Turks and Caicos Trip

Mid-March, Todd and I went on a trip without the kids.  We stayed at Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean for five nights.  The kids spent half the week with Todd's sister Missy and the other half with Todd's parents.  

We had our worst car rental experience ever.  Budget, you stink!  The car they gave us was such a clunker.  It was noisy and had power nothing.  It lasted 24 hours before we ended up with a flat tire.  The spare was flat as well.  Luckily, we were only a few blocks away from the office (15 minutes before they closed), and were able to walk over and demand a new car.  

Car number one:

The replacement:

Our first day there, we thought we were going to starve.  We couldn't find ANY restaurants.  We bought some fried chicken at the grocery store for lunch and were overwhelmed by the food prices.  Twenty-five dollars for a watermelon!  Six dollars for a box of cereal - on sale!  I thought we were going to starve on the trip, but we just bit the bullet and spent tons of money to eat instead. 

Eventually, we discovered that all of the restaurants were housed within the resorts on the island.  They were also remarkably expensive.  We decided the locals must not ever eat out.  There was a major class disparity that really bothered me.  The locals live in poverty, tourism pretty much the only trade on the island, as they cater to all these rich white people who travel to their home.  I felt extremely guilty, and wished there were a more visible middle class to make me feel more comfortable.  

One night, Todd made the mistake of ordering The Kraken burger.  Grilled cheese and bacon sandwich, fried egg, onion ring, burger, onion ring, burger, grilled cheese sandwich.  That thing was massive.  Someone walked by our table right after it arrived and said, "I hope you're not going swimming tonight.  You'll sink!"  Thankfully, we had a kitchen in our villa, so he could save the leftovers.  He ended up making three meals out of it!  

We chose this destination mostly because it was renowned for excellent scuba diving.  We were not disappointed.  The water was super clear.  We saw lobsters the size of dogs!  There was a huge variety of beautiful coral.  And on one of our dives, we saw a Caribbean reef shark!!!  It was an amazing experience.  I love scuba diving, feeling like I'm flying, and looking at the amazing world God's made under the water.  

We should have reviewed the basics online before our trip, however.  This was the first time we've dived in three years, and I was panicking a little before our first dive.  Todd was going over everything with me, but I just didn't feel comfortable enough.  We got in the water and started going down, and I was having a hard time equalizing.  Then I opened my mouth too wide and got some water in my mouth.  Instead of swallowing it, I spit it out, along with my regulator!  Then I realized I wouldn't be able to breathe under the water, and started swimming back up to the top to start all over. (I could have put the regulator back in my mouth underwater, but I was panicking and couldn't think straight.)  Our diving guide came up to the top with me to see what was going on.  He said he could see I had a lot on my mind and asked if I would rather go back to the boat.  No way!  I wanted to dive!  He yelled at me a bit, and said I could only come back if I "never, ever, EVER, under ANY circumstances, take that regulator out of your mouth!"  Yes, sir.  Back under I went, fighting to stay calm so I didn't get sent back to the boat.  

I did just fine after that, and felt super comfortable the second day, but that's a good lesson for us, that we really do need to refresh ourselves on scuba protocol when it's been a while since we've been diving.  

Todd found a gorgeous shell while we were diving that he grabbed to bring home.  Obviously, though, it still had a little creature living in it.  On a whim, I suggested he pop it in the microwave and see if that would kill the little bugger.  Five seconds in, there was a massive POP!  He jumped right out.  

One day, we drove around, just exploring the island, and found a great mostly-private beach.  There were only two other people on it.  We set up our beach chairs and pulled out our books, reading and snacking and enjoying the gorgeous views.  

After an hour or two, we decided to stroll down the beach and see what was around the bend.  There were shells everywhere - lots of conch - and we gathered up quite a fun collection.  

Eventually, we turned around and headed back to our chairs.  We were surprised to see someone else had joined us.  There was this massive stretch of unclaimed beach, but this lady and her dog had set up camp not five feet from our chairs and bags.  Rude!  And the closer we got, the more I was squinting to verify my suspicions.... Yep, she was topless.  Todd and I weren't sure what to do.  We weren't ready to go home yet.  We were having the time of our lives on this beach!  So we sat down in our chairs, picked up our books, and tried to just ignore this woman.  But she made it impossible.  She was tossing a ball to her dog and moving back and forth right in front of us.  Not two minutes had passed before she had come over to us and leaned down right in front of Todd to pick up a stick or something.  And she had the audacity to smile right at us and say hello.  She was definitely not going to be putting her top back on now that she had neighbors!  I couldn't take it, so we packed up our stuff and left.  

