Our Thanksgiving adventure: part 1

I kept reminding myself before, during, and after that "This is not a vacation; this is a trip. This is not a vacation; this is an adventure." And with that definition in mind, it was certainly a great trip.

It began in advance with us purchasing tickets back in June for Michael's grandmother's birthday celebration/reunion in Mesa at Thanksgiving. However, a month or two later, Michael's brother announced that he was going to be married in Salt Lake the weekend before Thanksgiving. Mercifully, due to the purchase of USAirways by American Airlines, Michael was able to get our tickets canceled without having to pay any fees and then to purchase entirely new tickets.

We prepped the kids at FHE the Monday before to remind them of the route. Robbie had been talking about being able to ride the train at the Grand Canyon for months beforehand. Michael drew a sweet map. I researched suggestions for traveling with kids.

We drove the 2.5 hours to the Baltimore airport (so much cheaper) and made it on as the last passengers. Clara was more comfortable going through TSA security this time since she'd flown last year (when we went to Disney with her), but she was still stressed and informed me in the days preceding our flight, "I will punch those TSA agents in the face! I hate those TSA agents!" Fortunately, she didn't (although she did blow raspberries at one :-/)).

 Preparing for take-off!! We were all excited.

We arrived in SLC and then drove down to my sister Heather's house. I was so happy to see her and her beautiful kids. They were so nice to host us.

The next morning, we attended the wedding brunch of Joseph (Michael's brother) and his fiancee, Jenna Howard. And look who we saw there?!

 Elder Weiler is home! It was so great to see Hyrum. He looked just the same except a little more filled out and slightly taller. Clara and Robbie were very excited to see him. Clara had written on every calendar in our house the day that Hyrum was arriving home to Georgia.

 Joseph and Jenna were very sweet with Robbie. Shannyn (sister-in-law) did an awesome job with the food and decor. So lovely.

After the brunch, we stopped for a short visit at BYU. Clara wanted to see Studio C but we didn't have time, sadly. But we did get to go to the Bookstore and get a few things.

 Posing with Cosmo the Cougar. And some cut-outs for the upcoming Star Wars movie.

 I also had to show them my first job at the Information Center in the Wilk. (My first job was actually selling tickets at the Varsity, but then they moved me to the information desk.)

We hurried up to SLC and stopped briefly outside the temple (after Robbie ran across a street in City Creek park and missed getting hit by a car. Not my favorite memory).

The reflecting pool is always so lovely. For some reason I was thinking the sealing was an hour later, and I still had to nurse Henry, so unfortunately I missed the sealing. Sniff. But I enjoyed hanging out in the youth room with other family members. Melody was great to help with the kids.

 Clara loves holding Henry, and he loves eating chins.

 In the waiting room, Henry spent some quality time with his closest cousin, William (son of Michael's sister Bethany). Future roommates?

 We then went outside (brrr) and waited for the bride and groom to arrive. Robbie loved hanging out with his cousin Clark. Clark was super sweet with him.

 Uncle Seth is awesome!

 Hiding in an alcove.

 There they are!! Beautiful and happy.

 Robbie had to get a hug before the real pictures began.

 Here Michael is showing a slo-mo video of Henry crying. Apparently they thought it was pretty funny. Not me.

 And again, Robbie has to go say hi to Uncle Hyrum in the middle of pictures.

Can't believe these brothers are all grown up, ranging in age from 20 to 37.

Being brothers, they of course had to make fun of Joseph and Hyrum's behavior when the first brothers got married years ago--shirts tucked out for pictures and watching the kissing with interest.

Thirty-seven

Before we left for our big Thanksgiving trip, we celebrated Michael's birthday. He looks pretty awesome for being so old (haha) I have to say.

 Brownies are his favorite. Apparently they are Henry's favorite, too.

At Heather's house over Thanksgiving, she made brownies in his honor as well. Lucky guy!

