Grandparents, Boys Weekend, & Keystone with Kindal

This week was rejuvenating in so many ways!

Grandma and Grandpa Miner

came to visit us and I feel like I can get so caught up on life while they're here. We took them to the CSU Flower Gardens, they watched the boys while Michael and I got thai food and a movie date in, they stayed home with napping Camden so that we could take Westin and Bennett to the Paw Patrol movie, my mom watched Camden while my dad helped me install my stair runner, they walked my kids to school 3x a day so I had my first week in forever where my hip/pelvic pain was way more manageable, my mom is a pro at using produce around so suddenly we were eating applesauce and apple zucchini bread and soups and delicious things, we played Cover Your Assets with Westin and he thought it was extra fun to beat grandparents :), we watched Nate Bargatze Netflix comedy shows at night and just laughed and laughed, and my dad brought copies of the same crossword puzzle from the newspaper in Cedar so we could do them together and I just loved that. We are so happy when family can visit us, it's the BEST.

They stayed with my boys during Thursday and Friday days until Michael got home from work, so I could go on a Keystone weekend with Kindal for all things Lighten Print, and just to have a little girls weekend before baby boy comes here and owns my nights for the next year. The minute I left I noticed Michael's tire pressure light was on, so I texted to see how long that had been on. It was new as of that day... of course :) Then 50 miles down the road it started flashing, which I've never seen it do, so I had to turn off my podcasts and stay in the right lane and pray myself to the nearest Costco tire center which was 17 miles away. I just really didn't want to stop at a random spot that might take forever or not have what I need but I didn't know if it was smart to not pull over right away... but through prayers I made it there and checked all my tire pressures.... 35, 34, 36... and 14. Michael and Bennett had visited a stone masonry place the day before and I think they ran over a nail on their adventure, and it was unfortunately not reparable so I had to wait a couple hours for a replacement. But honestly, waiting in a Costco for two hours without kids, I mean..... easy. Easy easy. I was so grateful it wasn't worse. Then I had a new tire and got on my way.

Kindal and I had the best weekend. We worked on our website, our blog, setting up a new email list so we can keep in touch with all our Kickstarter backers in new way plus have a new way for people to subscribe from our website, planned social media systems, talked about holiday plans, started brainstorming illustrations/outlines for our next book, and just caught up on life and had fun eating food and being together and having time to just actually talk in person and not on Marco Polo. Such a glorious weekend.

Michael and the boys had a fun boys weekend, and he even let them all sleep in our bed one night. Even Camden made it until about 1am, which, I am shocked. Never could I ever sleep with all my children in a bed haha. I won't lie, it was REALLY fun putting just one person to bed, brushing just one person's teeth, feeding just me, and sleeping how much my body wanted to sleep each night. I've long since stopped sleeping through the night which is a shame and a wasted opportunity during that solo weekend, but it was at least very restful in its own way still.

The boys started soccer this weekend and I was sad to miss that! They're on the same team and I can't wait to watch one of their games. They thought going to a movie was so much fun. And they've been looking forward to boys weekend for a while, but they were happy to see me when I got home :)

Such a happy, rejuvenating week

Bennett could not peel his eyes away from the big screen for a picture haha

"Bennett, smile!" Haha still no eye contact

I may have taken a nap.
The boys were shocked I slept through the final Paw Patrol rescue scene.
I'd like to say someday they'll understand, but.... #pregnancy.

Bedtime books with grandpa

Last time I used a staple gun while pregnant was with my upholstered chairs and I swore I'd never do something like that in that state again. Never say never :)
I'm so happy to have this done.

Music time for Benny

Weekly swim lessons. Bennett has come so far with his fear of water!

Downtown Splash Pad with Grandma and Grandpa

We rode the gondola in Breckenridge and it was so warm that day!
Time for fall.

Kindal testing out her new camera. She's so talented at so many things!

This is soooo cute to me.

Westin looking 18

Potstickers and rice by the river.
Dads are fun.

This cracks me up. Never could I ever catch a wink of sleep in this situation.

Carrot harvest!

Into September with Grandma & Grandpa!