But we came back to that spot a few days later and enjoyed the serenity once again.  So there!  

Our flight didn't leave until after lunch on our last day, so we spent the morning paddle boarding in the mangroves.  We loved it!  I'm so glad we did that.  Usually, we finish out a trip the last day just relaxing and reading, and I always feel like the time drags out and makes for a long day.  I loved using our last few hours actively.  

March Review

The kids spent a week with their cousins (Todd's sister Missy) and Grammie and Poppa while Todd and I went to the Caribbean.  They had lots of fun, once Hazel got over her fear that we'd be captured by pirates or eaten by sharks.  

Otherwise, we've had lots of time to play as a family, with Todd not headed back to work just yet.  We've been to children's museums and Temple Square, rode the train through downtown Salt Lake City, and taken our bikes to the park and gone hiking.

Todd brought Hazel a scarf from Afghanistan.  She's worn it quite a bit, mostly as a cape, but it's mainly been used as a hammock.

The kids are dying for warm weather.  We had a mild day in the 50's once, and they thought it felt good enough to sunbathe.  They are looking forward to California's sunshine!

Hazel has been playing library - making elaborate story times for us to attend.  She reads us stories that she "wrote" and then has us check out books, get our hands stamped, and do a craft.  This book is "Frozen 2."  Also, notice the massive scrape on her face?  She crashed on her bike. Thankfully, it is healing well.  Vitamin E, please work wonders for us!

Hazel had her last day of preschool last week, because this week is spring break, and we are moving back to California next week.  Here she is with Teacher Josie.  I almost didn't even think to take a picture when I came to pick her up, but I'm so glad I did, because Hazel said later how happy she was to have a picture with Teacher Josie.  I guess it was a big deal.  Sometimes I wish I were more sentimental so I would think more naturally of important things like that.

Since then, we spent a few days at Todd's parents' house again.  The kids rode the tractor, got rides on the four-wheeler, and spent plenty of time outside even though it was quite chilly.

From there, we drove to Cedar City to visit with Todd's sister Laura and the other cousins for a couple of days, then made a farewell tour on the drive back home, stopping to see Kelsi and David, Ryan and Kathryn, and Missy's family again.  My parents have been coming over a bunch this week.  I think we are going to be missed when we take off!

Gemma now solidly says, "Up," when she wants to be picked up, and is good at signing "all done" or "more" at meals.  Otherwise, she jabbers quite vehemently, but it might as well be in Chinese.  She hasn't made her jaw-dropping face in a while; her latest trick is the "smoochy smooch."  She puckers up her lips and comes in for a kiss, and is getting quite a lot of mileage out of it.

Jack eats breakfast like a champ, but otherwise is quite frustrating to dine with.  He daydreams at the table and barely takes a bite. Generally, he's not been very responsive to incentives, but I thought I'd give a sticker chart a try.  Hazel was amazing with them at his age.  He earns a sticker when he finishes his food during meal time (at lunch and dinner) without being reminded again and again to take a bite.  I've been cutting out snacks and trying to give him smaller portions so his plate doesn't look so overwhelming to him.  It's still hit and miss, and he needs a lot more work on his table habits, but I'm just so relieved that it only took him a couple of weeks to fill in his chart.  Looks like it's movie night tonight!

Other than that, we've been packing.  We are going to split the drive into two days, and should roll into Sunnyvale April 10th.  We're excited!

February

Honestly, I have neither the memory nor the desire to blog about the first two weeks of February.  All I remember is the phone call from Todd, saying he had his plane ticket and would be home on the 16th, a full two weeks earlier than I'd been projecting his return.  Hazel, Jack, Gemma, and I had a dance party in the living room, then the older kids took turns cutting 20 links off our countdown chain all at once.

I quit my primary calling, planned a couple family dinners, and had some serious emotional ups and downs that last week, waiting for Sunday.

The night before, Hazel was completely bouncing off the walls.  It was better than Christmas Eve.  She was doing cartwheels, and tossing slippers in the air (ala graduation caps).  She planned and set out outfits for herself and her doll Melody.  Adorable, right?

Sunday the 16th we attended the first few minutes of church, but left after taking the sacrament, and drove two hours to the airport.  The kids were sooooo excited.  (I was nervous.)

