Dunford Family Reunion: Part 1 (Provo)

The time finally arrived for triennial Dunford family reunion. This year was planned by Adam and Wendi, who did a phenomenal job, and it was held at Bear Lake in Utah. We purchased our tickets so we could enjoy a day or two on each side of the reunion doing other fun Utah things.

We brought Henry's car seat onto the plane to help him take a nap. It was a pain to carry, but I think it did help.

After surviving the 4+ hour flight with the kids, we arrived safely in Salt Lake, picked up our rental car, and then drove to Sandy to visit with Caleb and Shannyn.

Here we are with Clark, Caleb, Shannyn, and Georgia, and up in the tree are Jane, Robbie, and Henry. The park where we hung out in Sandy was beautiful.

Clark was so sweet with the boys--I can tell he is a good big brother.

And the girls--Jane, Clara, and Georgia.

We then headed to Bryan and Emily's totally awesome renovated house in Provo. It is such a great mix of the original 1950s structure and contemporary elements. So great. They were so kind to host us after having had company already.

 After a good sleep, we headed to Bulldog Blvd to see the Freedom Festival Hot Air Balloon Launch. It was so fun! I love hot air balloons, even though I don't really want to ride in one like I used to. Henry loved Bryan and kept calling him "Gampa." It was pretty hilarious.

 Getting ready to take off! I think the kids enjoyed the Krispy Kreme doughnuts from Heather more than the balloons.

Mom and Dad, who continue to age handsomely.

Of course Clara wanted to see the non-talking mascot, Smokey the Bear. He was kind of weird.


 Mom and Dad came down from their mission in SLC for the day, and we went to Kneaders for breakfast after the balloon launch. It was really special having them there. This was one of the rare experiences I've had holding Henry asleep (he'd awakened super early that morning) since he was a baby. Sweet memory.

 We went over to Heather's house later and saw Ben and his boys. He got to come to the reunion with William and their new baby, Samuel--it was so great to see them. Robbie had a lot of fun playing with William, especially at Bryan's house with his awesome Nerf gun arsenal.

Looks like Robbie could use some smiling instruction from Will.


 Heather took out the Legos and the kids went to town. Michael then took Clara and Robbie to the Provo Rec Center and its amazing water park while I went on a couple of errands with Heather and enjoyed catching up with her.

 And Hyrum dropped by that evening to say hello--woohoo!

Robbie turns five

Robbie turned five years old yesterday. It was fun reminiscing about his arrival. What a blessing he has been to our family. Robbie is very challenging because he is so doggone smart but not quite old enough to understand everything :-). He often will argue with me informing me, "You're wrong!" or "That was a bad idea." Ha! I get quite peeved but it's also pretty funny in retrospect. He is so sweet and loving at other times, like tonight when I went to put him to bed. He held on to me and didn't want me to leave, saying "Don't go. Stay with me. I'm going to hold onto your hands so you can't leave." I love that he still wants me to sing to him at night. Even when he's really mad, if I ask him for a Robbie hug, he generally gives in. Robbie is very creative and is great at telling stories, building and drawing, and jumping off of furniture. He adores his daddy and loves spending time with him. He also has a lot of fun with Henry and Clara (except when he doesn't). He loves to read books and doesn't love going on errands or eating foods he dislikes. Fortunately, he likes music and also audiobooks like Geronimo Stilton (which Clara introduced him to). He hates being wrong and making mistakes and apologizing, but he's getting better. We talk about how making mistakes is okay (like the morning when I accidentally stuck the plunger into the Vitamix too far and it broke, Robbie repeated back to me what I have told him before, "You make mistakes every day, right, Mom?"). He is great at doing his jobs on his chart (even though he doesn't like to) and has a smile that lights up the world.

 He picked out Lucky Charms for his birthday breakfast. (What is it with Lucky Charms and our kids? There are so many other yummy cereals out there, in my opinion.) It was so cute watching his happy grin when I arrived with the tray.

We drove to one of the splash pads in Charlottesville with our neighbors, the Zopps, during the day. Robbie had a blast running in and out of the water and then onto the playground and then back again. He said that the water running over the mushroom was glass that you had to break to get through. His imagination is so vibrant.

Crepes was the request for dinner that night--it's always nice when the birthday dinner is something everyone likes.

 Heavy, heavy, hang over . . .

 Robbie had some eager onlookers for the opening of the presents.

 He absolutely loved the walkie-talkies and immediately wanted to start playing with them (Clara loved them, too). We could have just stopped there with the presents :-). He is also holding his sweet "bee-noculars" (as he called them), and they wanted to put together the stomp rocket right away as well. Clara gave him some Sour Patch Kids, which were well-received.

Can I just say how glad I am that Michael enjoys decorating cakes? I enjoy baking, but I don't like decorating unless it consists of just putting frosting on and sprinkles. Michael took the cake and the frosting to the office (!) to do it on his lunch break as a surprise for Robbie. He's so great.

Happy, happy birthday, buddy! Five looks really good on you.