Michael:
has cut up hundreds of apples in the last few weeks. He's been on call this last week but it's been slow. I have almost said that to him out loud many times but stopped myself every time, because we both know better than to talk like that. Nothing makes the phone start ringing then talking about how it's not, something about Call Karma. He took me to Thai food and a slightly ridiculous movie on Saturday and it was so fun to be on a date with him. That was our first time being in a movie theater since before Covid. Probably our last time until this new baby is done nursing, too -- I'm 30 weeks today and couches are sounding much better than theater seats. Michael does so many things so well. I'm grateful for the way he works hard learning about the best things to do with the money he works really hard for. Such a hard-working guy who also knows how to have fun with his family and I love him for all of it.

Maddie:
I've been counting days down to when my parents arrive! I love when they visit so much. Having family around makes me, and these endless-energy boys, so happy. They watched the boys for our date Saturday night and I was grateful for all the attention they give their grandkids. I am feeling soo pregnant and have some new pelvic/hip/leg pain that is no longer going away at all, it's just kind of bad or really bad. I just hope with all my heart that these things that are new to this pregnancy are not around after this pregnancy. I know there's a beauty in soaking up stages and what our bodies are capable of, but I'm just aching (literally) to feel able-bodied again, honestly. I've got cute boys to keep up with. Days with Camden are a little weird for me -- he does much better with his brothers around and honestly so do I. He is more time consuming when it's the two of us then when it's the four of us, but I love that my boys are at a great school and happy there.

Westin:
I'm learning that Westin doesn't tell me his good things as much as I thought he did. I had another mom at school tell me a nice thing he did for her daughter that he never brought up to me, and then his primary teacher told me a brave thing he did at church that he never told me about. I love that he's out there doing good, and I love that he's doing it quietly because it speaks volumes about him, but I also just still get stopped in my tracks when I think of him just growing up and expanding his sphere of influence and experience while I still see him as my little guy so much of the time. He helps me sooooo much. So much. I love him.

Bennett:
Is getting bigger in so many ways -- just the way he's thinking and things he's asking. He's also wanting to wipe his own bum now (way too much information for the internet, mom, come one), which feels like a big step to independence. Potty training truly only gets you so far, there are lots of other steps to take from there. He's also braver at swimming, working so hard at speech with me and at school, and he seems so big when I drop him off at preschool. He's very regularly sleeping on the floor when I go in their room to open a window on nights it's cool enough. I help him back onto his bed and he never fully wakes up but will often just whisper "You're the best, mama." This kid has been melting my heart since Michael held him up and showed him to me while I was on an operating table.

Camden:
Killing it in the potty training department and walking around with such swagger. He refuses to be left behind now when the boys go play at the neighbor's house. Luckily our 9-year-old friend over there loves to be his little mom when he tags along and he's in good hands. When he's reached his away limit he usually drags her back to our house with him and she's so sweet to keep on playing with him. He loves walking the boys to school but refuses the stroller, but if I don't bring it he whines to be held. So I push an empty stroller to and from the school three times a day and he usually climbs in it for about 8 seconds. He's got opinions and he still needs a thousand hugs at bedtimes. He's the brightest and darkest part of our parenting right now haha, and we love him so much. Two year olds are such a ride.

Westin helps him with socks, shoes, helps him with his pants when Camden says he has to go potty, takes a million trips up and down the stairs for me, and just is seriously the sweetest big brother. We all love our Westy boy so much.

"Daddy huggy!"
Always at night and in the morning, lots of calls for daddy.

When I tell them we need to leave for school in 2 minutes,
they hear, "we've got time to wrestle daddy for 2 minutes!"

Ali has become a professional cake maker!
This is a cherry pie chocolate cake for my dad's birthday,
and she was so sweet to send some to Colorado with my parents.
Soooo delicious.

Found Bennett in a box just contemplating life.

Seriously, her cake was so good.

Can you tell Westin was excited to eat this?

Bedtime stories are only wanted from grandpa when he's here.

The CSU trial gardens are gorgeous right now!

Impossible to pick a favorite.

My mom helped me wrap Christmas presents and cut up pads for my stairs before I install a runner.
So grateful for her help.

Rug comes next!

This cutie was sooo clingy Sunday morning after our Saturday night date.
Kept his daddy close for the whole morning before church.

But at church, these boys were all fighting for Grandpa's lap.
Easiest sacrament meeting I've had in a long time :)

So sweet.

Naan and curry, coming up!
Missionaries and grandparents for a "big table dinner" as the boys call it.
That table is always coloring and creating central so it feels fun when we finally
eat on it once in a while :)
They color and create way more than they eat, so it gets used all day every day.