Roommate Reunion

I'm a nervous flyer--did you know that about me? Before every trip I acknowledge the possibility that it could be my last and by the time I get to the airport, after saying goodbye to the babies I cherish, I shed a few silent tears and try not to think about how sad life would be without me in it! This fear was born on a post-mission flight from Hades when our plane hit a tropical storm over the Pacific and I was sure we were going down. Passengers were screaming in fear as I was holding my breath, terrified. The plane felt as stable as a toy jet in the hands of a toddler and when we finally landed I thought that if I ever got on a plane again it would be too soon. But life had other plans, and I'm proud that over the last 15 years I haven't let that discomfort get in the way of our global lifestyle. I will say, however, that the adventure drought that Covid-lockdown delivered has found me rusty, and navigating my nerves as things are opening up has been interesting. I'm out of practice. My big life feels foreign and our little world feels more comfortable than ever. And that's not wrong, and that's not bad, but I also don't want to miss out on so much goodness because of what could--but probably won't--go wrong. 

A few weeks ago I went to Arizona on a girls trip with some of my BYU roommates. It had been planned for months--AirBNB booked, flights scheduled--and I had been so looking forward to spending time with them, but the week of the trip I started looking for every possible reason to cancel. This is not like me, I promise you, because I am the FOMO Queen and want to be at literally ev-er-y-thing, but I was so nervy and feeling so conflicted that I could have bailed and never looked back. But I didn't. Quinny and I have been talking a lot lately about doing hard things, because coming out of Covid has not been a cakewalk for her either, and we made a deal that she was going to be brave without me at home, and I was going to be brave on an adventure with my old friends. Being brave doesn't mean it wasn't hard. Poor Quinny ended up in the office with an I-miss-mommy tummy ache and I spent a good portion of Friday morning trying to console her while feeling my fair share of mom guilt. But, you know what? She scored four goals in her Saturday soccer game and had the best time eating Happy Meals and watching a movie with her Dad at home. And in Arizona? I reconnected and relaxed and bonded with women who are smart and interesting and beautiful and also an integral part of the patchwork quilt of my life. I'm so glad I went. And Quinny? She lived without me for a weekend (barely, her words). 

Since I'm opening my vulnerability door wide open at this point I'll fill you in on another little secret, I always take one last airport selfie before take off. Just in case. 

Roomies, back together again! Oh my goodness you should have seen us shopping and laughing and trying on clothes like teenagers. We all left with some pretty cute duds and Last Chance meant that we got hundreds of dollars of deals. I love that place!

I think my very favorite purchase of the trip is a cream jumpsuit that is what dreams are made of. Or maybe my lime green skirt that is going to be the highlight of my spring!

Saturday was spent in work-out clothes from sun up to sun down. We went on a hike, rented a Surrey and rode around the city, ate yummy food, and ended up in the hot tub (at that point we put on swimsuits, haha!) We blasted Jessica Simpson, made partial fools of ourselves, and one of us even got a work-out (thanks Ash). It was a full and a fun day!

How many random people do you have to ask before you get a decent picture? So. dang. many. it's. ridiculous. But we finally got a couple cute ones and we were so pleased with ourselves.

We hiked-ish. Does a ten minute walk count?!

Hot tubbing for hours and talking about so many interesting topics and people and ideas. These women have all lived wildly different lives and hearing their perspectives was so wonderful. 

Peace out, Arizona, but not for long. Until a few months ago I had never spent any time in Arizona but now I feel like I'm always planning a trip or two in that direction. I could live there and love it. I hate the cold. And I love cacti. (And mostly--I LOVE Bahama Bucks!!!)

life.

My writing view last week before the Halloween decor came down for the year. I switched out my ugly yellow chairs and I have no clue what took me so long. Gosh, I'm loving this view so much more now!

This popped up in my memory from 10 years ago and I cried like a baby remembering the cuteness of this little one. Now he's almost as tall as I am and eats 15 bowls of cereal a day. Time, man. 

But seriously though.

I took the picture because two cute friends were wearing two cute hats, but now all I can see if that Cora is a whole foot taller than her friend. Holy cow, how?! 

Laughed harder than I should have. 

Daddy-Daughter Date to Disney On Ice.

I'd like to order one of these please and thank you. The softest and cuddliest and loviest little Copper!

Fake date with Logan, haha!

Pre-chemo Noni visit.

Yup.

Husband work events are way better when they involve hanging out with these wives. Go Kings!

Cora's cute tea party with her bestie.

Afternoon sun for Juniper-girl.

Halloween

If a picture was worth $1000 then I'd be a rich lady. Alas, I think it's just 1000 words. 

Spirit Week!

Last week I was walking home through the schoolyard after kindergarten drop-off when it hit me--we are living such a wonderful, ordinary, magnificent life. Mr. Johnson, the children's most beloved P.E. teacher, was blasting The Beatles, kids were running and laughing and playing, balls were bouncing all around and Quinny and Ev were in the middle of it all. It was chaotic in only the best ways and I couldn't shake the gratitude that they are back in school--a school that is on the other side of their own backyard, in fact. The sound of happy children playing is one that I will cherish hearing from my kitchen for the rest of my days it's so beautiful. Would I have appreciated these sounds and these sights this deeply had we not been home from school for 18 months? Perhaps not. But I will never take a moment of their education for granted again.

  

Mismatched and crazy hair day

Twin day at school, and these blondies wanted to twin with their Mama!

Quinny and Ginny were twinners!

And Ms. Popular twinned with...everyone haha!

Evie and Milo were so cute!

Belated birthday brunch

For the next few months Noni will be living with my parents as she fights for her life from the stupidest disease on earth, freaking cancer. I hate cancer for what it's done to friends and acquaintances and even people on podcasts that I've never met, and now I hate it for what it's doing to my family. And also, I hate that it stole Noni's boob, I'm just going to come out and say it. And if you think that's brass and I shouldn't be talking about my grandma's assets well, you're probably right and also as a boobless women I think I should be allowed to admire the well-endowed in the world, even if that person is my grandmother.  As someone who didn't benefit in the slightest from that spectrum of her gene pool I'm just angry as heck that cancer stole something so perfect and perky and flawless. Life is so unfair in so many different ways.

She showed up in Sac-Town a week after her birthday and a week before her first chemo treatment and I stole her one morning for a belated birthday brunch at Bacon and Butter. We ate delicious food and talked and talked for hours and it was such a wonderful morning spent together. She's tough as nails and she's going to give cancer a run for his money, of that I am sure.

One day as the fun mom

I'm usually a "grab whatever you can from the pantry" kind of after-school-snack Mom. But one day right before Halloween, I was a fun Mom, ya'll. And my little ones, who are getting bigger every second--darn it,  LOVED IT!!!

When the heavens opened on Sacramento

There is something about rain after summer's heat and another smokey fire season that feels so refreshing and delicious. We haven't had a storm like this since we moved here 18 months ago, and our neighbors say they haven't seen one of this magnitude for years. Our little lake overflowed into the street and the irrigation ditch became a mighty river. The kids teetered between being terrified of our house flooding and being filled with utter delight at the dime-size drops beating down on the earth, our roof, their faces. I'm a fair-weather fan but even I couldn't get enough of my warm window-room view of the madness just outside--it was magical. And after days of relentless rain, the most brilliant rainbow appeared above our happy home. So much hard in the world, and so much happy.