Today I had a very heavy work day, and Lily worked on the house to prepare for our guests. We both worked together to prepare the house in the evening.
All the kids had Valentines Day parties at school, even Clarissa, who usually doesn’t go to school on Tuesdays. After her party, Lily brought Clarissa home and Clarissa made a big valentine for Lily.
While picking up Clarissa, someone at Arches commented on how much Lily and Clarissa looked alike. That made Lily very happy, and at home, we spent time admiring all the ways they resemble each other.
Today was a very long day at work for me, but it was heart-warming to come home and be a part of the kids making their valentines boxes and valentines for school tomorrow with Lily. I think the prize for most creative must go to Lydia for her chicken valentines box 🙂
Today I worked out again, walked Basil, listened to church and then helped around the house, including setting the mattress for our newly built trundle bed. We are are thrilled with the result, including Clarissa! She thought the mattress looked like an ocean so she used two of her toys (one was a dolphin) to play an imaginary game in the “ocean.” It was really sweet.
Also, below is a project Clarissa did in class showing her veins and heart etc. So cute!
Lily also did a ton of work around the house today (cleaning and tons and tons of laundry folding) and she is still loving her audiobook My Brilliant Friend.
In the afternoon, Lily and I went to Target in preparation for our guests coming. Target trips are always more eventful when the littles come, lol…
We played more games in the evening, and had an overall great day inspire of some of the wear and tear the grown-ups were feeling.
Lily and I were both totally worn out from our long weeks. To recover, I slept in (deliciously). Lily turned to cleaning out her pores as a methodical therapeutic activity. She actually had a dream about cleaning her nose pores, and was thrilled to bring the dream to fruition. At first her nose looked very sore, but it soon faded.
Lily has really been in cleaning mode in preparation for our guests. She organized the pantry and fridge and has been working on the house. I’ve been helping too. After a workout, I built our trundle bed and helped with other things around the house (and planned and booked our California vacation).
Lily has also been listening to the My Brilliant Friend series by Elena Ferrante. It is one her most favorite books and authors she has ever read. She loves the masterful artistry in the book and the piercingly honest social observations brought to bare, and it has rekindled Lily’s desire to also write. I’m so happy for the joy, meaning and inspiration Lily is drawing from that book.
On the topic of beautiful artistry……
In the evening, Lily and I played games with the kids, one of our favorite things to do lately. We taught Clarissa to play 7 Wonders!
This was a long week for both me and Lily. I traveled to Philadelphia and as usual had a crazy schedule trying to balance travel logistics, inflowing work demands, sub-optimal sleep and being on for client meetings (though I did get to have breakfast with my friend Andrew). Lily also had a tough week with all she had going on, including hurting legs (she could barely walk after we played pickleball two days in a row). She also hosted Chris and his kids a couple more days after I left (which was a delight), and also took her mom, Georgia to a doctor’s appointment Wednesday, and then Thursday because Georgia still has not been feeling (we are so sorry Georgia!). Below is a cute video of Clarissa working on her valentines craft in the doctor’s office yesterday.
On the way home yesterday, I gave up my seat on an overweight flight for $1,650 in flight vouchers (yay!), but that also meant I took a late flight home and didn’t get to sleep until 2AM and I had a heavy work day starting at 8AM. The next day. I was completely fried by the end of my work-day, and Lily was burnt out too, but we were so delighted to hear my dad and Suzanne were in town. We had some of Lily’s amazing turkey bolognese left over which we served, and we had such a great time talking and playing 7 Wonders with them. What a great and happy thing it was to see them at the end of a long week!
We are so excited to have Chris and his kids stay with us for a few days. Today was Lydia and Mary’s last day at ski school and when I let Chris know I would be with them late afternoon-evening skiing with them and that I’d love for him and the kids to join, he took me up on the offer. None of them had skied or snowboarded before, and I was so excited to help them get a taste.
In the end I thought Chris would like skiing more than snowboarding and I offered to swap equipment with him. He picked up skiing remarkably fast, and I was over the moon learning how to snowboard for the first time. Caelen did amazing snowboarding (used the lift multiple times with Lydia and Mary and made it down) and Gigi was a star on the bunny hill and got really comfortable going down over and over again. There were a couple of stressful moments, but all in all, everyone had an amazing time. The snow was perfect (some of the best I’ve ever skied in) and I was so happy to share their first winter-sport experience with them!
We came home to Lily’s delicious Spaghetti with turkey Bolognese sauce. She had already gone to bed because she has been in a ton of calf and achilles pain. She was in so much pain, she just wanted to sleep to stop feeling it. I really hope things get better for her as I’m leaving on a trip early tomorrow.
We had a great Sunday full of Lily working with the kids, me getting tasks done and playing with Ammon and the kids playing wonderfully together. Then to top things off with even more fun, Chris and his kids arrived around 6:30. All the kids immediately started playing so well together and then we had a salmon, rice and salad dinner. After putting the kids down, our dream came true by learning Seven Wonders with Chris. He had played before and he helped us to learn. We knew it would be an amazing game once we learned it, and we had sooooo much fun playing with Chris.
Sundance has been getting a lot of snow this year, and I had an incredible time cross-country skiing with Daniel.
