Picking Up Libby & Libby's Actual Birthday

This week I headed to Orlando to pick up Libby.  It was such an interesting flying experience.  I could get used to no security lines, middle seats free (and sometimes a whole aisle to myself), and a totally uncrowded trip.  It was so slick!  Wearing a mask all day was not my favorite--I got a little (or a lot) nauseous on the flights and I think it was maybe the mask?  Also, going to FL is just a long day of flying.

But it was worth it to be there and spend a couple of days with my sister and to bring Libby back.

I got to eat some delicious Great Harvest bread--yum! 

The first morning I went for a walk in the neighborhood where my sister lives.  It is SO cute!  But when the rain drops started falling, my walk turned into a mad dash sprint through the pouring rain!  We don't experience that kind of rain in Seattle.  I was dripping wet in seconds.  

Then it cleared up!  I gave Brad's electric bike a spin.  

This was fun! I wouldn't mind tootling around on one of these--as long as it didn't start raining! 

Davey Jones is a momma's boy for sure--but he let me hold him a few times. 

Making espresso is a team effort sometimes at GH.  Brad is holding Davey. 

Devin playing on the wheat sacks

Libby showing me she can clean--but she won't be in the habit. 

We did some good relaxing, we watched Ant Man & the Wasp! (I haven't seen a Marvel movie in a long time--it was fun.)

 

Devin is really into the Three Caballeros (and old Disney show).  Here are 2 of the Caballeros :)

I went for another walk on Friday morning.  I got some help foam rolling when I got back.  

Then we headed to the beach.  We went to New Smyrna North Beach.  It was incredible! It was so warm and perfect.  Pure bliss! 

Libby splashed in the waves for about 2 hours, then I rented her a boogie board.  She had a tough time getting out far enough to catch big waves--she kept getting pushed back.   But she had a good time. 

This hot beach mamma forgot her sunglasses in Seattle.  So she wore these amazing ones of Devin's all day.  Ha!  It was so warm, I even got out in the water and did some boogie boarding. 

We reapplied sunscreen. Twice.  But we still got burned.  Especially Libby.  Poor thing.  Note to self: Need to apply sunscreen before we go--it is too hard to apply and then wait before getting in once we are there...

For her birthday dinner, Libby wanted RIBS.  So we went to 4 Rivers Smokehouse (masks on the way in and when we ordered, don't worry).

Then strawberry shortcake for dessert--well, just poundcake for Libby.  Strawberry shortcake for the rest of us. 

We got up VERY early and flew home.  

Libby said I couldn't take any pictures of her with her sunburn.  But then I tricked her into a few.

One great tragedy on the way home.  Libby got a hydroflask from the Great Harvest Lost and Found (it had been there over a month).  She managed to leave it on the first leg of our flight.  I submitted the lost item form, but it's probably GONE.  There were definitely some tears.  She is very very brand conscious.  Absolutely only a hydroflask is cool enough for her.  I too have left something expensive (a camera) on a plane.  So I felt for her.

On the way home! 

Snoopy in MSP was wearing a mask too! 

It was a beautiful sunrise in FL.

So now I turn my focus to the guest room (which I started removing wallpaper from), girls camp "in a bag" prep, and trying not to think about what to do about school, Seattle's insanity, etc.  

Libby in Orlando

I'm going to try to get Libby to write a post about her Orlando adventures when she returns.  But I wanted to write about the highlights so far.  

My favorite is how much she misses her siblings--and how much they miss her, especially Sarah. When they get a chance to talk on the phone it is adorable.

And Libby loves to talk.  I have talked to her more on the phone than I ever did when she was here it seems like.

My favorite quotes: "Don't think that I'm going to keep this habit of cleaning when I come home."

Another conversation...Libby: "It is just so hard when the kids don't listen to you!"

Me: silently laughing..."Why yes...it is!"

Libby: "Mom, it is so different when a 4 yr. old won't listen to you, not at all like a 13 yr. old not listening."