Girl's Camp 2017

This year I attended Girl's Camp with Clara. I had asked the stake camp director if I could attend because I wasn't sure Clara would be willing to go without me and was concerned about any difficulties that might arise. Sister Bean asked if I could help Jenny Whiting with crafts. I agreed! We spent a good amount of time beforehand trying to figure out which crafts would be best--Jenny is much more ambitious and knowledgeable craft-wise than I am, but I think they all turned out really well.

This was the first time I'd gone to camp (besides as a YW leader going for the testimony meeting) since my own youth. I was a little nervous, as was Clara. Fortunately, the bonfire that we attended a few weeks previous helped Clara a lot and she was looking forward to camp. I was inspired and thankful for the opportunity to meet other wonderful women from the stake and feel strength from their testimonies and selfless service.

 Clara posed for my t-shirt tote bag board.

Here is a sample of the t-shirt headbands the girls could make as well. They really enjoyed them and some girls made a ton. We had a lot of donated t-shirts!

 Here is an example of the washer necklaces the girls made. Ask stood for "Always Seek Knowledge" to go along with the Mutual theme scripture James 1:5-6.

Jenny and I are ready! 

 Getting ready for the arrows (this was Jenny's baby--they were awesome!).

 Sample arrows and instructions.


We asked for donated nail polish and had a nail polish bar. I know it's camp, but hey, why not? It was fun. We also had a friendship bracelet station--I was amazed by the bracelets the girls could make.

 When I wasn't helping with crafts or working in the kitchen, I was hanging out with Clara's level. Here they are at the morning flag ceremony.

 Most of the meals were eaten in the mess hall, but they did do dutch oven cooking one night. The weather was so beautiful at Camp Blue Ridge.

Clara showing off her necklace.

 This sweet girl, Trinity, reached out to Clara and helped her on the hike. I was most concerned about Clara on the hike (4 miles total) since she really dislikes hiking and typically I hold her hand most the way on our family hikes. However, I didn't want to go with her level because I wanted her to do it on her own. Her level leader, Laura Dennings, said she started crying on the way up, but then Trinity came back (Clara was at the end) and offered her her walking stick. Clara immediately perked up and felt better. I found out later that Trinity has a brother with muscular dystrophy. Sister Dennings also said that other girls helped Clara on the hike and they even made a little tunnel for the girls at the end who finished last. I was so touched by the Christlike service that the other girls rendered to Clara.

There was another instance when they needed my help (Clara refused to get out of bed--sleeping in a cabin with lots of other girls definitely was taking its toll), but overall she did really well and had a lot of fun. She didn't participate in many of the activities--sports, archery, rock-climbing, etc.--but that was okay and I was just thrilled that she was so independent for much of the time. I hope that she can go without me next year!

At the end she got the "Jokester" award--she really is often quite funny without meaning to be :-).

The testimony meeting (Michael came up for that, which was fun) was very spiritual and lots of powerful testimonies were borne. I am so thankful we could go and for Michael's support, taking off of work to watch the boys (and for his parents for coming up and helping before a family reunion they attended in PA).

The kids loved having Grandma and Grandpa around. Melody was also super helpful and Michael took her on a white water rafting trip down the New River but sadly didn't take any pics on the trip. Bummer!

 Melody's mission call arrived while they were at our house and she called us that night to inform us that she received her call to Ukraine, Russian-speaking. How cool is that?!

She is seriously so awesome.

 Robbie was thrilled to receive an early birthday present of some great books on cars and airplanes.

Our kids are so blessed to have such wonderful grandparents and didn't seem to miss me much at all while I was at camp. :-)

Sacrifice for Sundays: Part Two

It was both amusing and sad to read the part one of this blog post--funny because I had actually forgotten about that Sunday and sad because I am still dealing with the same challenges six months later, now made more challenging by Henry's older--and louder--self.

I snagged this pic a few months ago when the boys wanted to go see Michael before the meeting began.

However, despite many difficult Sundays (like this past one, when Robbie hit me several times in the middle of the Sacrament because I took his car away--that had somehow come into church via Henry--and the previous Sunday, when Clara refused to get ready for church and it got ugly), there have also been some great Sundays. I have felt uplifted, edified, and encouraged. I have felt the Lord's smiling approval on Sunday afternoons when we're just sitting and coloring pages from the Friend or playing Go Fish, or when we're watching Bible videos from the Savior's life. I have let go of trying to make Sunday afternoons about my own spiritual time and rather more about being with the kids and having spiritual time with them. Going visiting teaching, making cookies and delivering them, etc., and especially listening to Sabbath music throughout the day really help me feel like I'm on the Lord's errand.

