The Week That Left Us Exhausted!

The Week That Left the Grand Perkins Parents exhausted!  Yes this was that week.  A long one by all counts.  Monday Dad (who objects to being Grandpapa and wants to just be Dad) did inventories.  With 30 something new stores under his jurisdiction, there is a lot more of that.                                  

 I had a Relief Society Birthday Party planning meeting at Jill Wilson's.  That was fun.  I did some crafting that day, then that evening we had the Rodriguezes over for dinner.  They are one of Dad's home teaching families, and he rarely gets to teach a lesson, so we had dinner, inviting Sam

and Emily (Who teaches two of the boys in Sunday School) to join us.  The family home evening was great, then we played some card games with the family after Emily and Sam had to head 'home', as Emily had work to do.

On Tuesday Dad had more inventories to do.  I ran some errands, then did some crafting and some blogging in the evening while Dad did his regular shift at the temple. This set of birds sitting on sprinkler gages is my favorite craft of the week.  I think they are so fun and funky!

 Wednesday and Thursday were work days for me, and more inventory days for Dad.  When Dad went to take his Dad to dinner Thursday night, Kelly said Grandpa had been up all night and was finally sleeping, so they skipped their usual dinner. Dad came home and put the seats back in the van, as I would be needing them.  I, meanwhile, attended my book club where we talked about 'The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet', which we all loved.

On Friday morning I ran to Salt Lake and met my friends Cathie and Jeannine at an estate sale.  We shopped and visited and plotted and planned for flea.o.logy.  I headed south to pick up Kim for our upcoming weekend, but go caught in traffic, so Ashely brought Kim, and the cute munchkin to the right, to Nell's where we were meeting before taking off for Idaho to see the Hunger Games with Britt.      There were 9 of us that drove to Idaho, including, myself, Kim, Darby, Nell and her children, Emily and Becca.  The last two planned the excursion and we all managed to get off about 1:15.

We arrived at Britt and Mike's house around 7:30, and relaxed for a while.  Britt made us a great dinner, a taco bar and everyone loved it.  Then we kicked back and visited and watched movies.

Saturday morning the official 'baby whisperer' got reacquainted with his friend, Lu.  No one is really sure just what magic sway he holds over babies, we are just glad he has those skills!! Yeah Mike!   Britt make cocoa in her fancy cocoa maker every morning, and everyone loved that ... not Eva above.

                              Then it was off to the movie.

The movie was great, we all enjoyed it, and of course sharing the experience.  .... Then Sunday morning, we visited some more, cleaned up and packed ....

There was also one other special event to be experienced.  Darby's 33rd birthday needed  to be celebrated.

I loved this picture of her with Kim, so I just threw it in for good measure!

Here's the birthday girl with her official birthday cake!

Then it was time to say goodbye to our host family.  What a cute family, oh wait, maybe Lu should go home with her mom, even though she does look so comfy as a part of the Mitko family.

It was a long drive home, and when I dropped off my last fare, Kim, Ben's car was at her house.  I told her that is what she got for leaving her room for two days, Ben must have moved in and taken it over.  NOT.  He was just there cleaning up his motorcycle, as it is Spring!!  Then he took Kim for a drive, it was fun to see him!!  Seeing Ben brought my kid viewing count to 8 out of 10 (I saw Spencer when he came by earlier in the week to watch a Jazz game!!)  and my grand kid viewing count to 9 out of 11!!  Not a bad week score wise.  Yeah!

When I got home Dad said it had been a good weekend to be gone, as he was at inventories and church meetings for the majority of the weekend.  He attended 7 hours of church meetings today!!

Wow, what a week, no wonder I am tired.

High Councilman Perkins and other items of minimal interest.

Dad's week was spent working on the Fresh Market reset in Provo.  He was pretty exhausted all week, because its so much physical labor.

After work Monday he went over to the hospital to visit with Richard Rodriquez who he home teaches.

That night the Kews called and we went over and visited with them for a bit.

For me Monday was spent making crafts and blogging about them and other things, including:

this wreath, which is now hanging on my front door.  Funny story:

Tuesday I spent the morning blogging, now that I am doing a post every day plus the ones I do on the  flea.o.logy and the Treasures blogs, it takes some time.  So, as it happens, the wind is blowing and I can definitely hear foot steps, someone is walking around downstairs ....

