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.

Ali's Birthday Party!

Last Sunday night I tried to go see the Northern Lights one more time but no luck. I still enjoyed the midnight solo drive though.

Then the rest of this week was busy prepping before I left for Utah for the weekend. Michael and I did date night on Wednesday since I'd be gone all weekend, Torchy's and pickleball. It was really fun. And then Thursday I did my first sprint through the airport to make a flight that was doing its last call -- so stressful. A car accident on one of our main roads plus construction on another one had me so slow getting out of town, and I have never cut a flight that close before. It's miserable to run through the airport like that haha. I had just accepted I'd miss it but had to try and ended up walking on the plane the last possible second, whew.

And then began Ali's birthday party weekend! She threw a slumber party for friends from all stages of her life, renting out an airbnb for the night and grabbing dinner from one of her favorite spots. It was just the best! The day before the party we ran errands triple speed together and everything fell into place. It was so fun meeting so many of her favorite people, and just meeting so many people who love Ali. We laughed and talked and stayed up way too late and Ali spoiled us with her homemade birthday cake and homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast too. I just loved being there for her fun celebration. Then I stayed there through Sunday for some fun time with her cute kiddos. Normally I can't turn off mom mode to fully be in aunt mode, so that was a really fun day to just be with her family. And luckily I had pleeenty of time in the airport on my way back home with a flight that kept getting delayed... where was that luck on my way out!

Back home Michael had a good weekend with the boys. He let them take turns having sleepovers in our big bed (mom can't handle that, sorry cuties...), Culver's picnic for dinner, final soccer games of the season, potty training successes with Asher, and they all just loved having a boys weekend with dad. You only have to take away one family member around here to turn this place into boys weekend :)

My solo midnight drive to try to see the Northern Lights. No luck, but I did enjoy belting TTPD songs by myself late at night.

Sleeping Queens is the number one game around here.

Caught a glimpse of these cuties lined up sharing some pretzels.
They're just such cute brothers.

Biked to pick up Camden from preschool,
and stopped at Sonic for lunch on the way home.
Love those little Wednesday outings.

This dude feels pretty cool in his new room!

Ali took a picture of my hair when we were together because it's the longest it's ever been and it will soon be getting chopped. My hairdresser stopped working Wednesdays which has really complicated when I can actually get to her! So it won't happen until mid-June when my parents are here. I don't think my hair has ever been this long.

Felt ready for a change!

Setting up the cutest greeting station for all her friends.

We had fun setting up!
Ali ordered some favorite foods from Bandit's and it was delicious.

The crew!
So fun to chat with friends from all stages of Ali's life.
Childhood friends, roommates, mission companions, grad school buddies, all different wards, Boston, such a list!

And she made one of her expertly crafted birthday cakes, she is so good at those.
This was a lemon curd cake and everyone was shocked she baked it herself.

Sisters cleaning up!
Such a fun night.

Catching up with the cuties back home,
complete with their popsicles from the neighbors.

Dallin had a little "episode" at the park and I have to say it's fun watching Ali and Matthias just rock parenthood in all its glam.

I just really loved this color of iris. Part of it is patterned and I think it's so beautiful.

Sweet little Annie!

Back at home dad let the boys take turns having sleepovers.
Not sure how he sleeps one minute with these cute, crazy sleepers.

Wrapping up soccer season!

Westin's team named themselves the "Spicy Pickles"

I didn't want to leave this girl!

Boys Weekend & San Diego Girls Trip

We recovered from jet lag pretty quick last weekend and spent a few days getting things done (like that blasted glucose test...) and basically geared up for our weekend!

Michael and the boys:

Michael's coordinator was so sweet to work with his schedule when she found out I would be out of town for the weekend. She made Friday his day off for last week, and his half Saturday and half Sunday be his day off for this week (which they never do normally). So he was home with the boys for three days in a row and they had their first boys weekend together. He looked forward to it so much and he's the best dad. 

They took Westin to sunbeam preschool on Friday and Michael did some one on one errands with Bennett, including trying to get us an inflatable pool for our hot and homebound summer -- but they were already sold out! They also went to Westin's T-ball game, our stake "family day" party, a picnic dinner on Sunday, lots of playing outside, and just enjoyed being together. I was SO grateful the boys got to have three days of Michael time. We're so lucky to have him.

Maddie:

On Friday morning at 3:30am I woke up and quickly got out the door to drive to San Diego. Michael got up and put my bag in the car, plus filled it up the night before, and left a note for me on my steering wheel to have a fun girls' weekend. I love him so much. Sometimes I feel like we are both working all the time, and I just feel grateful to be married to someone who both works hard and appreciates and knows that I work hard. Those sound like simple things but they make a huge difference in our life.

The drive was just under 6 hours and I picked up my friend Kristin from the airport. We walked along the coast and grabbed some fish tacos before meeting up with our other Indiana time friends at a beach house on Coronado Island. The rest of the weekend was full of kayaking, beach time, bike riding, Thai take out, crepes, sushi, so many treats, more fish tacos, s'mores on our deck, so much catching up, and some real good sleep. Oh my goodness, it was so much fun. 

I cried when I drove away because it kind of hurt my heart to remember how strong and dear my friendships are from that time of life and how different residency has been from that stage. But I'm just grateful to have experienced that and that those friends are still in my life.  I got home late Sunday night and had so much fun listening to Michael's stories about the boys and telling him about my weekend. I was tempted to not even go and stay home to have three days with Michael around, but knowing that baby is coming in two months and that nursing leash will be tight again, I decided to go. I'm so glad I did! We all had the best weekend.

My boys only wanted Lindsey's stories at the library the other day. She's so sweet to them.

Kristin! So, so fun to see each other again.

Lunch View

Deck on Ocean View Blvd on Coronado Island

I dug a hole for my belly. It felt amazing. 

The house!

Kristin set us up for crepes and it was quite the effort.

Sarah, Adriana, Kristin, Maddie, Joanna

I love these women so, so much.

This was actually my first time on the grounds of the San Diego temple.

Friday preschool!

I'll never understand the love my boys all have for cotton candy.

It's strawberry time in Fresno! Check out the size of those!