I won't bore my (three) readers with how great he is, but pretty much I can sum it up by saying that Michael is the same now as he was when we were dating: He accepts and loves me the way I am and yet inspires me to become better. For that I am truly thankful.

Clara lately

Clara has really been doing such a great job in so many areas of late. She has adjusted beautifully to having Henry around, showing no jealousy and happy to play or talk to him. He loves it when she pays attention to him. I don't like it when Clara and Robbie fight over him ("Clara's not letting me look at Henry!"), but what a "good" thing to be fighting over, right?

Clara has also been adjusting quite well to fifth grade. I am always nervous before the start of each year, but I feel like this has been the best yet (knock on wood). I think it helps that her teacher, Mrs. Morris, was also her aide when she was in Kindergarten, but I think it's also much more than that. Mrs. Morris is very encouraging and positive. I have been reading the Love Languages for Children and The 5 Love Languages and have found them to be very helpful. I think (but am not sure yet) that Clara's main love language is words of affirmation. She really thrives when you give her positive, specific feedback and encouragement, and I feel like she's in that environment this year. Clara has three other teachers as well for various subjects, and she is doing well in general for them, too.


It's not that she doesn't struggle with things, which she does (speaking inappropriately/rudely to other peers or teachers or parents, doing things independently, not giving up when things are hard, tying shoes, jumping rope, riding a bike, etc), but she overall has a better attitude, I think. I've often felt like I've been dealing with a teenager since she was two, but right now I feel like we're in a calm place (probably the calm before the storm in terms of adolescence, etc.) and I am thankful for that. I don't like to talk about grades with her because I know she's trying her best and it upsets her when she doesn't do well. It occurred to me today that I no longer fear the home phone ringing in the middle of the day. Really up until this school year, my heart would skip a little when the home phone rang during the day because I was afraid it was the school, calling to inform me about something that had happened with Clara. I don't fear that anymore. I have also been trying to find a book series that Clara would like that is not too mature in terms of content but that challenges her reading level. She loves silly (in my mind) books like Geronimo Stilton and Calvin and Hobbes and Junie B Jones--books about characters that are naughty or silly or have crazy things happen but that aren't on too deep a level. She did read Wonder (I bought it for our collection because I loved it so much). I wanted her to read Anne of Green Gables but the copy at the library had font that was so tight and small that I knew it would turn her off. Amazingly, Mrs. Morris found a large-print copy at the school library, and she read it (it might have been an abridged version) and got a 90% on her AR test. So awesome.

Clara has also grown in other areas--being able to draw a stick person with body parts and a skirt, drawing little girly curls on her letters (her writing overall has definitely improved), learning to brush her own hair and put it in a ponytail, getting ready by herself in the morning (with some reminders about the time if needed), and making her own lunch at night. She has also been more aware of others' feelings. More than once she has asked me, "How was your day?" after getting off the bus and my asking her about hers. These types of outward questions show a gradual maturity and understanding that is often long in coming in those on the autism spectrum. She definitely shows a lot of compassion for Henry and for Robbie when they aren't feeling well and even on her own wrote Robbie a "Get well soon!" note. She is also slowly being able to relate more of what happens during the day and explain what goes on at school, which is really nice.

I am so thankful for Clara and miss her when she's gone during the day. I appreciate being around her, especially when I'm currently dealing with a very strong-willed three-year-old who is daily pushing all of my buttons despite my efforts to give him lots of quality time. I love that she loves to read. I am thankful for her sticking with piano even though it is really hard for her. Her teacher, Briana Priester, is also super encouraging and creative, which is such a blessing. I am still trying to find some active things for her to enjoy and be successful at so she can feel the good feelings that come from being physically active. She enjoys jumping on the trampoline and swimming, which is good.

I continue to pray for her daily, that she will be able to develop a relationship with her Father in Heaven and understand the difference between right and wrong and be able to stand up for the truth. I pray that her challenges will be a blessing to her and to our other children. I pray that she will be protected and watched over, that she will be able to make friends and choose good friends, not just those who will accept her but those who have good standards. I am nervous for middle school, but right now I am thankful for where she is and where we are in our relationship right now.

