Today was really nice because Lily and I both relaxed and spent a lot of time with the kids today. Here are some highlights:
In the afternoon, I took the kids to the park/church parking lot near our old house. We flew kites, saw the Kahlers, bumped into Jay and Liberty and their new dog peaches, and the kids biked.
I later played action figures with Ammon before bed and had so much fun with him.
It was a wonderful day!
Today we left the house around 8:30 PM to drive to Moab. We arrived a little after midnight.
Today we left the house by 9AM to go to Goblin Valley. While I exercised, the others got the kids fed and ready and made a picnic. I felt very grateful for getting a workout as it helped me to release steam after my quarter-end. I was also very grateful for the lunch everyone made. We had egg-salad sandwiches, peanut-butter and jelly and tons of sides. The temperature was perfect under the sunshade in Goblin Valley.
Basil seemed to have a wonderful time. I think Lydia had a lot of fun leading him around the hudus.
The kids all had fun climbing!
Clarissa and I made it to the top of the green mountain and then we all went back. People started to struggle because of the strong winds that were blowing sand in people’s eyes. It was really fun, but the wind did put a little bit of a damper on things. All in all, it was sunny, gorgeous, and as always a really fun and interesting time walking around the hudus.
After Goblin valley, Swathi had the idea to do another hike and the group liked that idea. We all drove an hour an a half to Capitol Reef and did their Hickman Natural Bridge trail. It’s the first time we’ve actually hiked in Capitol Reef! Lily stayed back with Basil and took him on a dog-friendly trail, because the Hickman trail did not allow dogs. Clarissa and Mary stayed with Lily. The rest of us enjoyed the trail. The weather was perfect, and the trail was so beautiful.
After all the events of the day, we drove home (stopping for subway). What a fun adventure today was!
Easter morning, the kids woke up way before the grown-ups were ready to get going. Lydia was up by 6:50 and corralled others and everyone was up and going by around 7:30. First kids found their Easter baskets and then Lily gave everyone the egg hunt instructions and then everyone was off hunting eggs.
After egg-hunting, everyone sat around the table and enjoyed the spoils of their egg-hunting and their baskets. They ate lots of candy and played with their kinetic sand.
We thought it was cute that Basil rested on top of Clarissa.
Clarissa had the cutest playtime with Meera playing with dolls.
Then all the kids played in the sad box. The weather was absolutely gorgeous.
Clark enjoyed reading Bill Gate’s book about the environment.
After the kids got sandy in the sandbox, I had a super fun water fight with them. Everyone was safe as long as they were on the stairs. All of the kids, except Clarissa, mostly hung out on the stairs and periodically left to try to get me and then ran back to safety. Clarissa never went on the stairs, she just stayed out playing with me the whole time and she got super wet. I also got very very wet. It was so so so fun. Everyone had their share of getting me wet and getting wet.
For dinner, Georgia and my parents came over. We had incredible latkes that Lily and Swathi made with Lily’s amazing home-made applesauce, and a variety of delicious sides.
We had such an amazing time all day today. And we are so grateful for all the people we got to share it with!
Today we all went to Antelope island. It was so fun!! First we had a picnic right on the side of the lake.
Then we spent some time on the shore.
Then we went on a fun hike!
At home we decorated Easter eggs!
We continue to have so much fun with Clark and Swathi in town with their kids!
Last night Clark and Swathi and their kids arrived by airplane. We are so lucky to have them in town!
Today, I had work, so I don’t know all the detail of what happened today, so I will report the best that I can.
Ammon and Soren got haircuts together.
Then everyone went to Cascade Springs, but it was closed for the winter still, so they went to another area that had an amphitheater.
Near the amphitheater, there was a sizable steep drop-off with big rocks on the bottom of it. Lily saw Ammon giving himself a pep-talk (as if he was trying to convince himself that he could do something difficult) and she sensed he was considering jumping off the drop-off. Lily said, “Ammon, please don’t do anything silly.” Ammon didn’t hear her and proceeded to jump down the drop off. He tumbled and hit a rock at the bottom, and scratched up his side. This nearly broke Lily’s nerves, and she called me quite distressed, but right now both of them are doing fine.
Back at home we got babysitters so that Swathi, Clark, Lily and I could go to Block restaurant. It was so fun to go out with them and we loved the food!!
Lily made this cake in honor of Meghan Markle, who made the same cake that week.
Today was gorgeous weather. I feel bad for Lily who has been sick, and didn’t join us for the outings today, but I do think she had some needed downtime to herself with all she invests in the children day in and day out.
After church, I took the kids back to the trail at Squaw Peak that we were at yesterday. This time, we all hiked it. The one difference between today and yesterday was that the trail was sooooo muddy. Lydia thought it was hilarious when Basil plopped his belly down into a very muddy part of the trail. I was not amused at all, and was griping about how we’d have to clean him. Lydia pointed out that I’ve been very grumpy lately. I reflected on her feedback and realized she was right. Thank you Lydia for your honesty. I think having that feedback helped me to loosen up a little bit more and enjoy the rest of the hike more. Here are some pictures:
After the hike, we visited Georgia, and then went back to the same park we were at yesterday. We saw Blaze again (red lab owned by Reid and Shana), and we also invited and saw the Kahlers (and their dog) and Josh Jackson. The kids biked (and scootered for Clarissa) and played with their friends, the dogs played, and the grown-ups talked. Weather was gorgeous. It was a really really good time.
Lily and I had a date planned for tonight at a restaurant with friend and my mom was available to babysit. We’ve had a bug going through our house, so we wanted to make sure it wasn’t covid, so we all got tested this morning before my mom came over.
The kids were terrified that they were going to have the nasal test, and were so relieved when they learned they could take the spit test. Ammon, misunderstanding, thought he had to drink the chemical solution in the vile instead of add his spit into it, but Lily helped him know what to do. I took the rapid nasal test so we could get at least one result back quickly. Lily would have done a nasal result too, but they had already keyed her in as a saliva test and they couldn’t change it.
After getting tested (my result was negative which made us think everyone else would be negative too), we got breakfast from Kneaders and Roxberry Smoothie and went up to a parking lot at Squaw Peak were I took Basil on a trail and ran with him while the family stayed in the car (people weren’t dressed for a hike because we all mostly rolled out of bed and went straight to the car for the shots).
Here are some fun videos of my hike with Basil:
Later in the day, I took the kids to a parking lot to ride on their bikes (and Clarissa and her scooter). I took Basil too and he found some dogs to play with. Lily stayed home as she has been sick lately :(.
Just before 5:00, my mom came over to babysit the kids and Lily and I went to Block restaurant with our friends Matt, Courtney, Jenn, Chris and Heidi. We had such a wonderful time with them (I almost died laughing hearing about Matt’s goat that would pee in its own face), and the kids and my mom had a really great time together. It was a magical evening all around!
Last Week Ammon learned how to ride on his bike. Today after work, I took him and Mary to the church parking lot to practice some more. Today, he learned how to take off on his own. He still struggles with braking, but otherwise, he’s got it down! He whipes out a lot, but I think his fearless nature is how he learned so fast. Mary also did wonderfully!
Here is a picture that Mary made with paint and sculptor’s clay. The clay started to break off, so I threw it away, but I had to get a picture first of such a beautiful work of art:
Also, Lily hasn’t been feeling super great lately, but she looked so content and cozy in her blanket that I had to take a picture!