When I go down there, I see nothing, natta, no one .... then I hear the steps on the front porch .... spooky, when I go out my wreath is flipped backwards, and while I stand there I see it flip and flip and flip in the wind .... so lightweight it sounds like footsteps ....

That night I made dinner for one of my Visiting Teaching ladies, who has infant twins, and then went visiting with my new partner and saw all of my other peeps too.  All in one day, how cool is that?

Dad did his assignments at the temple that night.

On Wednesday and Thursday I worked, both days I did tax prep stuff, getting ready for Grandpapa to go to the tax guy on Saturday.  He also spent the evening Wednesday working on getting his stuff ready for taxes.

Thursday after work I stopped at the Provo DI for a bit.  Grandpapa went up to Salt Lake to do dinner with his Dad, Great Grandpapa, as usual.

GPP also managed to get in three 5 K runs this week, despite being so tired.  One evening he came home and laid down 'for a minute'.  Emily brought Beckie up and laid her next to him and that startled him out of his sleep and somehow his hand jerked and snatched off the baby's sock.  Poor tired Grandpapa.

On Friday, I focused on finishing up my tax stuff, so that in the evening we were both sitting at the dining room table doing that.  It was also the 40th anniversary of my brother Wayne's death, so I was thinking about that as well.  I so look forward to the time when I will get to know him better.  He had such a good heart, but his disabilities made this life such a struggle for him.  When I think of him it makes me want to be kinder to people who struggle with personality disorders.

Saturday, GPP took off to run, but came back after a half hour and said "Oops, guess I can't do a long run today, I have to be at the tax accountants at 9:00.  Dad was very happy to find out that he got a $2500 rebate from the state  in the form of tax credits for buying a natural gas car.  Those are the kind of tidbits that make our accountant sooo worth it.

I left him with a list of projects 1. unstick this drawer, 2. put a back on this cupboard 3. Reattach the top to that cupboard.  He did every one of them.  He rocks!  

I took off for the day and met up with Robin for a 

Writer's conference in Provo.  It was a charity conference, as in all of these wonderful, published Utah authors were there, speaking, critiquing, doing Q and A, etc. and donating all the proceeds for the conference to charity.  We both had  a great time, and are all ready to write the next great American Novel!!  (Go US!!)

And here am I with Shannon and Dean Hale each signing their respective books.  They did a discussion on rewrites that will certainly be useful to me if and when I get down to writing that book.

From there we met with Heuers and Moes and GPP at Mi Ranchito in Orem (Sorry Ben, no one got a Tostada Grande ....)  Then it was off to see Xanadu at the Hale Center Theater also in Orem.

This morning I went to the High Counsel meeting with Dad to see him as he was set apart.  Then he was off to meetings with the ward he works with.  Then at one I met him at still another ward where he was to talk, and where he needed me to talk with him, as his scheduled speaking partner was in Texas....

No one told me that sustaining one's husband as a High Councilor meant speaking with him .... should have read the fine print before I 'signed on', eh?

 Then tonight we were pleasantly surprised to be invited to have dinner with the temporary bachelor, Trevor, and his kids.  Nell is visiting a friend in one of the Carolinas, I can never remember which.

Above is the position Eva was in when we got there, being the artist as always.

Scott was also the artist and did a Raffle for some of his art work.  That was fun.  I got a shamrock, and look what Spencer and Seth got.

 Yep its a heart, cut down the center with the words, Best and Friends.  Pretty creative J. Scott, and it was kind of lucky that Spencer and Seth won this prize, because after all that is what they are.

It was fun to get caught up with what S and S are doing.  Dinner was great, and we all had a great time .... GPP and I took off after the rest of them retired to watch the Jazz game ... I mean I did need to get home and blog, right?

The picture below shows Trevor putting Eva's bike helmet on  Eleanor.  I guess 'La La' has been enamoured of it all week.  Thanks again Trevor and all.  GPP and I had a great time.

