Thanksgiving Point

Thanksgiving Point has become a place we visit regularly. This is the second summer in a row that I've signed children up for summer camps there. There are numerous camps to choose from and it was hard to decide which ones to sign-up for.  Last summer, James did a dinosaur camp. 

This summer, James did a half-day pirate camp and a half-day lego camp. He was begging to go back for more legos! That was by far his favorite camp! James also did 4 half days at an engineering camp. James wasn't a big fan of the engineering camp. I was relieved when it ended because it made for a lot of driving with whining as background noise. Most of these camps James did with his friend, Harrison. 

Monday, August 1, 2022

You have to be 3 to participate in the camps, so Isabelle had to wait until her birthday. I signed Izzy up for pony camp with her friend Adrianna. She had the best time and even got to ride a pony. Her only complaint afterward was that her shoes were too tight. We immediately took her shoes off and found a blister. Some tears followed.

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

In addition to summer camps, we've explored more of Thanksgiving Point. We wandered around "Dinosaur Island" with the Bradshaws. It's nice going with friends who have memberships because I can get our tickets for half price. We went in the early morning and it was toasty by the time we left.  The kids were captivated by the volcano and enjoyed feeding the fish.

Friday, August 12, 2022

Paying for tickets on any given day is pricey. We live for cheap days and went on both $5 Tuesdays this summer. First, we went to "The Museum of Natural Curiosity." The kid's cousin Cooper happened to be in town and came with us. Apparently many others had the itch to go to this museum as well. It got progressively more crowded the longer we stayed. The museum has an inside playground that goes all the way up to the ceiling which the kids think is pretty cool. James felt like an expert after spending many summer camps inside this museum and liked playing tour guide. I somehow managed to forget my bag that was full of snacks/water/my wallet. We survived and had a car full of hungry kiddos on the way home. 

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

The next $5 Tuesday, Grannie was in town! We went to "The Museum of Ancient Life" aka the Dinosaur Museum. Grannie treated us to a movie there about dinosaurs and Antarctica. The main attraction for my kids was digging for fossils in the sand. They could have done this all day and brought home lots of sand as a souvenir. 

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

An important question-- should I finally just cave and get a membership to Thanksgiving Point? They're doing a promotion right now which has me considering it more than ever. Regardless of our membership status, we've spent a good chunk of our summer partying at Thanksgiving Point. 

Back to School

Last year, James and I went on a date to do some back-to-school shopping. This year, I planned to do the same thing. The hooligans thwarted these plans. Isabelle is starting preschool this year and was going to get a shopping date too. The kids decided they wanted to go shopping together! They are pals. At first, I was bummed. I wanted to go on a date with each child. I started this tradition and want to keep it up! The more I thought about it though, the more I realized tweaking this tradition is just fine. Who knows how long my kids will want to go back to school shopping together? I love that they're such close friends.

We went shopping at Kohls's and also ordered some items online. James was thrilled when he saw a "Mandalorian" t-shirt that looked similar to Andrew's. He couldn't wait to wear it and match his dad. James might just be the most stylish in our family with all his new clothes. He looks so grown up these days. Izzy got a skirt and Frozen shirt which made her dreams come true. The kids have to wait to wear their new clothes until school begins.

First day of Kindergarten

 Friday, August 26, 2022

To help James feel pumped up and excited about going back to school, I scheduled a hair appointment for him. This is rare. In fact, I've only ever paid for 1 other haircut for him before. I usually cut his hair myself. Although, after his haircut at Cookie Cutters, we did have to go back in for a redo because his bangs were so uneven. His bangs were jagged enough that I had to ask James if he played with scissors (he didn't). After his haircut fix, all is well. Isn't he handsome? Maybe I'll pay for haircuts more often.

James was giddy at back-to-school night. We got him a school t-shirt and he was over-the-moon about it. James is going to the same elementary school I went to. "Mama Bear" has already come out. Several months ago I filled out a request for what teacher and session of Kindergarten I wanted (am/pm). My request wasn't followed and I ended up having to email the principal. She was great to work with and changed James' teacher. Yay! 4 other kids from our ward are in the same class which will be good. Jackson, Maggie, Calvin, and Emmie are sweet friends. Kindergarten is only half-day and James has school in the mornings from 8:55am-11:40pm. On Fridays, it's an early day, so James gets out at 10:55.