We love you so much!

Halloween 2015 (hey, that rhymes!)

This year we had a much less stressful Halloween than last year. Robbie was completely willing to wear his fireman outfit; Clara was thrilled with the poodle skirt we borrowed from a friend, thanks to my mom; Henry was blissfully oblivious to any of the hubbub; and I wasn't morning sick. Yay! Michael dressed up as an adult Harry Potter for work, his go-to costume. I need to find a go-to costume.

The kids were eager to go.

Robbie didn't quite get the whole asking for candy thing at first, but then he was so excited and at nearly each house would say before we arrived, "Maybe they'll give me candy, too!"

 Cutie fab fifties girl. Unfortunately (or fortunately) her shoes were bothering her, so we petered out our trick-or-treating after about 40 minutes. No complaints here.

Henry stayed at home with Daddy, the cutest pumpkin you ever did see.

A fall visit from Nana and Bapa

Normally each fall Michael and I go on a weekend getaway and have our parents watch the kids, but this year with a nursing baby we decided to stay home. Pretty lame, but we were still so glad my parents came up to visit anyway.

We decided to go to a pumpkin patch on our way to the Virginia Safari Park on Saturday. It was a great pumpkin patch--no one was there! We could take our pick, measure it next to the pumpkin size board, and then put our money in the "honor box" to pay. So much less expensive than the other big pumpkin patches, and I don't think our kids minded a bit that it didn't have activities or slides.

 Nice face.

 Daddy found a little pumpkin!

 Robbie loved pulling this wagon. I think we need to get one.

 Bapa and Clara.

 Running!

 Me and my pretty mama. I'm not actually this much taller than she is, but the ground was sloping.

 Beautiful day in the Shenandoah Valley.

After the pumpkin patch, we drove down to the safari park. I had heard what to expect, but it was still an adventure. Basically you drive through with a bucket (or two or three or four) of feed and they come up to your car to eat. 

 The llamas right by the entrance were very aggressive and just stood in front of the car, waiting for us to feed them. They would just peer in at the windows as we inched along (we didn't want to waste all our food on them since we'd just started the drive) and finally would let us pass. Several times when we did let our windows down the deer or llamas would get their head in the window. Lots of yelling and screaming and laughing (well, the stressful kind of laugh) in the car going on. I preferred to just throw them the feed. We saw bison, several kinds of deer, ostriches, emus, rheas, zebras, and elk.

After the drive-thru part of the park, we enjoyed the walking area, where we saw kangaroos, monkeys, a tiger, a cheetah, and big tortoises. Robbie wanted to take a picture with my camera.

This was a much more comfortable feeding experience.

 I was proud of myself at the budgie house. I first went in with a "budgie stick" (birdseed on a popsicle stick) and was immediately swarmed by the birds. I quickly exited while screaming in a ladylike way. Ahem.

However, I was determined not to be beaten by my fears, so after seeing my dad enter, I decided to go back in. Letting them land on me and crawl around with their claws and hearing the wings flutter by my ears was a very uncomfortable experience (I didn't realize I was so squeamish about birds), but I was proud of myself. I can do hard things. Haha!

 Sweet ride.

Clara sure loves her Bapa and Nana.

We enjoyed some great weather while they were here, so we ate al fresco at least once. 

On Saturday, my parents graciously watched the kids while Michael and I went into the office to get some stuff done. They went to the children's museum and the library and also dropped by Home Depot.

 How serendipitous that they were having an event there in the parking lot where kids could get in a police car and a fire truck! Robbie was in heaven. As long as you are sitting in the front seat, you're good, buddy.

 Thanks again for a wonderful visit, Mom and Dad. We sure love you!

