Utah, Kindness, and Big Book Progress

This week was COLD! As soon as our books arrived last week we wanted to hit the road to get to Kindal and make our video and product shots. But snow kept coming and delaying our trip, until Wednesday finally cleared up.

We made it to our first stop, pulled off to get gas, and the car wouldn't start again. I was so grateful it happened at a gas stop and not on the freeway. We had one tender mercy after another after that. Our roadside insurance called four different tow companies until they found one that would let all four of us ride in the cab to the mechanic. The mechanic was the NICEST person and was so kind to us that day. He said we needed to order a part for the car that would take a couple days to get there. The minute Ali heard we broke down she rented a van and started our way. I was worried it might be something that could be fixed and that wouldn't have to happen and she said, "That's great, then I'll turn around." She's an angel and I'm so grateful for her. The mechanic brought my boys Happy Meals and was just so kind. I was so stressed we wouldn't be able to get to Utah because that would have delayed this whole project which is already on a super tight schedule because of Easter, but it worked out thanks to a lot of kindness shown to us.

When Ali got there we were wearing the same outfit head to toe (shirt, pants, coat, shoes, necklace, we're weird) and our shirts said Be Kind. The mechanic thought that was so funny and we took a picture together and it just felt like the day coming full circle. All three boys slept on our 4 hour drive to Salt Lake and were in bed at Ali's by 11. 

My parents came up to Ali's and watched all the kids while Ali and Matthias went to work and I went to Kindal's to get ready for our photo and video shoot the next day. We made a backdrop that she made up the process for that turned out great, and steamed all the clothes we'd bought for the kids, and made cookies and bread for peanut butter sandwiches so we could have a messy part of the photo shoot with our washable books.

On Saturday we put everything together and got so much done. The kids were so cute, and we had so much fun seeing them with our books. We planned our shipping supplies after, and some other Kickstarter things we needed to get done, and that night I drove my boys back to Ali's and put my kids down and realized I had only eaten a chocolate chip cookie since breakfast that whole day. It was just go go go and felt so surreal to be doing all that we'd planned for so long. My parents had Cup Bop waiting for me and I don't think any meal has tasted so good in so long just because I was SO exhausted and starving and happy.

Sunday we just recovered, before we get a few more things done before heading home this week.

Michael has just been chilling at home doing mystery shops and watching dogs and having good days at work. He said, 'It's just crazy how much TIME there is in a day when you're alone," and I vaguely remember that :) Haha. He missed us.

Some walks to take brothers to school are more pleasant than others.
He's a good sport :)
Yes I know those are socks on his hands. He pulls baby mittens right off.
And honestly, he pulls socks right off. Just not as often.
But we've lost quite a few ;)

When you just can't get the big thing pulled out of the pantry.

He actually does work really hard during our Zoom physical therapy appointments.
This is him tired out after, cutie boy.

Attending sweet Esther Naylor's funeral was so humbling and heart-wrenching.
We love the Naylors. We can't wait to meet her someday.

Boys got professional haircuts before our Utah trip and their modeling gig haha.
It was SO MUCH BETTER than our at home experience.
I wish they didn't need haircuts every two months and we'd take this route way more often.

Bennett's first professional haircut in Fresno is still one of my all time favorite memories.
He just sat so still, so sweet, repeatedly pushing a sound machine button under his cape that made a screaming noise. Sooo funny.

Annnnnd this is where we spent 6 hours in random Rawlins, WY after we broke down on our way to Utah.
We waited here while sweet, wonderful Ali rented a van and came to pick us up,
since our van needed a part that would take two days to get there.
Loooong day. The boys were wonderful.

Not setting this boy down that entire time was the hardest part.
But he was happy.

The mechanic was soo kind. He even brought my kids Happy Meals,
and helped load up all our stuff (moving four people's things and three carseats is no small thing) when Ali got there.

They watched 1.5 movies on the iPad and thought it was a great day.
Kid life. They're so cute.

Ali showed up in the exact same outfit I was wearing. Our shirts say Be Kind.
The mechanic thought it was so funny. I thought it was just bringing the day full circle.

Figuring out shipping for our books!
We've just figured out one next step after another for soo long and it feels so fun to be at this point.