This year, I wanted to make sure Father's blessings happened before the kids started their school journeys. This will be an annual family home evening. Father's Blessings and dessert. We went out to frozen yogurt. Isabelle was extra eager to go and I later learned that Izzy thought "frozen yogurt" was related to the movie, "Frozen." Sorry to dash your hopes, sweetie. That didn't stop Izzy from eating every bite of her dessert though. I've trained her well.

Monday, August 22, 2022

Kindergarten started on a Friday over a week after the other grades. James had a wonderful first day. I wasn't sure how it would go, but there were no tears and he came home grinning and clutching a treat. He even saved a treat for Izzy which was so thoughtful. We love James' teacher already and I noticed that after school, James was holding his teacher's hand. Cute! We sometimes have to work through "FOMO" with James. He has a big "fear of missing out" and sometimes gets grumpy hearing about what we do without him. (Errands are so thrilling.) Most of the time though, James is happy when it comes to kindergarten. He got to ride his scooter to school with a friend (and me obviously) and there will be more rides in our future! 

Preschool Open House

Tuesday, August 30, 2022

First day of preschool

Tuesday, September 6, 2022

Preschool for Isabelle doesn't start until September, but Izzy is ready. Isabelle has known her school name and teacher's name for months. We got to go to Isabelle's preschool open house and Izzy's excitement is through the roof. There's a tunnel slide inside the preschool from one floor to the next. I was extremely impressed and pleased with the preschool in Miss Amy's home. It's updated, modern, organized, and clean with oodles of outside toys. We are fortunate Isabelle gets to attend because there is a long waitlist. We'll try not to talk too much about Izzy's awesome preschool because it makes brother jealous. Cheers to a spectacular school year and 4 hours of kid-free time for mom a week!

Bright Spots

Experiences with people I love are what life is all about. Here are 4 bright spots in my life recently that have brought me joy. We hiked Timpanogos falls, I saw "Cinderella" with good friends, Andrew and I went on a double-date to "Singing in the Rain," and we splashed at "Cowabunga Bay." 

1) Timpanogas Falls-- Saturday, July 30, 2022

I'm thrilled to report that we crossed another hike off and it was a beauty! This hike is on the same trail that leads to Mt. Timpanogas. The waterfall is stunning. You can get a view at the bottom of the waterfall, but it's worth the extra steps to go to the top for the best view. The kind stranger who took this photo told us we would want to frame it. A couple things to remember about this hike-- parking was crowded. We went on a Saturday and the parking lot was full. Fortunately, we snagged a spot on the road right as someone was leaving. The hike is a long one to do with kids. Our children were troopers. We passed out Starbursts on our way down and they were a good distraction. Online it says this hike is 2.4 miles roundtrip. My phone said we went 3 miles. I felt like an "official" hiker. We had to write our names down and list how many people were in our party. (I think this is mainly to keep track of the people who hike Timp, but still.) We definitely worked up an appetite and stopped at J Dawgs after which we've been wanting to do for awhile. We bought J Dawg sauce and I've been putting that to use. Don't worry, I already have our next family hike planned! We're trying to spread our hikes out more though in hopes of more enjoyment and less complaining.

2) "Cinderella" at Sundance Resort--Friday, August 5, 2022

What a picturesque location to see a play. I invited my friends McCall and Valerie to join me for my first play at Sundance. We had wonderful seats that were centered and close to the stage which added to the experience. We decided to try out the brisket dinner before which was yummy. I don't know that I would pay $30 for the meal again, but eating in this gorgeous scenery was fun. The play itself was enjoyable. Rain was a worry and we did get a little bit of rain during the show, but not much. The weather was cool which was a nice respite from the sweltering temperatures we've had. At times I felt like some of the acting was over-the-top, but it settled more after intermission. There were some talented singers for sure! One twist I loved was that Cinderella became friends with her stepsister. It was a charming evening and the darkness definitely enhanced the show and added drama. We got lots of talking time in the car. I was out much later than usual and rolled in around midnight. I keep checking to see what show will be playing in Sundance next summer. Sign me up!

