The best weekend. {Part 1}

I really cannot remember a more perfect weekend than the weekend I just had.  And I am not talking extraordinary weekends, you know the ones where I was married or on a honeymoon or when my child was born... I mean just an ordinary weekend which turned out to be, in fact, and extraordinary weekend.

Kyle and I had plans for Saturday.  We were going to make homemade Chinese food.  I was going to clean.  We were going to go thrifting for some "white trash" outfits and attend a "white trash" birthday party.  Well, that didn't happen.  Around 11 PM on Friday night we decided that we were going to go to Lagoon with Katelin, Andrea, Brandon, Charity, and all the kids instead.  I got out of bed and frantically set out clothes, found sunscreen, packed lunches and snacks.  Ayla was awake well past midnight and I just knew that she was not going to have enough sleep to spend the day at Lagoon.

Morning came and we were up and out the door by 8:30.  I was so tired.  Ayla was so tired.  Kyle was so tired.  I was trying to not get stressed and not get grumpy.  It wasn't working.  My sweet husband stopped halfway to Lagoon and I got a giant Diet Coke.  That sure did the trick!  I perked right up!

Ayla as we pulled into the parking lot and she saw all of the rides.

We met up with the group and we wasted no time finding our first ride.  We decided to head to the back of the park and hit up the water rides before anyone else got to them.  The log ride was first.  Ayla was SO excited.  I thought she would be scared, but no.  She jumped right on and was giggling the entire time.  The giant splash that soaked us in the end wasn't her favorite, but once she realized her cousins had the same thing happened to them, she was giggling all over again!

Our family on the log ride!

Next we made our way to the Rattlesnake Rapids ride.  Oh, it was so fun!  I love swirling through the rapids, screaming, trying to avoid getting sprayed or going under the waterfall...  I was SOAKED.  However, Ayla mistook all of the screaming on this ride for fear.  She didn't understand that we were all screaming because it was thrilling and FUN.  So she cried and said that she didn't like that ride.

Here is where I made my big mistake of the day.  I had Ayla ride the Pirate Ship ride with us.  She didn't want to go on it.  The ride was big and she was barely tall enough for it.  She cried the entire time we were in line and then as we strapped in and Kyle and I put our arms around her.  It didn't help that the group of kids behind us were having a screaming contest with the group of kids in front of us.  Again, the screaming scared her.  She was shaking like a leaf and clinging to me the entire ride.  Poor Logan, her two-year-old cousin, was sitting across from us and he was terrified as well.  He was going, "No, no, no, no!"  Sydnie was straight across from me and she sneezed.  The ride swung and I went straight into her sneeze.  Then I heard the guy behind me go, "AHHHH! SICK!"  That's when I about died laughing.  I had a shaking, crying child attached to me, I was covered in Syd's sneeze, and so was the guy behind me who was freaking out.  Not the best ride of the day.

Once we got off of the Pirate Ship Ayla Ayla decided she was done with rides for the day.  Great.  Three rides in and she's done.  She wouldn't go on the kiddie rides.  She just wanted to watch.  I tricked her into going on the kids roller coaster with me.  I felt like a mean mommy, but I also wanted her to remember what a fun, not-scary ride was like.  She enjoyed it.  She even waved at her daddy!  unfortunately even after that she wanted to sit out.  We watched her cousins go on another ride or two and then we decided to eat lunch.

I was totally grumpy by this point.  I didn't want to bring Ayla.  I wanted to just go with Kyle and ride all of the big roller coasters and do all of the fun things that Ayla couldn't do.  And now here we were doing NOTHING.  We were watching everyone else have fun and I was miserable.  I was ready to just go home.  Thank goodness we didn't leave.

Kyle got Ayla to change her mind and get on the kiddie rides.  The entire day got better from here.

 

She rode a bunch of rides before we met back up with the fam.