Me: dying laughing..."No...it isn't." 

She is homesick.  But loving it at the same time.

Davey Time

Pedicures with Ray

Epcot! (They went for a cast preview day)

Recreating this picture from her 8 yr. old trip

She said it was hard to wear the ears and mask at the same time.  She had to alternate. 

I miss my Libby girl.  Then she persisted in asking for something on the phone yesterday (after I said no) and I was thankful for the distance that is making the heart grow fonder.  I'm going to pick her up on Wednesday.  It'll be nice to have our family complete again, even if we resume our frequent headbutting. 

Swim Time!

One of the highlights of the week are the 2 hours we can sign up for at the swim club.

Last week we took Jed & Rory.

It was a blast!  Ben requested a backward video: 

An Evening at the Beach

All the recreating in UT made me want to recreate some here too! 

So we spent an evening at Meadowdale beach with our immunity community (Nordies + Maren - Derek (who was at urgent care with the splinter).  I've never been there before, but the walk/hike down was so beautiful.  The beach was a typical Seattle (aka rocky) beach.  The kids didn't mind.  Maren offered then all $10 to get all in (it wasn't that warm outside, and the water is frigid!).  Ben's obsession with Goo Jit zu lured him in.  He dunked, and so did Wren & Rose.  Sarah said no way!

It was a lovely night! (And a great break from wallpaper stripping!)

Life Changes?

When COVID brought life to a halt for most people, police officers just kept working.  Life as (mostly) usual.  Then after the death of George Floyd, things got really intense.  And then the extremely liberal Seattle City Council decided to vote on a resolution to take decisive action--show their desire for social change by cutting the police department by 50%.  

Not, train up alternative people to handle 911 calls. 

Not, evaluate call load and response resources.

Not do some trials to see how it would feel to respond to the call load with a few less officers.  

Just straight up lay off 50% off the police in Seattle. 

They did not talk to the chief.  They didn't look at statistics.  They didn't work with the union.

They didn't look at the number of officers in Seattle vs. the number in comparable cities (we have the smallest force, by far, of any comparable city).

They didn't look at how things went in the CHOP zone (where several black lives were lost to violence) when police weren't allowed in.

And at first we assumed our lives wouldn't change, except that Derek's job would get much crazier, busier, and more dangerous.  

But then he found out that he is employee #890.  And the cuts will cut all higher than 700.  So, we may need to find a new job.  After 15 years.

And Seattle area won't be a safe place to live.

This was a HUGE shock to the system. 

We have never considered leaving.  

The vote is August 3rd.  So everything is sort of on hold until then...home improvement plans, decisions about what's next for us....even telling our kids about it.  We don't want to worry them.

But a tentative job search has started.

Would you want to work for a department where your city council are doing and saying things like this:

Chief Best's response was excellent.  Now we wait. 

https://komonews.com/news/local/chief-best-discusses-what-defunding-her-department-would-look-like

Home Projects...

We stayed in Utah one extra day so I could help my mom finish her South America Room.  It made me REALLY want to get home and get started on my office.

So once we got home, I caught up on laundry, mowed the lawn, washed the car, and started moving things out of the office.  I had a lot of stuff in there.  Thankfully Ben was super motivated to earn extra money (he is obsessed with owning more Goo jit zu toys), so he helped.

Before

Before

Before

 

Have I mentioned that Derek HATES projects?  But I got him to help me remove the built in from this room (it was a super inefficient use of space--but I was sad because it was such nice wood). 

And this project didn't help Derek like projects any more because as he loaded it into the truck, he got this massive 2.5 cm splinter in his hand.  It was DEEP!  He had to go to urgent care to have it removed.  So, while we went to the beach and had fun (see other post), he sat in the doctor's office.  Yep, his hatred of projects continues to be justified. 