We met up with Todd's parents and some of his siblings, nieces, and nephews.  And anxiously watched for Todd to walk through the gates.  The moment I saw him, I burst into tears.  Hazel ran to him and jumped into his arms, and didn't come down for a solid ten minutes.  Jack held back a little that first moment, but it only took one little conversation with Todd, eye to eye, before Jack was full-throttle in love as well.

The rest of the day, everyone was vying for Todd's attention.  Todd moved Jack's carseat into the back of the van and sat between J and Hazel while I shuttled them to Lehi for lunch at Missy's.  He rode back there with the kids a ton that first week back.  I love it.

Todd did ride up front with me from Lehi to Smithfield.  We had dinner with my family at my parent's house.  Afterward, there was a wild rumpus with the kids, just like I'd been dreaming of.  Lots of laughing and wrestling and running and I just sat back and videoed it and soaked in the extreme happiness we were all feeling to have Todd back.

Gemma has taken to Todd by all of a sudden deciding it's time to walk, now that Daddy's back.  She toddles all over the place now.  It's crazy.  Literally, her record was eleven consecutive steps on the 16th, and within a few days, she was walking all over the place.

And thanks to Todd, I finally have her funny face on record.  It's too difficult to get her to make it and take the picture at the same time.  She opens her mouth and pulls it down as low and as big as possible, on purpose to make us laugh.  I love it.  She cracks me up.

It's been a lot of this ever since: general mayhem and overloaded happiness at our house.  

I haven't known what to do with myself.  I truly have about three spare hours a day because I'm no longer doing everything alone.  My loneliness has been taken away.  I no longer feel all bottled up, with important things to discuss and no way to have a real conversation about anything.  I'm at peace.

Todd's been coming with us to library story time, preschool carpool, the park, the grocery store.  He's been bike riding with the kids, taking them out on individual dates, fixing things around the house, and, of course, planning ways to strike it rich.  We've been filling up on hide and go seek, tickle wars, and book reading.

I have felt a literal infusion of power and capability from heaven during this deployment, upholding me through overwhelming trials and debilitating fears of inadequacy. Now Todd has come back and taken over his roles as husband, father, best friend, life partner.  I have felt a transfer of strength in the last couple of weeks, like God has stepped back and let Todd be my support again.  I don't mean to say that I don't feel God supporting me right now - far from it.  But I've felt a release of that extra strength I needed and begged for, and haven't been dropped, because Todd is back to provide his strength to me again.

  I am overwhelmingly grateful Heavenly Father saw me through this difficult year.  I couldn't have made it without His strength.  I know He is mindful of me and my needs, and I know I was blessed through the enabling power of the Atonement to be more than I am on my own while Todd was away.

January

One day Jack came running down the hall with a screwdriver in his hand.  (?)  He tripped and fell, it scratched his nose, and I thanked his angels for helping him not gouge his eye.  It completely tripped me up that - just like that - my kid could have been blind.  Instead, he just had a scratch for a couple of days.  Seriously, I know we're being helped out by loved ones on the other side of the veil.  Moments like these - stacked deep - just make it undeniable.  

The kids have been cracking me up this month.  I've felt much more lighthearted with Todd's homecoming just around the bend and have been noticing more the happiness of our everydays.  Like Jack insisting on wearing his new dress-up vest without a shirt (like Aladdin) all day long, paired with purple sunglasses, an umbrella, some singing, and an aversion to picture-taking.

Or Hazel coming crying for help, kind of in a panic, because she trapped herself inside a zippered dress still on the hanger and needed assistance.  She was so mad that I snapped pictures and outright laughed before I rescued her. I still can't help laughing every time I look at this picture.

Jack turned three on January 4th.  We had a family brunch (muffins, sausage, and fruit) since the only food I can bank on Jack loving every single day is breakfast food.   He was so excited to help me make his tiger cake, and to share it with everyone who came.
 

You probably noticed Hazel's radical hat in the above photo.  She made birthday hats for everyone out of tissue paper, yarn, and tape, and wore hers for a couple of hours.  Another laugh-aloud.  

The kid loves buttons, anything electronic. I felt like a million bucks when I had the idea to get him a remote control car for his birthday.  I know, I'm a genius.

I interviewed Jack and got some fun answers from him.