When we caught back up with them we started going on the big rides.  All of Cherry's girls were big enough to go on {most} every ride.  Brandon was so awesome and he would sit with Ayla and Logan while the rest of us hit up the roller coasters and the Cliff Hanger and the Rocket Blaster, etc.  It was SO MUCH FUN.  When was the last time you rode a roller coaster?  The feeling that you have after you are strapped in and you are slowly climbing to the point from where you will be dropped is one of the best feelings ever.  I adopted Logan's terrified "No, no, no, no!" on my way up each drop.  And oh man, my throat was trashed because of my screaming.  On a roller coaster, or any other thrill ride, you have to scream.  It's a must.  Screaming is half of the fun.  On Wicked at one point we heard Charity screaming, "I!  CAN'T!  BREEEEATHE!"  That just made me laugh hysterically, which is hard to do when you are screaming and tears are streaming down your cheeks because of the wind.

And Sydnie.  I have to take a moment to talk about Sydnie.  My five-year-old fearless niece.  She is the coolest.  She jumped on each roller coaster with us and she had a blast.  Her face!  Her enormous eyes and her wide-open grin, were  just perfect.  I wish I could show you the mental pictures I have of Sydnie's faces on the roller coasters.  I adore that girl.

Really, all of the kids were so awesome that day.  Jaycee and Brynn were as fun as always.  Jaycee went on the Rocket Blast-Off with me, which I so loved.  It is my absolute favorite.  Sydnie must get her fearlessness from her big sister.  I even got to go on a ride with Brynn, which was so much better than I expected.  It was a dragon that spun in a circle.  It got faster and faster and faster.  We were screaming!  Then it stopped and it did the entire thing in reverse!  So.  Much.  Fun.

Brynn and I right as the ride was starting to go backwards.

The evening was starting to wind down.  It was close to 9 when we gathered near the entrance and we let the kids play in the water fountain and they played a game where they each got a little stuffed animal.  {Syd won the big one, lucky girl!}

 

Ayla took a little snooze.

Kate & Andrea.  Besties.  A staged photo of them pushing around their love child.

Ayla snuggling Kate.

The rest of the family headed home, but we decided to ride the ferris wheel.  I love ferris wheels.  At least I thought I did.  It turns out that I am terrified of them when I have my child with me.  I get light-headed, I grip anything I can, I get sweaty... I freak out.  It was beautiful though, and I'm so glad that we went on it as a family.

Can you see how excited she was? :)

Pretending I wasn't having a full-on panic attack.

They belong to me.  I am so lucky.

After the ferris wheel I figured we would head home.  But no.  Ayla turned to me and said, "Can I keep having fun, mommy?"  How do you say no to that?!  You don't.  You go find any rides that are still open and you let her keep having fun!  {Even if you do have blisters on your feet and a sunburned face/scalp, and have been there for 11 and 1/2 hours...}

 Experiencing things with Ayla is like experiencing them all over again.  I love her excitement and her energy.   I would love to see everything through a three-year-olds eyes.  Watching her I can almost remember how it feels to be small in such a big place full of so much noise, so many people, and such bright lights.

Finally, the park was closing down.  We were forced to go home.  We had been there since it opened and I can say with confidence, we made the most of our time at Lagoon.  I loved {almost} every bit of it and I can't wait to take my cute girl back!  Even better, I can't wait to go back during Frightmares with my husband.  I love when the park is decked out for Halloween and there are creepers everywhere.  I LOVE IT!

After 12 hours at an amusement park we ended our day with a Del Taco picnic in our living room.  Chicken soft tacos and bean burritos for everyone!

Can you imagine a better Saturday?  I can't.

I remember.

Remember when I used to blog?

I still have a lot on my mind that I would like to share.

I think I'm going to do that again.

Yes, I will be back.  Let's catch up soon.

December 14th, 2012.

As I drove Ayla to her aunt's house they announced on the radio that a gunman had entered an elementary school in Newtown, CT.  They said that there was one wounded but no children had been harmed.  I dropped her off and went to work, not thinking much more of it.  The next thing I heard the gunman had, in fact, killed 20 children and 6 adults.  Each child was 6 or 7 years old.  6 or 7.

Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Barden, 7
Rachel Davino, 29
Olivia Engel, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
Dylan Hockley, 6
Dawn Hochsprung, 47
Madeline Hsu, 6
Catherine Hubbard, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
Jesse Lewis, 6
James Mattioli, 6
Grace McDonnell, 7
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Emilie Parker, 6
Jack Pinto, 6
Noah Pozner, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Avielle Richman, 6
Lauren Rousseau, 30
Mary Sherlach, 56
Victoria Soto, 27
Benjamin Wheeler, 6
Allison Wyatt, 6

All day I held back tears.  I had to stop reading reports and stop looking at pictures because my heart was so heavy.  Kyle and I went to see The Hobbit.  It was our work Christmas party.  During the entire movie I kept thinking about those children and those families.  I felt guilty sitting in a movie theater.  I missed my little girl.

That night we snuggled Ayla longer than usual.  She was in such a great mood.  The best she'd been in for a while.  She giggled with us and kissed us and hugged us tight.  We let her lay in our bed between us before she got in her own bed.  She laid there on her tummy, with her chin resting in her hands, and said,

"Guess what guys?!"
"What?", we asked.
"I love you!", she said.
"We love you too!"
"I love you more and most!"

We hugged her really tight and for a long time. After she was tucked into her bed Kyle, who was hugging me, said, "Thanks for making such a cute daughter."

I started to cry.  I let out the tears I had been holding in all day.  Kyle just hugged me tight while I cried like a baby.

I do have a cute daughter.  I am so blessed that I got to hold her and tuck her in and hear her say, "Guess what?  I love you!"

So many parents will never get to hear that again from their baby in this mortal life.  They had to come home to their homes without their babies.  They had to see their baby's stocking on the wall.  And see their wrapped presents under the tree.  They had to see heaps of dirty clothes for those babies.  And scattered toys.

Their homes and their hearts must feel so empty.

I cried not for those sweet children who lost their lives, but for their mommies and daddies.  I cried because I can't even imagine what it must feel like.  I can't even wrap my head around such a terrible, tragic thing.  The grief that they must feel... there are no words.  Absolutely no words.  My heart aches for them.  Every time I think of them a lump forms in my throat that I have to swallow down. All there is for me to do is pray.  Pray that those families can be comforted.  Pray that they know that their children or family members are with our Father in Heaven.

I am thankful for my belief in a Heavenly Father who loves us and is waiting for us with open arms when our time on earth is through.

And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen. 
Enos 1:27  (My very favorite scripture.)

"There is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my father."  There was a place prepared for each and every child and adult that lost their life that day.  Our Heavenly Father was there, waiting.  Prepared to bring these babies home.  He had a place ready.  Just for them.

I saw some comforting words on Instagram this morning.  They were posted by Poppa143:
"I need to believe something happened that morning in an elementary school in Connecticut.  I need to believe these precious, innocent, dream filled and pure hearted children were spared one second of fear and one glimpse of the horror.  I need to believe God sent sweet angels to these classrooms and corridors--maybe the same angels who once directed the shepherds to a peaceful manger.  I need to believe, moments before the evil entered, their sweet spirits were beckoned and one by one, they took each others hands and with the joy and eagerness of children on a field trip they left us, led away by all the love they had always known, protected by The Hand that led them home.  I need to believe they entered heaven together, laughing, with light-up tennis shoes and wonder-filled eyes!  And heaven hugged them tightly and showed them all it's grandeur which now will be their home.  I need to believe this."

I find comfort in the fact that those sweet babies, those babies who were so innocent and so pure, are with our Heavenly Father.  They are in a much better place than we could even imagine.

I pray that their mommies and daddies and brothers and sister and grandmas and grandpas and aunts and uncles and their sweet little school-mates can feel their little arms wrapped around them tightly.  And I hope that they can feel the arms of their Heavenly Father holding them all together.  Especially at this time of year, I hope that they can find peace and comfort.