Emma and Kaj came and helped me with the wallpaper removal.  It was the easiest I have done so far because there was paint under all 3 walls.  They helped paint the ceiling too. Then I painted.  I have never had a room done so fast.  It was epic!  The furnishing isn't done yet...there has been a bit of a shift in perspective because of the Seattle City Council's insanity (there will be a post about this too...). So I'm holding off on buying the rug and furniture.  But I have a very good plan from my designer to work from.  But isn't it bright and beautiful?  (Another reason Derek didn't like this project--he liked the cave like office...)

Happy 4th of July!

It was a hot hot 4th of July in Centerville!  My kids love the 4th in Centerville--and even though the usual community celebrations were all cancelled, we still had fun.  

Rachel and I ran our own 5K.  Slowly.  With some walking.  But it was fun! 

Uncle Davey helped the kids do some pour painting.  (With Libby micromanaging--and not everyone appreciated.)

The paintings turned out really good! 

I made literally the BEST homemade ice cream I have ever had with the fresh raspberries from my parent's garden.  YUM! 

Dave bought a couple of fort building kits and we made EPIC forts. 

We did our own little Children's Parade. 

A couple of people even came out to cheer us on.  Did I mention it was HOT!?

We ate and hung out until it got a little bit dark.  Then we did some amazing fireworks.  This year we didn't set anything on fire.  The individual firework shows going on around us were incredible.  Apparently the firework stands had a banner year with all the big shows cancelled. 

Then the older kids (and neighbor Jax) got to hop into Papa's inflatable hot tub.  It was a great day.

Camping/Hiking Adventure: Spruces Campground

When Rachel said she wanted to camp, I found us a couple of sites up Big Cottonwood Canyon at Spruces Campground.  It was conveniently right by a moderate hike --Donut Falls.  2 birds with one stone! 

Well, this reminded me how out of practice I am with recreating.   It took us a long time to get out on our way.  It also took us a long time to find parking at the hike trailhead--especially for my dad with the tent trailer.  It is hard to coordinate when there is no cell service.  We need walkie talkies for such adventures.  But we finally all made it and started hiking an hour after the first group got to the trailhead.  It was a lovely hike--but actually required some stream fording and bouldering at the end.  We weren't totally prepared for that.  But I forded the stream in my chacos and brought the kids across.  My mom was a rockstar!  We didn't go all the way up to the falls--and there were so many people crowding up at the end of the trail before you really had to boulder up.  We did stop for a picture before we headed back down.  Brian for the win because he brought snacks. Different kids melted down at different times (Rachel's Davy had the hardest time--so I'm glad it was her idea we did this and not mine).  But we all made it.

We made it! 

From the hike we headed to our campground.  My dad's tent trailer wouldn't fit into the trailer site we reserved, but luckily the one next to it was available so he fit in that one. 

That site had a stream right next to it.  The kids had a blast playing around the stream and some getting more or less soaked.  (Tacey got especially wet--but just kept playing).  Nick, Drea (and kids) and Davy came up for parts of the evening.  

We only had one camping fail, really.  That was the air mattress I borrowed from my dad to replace the one of ours that was leaking had a bigger leak (and our tent was set up on rocks).  So we took some cushions from the tent trailer for Ben (they were too small for me).  But he slid down in between them.  Poor guy.  It was chilly at night and we could have had more layers.  We were all pretty tired by the time we took camp down.  We ate delicious food and enjoyed each other's company.  

I got to chill out at my parents' house for the afternoon (and do some shopping).  Dave took my kids on an Uncle Davy adventure to Antelope Island and R&R BBQ.  We did have a really scary moment though.  My mom was trying to get the dresser drawers all spray painted that she had been working on.  She was coming in and out of the house many times.  I was sitting at the kitchen table and heard her miss the last step and go down flat out on her belly on the cement patio.  It was so scary.  She was upset and rattled.  Her face was bleeding in a couple of spots.  She was embarrassed/frustrated as well as hurt.  But she got up, stopped the bleeding and went back to spray painting.  She is one determined woman!  She was ready to go walking again on Friday! 

Recreating is hard work!