Grandbabies...aaaaah

Aug. 8, 2016

Dear Sister Kristina,

Seems like we’re getting to know that road from here to Bountiful quite well and it actually seems like it’s getting shorter. haha We had a great time last week and no matter where we stay or where we are in the valley, we always say at least once a day, hey, let’s go up to Bountiful and see Sarah and the girls. We don’t care what they’re doing, we just like to watch them, play with them and be with them. 

We left early Sunday morning and we got back here Friday afternoon. We were home for a couple hours, then dad and I took off for a date. We had tickets to go see Rodrigo y Gabriela at the Morrison center. I love their music and was so happy to see that they were actually coming to Boise. They put on a good show and are AMAZING musicians. It’s just the two of them playing their guitars the whole time. Whenever I hear their music come up in the car when I’m driving, it puts me in a good mood, but now when I hear the songs I think about how great it sounded in person and that’s how I want it to sound in my car now-like they’re sitting in the back seat. haha

Last week is kind of a blur since we were on the road. We stayed the first two nights right in Bountiful at a motel right close to Kirk and Sarah. Kirk took off on Monday morning for Denver for some training with his job. We babysat for Sarah during the day while she went to a doctor’s appt. It takes four of us to babysit 2 kids. Afterwards we went over to the Bountiful cemetary to find my grandparents gravesite. My grandma Trumbo (grandpa Trumbo’s mom) was born and raised in Bountiful so that’s where they are buried.

We took Addie with us for the afternoon and went to Fashion Place mall. She’s so fun to take places and so easy going. We brought her to the hotel to swim too.

She loved Bath and Body Works and was going around trying all the testers and some that weren’t testers. haha So I bought her a little stawberry smelling hand sanitizer-she’s the official hand sanitizer girl at her house. Whenever someone comes over, she gets the big bottle and brings it to you so you can put it on your hands before you hold the baby. I also got her one of those little brushes that looks like a compact. She just kept holding them and saying “Addie’s” “Addie’s”

Here’s a pic of her at the Container Store where she found a little table just her size with paper for coloring and crayons in the drawer. She sat there for a long time while we shopped there.

The next day we babysat just Haylee while Sarah took Addie to her first dentist appointment. The only reason she took her to the dentist was because her pediatrician was telling her that Addie shouldn’t be having a soother any more and that her teeth were getting pushed forward. But the dentist said it was no problem and that she was still young. So Addie gets to keep her soother, but just at night now. Her dentist was dressed up in a costume to help the kids feel more relaxed, but I’m thinking that would be scarier. haha She came home with a balloon and a new toothbrush and was happy (probably because she heard she got to keep her soother).

 

We also went to Ikea to let the girls pick out a large photo for their wall in their room. We painted the one wall and moved the furniture and thought we’d let them pick out something together, that they both agreed on for their room. They have been having such a difficult time lately getting along, so we thought a change of scenery might help a little. Here’s what they picked out and it looks great:

They’re still going to add their own touches around the room too.  This is the room before the picture.

When Leah came home from the hospital and saw her room, she was really happy about it. Nikki loves it too.

We went to lunch with Sarah and the girls one day and Nikki decided to get in the play place with Addie. Addie was laughing at Nikki trying to fit through everything. I’m sure she must think she has the craziest Aunties.

While in Bountiful I also wanted to go try find my great Aunt Grace’s (grandma Jo’s dad’s sister) old house. I remembered it being such a fun unique place when I was young. Well, they have turned the house into a museum now so we were able to go through the whole thing.The man who first owned it, Thomas Whittaker, was friends with Queen Victoria and got most of his fruit tree starts from her. The whole yard was filled with fruit trees and and that’s where they had come from. After the Whittaker family sold it, there were a couple families who owned the home and my great aunt and uncle were one of them. When my mom and dad got married in the Salt Lake temple, they went over to her house afterwards for a lunch and they had their picture taken in Aunt Grace’s home in their wedding clothes. You’ve probably seen the picture of them standing in their wedding clothes. My mom wore a dress from Aunt Grace. I just loved my great Aunt Grace. She taught me to crochet and she loved watching sports. She was always active and I loved being around her. When grandma Jo’s parents got divorced, she kind of became my mom’s second mom, so she was kind of like a grandma to me too. Here’s a pic of us in front of her house. It used to have a lot more trees in front, big willows. I’m so happy I stopped by there and took the time to find it.

