Doug ended up working on Friday. The kids had no school. I thought that we'd all play together but ZJ and Quayd had other plans, so Grace and I ended up having a girls day on the town. We went to Firehouse for lunch. She ordered a "grown-up" meal instead of a kids meal and we had a grown-up conversation. It's so strange to see this "little girl" being a "Teenager".
While having lunch, a table was seated across from us and I heard a very enthusiastic, "Grace?!" A man introduced himself as Grace and Quayd's busdriver. I share the rest of this story in total humility and gratitude! He then told me that when he'd met Quayd last year, he thought Quayd was just awesome and one of a kind. He said that Quayd has never gotten off his bus without saying Thank you. He said that in thirty years of driving, he'd never met anyone like Quayd...until he met Grace. Then he went on about what a sweetheart she is and complimented our "great kids". "There's two!", he said. Over the top, he went on. I was so pleased to hear that the kids are using their manners and making good impressions. It was a great mama moment! Please let them never change!
As we left the parking lot, Grace pointed out the new Marriott Hotel and said that she would love to stay there one time because it seems "magical". (Maybe just the size of it?) As she mentioned magical, I started to tell her about the Anniversary Inn, a theme room bed and breakfast in Logan that is truly amazing. We were heading that direction, so I drove past it. She asked if I'd ever stayed there. I told her that Dad and I used to stay there often. "Why don't you go there anymore?" We talked a little bit about how different our lives are because we are a family and I explained that we love our life this way with them, much more than life without them! As we drove past Anniversary Inn, I noticed that it was 1:03 and they give tours of the theme rooms from 1-3 in the weekday afternoon. I asked if she'd like to see inside and she was thrilled!
We took the 90 minute tour and saw all but two rooms, which were occupied. Grace loved the Lost in Space room and the Greek rooms the most. I absolutely love the Rich's Drive-in, which has an old Ford Pick-up truck with the bed in the back of the truck and a huge projected movie screen. My second favorite is the African Safari room. Beautiful. Grace was just in awe. I took a few pix of her, this one was of her standing at the top of "Juliet's Balcony".
One thing that I loved about the tour with Grace was that this was so eye-opening to me of her innocence. This is a honeymoon theme hotel. Not once, honestly, do I think that this even occurred to her. She was so intrigued by the Pirate Ship and the Popcorn machine in the movie theme room and the cool Egyptian artifacts. (Actually, she corrected me on a few little facts about history.) She thinks that we need to have a family vacation and spend the night in one of the rooms. When I explained that I don't think that they'd let a whole family stay in the room, she said, "Well, I guess I'll have to get married and go there with my husband." My favorite thing...as we went into each room, she'd say, "OH! Liza would love this room! Dad would LOVE this room!" She pegged each room for those she loves to go with their interest. It was a sweet experience together!
The original purpose of our date was to go to Kohls so that she could spend her gift card. We went into the juniors department and, after looking at everything they had to offer from swimsuits to skirts and dresses, Grace, in all her frustration and disappointment in how immodest everything was, announced, "This is UTAH! Who buys these things?!" She couldn't find one thing. We'll try again soon. It was a perfect mother/daughter date! Loved every second of it!
Later that afternoon, Carol called and invited Doug and I to join her and Taylor for a movie. We was The Impossible, the story of the 2004Tsunami in Shri Lanka. OH MY GOSH. Seriously, I bawled from ten minutes into the movie until it was over and then some. It's horrific. It's gorey. But. It's true. So touching and heart-wrenching at the same time. AND. Even being the newshound that I am, I was stunned because of the details that never cross my mind while watching CNN. This story changes the way you think about what people experience in a natural disaster. Doug and I came home and spent three hours on Saturday watching an 8 part documentary about it on YouTube and then a few other stories. After that, we sat down and talked about emergency preparedness for our own family.
Saturday was the nicest weather day we've had since December. It was beautiful. Much of the ice melted and things got slushy. Doug spent a lot of the day shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. By nighttime, he realized that he'd pulled something and he could barely bend over. It was a rough night for him.
That evening, Quayd wasn't really excited about a Multi-stake dance. Grace was very excited, because it was her first one. I told Quayd that I really wanted him to go for his sister's sake. I could tell that he really wasn't happy about it, but left the room and went straight to the shower to get ready. He came up dressed and ready to go... dressed in clothes and ready in good attitude. Grace was nervous but anxious. Doug took them, and a van full of neighbor teens, to the dance and dropped them off. They got home at 11 and were talking a mile a minute, telling their tales. They both had a ball and were so glad that they had gone! That's the photo I posted yesterday.
ZJ was supposed to give a talk in Primary yesterday. She'd had thought about it all week and was so prepared that she had most of it memorized. We had Ward Conference yesterday and I was sad t0 miss our Stake President's remarks in Relief Society, but more than excited to hear Zeej! I went down to the Primary room and peeked in but didn't see her. That's when I was informed that she'd already given it at the beginning of the hour, not the end, like Doug and I thought. I don't know what happened inside my brain but I just lost it and started to cry! This may be her last Primary talk. She'll be in YW in seven weeks! She'd worked so hard! And I missed it. She came outside and I just hugged her and said how sorry I was. ZJ was perfectly understanding, BUT STILL. Several people told me that she did a fabulous job, but seriously?? I MISSED IT!? Sadness. I really don't want them to grow up! Let's just stop the clock right now!
Yesterday, my phone said 100% chance of snow at noon and they were right! We had a BLIZZARD! By the end of church, we had about six inches. It just kept on snowing! By night, we had over a foot. Doug wanted to go out and shovel, but with his injured back, he could not even bend over to pick up his boots. With my knee, I can't do it. It would take a few hours to shovel this much fresh, heavy snow. At about 9PM, I heard a noise out front and our next door neighbor was out in the driveway with his tractor! I put on my boots and raced out with a big bag of cookies to thank him. He wouldn't even take the cookies! I told him that he was an answer to my prayer because of Doug's back. He said he was sorry to hear about Doug's back and half an hour later, he shoveled what the tractor wouldn't get to! Tender mercy!
Quayd is out shoveling again right now. I'd turned off the weekday alarms on Thursday since the kids had no school Friday, but I forgot to turn them back on last night. Oops! I was too busy thinking about Downton Abbey! Kelly called this morning at 7:30 and woke me up! We were all still sleeping! The kids should have already been at school, let alone the bus stop! And now, I've still yet to see or hear a school bus. Therefore and in behalf, I've declared it a "snow day" at the Corbridges. ZJ shouted for joy and then went back to bed. Quayd got up, got dressed and went outside to shovel for his Dad, who'd left for work at 4. It's a winter wonderland!
It was a fabulous weekend... A weekend full of mama moments. Love it! I got to Skype with Liza for a bit, played with the kids lots, had time with Doug. We got snow. Excellent! OH! AND I LEARNED TO CROCHET! I'm a yarn-a-holic. That's all there is to it!
Today, I'm going in for an MRI on the left knee. It literally is more painful now than it did before the surgery. Help me, Rhonda. Life is good. Simple, but good. Yagottaluvit.
Who seeks more than he needs hinders himself from enjoying what he has.
You are truly blessed to have such wonderful kids but then you and Doug are also wonderful and devoted parents. I didn't think The Impossible was a movie worth to see but I think you have changed my perception of it. Thanks for your movie recommendations!
Posted by: Nicole | Monday, January 28, 2013 at 03:59 PM
I need to relearn to knit and crochet. Did you use you-tube? Darling stories and darling kids! Joy and such love! Gigi Gayle
Posted by: gayle | Monday, January 28, 2013 at 09:34 AM