Easter + Mar's guitar recital catch up.

An interesting stat:

This is my 814th post on this blog.

That is RIDICULOUS.

That is also a whole lot o' history that I'd really like to have in a physical form of some type, which would also require a lot o' editing, and most likely a lot o' money unless I do the printing myself. I think I'm going to look into what I can do to preserve this FANTASTIC personal history... soon haha.

Here's a run-down of our Easter celebration.

On Saturday, Nae took Evie to visit Gran and Grampa Fisher, and since Mar is such a busy girl, we realized 10 minutes before she had to head to work that THAT was the only time we had to color eggs... unless Bill and I wanted to do them ourselves, and what kind of fun would that be??

I had purchased an egg-dying kit earlier in the week (I haven't done that for ages), and had seen one that had glitter in it. I figured that since I already have a BOATLOAD of glitter, I would save the 49 extra cents and just add my own. It didn't work quite as well as I had hoped - I thought maybe the dye would be tacky enough for the glitter to stick a bit, but it wasn't (going in the "things I've learned" file), so Mar found some glue to help bedazzle our eggs.

Bright and early Sunday morning, Evie and Mar hunted for their baskets. Evie needed a few direct hints (like, "come look in the pantry!"), and Mar found hers pretty quickly, too. Bill was in charge of hiding, and I have to say he did not inherit the Goldsberry Easter basket hiding skills that I did. It was just a bit of a crazy year (I have the same excuse for everything, don't I?), and I was focused on preparing a yummy breakfast for General Conference, and a celebratory dinner-with-invited-guests for Easter. 

Just today I realized that I had forgotten to get everything out for Bill that I had purchased for Mar's basket, so I've been debating whether to stash the forgotten items away for a future occasion or just give them to her. I'll admit, I'm flailing a bit lately.

This is what I was working on that morning:

YUM. 

It was a little funny that my visiting teacher had dropped off a loaf of Kneaders cinnamon bread on Saturday (the last day of the month), especially in light of the changes announced Sunday morning ("Well, relax, because there isn't any report - at least not the 31st-of-the-month, 'I made it through the door by the skin of my teeth' report.") Haha. Seriously, I have great visiting teachers.

I LOVED CONFERENCE, and loved the changes that were announced and all of the inspired talks. I am excited to study and review them frequently.

In between sessions of conference, we had a little backyard egg hunt for Evie.

She didn't really care for it haha. There's always next year.

We were feeding the missionaries that evening, so I figured I might as well invite a few others over, too.

We invited our friends, the Gouberts, who have a college friend of their daughter's living with them, and we were delighted that she and both of their daughters were available to join us.

I have to apologize for these EXTREMELY lackluster pics... I just randomly snapped a couple during our after-dinner chatting. Very candid. I don't think we were all as bored as it looks hahaha. And I didn't even get a couple faces. *Note to self: take better pics. I used to care so much about taking thousands of pictures, and these days I hardly take any. 

(I think the problem is saturation, don't you? I think that may be why I don't write - and read - blog posts very often anymore. And facebook and pinterest are getting less and less appealing every day due to the saturation of algorithms that show you what they THINK you want instead of what you actually DO.)

After dinner, the missionaries had a message for us, which turned into some great questions from the Goubert's non-member friend, which turned into an invitaion to read the Book of Mormon, which was accepted. Wow. That turned out awesome.

This is the extent of our Easter decorations...

I'm flailing in that department, too haha.

Here are a couple of clips of Mar's guitar recital (also her final for that class) at a local coffee shop.
She performed on March 12th... I was in UT, so missed it, but Billy-my-hero was there to record. The boy performing with Mar in the last clip is the guy from CV that just asked her to prom YESTERDAY. Phew. Hopefully she will share some of her pics with me so I can pass them along {wink}. He rewrote the lyrics to the song they performed {Better Together}and sang them to her for his promposal. So cute.

The early hours of seminary are killing me, and I am really looking forward to the summer break. Lucky for us, our last day of seminary is May 11th... so close! I can do it!

Promposals, choir tryout results, and possibly even Prom pics in my next post.

I need another prom dress miracle. Say a little prayer for me.

Happy April!

Baby loving + Spring Break.

So much to cover, so little time.

It's been a long two weeks since I've been home, and here I am trying to capture the memories on my first day back. I'm pretty sure it will take a couple of days to complete, but no better time to start than the present, right?? I may as well start getting my pictures {endless pictures} added, then I can add my ever-so-brief commentary {wink}.

Sunday, March 11th.
I flew to SLC. I honestly can't remember the last time I traveled via airplane, so it almost felt like I never had before. Seriously. I was flying Southwest, and they had a new fandangled check-in process, which, if Billy-my-hero hadn't come into the airport with me, I might have NEVER figured out. I'm that dumb.

The main reason for my trip was to spend time with this little guy and his mama.

I may overload a bit on the pictures, here, but there's nothing closer to heaven than these new little souls. I can't help myself.

I had only been at Lex's house for an hour or two when I got a call from Lo. She was headed to the emergency room. She had been experiencing a myriad of crazy-sick symptoms and felt like she was going to die. Good thing her mamita was in town to give her comfort and support.

