Just Us

Wow. I haven't posted since July? Really? Strange.

Well let's go month by month and talk about the awesomeness that ensued.

July - I had a good birthday. Climbing up the ladder to 30 is always a fun concept to think about and I'm tired of the years passing by so quickly. But then again it's fun to feel like my birthday is always about to be celebrated. Right? Anyway. We also went up to Idaho for a sweet family reunion. Alan consumed a large amount of dairy the first night and then proceeded to puke all night followed by some really awesome diaper changes for the next couple of days. Definitely an allergy there. Poor kid. Sean had lots of fun and both boys were fantastically dirty by the time we got home. I loved it. It was so nice to see Grandma Avery and her remaining living sisters and all of their kids and grand-kids that came. There was a lot of people. The cabin in Idaho is kind of a place of nostalgia and calm - I always come back home refreshed and ready for civilization. And a kitchen where your brother-in-law didn't just kill a mouse. With an eight-foot-long 2x4. It was exciting. Pioneer Day was cool. Actually, I don't remember what we did. Brian was probably working. I also called my grandma because it was her birthday that day. This is a novel thing for me - I'm terrible at calling people on their birthday. Then we celebrated my Muncle Matt's birthday! He and my auntie were up in Utah and a whole bunch of people went to Tucano's to celebrate. I had never been there before. Verdict: Good experience. I got plenty of the meats that I wanted (yum!) and lots of cheese bread (which I almost let Alan eat because I'm really awesome at reading placards of what the foods were) and various other deliciousness from the salad bar. This is definitely a place I don't want to frequent more that once or maybe twice a year. Too much food. Good good good food. I didn't eat for the rest of the day.

August - I had a brief respite and then we went full-on into the Gudmundson Family Reunion. It started with a Clair & Zelta Gudmundson family Reunion at the park. There was fried chicken and millions of kids and lots of chatting with the adults. Very enjoyable. Then for the next week it was all of Brian's siblings and their kids with few naps and late bedtimes. We visited and ate and played and just plain exhausted ourselves. And then the day after the reunion ended we helped Brian's parents pack and clean their house. And then the next day Brian and I cleaned our house so that they could comfortably stay with us. They're going on a mission to Texas next month and have rented out their house. Sean has liked having them here, and I think Alan has, too. Then they went a-visiting out-of-state kids. Sean and Al and I then had a few adventures at Thanksgiving Point and letting the house get really messy. I was experimenting with my emotional/mental state and solutions for it and it really wasn't a good idea. I had no patience with anybody or anything. It didn't help that I was preparing for a a ward activity (5k/fun run/fun walk + breakfast! it went wonderfully) and then a lesson in Relief Society. That was a crazy 2.5 weeks. I am very glad it's over. And I learned my lesson to not plan a giant activity for the week before I give a lesson. Duh, Tay.

September so far... - Sean started preschool. Oh my land. I can't believe everything that he's learned in just two weeks. His sentences are more structured, his thoughts are more easily articulated and I swear he's grown an inch. Alan went three nights in a row last week of sleeping in four-hour shifts. It was beautiful. He has since stopped, though seems to be working back to that blessed preferred schedule. I am very tired. That's what happens when you get spoiled for a few days and then jerked back into reality. My parent-in-laws are back here for a few more days and then will be switching where they stay more until they leave next month. I am concurrently learning Spanish with my MIL as she is listening to her CD from the Missionary Training Center. :) It's a nice refresher. My lesson went well though I feel like it was disconnected. Oh well. It seemed to get across to the ladies what I intended it to.

And meanwhile, Brian has been working the European shift. 2AM until 10AM. It's been really, um, something. Nice to play with him all summer, but I think we'll all be glad to get back to a normal schedule. He works downstairs until around 8 and then he goes into the office until 12 (I am not sure why he stays that long, but I think it's so that he can stay on top of his actual job and keep up with what's going on there, and various meetings that are held). But tomorrow is his last day of that nonsense! Woohoo!