3) "Singing in the Rain" at Hale Center Theater-- Saturday, August 6, 2022

"Singing in the Rain" is the best show I've seen at Hale Center Theater to date. Andrew agrees. It was fantastic! The music has been on repeat in my head since the show. Our friends Nick and Becca invited us to join them and I'm so glad they did. They actually knew the guy who played Don Lockwood and we got to meet him after. The water scene was phenomenal. I can't believe how wet the stage got! Immediately following the play, Andrew turned to me and said we should see if this show is playing when Debbie is in town because she would love it. Who wouldn't? When we walked out of the play, it started to rain. It was perfect. We grabbed some food after and heard someone whistling the "Singing in the Rain" theme. The music is so catchy. Apparently I missed the memo to wear blue. Fun fact, Andrew and I watched "Singing in the Rain" on our first date. This double-date was an afternoon well-spent.

4) Cowabunga Bay-- Saturday, August 13, 2022

We've been wanting to take the kids to Cowabunga Bay and finally made it happen. The weather was questionable, but we decided to go for it. We went on a Saturday. It was a bit crowded and overcast, but we had a blast. Admission is spendy and getting a season pass might be worth it in the future. I wasn't sure how much our kids would be able to do since they are still kind of little. There are some pretty intense slides. James isn't 48 inches tall yet, but several of the slides only require a height of 40 inches. Izzy was able to ride at least 3 slides. The lazy river was like a hot tub and the kids loved riding in the tubes. One of the slides was a bit scary for James (it was completely enclosed and dark), but I was proud of him for being brave. Right when we were about to leave, there was lighting. The storm held off just for us. In the car on the way home, James exclaimed: "my toes look like they've been sucked on." We all laughed pretty hard. He was pruny. This waterpark was a family favorite by all. I don't think James asked for a snack once.

I want to remember these bright spots and memories!

Emergency Room

This summer has been difficult. I recently told my sister, "Heavenly Father must think I can handle a lot because it's been one thing after another." My strain of bad luck was kickstarted when I got Covid-19 for the second time this year (Just to be clear-- I am fully vaccinated and boosted). This led me to miss out on time with my parents. I also was quite sick at times. After recovering from Covid, I had to say farewell to my parents for 3 years. That wasn't easy. The icing on the cake was heading to what I thought was a routine pregnancy appointment on Thursday, June 30 only to find out that my baby had no heartbeat.

I happened to be alone at this doctor's appointment. I have gone to several OB appointments on my own and have never had a problem. Well, I definitely regret that decision.

At my appointment, I was 10 weeks along or so I thought. Before seeing the doctor, I was scheduled to have an ultrasound. Right off the bat, I could tell something was wrong. The ultrasound tech asked if there was any chance that my last period date could be wrong and that the baby was measuring smaller than 10 weeks along. I was certain when my last period was and had been tracking it. I could tell things were off when the ultrasound tech said she would need to do a vaginal ultrasound to get a better read. I never had a vaginal ultrasound with either of my kids.

After telling me to empty my bladder, the ultrasound technician took her time before returning to the room. I was worried and I had reason to be. During the vaginal ultrasound, the tech didn't mention a baby which was odd. Then, the doctor came in. I don't recall ever having my doctor in the ultrasound room with me. She informed me that the baby had no heartbeat and that I was experiencing a miscarriage. I guess the ultrasound technician isn't allowed to tell me this news, hence the waiting. 

I was in shock. I had had some minor spotting, but it wasn't much and after reading up on the internet I thought I was ok. I guess spotting can be fairly common if you've had multiple kids. Lesson learned-- go in with even the slightest hint of blood. I didn't expect to be bombarded with all sorts of questions immediately following this devastating news and broke down when asked, "Was this a planned pregnancy?" Yes, it was.

Based on the size of the fetus, the doctor and ultrasound technician believe the heartbeat stopped at around 8 weeks. I learned from the doctor that having Covid-19 does increase your chance of miscarrying and I had Covid-19 at around 8 weeks. Even though there's no way of knowing if COVID-19 is what caused the miscarriage, it was still hard to swallow. 

While I was at my appointment, the doctor examined me to see if she could see any of the baby tissue coming out yet. She didn't see much, so I wasn't sure how long it would be before I started heavy bleeding. After the appointment, I was continuously spotting/bleeding lightly. This provided a constant reminder of what I was going through and made me anxious. I wanted to be able to get through our planned 4th of July hike and the bbq I was hosting. I kept busy over the weekend with the aquarium, the Riverton carnival, church, the holiday, and more. It helped me to think about other things.

Dr. Peacock gave me 3 options for how to move forward and take care of the baby/tissue. 1) Have a D&C. 2) Take medication that causes the baby to come out within a couple of hours. 3) Wait and let the miscarriage happen naturally. If only I hadn't been alone. I had no idea what to do and ended up leaving the doctor's office thinking maybe I'd try the medication. 