Later in the day, Lily and went to dinner with Daniel, Amanda and their two daughters (for Amanda’s birthday) at Jurassic Tacos and then we played games at their house afterwards. We loved our time with the Olsens today!
Today Clarissa was a very cute alligator in a school performance. I was very said to miss it for work meetings, but so glad Lily captured it on video. Clarissa did a great job in the play, and she is also getting so tall!
I am loving my new work schedule where I’m in the office every other day and at home every other day. I feel like it is the best of both worlds, and today I got to chat with Lily during my lunch as I ate her delicious Borscht.
Lydia (and I think Mary?) had sports camps in today (I think in Salt Lake?). I think Amy and some of her kids were also there. I don’t know details…
I am grateful every single day that I am married to this man! That is not an exaggeration– I wake up every day still a little in disbelief that I somehow snagged Abe. Abe is patient, kind, wise beyond belief, and deeply service oriented. I admire his work ethic, his self-control, his love of doing good, and the way he cherishes his family. So, to be specific, here are some of the most recent things Abe has done that blow me away.
He genuinely, from his heart, enjoys playing with our children. Recently he has played a lot of legos with Ammon and they create the most imaginative scenarios and creations together. Afterward Abe will rave about how much fun he had, and how legos give him a chance to be a kid again. He also plays dolls with all the kids and makes everyone laugh so hard with his voices and scenarios! He also recently spent hours building a fort and throwing snowballs with the kids, played a chase game that had everyone in giggle fits, played all sorts of board games with the kids, and of course sledded and skied with our children–all in the past month alone. Because of Abe’s playful nature, all of these activities delight him and make him so happy. I love that he models such a healthy masculinity that embraces play with our children.
Abe is our resident adult. When I go off the handle our children will tearfully appeal to Abe for his intervention. He is tender-hearted, wise, and kind to the bone. I recall both Mary and me coming to him simultaneously after a recent piano practice begging for his help. Both of us understood that the only person who could fix our situation was Abe, and fix it he did. He listened carefully and compassionately. And then he calmly took the temperature down and suggested solutions that immediately helped get us back on track. I am so, so grateful to parent with Abe.
Abe works so hard. Abe just transitioned roles, and the new pace is very intense. He has a $10 million dollar quota, and he is expected to hit that in a down economy. He has to learn all new accounts and get to know all of his reps, and he has to immediately start creating a healthy and productive team culture. Luckily, Abe is incredibly dedicated, talented, brilliant, courteous and hard working–as everyone who has ever worked with him can attest. He is going to do an incredible job this year, and he is putting in everything he’s got to be an asset for his company. Abe loves to work and would work all the time if he didn’t also have a family. He puts in long hours and I am always in awe of his work ethic.
Abe gets along with everyone. I am grateful that Abe gets along with literally everyone, because that is not something I always do well. I admire how he gives everyone in his life the benefit of the doubt. He has a generous nature and is the hardest person on earth to offend. In the same vein, he forgives easily and immediately. Abe puts a lot of effort into his relationships, and I appreciate that he is deeply embedded in so many loving networks. He meets regularly on Zoom with his AXB friends, all of whom date back to college and some as far back as kindergarten. He also keeps in touch with many of his high school friends, and he puts a lot of effort into doing activities with the friends who live close to us now. He skies, fishes, plays frisbee, bikes, plays Pickleball, plays games, and goes out for meals with friends. He shows up when they invite him to things. He makes a point to regularly call his friends and family on the phone just to catch up, and when he has friends who struggles he is there for them no matter what. Abe shines in all of his relationships, and no one could ask for a better friend than Abe.
Abe treats me like I am a queen. I know that sounds like a very dated cliche, but there’s actually no more accurate way to describe his approach to me. And it goes without saying that I do not deserve the way he views and treats me, but wow am I grateful every day for his love. He is the most loving, generous, warm, affectionate husband. He makes me laugh every single day, and he also compliments me generously every single day. The narrative he spins about me to me is completely the opposite narrative I spin for myself, so sometimes it’s a bit of a mind bend living with someone who views me so positively, but it’s also incredibly nice. Being married to Abe is the greatest, and I believe from my heart that if every person treated their partner the way Abe treats me, there would basically be no more problems left in the world.
I was so excited that so many of our friends and family could come together to celebrate Abe and show him how much we love and value him. Abe spent a lot of his birthday party teaching various kids how to ice fish and visiting with friends and family, of course. It was so fun and we both had an amazing time. Abe also wants me to note that they caught 37 fish! (J/k. They didn’t catch any, but did that discourage my positive, optimistic husband? Not a chance!)
I made pots and pots of borscht, as well as lots of chocolate chip cookies.The Gruwells fishingMorgan and Vika fish together.Carla, Kuzma, Ammon, Jamie, and their kids all fishing.beautiful sunset.Adam and Abe. Adam gifted Abe some amazing cologne he bought in Kuwait last year.After the party was over someone proposed!Tom and Suzanne came over for presents and games.gorgeous Utah Lake sunset.The kids were so excited to give Abe their presents.Abe and kids.We love and adore you, Abe! You are this family’s sunshine, and I hope you know every day how much we treasure you.