For I have held the precious gift that love brings
even though I never saw a Christmas star
I know there is a light I have felt it burn inside
and I have seen it shining from afar
Christmas is the time to come together
a time to put all differences aside
and I reach out my hand to the family of man
to share the joy I feel at Christmas time
for the truth that binds us all together
I would like to say a simple prayer
that at this special time you will have true peace of mind
and love to last throughout the coming year
and if you believe in love
that will be more than enough
for peace to last throughout the coming year
and peace on earth will last throughout the year.
(The Christmas Wish - John Denver)

My heart is so heavy.  I hurt so deeply for people that I have never met.  I know that my grief will fade and that I will stop thinking about it so often, but I hope that the way I cherish my little girl today never, ever fades.  I hope that I will never take her for granted.  Even when I am beyond frustrated and want to hit my head against the wall, I hope I remember the way she says, "Guess what?  I love you!"  And I hope that she knows how truly and completely that I love her.  Always.

Hug your babies close to you.  Hug your family.  Pray for the families who are grieving the loss of their loved ones.  Pray that they will find peace and comfort.

Elf on the Shelf Part Two

That little Elf is still causing mischief in our home nightly.  Ayla is loving it and I am too!  Last post I left off with Ella being trapped in Luna, our Bearded Dragon's, tank.  (Read that post here!)  This was Ayla's reaction:

Ayla was upset that her little elf friend was stuck in Luna's cage.  I mean she was SAD.  I had to talk her out of tears, convincing her that Luna is REALLY NICE and Ella was not scared or hurt.  I reminded her that we hold Luna and we love Luna so we know that Ella is okay!  Once we had that convo she thought it was fun.  :)

The next night silly Ella made such a mess in our living room.

This picture is one of my favorites.  Ayla came into the living room saying, "LOOK AT THIS MESS!"  She is a little on the OCD side and does NOT like messes like this.  She asked if she could clean it up and laid in my lap crying when I told her that Ella had to clean it since she was the one who made the mess.

Then Ella got really creative.  She decided to use Ayla's blow-up basketball as a hot air balloon and Ayla's Ariel panties as her basket.  Crazy elf!

"Mommy I get out of my bed and the I see'd her and she was in the sky up there allllll the way up to the wall!"

The next silly thing that Ella decided to do at our house was to have a movie night.  She grabbed the box set of Christmas Classics, popped herself some popcorn, and had a movie marathon!

Ayla's first response to this one?  "Mom, can I have some popcorn?"

Then Ella did something really crazy.  She put on a Seattle Seahawks hat and climbed up into daddy's Green Bay Packers cup on his Packers shelves.  Can you believe the nerve?!

Since mommy is a Seahawks fan and daddy is a Packers fan Ayla was just happy to see both teams together.  And she was excited to climb on a chair to get a closer look.  :)

And now we have come to last night.  LAST NIGHT that silly little elf stole a roll of toilet paper from the bathroom and did some of her own decorating on our tree... Oy.  Naughty elf.  Ayla sure got a kick out of this one!

And I can't resist the sweet little yawn photos... I love my cute little girl!

Stay tuned for the rest of Ella's silly adventures in the Lee home!

Elf on the Shelf.

This year I decided to do Elf on the Shelf.  I have seen it around the internet the past couple years and thought it was so cute.  I wanted to start it sooner, but better late than never!

Here is Ayla with the book and her newly adopted elf, Ella.

The first night that silly little elf was trying to fish in the toilet!

And the second night she tried to wrap some gifts but ended up getting all wrapped up herself!

And tonight that silly, sneaky little elf has gotten herself stuck in Luna's house!  I can't wait to see how Ayla reacts in the morning!

Luna sure isn't impressed.... :)

Hey, I'm married now!

Wow, it's already October.  And I've already been married for *almost* a month!

I will write all about the perfection that was our wedding, but for now, here are a few pictures.  :)

Fresh out of the SLC Temple

Gosh, I am so blessed.  And YES, I am loving married life.  We had an amazing reception in WA, a fantastic honeymoon in the Bahamas, and we are so enjoying settling into everyday family life.  I think Ayla is still getting used to the idea that Kyle has moved in and is here all the time, I think she feels she needs to fight for my attention.  But things are so good and I am beyond happy.  I'm so grateful to our family and friends who have supported us along the way.  :)  We are really very lucky.