Jill babysat my kids during the appointment. When I returned home, Jessica had also come over. They had a treat waiting which was so thoughtful. I had been craving Olive Garden, so my sisters and I headed there to help soothe my troubled soul. 

By the time Friday morning rolled around, I had decided I just wanted to have a D&C and get it over with. I fasted all morning because I thought I was having the procedure. Too many people were in labor, so they weren't able to get me in. One of the hardest parts of this whole thing was waiting around for such a terrible thing to finally happen.

I was able to go hiking and host the bbq on the 4th as planned. After everyone left, my bleeding and cramping picked up. I thought the miscarriage had passed. I wasn't able to get ahold of my doctor's office (which was a problem throughout this process). I was scheduled to have a D+C on the morning of Tuesday, July 5. I called and talked to a labor and delivery nurse at the hospital. After our conversation, she seemed to think I'd passed the miscarriage too. I canceled the D+C. Tuesday morning, Andrew went to work like normal and I took the kids to swimming lessons. In the afternoon, I started having heavy cramping again and then started bleeding excessively. It was intense. The doctor told me to go in if I leaked through a pad in a half hour to an hour. I was bleeding through pads in 20 minutes or less. It was scary! I had never seen such large blood clumps before.

I bled through several pairs of pants and underwear. I left my mark on both my chairs in the ER, even after just changing a pad. Every time I stood up, there was a huge gush. What a mess. I ended up having a D+C in the ER to get the remaining sack out. I wish I hadn't canceled my scheduled D+C that morning, but I truly thought it was over. Lesson learned. It put my mind at ease knowing that no more intense bleeding would happen.

When we returned home from the ER around 10:15pm on Tuesday, July 5, my sisters had pizza waiting on our doorstep. I was so hungry after having to fast for the procedure. My sisters helped feed and watch our kids too.

Throughout this traumatic experience, I can't deny god's hand. No, he didn't stop the miscarriage from happening, but boy do I wish that could have happened. He sent angels into my life to help me get through it. Here are some of the tender mercies I saw during this time:

• One of my mom's best friends showed up on my doorstep with a present for me. It was a book called, "Tear Soup." This is a beautiful book about pain and loss and it made Andrew and I cry. I can't say enough about how well-written and spot-on it was. I plan to buy this book in the future for anyone dealing with loss. It describes the process perfectly. My mom's friend also brought a treat and books for my kids. She gave me a big hug. Having this miscarriage right after my parents left was not easy timing. It meant a lot to me that Holly Holmes (someone from my home ward growing up) showed up.
• My sisters had my favorite order from Cold Stone waiting for me when I returned home from my doctor's appointment. Peanut Butter Cup Perfection. (Obviously changing ou the gross chocolate ice cream.) Yum. 
• My sisters treated me to dinner at Olive Garden to help distract me. They remembered I'd mentioned I had been craving Olive Garden. The "Tour of Italy" was delectable. 
• A neighbor came by with homemade rolls and wrote a sweet note about a miscarriage she had dealt with. (Her husband is an ER doctor and I ended up having to call him to see if I should head to the hospital.)
• My grandma brought us dinner.
• My SIL sent us "The Pie" pizza.
• My parents ordered us cookies.
• A friend mailed a beautiful, heartfelt card.
• A SIL was a good listener and called to chat with me on the phone.
• Our close friends had Crumbl delivered. I may have found my favorite cookie from there--a cinnamon swirl one.
• Earlier that week, my sister bought me 2 books. I was able to finish one while in the ER and it was the perfect escape from my reality. Check out "Nora Goes Off Scipt"
• My other sister gave us a doordash gift card.

In time, I've learned to cope with this reality. I had a miscarriage. I'm no longer having a child in January, as we anticipated. Seeing friends announce babies due around that time breaks my heart a little. Going to church has been more painful than I expected. Probably because we sit by the sister we minister and I hold/care for her tiny newborn. The grief/loss/pain comes and goes in waves. Yes, I started tearing up my first week back at high fitness. I couldn't give it my all and had to modify and skip the burpees which was just another reminder of the difficult month it has been. The ongoing bleeding was just another visual of this scarring experience. I'm trying to block out the memory I have of me trying to explain at the ER check-in desk why I was there. I was sobbing while saying I was having a miscarriage. It's all so fresh. In time, things are getting easier. Glad to say goodbye to July.