Robbie these days

Robbie is just learning and growing so much. He is getting very creative in his Lego play and now plays with the little Legos in his room during quiet time (after which he often takes a nap, mercifully :-)). Two days ago I got him from quiet time and he showed me the sword he had made. This is a far cry from the boy a year ago who loved to just fill up the green plate with the 2x2 Legos to make a birthday cake. I was proud of him for doing that, too, and it's fun now to see his mind and abilities grow. He is starting to get into superheroes--Daddy has shown him some Star Wars, which he liked, and he is also interested in Spider-man, fighting, etc. He has fun playing peek-a-boo with Henry, who just watches him so eagerly--you can tell he wants to do what his big brother does. Robbie is also into categorizing things (grouping like objects together, etc.). He and Clara quarrel a lot (both of them love to antagonize and provoke the other), but they also enjoy being together and laughing and being crazy. If I'm there to referee, things go pretty well. Not sure how to improve their relationships but I'm praying about it.

I wish I could remember every funny thing that Robbie says every day. The other day he told me he needed to go potty but then came back informing me he didn't need to. "My bum just burped," he said. "And now I feel much better." Earlier that same day he had accidentally unscrewed part of the whiteboard and was trying to fix it. "Can I help?" I asked. "No!" he responded. "Only boys can fix things. Girls only sweep." ?! After agreeing to let me help, he decided that both boys and girls could fix things and that we could work together.

He is still pretty particular when it comes to food and loves macaroni and cheese and pizza but doesn't like most pasta, anything green (although he enjoys removing the peas from the sugar snap pea pods and will occasionally drink a green smoothie), or most meat. He does love chocolate, chewy candy like Starbursts, Oatmeal Squares, "teeny wheats," apples dipped in peanut butter, and cheese.

Robbie continues to be a social guy and is the life of the party at church activities. People pretty much love him, although he unfortunately doesn't always reciprocate (we're working on manners and not sticking your tongue out at people). He is a good messer-upper and a good helper and cleaner, which is a pretty good combination.

 I took some pictures of the kids last week when Nana and Bapa were here. I love every one of these--so Robbie.

Super fun with a super (babe) friend

My BYU roommate, Chelsey, and her family came to visit us a couple of weeks ago from North Carolina. It was such a treat!!

 We drove up to Big Meadows in the Shenandoah National Forest and enjoyed a picnic lunch before starting off on our hike.

Jillian on the horse hitch post.

 Lucy and a stick. Small caption for such a big personality.

 We hiked up to Hawks' Bill, the highest peak in the park. Robbie really wanted to climb all over the place; it gave me heart palpitations.

 Henry appears concerned about the height as well.

Can I just say that getting everyone to look and smile is a lot harder than it should be?

 Crazy Robbie!

 My sweet ten and three-quarters girl. Don't just call her ten years old. Trust me.

I love this baby!

 Double gorgeous--man and scene.

 That night we enjoyed some homemade pizza and then roasted marshmallows. Clara really loved these kids and they were very sweet with her.

 Doesn't get much better than a s'more with a marshmallow the size of your fist.

Thanks again for coming, Chels, and for being one of the best women I am privileged to know.

A quick visit from Grandma and Grandpa

A few weeks ago we were thrilled that Grandma and Grandpa could come visit for a few days. David and Char also came over for the weekend, and I sadly only got a couple pictures as evidence.

Here is Nina, David and Char's eight-year-old (?) playing with Henry. She loved holding him and was so cute with him. Robbie loved playing with his cousins, especially Lincoln, and he often talks about him and wants to see him. We are so glad that they are close by (in D.C.) for several more months while David learns Hindi in preparation for his first foreign service in New Delhi, India.

Grandma and Grandpa were awesome, as always. It was a privilege to have Grandpa ordain Michael as the bishop of our ward that Sunday. The next five years will certainly be a new adventure for us, but I feel peace about it and know it will be a blessing to our family. When the stake president met with us, he talked about the mantle of a bishop, and he felt that the mantle was charity, receiving and feeling Christ's love for God's children. That makes total sense.