Toddler Fun - by Briahnna

Toddler Fun

I was trying to turn on a movie for Elias and the vcr just kept spitting the video out at me. I got a little bummed because 90% of our Disney collection is on VHS. Once I had a few spare minutes I decided to take a look at it since the connected DVD player still worked great. I tried reaching in and didn't feel any big toys so picked it up to shake it. Heard it rattle like a snake. A good 10 minutes of shaking, twisting, turning, and pouring and I got 10 goldfish out and quite a few crumbs. Apparently it is just as fun to swim the fishies into your mouth as it is to swim them into forbidden flaps :)

Elias is loving giving kisses now, and with Broc gone on his mission for 6 months, he has finally gotten over the open mouth kiss and is willing to give them closed lips :) He is getting way better as his signs and is starting to put 2 together. The other night, we were playing with him getting him ready for bed and he was giggling so cute I wanted to take him to the other room to play some more before putting him down. He saw me walking out of his room and quick signed "sleep" to me and pointed to his crib. Guess he knows what he wants! He is starting to mimick all short phrases we say, and is willing to wear or do anything we do.

22 weeks along with our little girl - getting closer and closer! Showing more and more all the time and she is moving like crazy. She moves way more than I remember Elias moving. Still no decision on a name, but hopefully getting close!

Grandmama and Grandpapa's 'More of the Same' Sort of Week.

 So its time for Captain Paula (AKA GMM) to record our week.

On Monday I got a call to go to a private sale at the storage unit of a popular antique dealer in SLC.  I borrowed the train conductors cap for a photo.  I also brought home lots of goodies and got to hang out with fellow flea.o.logists Cathie and Jennine.

Meanwhile Grandpapa was off working on the remodel at the Provo Fresh Market.

That night we joined forces and went to our Empty Nester's FHE at the Kews this time.

Tuesday GPP had more work at the Provo FM.  I stayed home and crafted and blogged, finishing three different blog entries.  I am doing one a day on my Pollyanna blog now, which takes some doing and so that is keeping me busy!

Wednesday and Thursday were convention days for GPP, and he spent the night at the Little America Hotel.  I worked those days, and then on Thursday night went to the Relief Society production that my friend Jenn wrote and produced for her stake in Orem.

On Friday I met Cathie and Jenn in Salt Lake and went to some estate sales.  It was pretty fun, and again, I came home with a load of goodies.  That night GPP and I went to see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close at the dollar movies in Spanish.  I like it better than he did, as he only likes traditional happy endings.

Saturday I was off to work, so GPP worked on some projects, including installing a transom in the upstairs bedroom that hasn't had one since we have owned the house.  He also added doors to a small cupboard I want to resell, and fixed the garage 'people entry' door so that it latches easily and doesn't stick anymore.

We had an incredibly busy day at work, but I still managed to make it to the Spanish Dollar Movies again, in time to see 'We Bought a Zoo' with GPP and the Kews, and then we went to Winger's for a bite.

Which brings me to today.  This morning in Sacrament Meeting GPP was sustained as the second high counselor from our ward.

Then I subbed for Emily's Sunday School class and also her Young Women's class, which turned out to  be the entire Young Women's group, (about 10 people including 3 leaders) because the other teacher's son had reported his mission and she was home with extended family.

Our every other week dinner tonight, was missing a lot of people we love, like our Idahoans, of course, and also the Halls, Brady (who works Sunday nights), Davin, Bri, Elias, Darby, Ben and Sam.  Spencer and Seth came, though I don't have a picture of Seth to prove it.

   We had pulled pork sandwiches, and Nell brought a nice pasta salad.  After dinner, while Trevor cleaned up (Yeah Trevor) Emily brought out the cute sayings book and Dad read out of it for a while.
      He read gems like "Green light means you have to go, red light means you have to don't." -Trevor
and a funny one I had forgotten.  Becca came back in on a snowy Sunday all wet when she was 7.  Since we didn't allow play outside on Sunday, I was mildly rebuking her when she said, she wasn't playing she was doing service, building a snow man for the less active neighbors....   I loved it!!

 It was extra fun because Rui came. I think the Grandkids loved that best of all.  She played hide and seek with Eva for most of the after dinner time.

I love this picture to the right.  Elle pulled out the hair bands that were holding her pig tails in for a smart new hair style.  Isn't she just too cute?

Sam missed coming because his back is bothering him.  Please remember him in your prayers.  He never knows when a flair up will come, we are especially sorry because it meant missing him tonight.

Davin and Bri missed coming too, because she is not feeling well with her pregnancy this time.  Please remember her in your prayers as well.  Even though we had a lot of fun, those who were missing were mentioned and remembered and their presense was sorely missed.

Sometimes, I know, people think just because you have a big family, that some people can go missing without being missed.  I have not found this to be true .... just feeling a little sadder tonight missing some dear ones.