On Wednesday and Thursday nights the girls went to a Samoan dance class. It was so awesome and the they loved it. I can’t believe what a great workout it was too. They were totally sweating afterwards. Leah in particular really loved it and I could tell. Aunt Kathy came too so it was fun seeing her.

Here the RS president, Fina, is introducing the girls to the class. Fina really wants the girls to know about their heritage and I love that.

On Thursday afternoon we all went to Top Golf, our favorite new place. Mary and Brian and baby George came with us. Addie even tried golfing. We’re usually up on the upper tiers, but it was good we were on the bottom so we didn’t have to worry about Addie falling off.

We also went to Steve and Carolina’s one night and sat out on their deck and talked until late in the evening. It was so fun catching up with them and what everyone’s doing. Since we’ve had grandbabies, we rarely go to Provo now. Once you start living there again though, I’m sure we’ll be going there more. :)  Axel has a new job in Salt Lake City, twice the money and more work, but they want to be able to start saving money. Kassie and Marc are having fun being parents. Their little girl is so cute and always smiling. Marc and Steve are busy with work at Noah’s and they have even started a new business that manages the Noah’s properties. Dakota and Downing were there that night so we got to visit with them. Dakota is almost done with nursing school and she wants to work at a nursing home for older people. She has always loved that. I think Downing is almost done with his degree too. They are living in the basement at Steve and Carolina’s now because Steve has rented their other house. Dakota and Downing will be moving into an apartment in September.

On our last day there, poor Addie fell while she was running and singing “Let it Go”. She was also wearing her Elsa hair that we had given her. Very cute, but Sarah heard her fall and start crying really hard. Sarah was feeing Haylee, so she had to put Haylee down, who then started crying hard. Sarah said when she got to Addie and Addie turned around, Sarah gasped when she saw her. Here’s the pic:

I would have gasped too. It was soooo large. But it actually went down fairly quickly and 2 days later, this is how it looked:

Not bad, huh?  Little kids heal so quickly. She didn’t even get a black eye from it. Sarah still doesn’t know where she fell or what she hit, but it must have been a door or edge of a wall or something. 

Well, we are enjoying our time now watching the Olympics. The girls are pretty much glued to it. Leah is trying to watch all the girls rugby she can because she is planning on playing rugby for EHS next year. On Saturday we went to Ann Morrison park where they were having a tournament and watched EHS play. The girls on the team saw Leah watching and yelled to her that she better be going out for the team this year. So she went over and talked with them. I’m so happy she has this goal because she’s trying to exercise, lose weight and work on her cardio on all her own. She is very motivated. 

It was good to be back at church in our own ward yesterday. We ran into the new ward that has been formed in the Star Stake. They meet right before us and now half of the old 9th ward is in that ward. It’s called the Park Lane ward. The other half of the 9th ward is now in the 1st ward which is weird because it’s Canterbury and Colony and right close to us. Our ward is continually growing and there are so many new families, I don’t know very many of them yet. 

I’ll finish with a few thoughts from our RS class yesterday. It was from April Conference, Pres. Uchtdorf’s talk “He will place you on His Shoulders and Carry You Home”.  It was such a good talk and it was great to be able to discuss it as a group. The part that I shared with the girls when I got home was when he said, “If you cannot say you know God is there, you can hope that He is. You can desire to believe. That is enough to start.” Leah struggles so much with faith and I just wanted her to know that she can just hope first and the faith will come later. Just hope that God is there, hope that the Book of Mormon is true, hope that what Joseph Smith said he saw, he actually saw, etc.  Leah said she liked that. Just to hear her say she liked it meant a lot. Line upon line, precept upon precept….and much patience as a mom. :)

I’m excited for your upcoming transfer and to hear how things are back in Santa Rosa. Heavenly Father needs you there and you will find out why as you have every other step of the way. 

I love you so much and your faith and example means the world to me. It always brightens my day. Keep up the good work, the hard work and the fun work and represent well.

Love you very much,

Mom xxoo