Weekend

You just really never know what is around the bend.

Friday we found out Braeden and Anna weren't going to be able to come to Nevada/Utah after all.  They were sad and we were sad.  Adam is the king of spontaneity (I mean, compared to me, but compared to me maybe everyone is the king of spontaneity).  He said, "What if we go to California?  Right now?"

I said, "Why not?"

(Because it's been almost 30 years of exposure therapy and maybe I'm getting more spontaneous.)

We considered for about 10 seconds and then texted Braeden.  Then we talked to them.  Adam said, "We were just wondering if we should turn left or right when we leave."

Braeden said, "Let us know."

Adam said, "We're coming."

And so we were.

We quickly loaded up the car and grabbed the stuff we needed.  We had packed clothes for working outside in Nevada more than 100+ degree heat in California's Central Valley, but that didn't stop us.

We had a nice drive.  We talked to Emma and got audio book recommendations from her and listened to an Agatha Christie story.  I pointed out the Truckee's silvery rills to Adam and he said, "That's one rill."

Then we rounded the bend and I said, "See, lots of rills."

I also pointed out wild horses because he had told me earlier he'd never seen any.  He was slightly disappointed.  He said, "I was expecting them to be majestic and rearing up in the air."

I said, "No.  They're just ugly."

QE was asleep by the time we rolled up to see our kids, but we were very happy to see the adults anyway.  We talked awhile and it was so nice to see them and hug them and soak up their goodness.

Saturday morning Braeden texted us multiple times:  We are awake so come over any time.  He and I were cut out of the same cloth.  We had a bagful of groceries we had brought from Nevada because we were expecting guests.  QE was a little timid when she saw us in 3D instead of over FaceTime, but she warmed up when she helped us unpack the groceries.  Then I read to her.  I know the way to that girl's heart.

And she knows the way to mine.

After awhile we went to a park (a shady park) and she and I traversed to some bushes.  She picked up as many pinecones as she could carry, then they all dropped and she decided to get her "favorite."  She is amazingly verbal.  She speaks more in leaps and bounds since last time we saw her, plus Anna is her mother.  They said watching home videos of themselves at her age that she has a sunny disposition like toddler Braeden and is verbose like toddler Anna.

When we got back to their apartment, she said, "I want Papa to carry me."

That one sentence made the entire trip worth it to Adam.

We had lunch and QE napped and Adam and I headed to Walmart.  We each bought a swimsuit (it was an ugly swimsuit but it was 102 degrees and QE wanted to swim at Nana and Papa's so what was I going to do?  (We always stay at the same hotel here and I think she thinks it is our house.)

I also bought a pair of sandals.

Walmart chic for the win.

After her nap, QE went with Nana and Papa.  She was zooming around their apartment chanting, "I'm too big for the pool!" because she was excited to go swimming.  We came to our hotel and she was so enamored with the pen and paper Papa gave her that she had lost all interest in swimming.  I finally got her to consent to being changed into her swimsuit and she was much more willing for sunscreen than her father ever was.  We walked down the hall toward the pool and she practically danced and kept saying, "Off we go!  Off we go!"

She loved swimming, like she has every time we've taken her.  I think it is the Davis/Neilan in her.  She has zero amount of fear or hesitation.  She laughed and squealed the entire time.

We eventually came back inside and into dry clothes.  I gave her a toy unicorn set I'd bought at Walmart and she loved it.  She climbed into the bed and kept putting the mama pony and the daddy pony and the pink pony and the purple pony to bed.  She said, "Now stay in bed," then seconds later, she would pull them out of the covers and say, "Wake up! Wake up!"

I could just watch her and listen to her chatter all day.

We met up with Braeden and Anna at MOD for dinner and when they met us at the car and opened the door, she said, "I want to be with Nana and Papa."

So we've finally arrived as grandparents!

At dinner she sat between us, but climbed under the table a few times to be between her parents.

Grandparenting just keeps getting better.

Sunday morning, Adam was still sleeping and my glasses had fallen off the nightstand and I stepped on them in the darkened room.

So that wasn't fabulous.

We took Braeden and Anna's friend George to church.  They usually give him a ride, but he lives right by our hotel.  George is 90 and has been blind with glaucoma for the past 15 years.  (Contemplating that put my bent beyond wearable glasses into perspective.) We were telling him about our visit.  We told him how happy we were to see QE and he said, "That little girl is a blessing in all of our lives."

We told him we had taken her swimming and he said, "Well, I hope you're careful.  Are you being careful?"

We assured him we were.  Tight grip the entire time.

Anna wasn't feeling well so Adam took her home, Braeden had elder's quorum president duties and I (at great personal sacrifice) took QE to nursery.  There were no other kids and no nursery leaders so it was just us.  At one point, I said, "I'm just going to text Papa."

She said happily, "I yuv Papa."

He joined us and we had a grand time.

Adam snapped this picture of Braeden walking George to the car after church.  I'm glad he did.  Knowing George through Braeden and Anna has enriched all of our lives.

I enjoyed listening from the backseat to Adam and George chat when we drove him home.   He told us about different life experiences he has had that gave him character and he said, "Life isn't meant to be a silk blanket."

He told Adam about meeting the missionaries and about the courage that God gives to him.

He said, "People are so good to me.  People like your son.  Now that is a good man.  That Braeden.  He is hard to beat as a person."

I couldn't agree more. 

QE and parents took a nap and Adam and I drove to Sacramento where there was a Lenscrafters which was open.  They repaired my glasses and I was beyond happy about it.  I had felt very lost without being able to see well.

We enjoyed the rest of the day/evening together.  Adam cooked some lasagna in our aggressively air conditioned hotel room and we shared QE's first ice cream with her.  She said, "I yuv chocolate!"

She pretty much yuvs everything and we love her!