(She is NOT going to be happy that I posted this pic, but it's all I got. Don't worry, Shi, I can verify that hardly anyone will ever see this haha!)

After an IV and some anti-nausea meds, Lo was sent home with her ever-so-supportive husband. Thanks, Kody, for taking such good care of my girl!

I headed back to Lex and Jase's, where I got to sleep in this adorable room (don't worry, I didn't sleep in that adorable bed haha).

Monday, March 12th.

Mine and Bill's 30th wedding anniversary.
We celebrated via Facebook (as should EVERYONE haha),
and through a video call later that day.

Emmett's due date.

I just can't get enough.

(Think Erasure and the 1980's... that's what's going through my head right now.)

Tuesday, March 13th

Britt's birthday.
Austin had invited everyone over that evening. Since they had been sick over at their house, Lex, Jase, and Emmett elected to stay home. But that didn't stop us from dressing that baby up for a run to the store.

I, however, DID make the trip to Britt's to wish my lovely eldest daughter a happy birthday.

She was still feeling a bit under the weather, and couldn't even blow hard enough to get the candles out (plus she was trying to prevent the spread of those nasty germs).

Scarlett and her posse came to the rescue and blew them out.

Wednesday, March 14th

Bathtime for Emmett.
This granny isn't scared to put that boy in the bathtub.

Emmett enjoyed it, too, although he couldn't get completely submerged due to an intact umbi cord (which, btw, literally fell off within hours of his bath). 

Is this baby not delicious??

That evening was Mar's choir concert, which Bill {again} attended for both of us.

Thursday, March 15th

Grandma and Grandpa Great Goldsberry visit.
Afterwards they take me to a belated birthday lunch.

I need to mention that Lex has taken to mothering like a pro.
I'm so impressed.
It is such a joy to see my children become parents.

Friday, March 16th

Britt, Scarlett, and Ellis come for lunch.

Little Billy and Mauri make the long trip from Colorado.

Meeting cousin Ellis for the first time... he's looking like such a big guy all of a sudden haha.

And meeting Auntie M for the first time.

I think she's in love.

Snoozing with Little Billy is always fun, too.

Saturday, March 17th

St. Patrick's Day
(I didn't have a single green thing, but we're not Irish anyway haha)

Family Fun Day.

Since my original plan to get together at a park was thwarted by bad weather, we went bowling instead. Bill and I got a good laugh when we arrived at the bowling alley we had selected through a brief online search. It was rated fairly high, and seemed to be in the right proximity to Leatherby's (where we were going to eat afterwards). We realized that we had probably driven by that little bowling alley a million times in the years we lived in the West Valley/Kearns area. We had never really noticed it before. And trust me, it wasn't new. It was, however, the perfect place for our little family gathering, as it was very vintage (so cool, right?) and was not as busy and loud as the more modern bowling facilities we have frequented over the years.

Emmett stayed nice and cozy and out of reach in his covered car seat.

Ellis made the rounds, though!

Despite the big smile on Lo's face, she was still struggling with the crazy-sick. She was such a good sport to endure feeling like death so she could spend time with the fam.

Because Lo was still feeling crazy-sick, she and Kody bowed out of our Leatherby's stop.

This place was still just as crowded as ever, but I had been craving it for a long, long time. I could wait a few minutes for a table haha.

Scarlett ordered every child's dream ice cream... the bubble gum kind.

And Mar and I split this baby (and shared with everyone else at the table).

It was everything I had been craving AND SOME.


Sunday, March 18th
Dinner at Grandma and Grandpa Great Goldsberry's.
Bill, Mar and I relocated to their house as well, since I had been feeling the onset of something ugly (like the crazy-sick), and didn't want it to spread to Lex, Jase, or Emmett.

I should have snapped a few more pictures, but it was a lovely, low-key evening where we all had time to relax and visit.

Monday, March 19th
Prom dress shopping with the sisters.
Little Billy babysits Emmett.

Since Mar was HOPING to get asked to Prom, I figured it would be a good time and place to shop for a dress or two. It was so fun to have Britt (and Scarlett/Ellis) and Lex come and help Mar look. We took TONS of pics that day, but this is the only dress I have on MY phone, so it's all you get. We ended up getting this one, plus another, since Mar felt there was a good chance she could get asked to two different proms.
(Update: she was asked to DC's prom this past Saturday. She's still crossing her fingers for CV's.)

Little Billy got to give Emmett his first bottle (which he took like a champ) and did such a great job caring for this precious babe. Once Jason got home from work, though, he was a bit of a baby-hog. Can't blame a dad for that, right??

Tuesday, March 20th
Jordan River Temple tour with Britt, Scarlett, and Ellis.
A drive to St. George.
Lots and lots of Hamilton.
Cove Fort.

I was so excited that we would be in Utah for the Jordan River Temple Open House.

Bill and I were in the Jordan River Temple district for the first 13 years of our marriage, so it is very likely our second most frequented temple. It felt like home for so many years. We even ran into some old, old friends from our Westpoint Ward duplex days. Wow. That was a blast from the past.