                   And last of all  here is a picture of Emily and Becca just being silly with Titan and Scott.

Family Swim Time

This last Thursday we went swimming at the Lehi legacy center. They have the best pool for little guys like Titan. There is a little area for kids under 5 with two awesome slides.

There is also an are for older kids that Titan doesn’t quite understand but he still enjoys it.

After swim time we went home and Aunt Darby came to watch Titan while Brady and I went on a date night.

Grandmama and Grandpapa's Week

Yep Grandmama and Grandpapa managed to find things to do to fill their time for yet another week.  There were outings, meals out with friends and family, a movie, a play and scrabble, lets see how it played out.

On Monday Dad went to the General Merchandise show in Salt Lake, then got the gondola movers and took them to the Provo Maceys.

I was in the same neck of the woods, with a dentist appointment and a trip to DI.  When I got home I went by a neighbors to appraise some antiques she asked me to help her with.

On Tuesday Eva and I went to Salt Lake, which is getting to be a monthly affair.  We went to visit and play games and eat icecream with Aunt Cheryl at Grandpa's house.  On the left above is Eva eating her icecream cone. 

Next it was off to my friend Marci's where Eva plopped down on Marci's deep furry carpet and started making snow angels, which made me laugh.  Then Marci introduced her to the Barbie house she keeps for her granddaughters. .... lets just say I think she enjoyed Marci's as much as I did, which is saying a LOT.

That night Dad had his normal shift at the temple, and I worked doing some crafting and reading. (I finished reading Austenland at Midnight by LDS author Shannon Hale and loved it! National Best Seller too.)

Wednesday and Thursday I worked. Taking Becky with me to work on Thursday as Emily had a dentist appointment, and came by an hour after we opened to reclaim her prize.  It was fun to show the baby off to my friends at the Mall.

 Thursday night Dad took his Dad to LaCocina for dinner, they are becoming very well known there, in fact sometimes he picks up rent checks there as our Salt Lake renters often eat there Thursday nights and they know he will be there.  Funny eh?

On Friday I stopped at my friend Wendy's to drop off some fabric I picked up for her in Hawaii.  She showed me some of the fun stuff she has been doing and she had about four pennant banners hanging around her house.  Too funny, guess they are 'catching'.

I continued to Robin's where she, Teri Quigg and I watched the first two episodes of Downton Abby.  Everyone, including Britt, is talking about it, and Dad and I were just lost when we tried to watch a current episode without any background info.  I now have the first season coming off ebay, and a deal with Teri who has the second season for a trade when Dad and I get done with the first.  Such a fun series.

Saturday I was off early to meet Cathie and Jenn at the Hale Center Theater in Orem where they were having their annual surplus sale.  Not to be missed.  Then we had breakfast and visited about our upcoming trip to California and our May flea.o.logy sale.  I ran some errands on the way home, including picking up stuff for Dad at the hardware store.

That day Dad sorted the bills and started getting ready to see the tax accountant.  He got in some reading too and did some repairs to our flea.o.logy sign, thanks honey.

That night we met Wendy and Steve to see The Importance of Being Ernest at a little theater in Springville.  The place was small and haphazard, but the acting was great, and I love the play. I think we all had a great time.

Today I subbed in Primary, which was interesting.  Of course it was fun to see the kids again.  After church Dad stayed for choir, and I came home and put lasagna in the oven.  Seth and Spencer came for dinner and played Scrabble with us afterwards.  Emily came up during the game and sort of  helped Dad while he held Becky.  After Seth and Spencer left, we played another game with Emily.  She won that one, good job Em.

So that is how it was for the old folks at home.  Love you all, and hope your week was equally, if not more, exciting!!

Family Time

We bought the pass of all passes back in November and we have been trying to make sure we get good use of the pass.

This past Thursday we went bowling up in Sandy. (just by the Sandy Maceys)

Titan loved it! he got the smallest ball they had 6lbs

I broke 100 on my second game! That is pretty good for me. Brady kicked my trash no surprise there.

We got some cute videos of Titan bowling but they are on Brady’s phone so maybe later.

The next day we went mini golfing at Trafalga in Orem and it was super busy. We were sneaky and walked up the back of the course and did the back nine without having to wait and there was no one behind us (for a few holes) so were didn’t slow anyone up. Love this pass cant wait for Seven Peaks this summer!