Swiss Days and Boys Weekend

This week was full of two things: Prepping for Swiss Days, and Swiss Days. 

I have spent so many hours this summer working on some new products to offer alongside our book at our Swiss Days booth, and creating with Kindal. Everything takes so much work behind the scenes. I am grateful I get to work with Kindal. She's so creative and I just admire her in a million ways.

This week we had our supply drop off for Asher's preschool, and he was so cute there. He loved seeing his school with me by his side but I knew he'd be worried to be dropped off alone the next day. The preschool is in my friend's basement and I ended up having to chase him around her house and catch him to be carried down the stairs... not how I'd like all drop offs to go :) But this is just a transition and he'll get it!

It did feel really weird to drop him off that first day and have 3 hours with all my kids in school. I had work to do for Swiss Days at Staples so the minutes flew by. Babies are so busy and life is shifting. I'm grateful for each stage, but it's hard to imagine a life without babies and toddlers around!

Wednesday I left for Utah and had a busy four days preparing for Swiss Days and then running our booth. We stayed up until 2am working on Wednesday, left at 7am Thursday and set up all day and ran all our errands, took a quick break to go up to the Heber Valley Christ walk, then came back and worked again until 1am. Friday was a full day running the booth and it was really so fun to be there with Kindal. I know this was hard for her and I was so proud of her. We were in the booth from 8am to 8pm and then went home to bind copies of our new workbook until 1:30am again. Then Saturday was 7:30 to 7:00 in the booth again, take down, and load up a bunch of different cars to get our stuff and inventory going a bunch of different places.

This was such a learning experience. Next year I want my family there -- I just needed my van and needed Michael and Westin's help! So we'll probably switch things up a little and hopefully no late-night binding will have to happen either. We just really spent all summer trying to get our new coloring book, workbook, and affirmation cards together, so packaging was very last minute.

I flew home Sunday and really missed my boys. It's hard to find balance in life, and I don't think it's ever perfectly achieved. But I'm grateful to juggle the things I juggle.

The last view of this little crib. Four little boys slept in this, for the last 10 years!

And goodbye to our little toddler bed. 

He was nervous for drop off but he really did have a good time.
We do not have runners, or impulsive children.
But we do have clingy, cautious cuties.
Pros and cons to every character trait :) We sure love Asher and he's going to love gaining some independence this year.

My first all-kids-in-school hours were spent at Staples,
getting some prep done for our Swiss Days booth!

"business cards" kids can color at our booth.

Success! Proud to show me his ice cream cone.

In Utah and finally together!
Kindal and I had some late, late late nights together before and during our Swiss Days booth time.
Swiss Days was SO MUCH WORK and we learned a lot. 
The weeks leading up to it were really different because of deciding to do this, but I'm grateful we get to create together. We were both so exhausted!

FULL CAR heading to Midway.

Setting up our booth. 
I love Kindal's mountain mural so much.
She's just so good at creating beauty and magic.

Kindal and her dad made our shelves out of two old ladders owned by her great-grandpa plus some wood planks from his house. And that table used to be his door.
They are just such creative souls and it's amazing to watch what they do!

Meeting Elder Kearon was really special!
Hopefully he has forgotten the embarrassing thing I said to him but I unfortunately never will :)

Fijn had a booth by us and brought us a drink to try.
Meeting other brands and creative people was one of my favorite parts of the weekend!

Do we look so official?

My family was really, really kind to help me so much this weekend.
Ali was at our booth all day Saturday.
At one point she had some random puppy-sitting duties and I just laughed at this -- she has never been one to be at all comfortable around animals haha.

A top-10 booth award!
That means our entry application to next year's market will be approved,
and it was just so validating to see all of Kindal's beautiful vision be recognized.

And back home, these boys had a good time with their dad.
Childcare was tricky for this one... but things work out, 
and I'm grateful for that Swiss Days Lighten Print weekend.