I loved going with Mauri and Scarlett and talking about the different rooms in the temple. It was beautiful.

After a quick lunch with Britt, Bill, Mar and I headed down south to St. George, listening to Hamilton (the clean version) per Mar's request, the entire way. (I will likely remember this trip as "the Hamilton trip," reminiscent of my Joseph-and-the-Amazing-Technicolor-Dreamcoat trips to CA when the kids were small.)

We decided to stop at Cove Fort, since it had been years since Bill and I had been there.

We enjoyed the movie and tour by our senior missionary guide, who had been serving there only a week. Bill and I decided it would be a lovely place to serve a mission.

Despite the smile on MY face, I, at this time, had been caught by the crazysickness and had been coughing up a lung for a day or two. I tried my best not to spread any germs, and tried diligently to NOT cough in the presence of others, but I was definitely feeling it.
I may or may not have cried a few tears of pity once we got back into the car and continued on to St. George.

Wednesday, March 21st

Zion's National Park Day.

We were hoping to have summer-like weather in St. George, but discovered that Wednesday was going to be the only good weather day, so we HAD to do Zion's that day.

We didn't leave until late morning. Had we planned our trip better, we would have arrived much earlier in the day. We waited in a long line for the shuttle as Bill and I reminisced about the last time we had visited the park 20 years before. No shuttle back then.

It was still as breathtaking as ever, though, despite the lengthy standing-room-only shuttle ride and the fact that I was STILL coughing up a lung, and Bill and Mar were both starting to feel the crazysickness coming on.

We selected an advanced hike. Don't ask me why. We did not, however, select the Angel's Landing hike due to the length, THANK HEAVENS. I may have died. As it was, I had to forego going to the top of this hike (can you see Bill and Mar in the pic below?) because I was feeling nauseous and light headed. Good call, I'd say. As I patiently waited on a ledge for Bill and Mar, my phone rang. It was Lex, asking a quick question about Emmett. I didn't have the help she needed, but I thought it was quite funny that I could receive her call high up on a ledge of a mountain in the heart of Zion's.

The good news: we I survived.

We were staying with a good friend of ours from the Legend Ward, who had so kindly offered to have us. Thanks, Sue Sue, you're the best!!


Thursday, March 22nd
Cedar City Temple Baptisms.
The worst Mexican food I've ever had.
The Family History Center.

Since the St. George Temple was closed for cleaning, we made the trip up north to the Cedar City Temple to do baptisms for some family names. I was excited to see this new temple, too!
It was a very VERY cold, blustery day... perfect for staying indoors.

Afterwards we drove back to St. George, changed, then went looking for food and fun. Don't ask my WHY we decided to go to this particular Mexican restaurant. I didn't even check for ratings, which is so not like me. We were just hungry, and Mexican sounded good. I was so so disappointed. Definitely learned a lesson there: Just because it's called The Green Iguana, and most of the Red/Blue/Green Iguana restaurants you have previously attended have been GOOD, doesn't mean it will be good.

Afterwards we went to the new Family History Center, per Sue Sue's suggestion. Britt had told us about a similar center that is in Lehi. It was fun and informative. We loved it.

Friday, March 23rd
Back through Zion's, on to Bryce Canyon.
A quick hike.
A long drive.
Stuck in Vail.

We headed home to Colorado on Friday because Bill and I planned to attend the temple with one of his co-workers, who was going through for her first time on Saturday. We decided to take our time, and take the scenic route back through Zion's and over to Bryce Canyon.

We ran into every kind of weather possible. Except for summer. We never found summer over this break haha.

We decided to do one of the shorter hikes in Bryce Canyon, just to make our $30 entrance fee worth it, AND to stretch our legs a bit before the long drive home. It also was breathtaking.

Once we were back on the road, our navigation took us on a long, lonely, double-lane back road FOR HOURS. I actually love those kinds of drives. We ran into these open range cows.

BUT, I think Bill was getting nervous that we were going to run out of gas before finding any sign of civilization, and I was dang hungry, since I had skipped breakfast that morning. FINALLY we made our way onto I-70 right before Green River, just in the nick of time for gas and food. After our quick stop, we were ready to rumble the rest of the way home... until we got to Vail.
The freeway had been closed just 30 minutes prior to our getting there due to treacherous driving conditions, so we were stuck. For 5 1/2 hours.
We went to Safeway.
We watched a movie in our car in the Safeway parking lot.

Then we drove to Walmart, and slept in the car for a couple of hours while the most ginormous snowflakes EVER kept falling. Finally, around 1:50am, we woke up, checked the local weather station, found out the freeway had opened back up, and got back on the road.

Saturday, March 24th
We pulled into our driveway around 4:30am.
Thanks, Billy-my-hero, for driving like a... hero {wink}.

Bill {heroically} got up at 8am to attend the temple that morning.
I did not.

I'm still trying to recover from the crazysickness.
Nae and Evie were sick all last week, too.
So much snot around here, I can't wait for it to stop.
Aaannnnndddd.... it's snowing.
Hello, Spring.