Sunday couch selfie and photobomb

Someone expressed to Michael one time that he/she didn't feel rejuvenated on the Sabbath but rather felt exhausted. I can definitely relate, but I also have faith that the effort it takes to put off the world and give a day to the Lord does strengthen and help me. I am thankful for the gift of not having to think about my to-do list, permission to have a simple meal (or to prepare it on Saturday, which feels so good) and not feel the need to do housework. I am thankful for a built-in opportunity to teach my children the gospel more intentionally (although I still would like to improve in this regard). And while I do feel like I have literally been through a wrestling match--especially last Sunday when I had to take a boy under each arm as I left the chapel--I also recognize that this period of difficulty will, eventually, end. Some day I will be able to sit through the entire meeting and really listen to the talks. In the mean time, I will keep practicing. Like I said in my part one entry, Sacrament meeting is an opportunity for me to pray and receive the Savior's grace.

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home, glad as I can be.

Last Sunday when Robbie was mad at me during the Sacrament, he informed me angrily, "I hate you! I hate Jesus! I hate Heavenly Father!" I was so sad and frustrated and mad, and I whispered back sadly, "A lot of people hated Jesus. But He loved them anyway." I thought about that as I sat there (before I had to take them out) and pondered on that a bit. I am so glad that Jesus loves me and loves all those who are difficult to love. Then later that afternoon, he informed me, "You're the best mom ever." You're the best mom in the world, right, Clara?"

Despite the difficulties, I will continue to work on making it a delightful day for me--a day that sanctifies, stretches, and soothes me. I hope and pray that as I work on "not doing [my] own ways, nor finding [my] own pleasure," I will truly be able to "ride upon the high places of the earth" and "delight [myself] in the Lord" (Isaiah 58). And hopefully that will carry over to my children, too.

Henry's birthday and a camping trip

We had a grand adventure going camping last weekend and celebrated Henry's birthday, too!

 Wow, are these kids thrilled or what?! Clara gets really stressed out when we go somewhere, especially when we pick her up from school early (like we did that day) and are going to a place she isn't familiar with. She came around eventually. They're packed in the back of Michael's truck--thank goodness it wasn't too long of a drive to Switzer Lake (a little less than an hour away).

 We should have done a little more preparation beforehand determining where we were going to hike (nothing like a camping trip to see where your marriage can improve, ahem!), but fortunately we still had enough daylight to take the pedal boat out that Michael bought. We could all fit, and boy, it was a leg workout. The water was really cold but felt good on the feet, and the boys all got in (at least partly).

 We enjoyed some yummy Dutch oven goulash and then celebrated Henry's birthday with some cupcakes I'd made with the boys earlier that morning. They'd gotten a bit smooshed, but they still tasted good.

We also opened presents--Henry got a ball and two books (his main gift being the new scooter I'd purchased him a month previous). His favorite gift, however, was the musical card our neighbors gave him that we brought with us. And a ball at a rocky, slope campsite by a lake? Not the best combo.

 Of course, we needed some marshmallows to take the edge off the cupcakes.

 It was a beautiful spot.

 And we couldn't have asked for a better view or weather.

 Trying to get the kids to look out into the distance "naturally." Ha!

 Michael took Robbie out on the lake again a little bit before bed.

After letting the boys giggle hysterically--especially overtired Henry--as they ran around the inside of the tent and hung on the tent walls until 9pm, we finally got everyone settled. The kids did pretty well, and I slept like a baby (woke up every two hours). Henry was so cute in the morning--first to wake up, but still snuggly and enjoying the camping experience.

 Snuggling with Daddy in the early chilly morning air.

 For breakfast we had Dutch oven biscuits (they don't look too awesome, but they tasted pretty durn good, especially with the homemade honey butter I brought) and scrambled eggs.

 Just had to document the inspired idea I had to bring the little potty--worked for all ages :-).

As we prepared to pack up, a couple walked over to Michael and asked for some help jumping their truck, as their battery was dead. Michael took the boys and spent nearly an hour trying to help them while Clara and I waited at the campsite. Eventually we decided to take the boat out one more time while the couple fished. Then we stuck seven people in a five-seater truck (hoping a cop would see us, pull us over, and then help the sweet couple, haha!) and drove them back to Harrisonburg--ironically they work at a gas station quite close to us. We took the missionary opportunity and had a nice time talking with them (Blake and Chynna were their names). 

Ironically, the truck's electrical/computer circuits started acting weird as we drove them home, the horn honking randomly, lights turning on and off, etc. Michael took the truck into Firestone after we arrived home, and they said that the computer (Body Control Module) could be fried and might need to be replaced. Mercifully, a super knowledgeable brother from our ward, Brother Liskey, ran into Michael at Lowes afterwards and mentioned he'd seen his truck lights on. Michael told him the situation, and he recommended that Michael disconnect the battery so as to not drain it. When he reconnected it on Sunday morning before his meetings, everything worked again. Phew! 

The trip went well, overall, but man, it took a couple of days to get things back together and I still haven't reorganized the camping box. I started a "camping checklist" of things we'll want to remember next time, like metal tongs instead of plastic since that's all I'd packed and therefore all Michael had to turn the coals. Hello, melted tong stumps.

I really do enjoy these experiences and hope that as time goes on, we can streamline things more and more. And when the kids get old enough to carry their own everything, hot dog!