Week in Review-middle of September already!?!

While driving to Salt Lake to spend time with G.J. last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, this is the sight I saw in many canyons. The picture doesn’t even do it justice. The colors were so breathtaking:



It is always while driving alone that I have time to really think and ponder. Sometimes it is good…and I am full of gratitude and positive reflection. Other times it is not so good and I fill myself with pity….something I really hate to do. This trip was a mix of both.

Let me back track for my own journaling purposes. Last Monday was the first full day G.J. was gone. It honestly was not my best day. All 3 kids were not feeling good. So after cleaning house, doing laundry, getting groceries, etc. I had to brave the Dr.’s office alone with all 3 kids. Let me just say it was not pleasant. When the Dr. asks if you had considered ADHD meds for your kid…that is not a good sign. I was bummed because it was a special day, my friend Karlee had her baby boy, and it was my niece and nephew’s birthday party. I wanted to celebrate both. Luckily I did sneak away to see Karlee and the baby, and made a quick stop to the birthday party.

Tuesday I am having a hard time remembering what I did…is that so sad? Less than a week ago. I did spend time getting things settled for all 3 kids so I could leave town. That is a chore in itself! Packing and preparing instructions and distributing their stuff to their grandmas is a lot of work! I really appreciate G.J.'s mom for taking Hallie and Gavin and my mom for taking Kayler.

Wednesday I got things settled and headed out of town for a “break”. I always get SO mad at myself because I am always so overwhelmed and ready for a break. Then I get to whatever my break is supposed to be and I can never relax. I did a little shopping, we met G.J.’s family for dinner, and then I stayed up until 2 a.m. worrying about my kids/life in general. Go figure...

Thursday was one of the main reasons for my trip. I have talked a little about the dog Hallie is saving for. I think we may have finally found the perfect breed/type for our family. (Although if you ask me NO pet is any good….but I am out voted on this one) I drove clear to Fillmore to pick out our new pet. A mini goldendoodle-which is half golden retriever, half mini poodle. The best thing is that it is hypoallergenic and doesn’t shed. They are supposedly extremely smart family friendly dogs. They are also an approved therapy dog for Autism. So there are lots of pros. So, after meeting the super nice family I narrowed it down to this little sweetie:





Hallie is BEYOND excited. She is naming it Mollee after Mollee on Toy Story (which I feel bad about because I have a friend who loves that name for her baby girl-but I couldn't change her mind!) She still has quite a bit of money to earn. We are making her earn half…so hopefully between chores and her birthday money she will make it!

We finished the night off Thursday by going with my brother and his wife to the Draper temple. It was SUCH a beautiful temple, and we had a great session.:




Friday I woke up early and headed back to real life. I was home by 12 and I had laundry, cleaning, errands, etc.etc.etc to do. Gavin went to a friends to play, and Hallie went to a slumber party.

Saturday was a fun day. We had our quarterly primary activity which was combined with our ward and another one. We made dog beds for the local animal shelter. The kids had a blast and it turned out really well:




We finished the day off with cleaning the garage, errands, and I got to go snuggle Karlee’s sweet baby Lincoln for a couple hours, and visit with her and our friend Heather.

Today was pretty boring and lonely. I am not a fan of Sunday’s to be honest. G.J.’s parents were in Denver, and my parents were out of town camping. I did sing a duet in sacrament meeting today with my friend Heather. Thank goodness she has a beautiful voice, because if it was up to me alone it would have been a disaster! Kayler was a beast in sharing time. At this point I am honestly considering not taking him back for awhile. He was so naughty he made me cry…and I never cry-so for him to push me that hard is really frustrating for me.

This week is filled with more busy activities-mainly for the kids. I am still soaking in every ounce of this beautiful weather, and trying to find the good out of every day!