Lessons Learned

Phew. 3 posts in one night. A new record!! Trying to play catch up.

Lessons learned from Day #1 of speaking assignments:

Ok, so our new found plethora of time with Chris is kind of over. Not completely...but a bit. A couple of weeks ago he was asked to serve as a member of the high council at church. How do I explain this to my friends of other faiths.... Our church is organized by geographic boundaries. So the actual congregation you go to each Sunday is based on where you live. Several congregations (or wards) make up a stake. So he now helps with more regional things on the stake level (made up of several wards). And everything we do at church is volunteer. You are asked to serve in a certain spot and you can decline or agree, but it's all unpaid. Does that make any sense? If not...you'll just have to come with me and see what I'm talking about for yourself. :)

So among other assignments, once a month we are assigned to speak in Sunday services at one of the 11 wards that make up our stake. Each month it rotates and we will be somewhere different. Today was the first one. Lessons learned from today:

1. 1:30 is too late to start church for 18 month olds who didn't take a nap.

2. 4 year olds don't like their cheese moved. In the beginning. But by the end, they are happy their cheese moved. (Also known as...four year olds don't like to attend other congregations...they miss their own friends and teachers...until they realize it can be just as much fun and they can meet new friends.)

3. 4 year olds will, if parents are not watching closely, make their way to the front of the congregation where their other parent is speaking. Several times. Especially if one parent is holding a sleeping baby and is not sure how to snag him with said sleeping baby. Oops! :) A little distraction and entertainment never hurt anybody, right? :)

4. 18 month olds who really like their dad should not be sitting near the front in church where they can see said dad really well. They will probably keep calling out to him while he is speaking. Daaaaad!! Daaaad!!!

5. Chris loves to speak. In church. In public. Really, anywhere. Krista, well, does not. But is learning that it is ok. I guess.

6. I thought the high council was for old guys. I mean no disrespect. :) But apparently it's for young guys too. :)

7. It actually can be a lot of fun to travel to different wards and visit old friends and make new ones and get out of your comfort zone!!

8. (Chris' item #1) When Krista says she only needs five minutes to speak, what she means is that YOU only need five minutes to speak.

9. (Chris' item #2) Four year olds LOVE finding hymn numbers. For example, if you tell a four year old to find hymn #219, they start at hymn #1 and go in order until they find #219. The carrot is when they hit, for example, hymn #29. "Hey! There's a 2, and there's a 9, but there isn't a 1 between them. Keep looking!) Hours. Of. Distraction. (Or at least until mom starts speaking and you need to run onto the stand. Again.)

10. (Chris' item #3) Tori K. is my all-time speaking partner. All other high councilors BACK OFF! ;) (I'm also thinking of poaching Bradley C...any thoughts on whether I can pull it off?)

Beach Boys

Meanwhile...back at the ranch...

While I was on girlcation, Chris was ambitious. He decided to take the boys camping at the beach.

And wow. Those boys are still talking about it. They had so much fun!

What a fun memory for them!!!

I'll have to get the other pictures from Chris and post them because there were some really fun ones!

Funny side note--in case you didn't realize it--it's HOT in Texas this time of year. So Chris was apparently roasting all night. But when they woke up in the morning, Caleb said, "Man! Next time I need to bring my jacket! I'm cold!!" Haha. Little Texas boys don't know what cold is. Let's hope to keep it that way! :)

Girlcation

For my birthday, Chris surprised me with an airline ticket for and helped orchestrate the first annual girlcation (Girl + vacation = girlcation. It's science). He even took the days off work and watched the boys himself. Now if all of that doesn't win you the Husband of the Year Award...I'm not sure what would! He is pretty much the best!!

So I hopped on a plane by myself and man oh man was it weird. It was strange to go through security at the airport without a whole bunch of kid gear. It was strange to get on the plane and not have kids to distract. It was weird carrying only one suitcase through the airport.

But I somehow persevered the weirdness and I met up with my sister, Kaylyn (aka Nyn) in Nashville. About two miles outside the airport...we had our first of many adventures.

Hehehe. Awesome, huh? That's what fun memories are made of right there!! A guy rear ended us. Welcome to Tennessee!!

We met up with another sister (Kim) in Huntsville, AL. We went to the space museum and played games galore and just had fun catching up with each other.

Caleb apparently loved all the pictures of the spaceships I kept texting them. He kept asking me to ask someone there if we could all ride on one. :) The only thing in Huntsville I probably could have done without is the human centrifuge machine thing they called experiencing g force. :)

Then all three of us met up with Kip and family in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. What a crazy but fun place. I think it is becoming the Vegas of the East!! We road a tram 3000 feet in the sky, played miniature golf, rode a ski lift up to an alpine slide and raced down the slide, hit the outlet stores, ate out, made candy in our hotel room, and just had a relaxing but fun time.

Chris said the only thing I had to come home with was a date and place for next year's girlcation. :)

And so...looking forward to next year! :)

It's funny, but really all I wanted to do when I got home was all the daily things that sometimes get mundane. Life is so good.

And when I got home to a nice clean house and happy boys, check out what else was waiting for me!!

I had to take a picture of those cupcakes. Pretty much masterpieces, don't you think? They tasted even better than they looked though! Thanks, Jill!!!