Weekend

 Friday we woke up to a few inches of snow.  QE was delighted.  Little California girl said, "There is a lot of it on the floor out there!"

She wanted to go ice skating.  When I told her I didn't know how to ice skate, she assured me that she did.  We went outside and made snowballs and Braeden threw them at the trampoline, much to our delight.

Stella and Ardi had left early for Roots Tech.  Braeden and QE and I went to BYU.  We went to the art museum and had lunch in the Cougareat.  It was a crazy place.  There seemed to be a few high school bands there in addition to all the BYU students.  I texted the Sunday dinner group and Carolina stopped by to have lunch with us.  We were so happy to see her, even though it was chaotic.  I had been in search of a kids meal for QE, but they don't have them on a university campus, which I guess makes sense, but still.  I got a mini frosty to share with her.  I was like Amelia Bedelia, saving the day with a sweet treat.  She was crying a little from all the noise and confusion and bustle, plus she was hungry.  I slid a spoonful of frosty in her mouth and she immediately smiled.

Magic.

After discussion where Braeden asserted his brain was fully formed now and I should let him drive Joan, I relented.  He left to have lunch with three of his BYU professor friends and QE and I hit the bookstore.  It was delightful, much like everything I do with her is.  She laughed at the headless mannequins who "weren't wearing any faces!"  There were mannequins in head to toe BYU football gear and she excitedly called them Mariners (as in the Seattle Mariners baseball team).  There is a slide in the bookstore now--it barely resembles the bookstore I used to frequent--and she slid on it a few times and then we read some books.  They also have couches and chairs for that very purpose in the kid book section.

After that we went to the library.  There is also a kid section there now!  It was a little enclosed place where I guess parents can study while kids play.  After being in charge of me all day, QE met her match with a girl who is "four, but almost five."  She demanded to know how old QE was so she would know what they should play.  She was certainly in charge and QE listened to her demands and I realized that maybe this tiny four, but almost five year old was now my boss too, in the pecking order.

It was fun to watch them play.  They were having a great time and chattering away about what they were doing.  Braeden called and said he was ready to go and we met up with him again.  

We stopped by at school to pick up my Duplo Lego bin and to show her off to my friends who were there for a teacher work day.  One of the kindergarten teachers said, "I thought she was your daughter, not your granddaughter."  Which was, you know, very kind and not realistic.  I motioned for Braeden to come into the room and pointed out my fully adult (his brain is even formed) son.

We went back home and played with Legos and read more stories and just followed the whims of the queen. 

When Stella and Ardi returned, they wanted to take us to dinner.  We landed on 5 Star BBQ.  We all wanted to be in the same car, so we piled in Joan.  Braeden said he would squish in the back, but since he was now on the allowed to drive Joan list, and since there is no way he would have fit, Stella and I squeezed in beside the carseat, Braeden drove, and Ardi was co-pilot.  We drove by the Orem temple, just to see it.  It is Ardi's first trip to Utah and she is blown away by the number of churches and temples.  

Saturday Braeden and QE and I took a walk in the sunshine on the Murdock Canal Trail.  Emma and Mark came over for lunch and it fills me up to have all three of my children in the same room.  Braeden asked me to help him with some family history on Adam's side and we got sucked in for the afternoon.  I love that kind of stuff!  We had to wrap it up to get ready for Mark Carlson (Anna's dad) to come.  We was going out of town Sunday and Amy (Anna's mom) was out of town Saturday so we had them in shifts. 

It was nice to have him though and QE clearly adores him and I think it's wonderful that she has so many people who do.  What more could I want for someone I adore?

Stella and Ardi came home from Roots Tech and they helped me make dinner and we had a nice evening.

The best part of the day was when Adam came home from Dallas.

Sunday was BUSY.  Just three big meals for this empty nester who doesn't cook for people so much anymore was enough to exhaust me.  We went to church and in the afternoon we took a drive to the Saratoga Springs temple.  It was beautiful and the blue skies and white mountains were definitely showing off.  

Amy and Natalie Carlson came for dinner and it was so nice to have them.  Amy brought food and gave me a meaningful look and said, "Thank you for including us."  She recognized the crazy town I was living in and only helped.  It was so great to have them.  I just love Anna's family and I feel grateful to be linked to them.  Natalie also teaches 3rd grade so we had a lot to talk about.  Amy was helping with the dishes and I scooted her away to go play with QE.  Like I told her, I used to think I may feel territorial about sharing QE, but I don't.  As time passes, I feel more and more grateful that she has so many people who love her so well.

I was sort of an overstimulated puddle of stress last night by the time we got to our room last night and Adam hugged me and said, "Come here and cry."

I didn't really cry, but I love that kid.  He gets me.

This morning Braeden and Stella and Ardi went to the temple and QE is still asleep and I'm recharging for another good full day.  We're going to Salt Lake to Temple Square to see what there is to see.  I really am enjoying myself.  It is hard for my introverted routine loving self to host this many people for a week, but I am also loving it.  Stella and Ardi are wonderful women, I've always been the president and founding member of the Braeden Davis Fan Club and QE is the actual bees knees.