Photo credit: Westin :)
Making a backdrop for our photo shoot!

The kids were SOO cute.
And it brought me to tears to watch them loving on the book and pointing to the pictures with each other.

So fun to see the Miner cousins, and spend time with Elise!

Baby steps

Baby steps happened this week!

A few for Camden, as he learns how to walk.

A few for the big kids, as they got used to going back to school.

A few for me towards our book -- our advance copies are HERE and Kindal has held our paperback and hardcover versions! We can hardly wait to get these books into little kiddos' hands.

And Michael cut down lots of apple tree branches, are those baby steps? Maybe we can only carry that theme so far.

This week felt a little weird to send the big kids back to school, but they loved it. We have a little busier morning, but we're ironically better at getting scripture study in when we have something pushing us out the door. Camden and I come home and do chores together and lift weights and eat snacks. Then it's time to get Bennett, and we eat lunch before Camden takes a nap. Then Westin comes home and we have fun getting some play time in before dinner, books, and bed. Westin REALLY loves being back at school, though of course both of them were much more tired this week and they used a lot of their good at school and had a lot of tired energy at home. But we'll all adjust. 

We finally invested in a new computer which was months and months overdue, which will make so many things so much more efficient. Watching Camden take his first few tentative steps is just so fun. He's made so much progress in the last little while.

Seeing my book in *almost* real life was the best part of my week -- this has taken so much to bring together over the last three years and Kindal and I are excited about this final to do list before all the Kickstarter and publicizing and store outreach happens. It also feels more vulnerable everyday but definitely no turning back now :)

Winter isn't so so bad here, but we're itching to get back on the bike trails and have some warmer hands on our walk to school. Camden is anti-gloves and blankets so we do what we can before he pulls everything off. I always think how frustrated Heavenly Father and Mother must feel when they give me all the "mittens" I need to stay a little more cozy in life and sometimes I just don't put them on. And then I scream on the way home and my neighbors assume They're bad parents. Or maybe it doesn't go quite that far BUT you get the point. These boys are loud and crazy and growing and fun and hard and wonderful and sweet and above all, just so so precious. I'm grateful for them.

Oh this messy stage... but he's feeding himself more, which is the start to a much better mealtime!

If you see these at Costco, bring them home.
They were so good in roasted cauliflower soup...
and let's be honest, by the handful out of the bag.

Best account to follow on Instagram.

The boys loved this little six-month old puppy that came to visit.

She was a little nervous around the other two dogs we had over,
but the boys loved being her protectors.

She was as snuggly as Kitty.
Though Kitty stayed upstairs because she doesn't share laps.

MLK Day neighborhood walk

Putting out "only light can do that" quotes along our sidewalks in luminary bags.
We have the best neighbors.

"Mom, look what I invented -- it's a catapult."

Sweet, sweet Naylor family.
They've been in our hearts and prayers so much the last few months,
and they welcomed their sweet Esther this week for just a few hours before saying goodbye to her.

Drone time before bedtime.
Camden actually does really like it.

Getting ready for home church and someone is impatient for a piece of bread.

I know there's so much to miss and so much we want to get back to "normal,"
but sacrament meeting with popcorn on the couch while the baby naps upstairs....
no complaints there. No complaints there at all.

 

Little Losses, Little Wins

 Michael:
is great at finding places for us to adventure, and took us to a trail behind Horsetooth Reservoir on Saturday. It was pretty icy and tricky for the first .5 miles but the last 1.5 was super smooth. Westin was thrilled because we saw HUGE paw prints in the snow and a deer leg. Soooo.... thrilled is one way to respond to that. Bennett said about two dozen times that, "Mountain lions are scared of people, right? They won't make me be dead, because they're scared of people. ...... Mountain lions are scared of people, right?" It was actually only just recently that we learned this story happened right where we were. But it's fine. Mountain lions are scared of people.. right? 

