?! The garage AND the unfinished basement:<br />
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I've been buying 2 or 3 boxes each month in an effort to get a year's supply. I'm using my good friend Liesa's program (which involves more than these boxes I know most people have no clue how to use) because it's so super easy to understand and follow and, honestly, it just makes sense. <a href="http://www.idareyoutoeatit.com/">Go check out her blog </a>and buy her book. Doesn't this look so neat and tidy? </div>
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Gonna get me some shelves for this stuff when we figure out exactly what we're doing with this basement of ours:</div>
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While cleaning out the basement I also recovered this gem that I purchased for nothing months ago at <a href="http://www.npsstore.com/">NPS</a> (with Liesa, who introduced me to the place) which I intended to give Brandon for Christmas. Think he could learn anything in here?</div>
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This is about as stressful as life got for me in January:</div>
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Cute girls playdate. We've gotten a lot of mileage out of these Asian dresses I bought for nothing years ago at my favorite second hand store in Iowa City, "Stuff". Kate was the first to wear them:<br />
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We watched the Martin Luther King "I Have A Dream" address on MLK day:<br />
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And I struggled through the SOTU (these speeches are always so hard to stomach):<br />
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I actually started and finished a book during the month of January! Well, more like over a weekend. It was too compelling to put down:</div>
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I love these pictures of the "bookends: doing their homework together:</div>
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Brandon and I convinced Elizabeth to wear Kate's old green velvet dress that was also found for nothing at "Stuff" by Grandma Reynolds to use as Kate's post-baptism dress. Doesn't she look gorgeous?</div>
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We have an identical picture of Kate twirling in this dress. This has got to be THE MOST twirl-able dress on the planet:</div>
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We dealt with Rachael's bedtime issues in a variety of ways. (The girl CANNOT wind down at night!) I have since gone to the use of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006GIYTRU/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B004VEXRTW&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0CVBXBG7M1XX9QEE0NW2">melatonin</a> thanks to the suggestion by multiple friends on Facebook:<br />
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Rachael was complaining that she never had any fun socks for "Crazy Sock Day" at school, so I went out of my way to get her some and get her all dressed up only to realize after the fact that we got the week wrong. And yes, we forgot when it was the real "Crazy Sock Day" . . .<br />
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(This is such a perfect example of how most things go in my life.)</div>
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Oh, nothing. It's just nice to throw in a cute dog picture every once in awhile:</div>
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And beautiful sunset pictures never hurt anyone either:</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">January, I miss you!</span><br />
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<img align="left" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUN0P5w4V-Hen2cxJgBJFpfufKuMclMvoOHFUlAOZ9WULub3nzYCDG-mxH2B8YerQYzQ9RoQ0ZRAbIGDLhgB_p9qclltyonF4nyFUi2K4uDM2pUgALIvzMKZHsYIv9YkghethWRQy-OyI-/s1600/Signature.png" style="border: 0;" />Allysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03419478404083689083noreply@blogger.com3