Favorite color: orange
 Favorite toy: remote control car
Favorite movie: Peter Pan      
Favorite animal: tiger
Favorite song: nursery ones
Best friend: hmm, maybe Hazel
What do you like to do outside: bubbles
What do you like to sleep with: blue blanket
What do you want to be when you grow up? Dad
Favorite food: muffins
Where is your favorite place to go? Backyard and Nana’s house
What do you do really well? Hmm, movie
Favorite season: when it’s hot and I can wear my swimsuit
One food I really dislike is: mashed potatoes
What makes you laugh? birthdays
What are you afraid of? Mean tigers, bad dreams
What do you love to learn about? Everything (he's always asking questions)

Gemma jabbers a lot.  No persistent labels for anything yet, so I can't say she's started talking.  But boy, when she does, she's going to be a chatterbox.  She just loves to think she's telling you what she's thinking!

She scavenges in the cereal cupboard when she's hungry.

We finally had some good packing snow, and Hazel was stoked to go out and make a snow girl.

The next day, she helped me shovel the driveway while the others were napping.  Then she suggested we secretly shovel the neighbor's driveway.  What a good girl!  She spent a good portion of the time planning how we would dive behind a car or tree to hide if they came out.  When we were all done and heading inside, I just had this feeling to teach her how to make a snowball and lob a few at her.  We ended up making snow angels and a big snowgirl together and having a really good time feeling connected.  We seem to butt heads a lot, so I treasure opportunities like this, where she and I definitely strengthened our relationship as we spent time together.

Grammie and Poppa brought Kelsi and baby Kollyn with them up to our place for a Saturday.  It was wonderful spending time together.  My favorite moment was the impromptu dance party.  Yes, my kids were in their swimsuits.  I think they'd been playing "Oh no, we're trapped in a hurricane!"

Who says water noodles are only for the summer?  They make excellent weapons for winter sword fights, too.

This picture = happiness.  The kids play out in the backyard together a ton still.  All it takes is a little bribery.  They only get gum if they're outside, and they always get hot chocolate if they play out there for at least half an hour, so the two of them actually trundle around in the back quite frequently.

Gemma-Bemma had her first birthday on January 14th.  I fell in love with her all over again that day.  My heart was just filled to the brim.  

This girl can pack in a cupcake!  She shoved every last crumb in her mouth.  It was fascinating to watch.  

Her present was a walker.  Gemma loves to stand, and can take a few steps, but isn't really walking yet.  But she loves to cruise around the house if you hold her hands and help her, and now she gets this enormous grin on her face pushing this thing around.

The next day I took J and G in for their well-child check-ups.  Jack's 38 1/2 inches (75th percentile) and 34 pounds (50th percentile).  He and Hazel have always been around that zone (or taller).  Gemma is 27 inches tall and 18 pounds, 5th percentile in both.  (Hazel and Jack were both 30 inches tall and 21-22 pounds at this age.)  Gemma is my Teensy Beense.

She's a constant mess-maker.  Totally in that stage where she loves to pull things out.

One Saturday I decided we needed a date day.  My dad took over Gemma Duty, putting her down for a nap at home, and my mom came with Hazel, Jack and me to the movie theater to see Frozen.  My kids have never been in a movie theater before.  Two weeks later, Jack still out of the blue talks to me about how HUGE the screen was.  We loved the show!  We've been going nuts listening to the soundtrack ever since.  One night, while I was putting Gemma to bed, I could hear them playing the songs over and over and over again.  When I came out, I found that Hazel had moved the table and chairs over to the other side of the kitchen island so they'd have a huge dance floor, and she and Jack were just twirling and stomping their hearts out.
 

There have been many days I've wished for our trampoline.  It's hard to burn out the kids' energy in the winter!  Jack's stopped napping except for the rare occasion.

I've taken to calling Jack Mr. Electronics lately, as he has taught himself how to use one of Todd's old phones, how to navigate several programs on the computer, how to work a playlist on Grooveshark or iTunes, and is constantly listening to books on CD, mostly (I believe) so he can play with the machine.

Hazel said to me the other day, "It's a good thing you wrote on my birthday paper that I'm artistic, because today I'm being very artistic!" And it's true.  The girl is constantly creating.  I love it.  Here's a little hidden picture she drew on a Kleenex - find the hearts.

We spent the night at Grammy's last weekend.  Cousins Shaylee and Carli stayed, too, and the kids had a grand time playing together.  I had to snap a shot of this, Jack and Carli playing Mancala together.  Three years old!  Actually, it turned out they were making muffins with the Mancala board.  Even better.

We should have Todd home before the end of February.  We cannot wait!!!