Maddie:
finished transcribing 30 episodes of The Faithful Feminists so you can read those there if you're into that. And tonight I'm finishing a big cross stitch order, so that I can then spend the rest of the month's free time all on our Kickstarter/book launch. We started up our Instagram page this week, @lightenprint, so that's a fun step! We need one more Utah trip to film some video, take some pictures, make some decisions, and then it's launch time next month. This week was a continuation of TONS of conversations with friends about politics and I'm drained but hopeful, heartbroken and...hopeful. Praying for a safe inauguration day, peaceful transition of power, and some much needed progress in our country -- plus a return of decency and class in leadership.

Westin:
gained a deep love for making his own toast this week and Monday started off with a 6:35am crash on the floor of my butter dish that I painted while Michael and I were engaged. He was soooooo sad. I was sad. But all I wanted him to know was that I loved him more than a butter dish and everyone has accidents happen, and it's ok. He hasn't made toast since and refuses to. I see so much of my heart in him sometimes -- the side that feels, "PLEASE don't make me feel worse about this because I already feel so unimaginably horrible about it." It's a real fun side to share, poor kiddo. I hope that he can channel his perfectionism for good and learn some unconditional self-love. Today he did make toast again for the first time but refused to put anything on it. Sweet boy. He also keeps talking and talking about going back to school in person this week. He's over the moon.

Bennett:
is so hard to wake up, it's hilarious. We always take them potty before we go to bed and Westin can kind of snap into what's happening and take care of what needs to be taken care of, but Bennett -- he lays back down, lays on the ground, walks into walls, stops in the bathroom staring without going potty, tries to sit on the potty with his pants on, on and on. I love his deep sleeping self. He loves to go in Camden's room when Cam Cam wakes up and make him laugh, typically with the singing elephant toy that our neighbor gave Camden for Christmas. He's also thrilled that we have some dogs here for the weekend -- but these pups apparently sleep with their owners every single night and they whine and whine, which has ended up with Michael sleeping on the couch with them since Kitty is upstairs. It's... not ideal and kind of hilarious. I could never own puppies like these little dogs... oh how we miss Rosie.

Camden:
loooooves standing up, and clapping, and playing peek-a-boo, and throwing food on the ground, and looking at books, and throwing little cars between the slats of his crib. He's not a fan of baths, or cold morning walks, or any diaper changes. He loves his daddy, loves his brothers, and loves his mama -- but honestly, it's in that order :) And he still tries to eat hairs, and has his whole life. Gross. We decided to stop cloth diapering this week at the 18-month mark because I'm feeling too too busy right now. I love not making so much trash, but the hardest part is that you have to change diapers twice as often since they just don't last as long as a disposable. So even though the extra laundry has never bothered me too much, I was just ready for some easier days with Camden. I'm a big big fan of cloth diapering in the baby stage, and a big fan when they're big babies, but not a super fan once they're entering toddler life. Camden doesn't know what to think of these puppies this weekend but they've started to leave him alone after being screeched at and scooted away from over and over :)

RIP little butter dish. You were good to us.

Lighten Print is live on Instagram!

School at home two days a week, at school two days a week for this kid,
but this week he's back to full time (Mon-Thurs).

Michael took the older boys exploring during Camden's nap on Wednesday,
and I got some transcription done so I could be done with that project.

I put up all three of these shades by myself this week and was feeling happy about that!
I really don't like using the drill without Michael, I don't know why.
But I did all three of these faster than the one shade I did in my dining room by myself,
so we're making progress.

I bought this huuuuuge mini muffin tin because it just feels like we're entering teenage years over here when it comes to groceries and food. Heaven help us when we actually get there.

Camden loves holding Westin's hands on walks lately and it's the cutest thing.

Clean babies in hooded towels. I never want to forget.

Deer bone, as spotted by Westy boy.
"When I find something cool like a deer bone,
I just want to keep talking and talking about it!"

The trail was soooo icy in some parts,
we all fell a few times. Camden seemed very skeptical of the whole experience.

Needy, needy dogs.

I'm not sure what that last part says,
but this is cracking me up right now.

Some Miner throwbacks my dad sent me this week:

Best dad.

This dog is in Westin and Bennett's room right now.

My Grandpa Miner at his house in Salt Lake

Ali looks so much like her little Elise

Apparently I thought all pictures should look like my dance team pictures.

My grandma and cousins.
I love her so much.

Dog pile on dad.