Blogger was not being very friendly last night...I posted the pictures, wrote a post and then it was deleted! I realized it immediately - but I didn't want to stay up and write the same post. I finally bit the bullet and rewrote it...thankfully this time blogger was kind :)
Friday the older kids have early out at 1:05 & Jacob's Kindergarten starts at 1:10 up at the UofU. The timing doesn't work really well to have everyone where they need to be at the exact time, and since my mom usually has Friday off - I have her pick up the older kids so that Madeleine can have a piano lesson and they get time with Grandma while I take Jacob up to class and either volunteer that afternoon or run errands.
This week she had the kiddos earlier in the week, so I picked up the older kids from school and then we cruised to get Jacob to his class...he was late, but thankfully his class is laid back about this :) We then drove down to Gateway and had plans to go shopping at Gymboree (Gymbucks time!) and head to the Children's Museum.
Two strikes were that 1) Gymboree is no longer in the Gateway. I should have double-checked! and 2) the children's museum was insanely busy as part of the Salt Lake area must have been on Spring Break. Every foot of the museum was packed with kids and it was not fun - so we left after 20 minutes...we signed up for the 6 month pass back in March so coming and going will be much easier and I won't feel guilty at how long we stay :)
We tried to find a park while I drove through the avenues back towards the U. I saw a big grassy area up a few blocks and drove towards it --- only to realize that we had come upon the Salt Lake Cemetery. This may seem weird to many people - for me, it's natural. My father was a Funeral Director when I was growing up - I wouldn't say I'm at home around death and the things related...but it doesn't bother me. I also love this specific cemetery as my Grandma Miller is buried there, and it has one incredible view of the Salt Lake Valley...oh, and it has many of the Prophets buried there as well :) We drove by George Albert Smith's family plot on the way out and saw his headstone. The older kids and I were amazed & I want to go back and see if we can find the other Prophets plots at a later time.
Anyway, we were able to find my Grandma's headstone after I drove up and down those narrow little "streets" and could feel that I was getting close, but couldn't remember the exact location. I'm so thankful that Grandpa Miller decided to get a headstone that is prominent to read from the street...that it is VERY close to the road also really helps.
The kiddos and I got out and we viewed her headstone and talked about how long she had lived, and then also viewed the headstone of her parents which are buried in the neighboring plot, as well as her sister who died at 2 years of age. It was a brief visit as it was chilly & windy - however it was sweet. There is a very special spirit, one of reverence and remembering, at cemeteries and I'm looking forward to Memorial Day when we will do a tour of a few cemeteries to go and visit ancestors that have passed on.
On the way out, we passed by this amazing flowering tree and I was just in awe at how intense the blooms were. I asked Madeleine to take a picture for me & she snapped one on the phone from the car (1st photo). Then she looked at it, and told me she needed to go closer to get a better shot. She hopped out, and took the 2nd photo - which really was better! I'm so proud of her little photographer eye!
Photo 1
Photo 2 (I made it larger - but look how much better it is!)
When we got home, the kiddos and I worked together to make Zuppa Toscana soup for dinner. This is THE meal that we all love and could have on a very regular basis....oh, it's so yummy! The great part as well is that everyone loves to help make it, which I love as it's not a complicated soup - it just takes time.
The boys got to work peeling potatoes & in the middle of their work Bryson Jr. asked me if we could open a family restaurant so we could work together. I love the idea & would love to be able to do that...
Hopefully it can be sooner than later - I love working together and it's especially nice when we are all working on a project and everyone is getting along. Ahhhh...I'll take a 1/2 hour of {almost} bliss :)
Madeleine was trying her hand out (literally) in cutting the slice of potato --- however she still needs some tutoring and I was worried a finger would be chopped off in the process of trying to finish dinner. Then I had a brilliant thought - the slicer I had purchased after a demo at the local grocery store (yes, I fell for one of those sales marketing little demo shows!) - so I pulled it out and she whipped through slicing the potatoes on the new little kitchen gadget - she was happy to get to stay on this important task & I was happy we didn't lose any fingers in the process!
To finish the evening, Bryson and I left the kiddos with Nana & Papa Lord at our house and we enjoyed a date night to the Jordan River Temple. We are so blessed (and now spoiled - we haven't had this many dates in years) with family around to watch the kiddos! I love how it allows time for the kiddos to develop a relationship with their grandparents - how awesome to have a pick-up soccer game in the backyard with Papa Lord? Attention from Nana for whatever it is a child needs at the time. And to have piano lessons from Grandma Joy and play in her backyard each week?
It is certainly true that the little things make life pretty awesome indeed.
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