Best Days of Our Lives

This week had an excellent arc: regular gearing up of the week, going into a high point hanging out with my two favorite toddlers, then sliding into a long holiday weekend where we served in our ward.

A fun ad on the wall of an old building in Melvern, Kansas. We have driven an hour south of KC three times in the last couple of weeks. We are starting to really like it, but at the same time we don't want to do it EVERY day like some people do.

Thank you Willa for the fake nose ring.

Griffin tenderly providing "spa services" to Eve for $3/hr . His services included tucking her in with soft things, misting her with water, getting a book for her to read, and gently placing goldfish in her mouth one at a time.

On Tuesday I got Griffin and Eve off to school and then flew to Utah and drove to Provo and had dinner with Mariah, Mac, Buddy, Eliza, Juliet and Willa. Evan was still at work. After dinner we hugged Mariah and Eliza goodbye and got ready for my babysitting gig. (Mallory Sheldon was at home doing my regular gig until Alan got home.)

Such a cute family. I just loved how Mac and Mariah were looking at each other as they talked. Mac was home from a run and ready to take Buddy on a bike ride.

My girl and her adorable boy!

These two off on their adventure, by way of Eliza's house to drop off Juliet.

We went to the park!

Juliet loves to swing!

Buddy loves bikes. SO much. He found several to try out but this was the favorite.

The owner was asserting ownership. They listened, but didn't really care. 

We had a fun "lunch" which was mostly ripping apart food, since they were ready for food a half hour earlier at the park and had inhaled three muffins between them.

A spectacular feature of this babysitting job was that their dads came home at night and took care of everything right about the time I was ready to be done!

The next day we took the stroller over to the BYU Museum of Paleontology. It was tiny but mighty. I was impressed with what good things they had!

Buddy is always down for a stroller walk. Juliet got herself ready, including a pink horse (Willa gave it to her) and sunglasses.

Then Papa Fred came and visited with us! Buddy used to be sitting by him until Juliet heard there was going to be a picture and usurped his place.

My dad told me about the only picture he has of himself with his great grandfather as I was taking this. I have seen the photo, it is taken on his great grandparents' front porch and my dad was very small.

This full room just fills my heart!

Also Mariah cut my hair. This is the bedhead version of all of us after I got home.

Dancing to Juliet's favorite song: Ghost by Justin Bieber

Two articles I pitched were published:

UV needed a bunch of love when I got home.

Flowers from my girls to thank me for the fun thing I wanted to do!

Awkward bathroom hair selfie.

Eve made me a teeny tiny salad.

Alan was asked to perform a wedding for a couple who is moving out of the singles ward and into ours. We drove to Ottowa, Kansas twice for the rehearsal (which we dragged our littles to) and the wedding.

As soon as we got to the wedding rehearsal, Eve went to work making friends. It is her savvy.

Ready to go home on a beautiful night

 

Alan advising Juliana and Dallin to counsel together in love and righteousness. He did a great job. Then we hung out with the family under the tents through the dinner and toasts, but left before the cake cutting and dancing so we could go home, relieve our fabulous babysitter, put our kids to bed and watch an episode of This is Us.

Today we fasted and prayed and brought an art student to church with us and tried to figure out why Alan's car never started this morning.

Here a few videos, just to show you the amazing level of cuteness of my sweet little charges this week: