April Tidbits

Me: Am I really funny or do I just think I'm funny?
Gita: *frownsmiles* So... well...

EMOTIONAL DAMAGE!

Brent and I try to meet regularly with each of the girls to check in on how they are doing and help them outline some goals in the topics of: emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual and financial. Sydney's most recent emotional goal? Walk away from fights. Sydney's social goal? Be more confident in fights. Also we suggested for a spiritual goal to work on individual prayers and Sydney changed it to "imagine God in my head more."

Liesel's spiritual goal was to work on indexing the 1950 census. 
Liesel: *upon logging on* Oh! I have a recommended assignment! It asks do you know where Sidney Eugene Worthen died?
Me: I mean... you could call Aunt Katrina
Liesel: Good point! I don't wanna do that.

Love this thought that came across my Insta feed. I see parallels to raising children and creating the best environment for them.

Me: What Transformers movie am I thinking of?
Brent: OK, I'm gonna need a little more information. 
Me: It's the one with the pretty girl and there's a big explosion and it's the newish movie- done in the last 15 years or so? All the transformers start out looking beat up.

Brent: That's literally every Transformer movie. They all have a pretty girl. They all have an explosion. They all have been done in the last 15 years. They all start out looking beat up.

Me: I'm thinking of the one where Bumble Bee talks through the songs on his radio.

Brent: Again, that's literally every Transformers movie. That's what he does. That's what he's known for.

When we returned from SLC, Sydney and I used the restroom and she slipped off her brand-new CTR rings to wash her hands. Then she left them there. I couldn't find a way to get them back- I was being told to try the airline and then told to try and call custodial for the terminal we were in... I happen to have a contact at work who used to work for American Airlines and he got me in touch with the right people. We were able to retrieve those precious rings so Sydney could have a souvenir of her 8-year trip just like her sisters.

Mom called because they forgot their I-Pass to cover the tolls.

Me: That's OK- since the pandemic they just ask that you pay tolls online if you don't have a pass. Once you get here you can use the one in the truck.
Mom to Dad: She said you can just buy one online.

 Happy Easter!

At the mall, Liesel wanted to break off and of course Gita wanted to go with her. We decided to chill in the massage chairs as we waited for them to return and I think we got the better end of the stick on that one!

Aunt Beck: REAGAN asked me in front of ALL my children who is my favorite! *pauses for dramatic effect*
Me: And that was awkward bc it's Lexie?

Dad told me he refuses to use TikTok bc it's run by the Chinese. An hour later we are still watching golden retriever videos...

We upgraded the beds and mattresses in Brigitta and Ireland's room. Of everyone, Gita had the saddest spot of all but now she's got the empress bed! 

Since Ireland's bed is in the corner where the ceiling slants, her headboard isn't quite so high. These were on backorder for so long and then delay after delay after delay. We decided to invest in some of the most comfortable mattresses in the world. It's funny how buying furniture can make you feel so grown up, right?

Getting Dad a new phone and he was concerned about "sensitive information" and I yelled, "YOU MEAN ALL YOUR PORN?"

This one took me a minute but once I got it laughed so hard!

Ages ago I planned to take Liesel to see Shen Yun for her birthday. Then Covid-19 happened and they rescheduled for when she was on her Girl Scout trip to Savannah, GA so I took Ireland instead. This time I took them both and we all really enjoyed it! That chandelier in the background was SO pretty!

This is the view directly underneath.

Whitney asked for some help naming all her koi fish. Here's what we came up with:
The Real McKoi
Matthew Ma-koi-nahey
Mr. Miyagi
Mea Koipa
Koi-tney Kardashian
Koi-nye West
Koi-G-Biv

Pink Koi'd

J Koi Rowling
Draco Mal-koi

Helen of Koi

Koi George
Fleur Dela-koi

Koi-vey
Koi-tus
Koidle
Koibe Bryant
Habeas Koi-pus
Koi-nol Sanders
Se-koi-a
Koi-vin Bacon
Da-koi-ta
Koira Rose
Sa-koi-gawea

Sigfried and Koi
Edgar Allen Koi

Dra-koi-la
Hola, Koi Dora
Obi-wan Koi-nobi
Koi-yote Ugly

Liesel had a Girl Scout meeting and they passed out a survey asking where the girls might be interested in travelling. The troop leader suggested somewhere on the east coast.

Liesel: Well I was born in Boston...

GS Leader: Do you like museums? DC is great for history and museums!
Liesel: I just went there for the 8th grade trip!
GS Leader: There's the Redwoods...

Liesel: Oh, I've been there!

GS Leader: Maybe you wanna see something like Mt. Rushmore

Liesel: I've been to that one too!
GS Leader: Well that's pretty much everything on MY bucket list!

Aunt Beck

It has been ages since I've seen Aunt Beck- I think I was in college actually. And while I have many aunts, she is the only who who I refer to as "Aunt" pronounced like haunt rather than like ant. It just fits her better. Brent's brother happened to be visiting and we were hosting my parents as well so we had a very full house and I fully admit I was grumpy about it. 

Her flight arrived a bit early so she had to wait for me at O'Hare and as soon as she jumped in the car she gave me the warmest hug and we immediately began chatting. When she went on a tangent she quietly said, "Fork" and when she went back to the main point said, "Plate." Intrigued, I asked her what that meant and she said her daughter Leslie (my cousin) said she talks as if she is setting a table for dinner with the plate being the main subject, but then there are forks, knives, spoons, etc. "Back to the plate" became a theme of our time together as we had many wonderful discussions.

She was incredibly kind and loving to the girls who embraced her immediately. As a teacher, she was immediately curious about what they are doing in school and listened intently to what they had to say. On Sunday afternoon she helped lay out their clothes for the week and seemed endlessly entertained at the discussion surrounding that endeavor. 

I vastly underestimated how big some holes in my life are and how much I actually needed this visit. Aunt Beck sounds similar to my own mother as well as my grandmother. She knows so much about my grandparents and great grandparents and gives detailed and honest first-hand accounts. My organization skills have sometimes been mocked in my family and I've been written off as too uptight by some. Aunt Beck was impressed with it, took pictures and complimented me endlessly on my closets, the systems I've put in place around the house and generally the way I run my life. 

Aunt Beck has a sharp wit and is ready to laugh. As I told her stories about raising my daughters she was such a joy to talk to, sharing her own stories in turn. When I grieved over something that isn't going right in my life, she brushed it off and told me not to worry so much. She gave me confidence that I have exactly what I need to move forward in this old life and I will be just fine.

In short, she was just lovely. The girls adored her and what at first I thought was an inconvenience ended up being therapeutic. Aunt Beck was a delight and we can't wait to see her again.

This is my favorite photo from her visit- she brought jacks to teach the girls how to play. The fact that my parent's generation will not always be around is solidifying itself into reality more and more. I love how Aunt Beck makes those connections with the past and the future. 

We all can't wait to see her again!

Sydney's Utah Trip: Natural History Museum and SLC to ORD

Sydney and I spent a long morning packing our bags- organizing everything so laundry could be done the second we were home and fitting in the spoils of our shopping. It turned out to be a bit of a job but we did it and checked out of the resort. My Grandpa Nielsen used to call my Grandma Nielsen Chick and there was a place called Chick's Café I thought we could try. They had the most wonderful scone slathered in honey and butter.

Also the largest patty of sausage which was shaped like a mushroom. Seriously, that could have fed a family of five.

On our way out of town we stopped by this oh so Instagramable spot.

 

We had done just about everything on our list but the Natural History Museum in SLC. We only had about an hour and 45 minutes so I felt a bit bad about paying full admission. I felt a little worse when we discovered what an incredible museum it is! They had a special exhibit on color that was fascinating. 

Sydney danced in front of these lights- her shadow different colors depending on the mix of colors.

This was a window in the hallway showing the rows and rows of artifacts in storage a the museum. They rotate what is closest to the window which is really cool. we found ourselves trying to see back as far as we could into those shelves- that must be where they keep the good stuff, right?

This was a cute little section where Sydney could try her hand at excavating.

This globe rotated and the view changed depending on what you chose on the control panel. This one shows the location of volcanoes around the world.

I love this quote!

Of course the dinosaur collection was amazing but it was at this point we were really running out of time.

We had to kind of rush through this part and make our way to the car.

One last photo!

After filling up the rental car with gas, we made it to SLC airport in one piece! This pretty stained glass is between the rental area and ticketing.

We had an amazing trip and we were both ready to be home again. Sydney couldn't wait to tell her sisters all about her adventures (even though she texted and called them often throughout the trip).

This time the view out the window went from this:

To this:

I hung back a little knowing the pilots would let Sydney see the cockpit as long as there wasn't a press of passengers behind us.

One more picture in the Hall of Flags!

As the 8-year trips draw to a close I am so grateful we could make them happen. In the beginning it was always a stretch financially. I stuck to my guns though because I knew they were important. I got to know each of the girls in a way I never would have been able to otherwise. We can't make time stand still, but having the concentrated time with each kid made a huge difference. 

I'm excited to hand the baton over to Brent as he begins the 14-year trips to upstate New York this fall. So much time has passed since Liesel's 8-year trip, I think she's ready for another 1:1 adventure. Once those trips wind up, we begin taking them on their HS graduation trips abroad. My goal is for the girls to be confident and well-traveled and to make memories along the way. Here's hoping!

Sydney's Utah Trip: Provo Temple and Alpenglobe

Sunday morning we headed down to Provo to meet up with an old friend at the temple. There's something so special about this temple- I just love it and I hope I get to go inside someday!

We had some really wonderful discussion and then took another pretty drive back up the canyon for dinner. 

Not far from the Zermatt Resort is a place called Alpenglobe where you get to eat inside an actual globe. The concept was so cool I just had to try it with Sydney. 

Of all my girls, Sydney is by far the most private. She goes into her closet to change even if the only person in the room is me. She really enjoys time to herself and I think would have enjoyed being an only child. Having a closed off globe for dinner was kind of a perfect fit for her and she really enjoyed it.

The benches were covered in snuggly blankets and the ceiling was decorated just beautifully. 

I hadn't read many reviews about the food- the concept just seemed cool- so I was pleasantly surprised to find the food was really good. I've never had this soda before but it was fresh and tasty.

Sydney and I shared the cheesy bread with marinara dipping sauce. I mean you can't go wrong with that, right?

My favorite salads are: salad niçoise, cobb salad and a wedge salad. This one shot straight to the top of my list of favorite salads it was so insanely tasty. Pear, walnut, blue cheese... oh my gosh it was so delicious!

 As if Alpenglobe wasn't charming enough, check out what happens when the clock strikes at the Town Hall:

We headed back to The Zermatt and again took advantage of that fantastic pool and hot tub.

I'm so glad we stayed here!

Sydney's Utah Trip: This is the Place Heritage Park & General Conference

For breakfast we decided to try The Bagel Den in Heber. I'd driven by it a couple of times and thought, why not? Man we hit the motherlode with that one! The bagels were fresh and this hearty breakfast kept us nice and full for a very long time. YUM!!!

 
I managed to break a nail- badly break it- waaay below the quick and if I couldn't find a way to get it glued it was going to rip off in a big, bloody mess. Knowing Park City caters to the bougie crowd, we headed there and found a salon that was open with no wait. Sydney and I got pedicures while they decided what to do about my nail. One very officious woman took one look and said, "I know what you need!" She put on a lacquer and then had me dip it in a powder. She did this 3 times and that nail was solid as a rock. It wasn't going anywhere. I'm so grateful to her for that, I really needed it. 

We headed into SLC and the This Is the Place Historical Park. I honestly can't remember what this building was, but I can tell you it was not open and there were no restrooms anywhere. I felt like I was going to burst but Sydney wanted a picture by the pretty pink house. 

Finally we found the main building and after paying the entrance fee (I practically tossed my credit card at the lady), we made it to the restroom. Once the pressure was off, we could finally relax and look around a bit. First we checked out the monuments, read the plaques and took in the view of the valley.

Then we headed into Heritage Village. Each building had someone dressed in period clothes ready to give a little history and talk about what life was like for the pioneers. The first stop we made was to the school where they wrote out Sydney's name in the desert alphabet. They had so many people from so many different countries, this was their answer to learning to read and write for everyone. 

Words were spelled phonetically in a way. It was kind of fascinating!

Next Sydney wanted to do the pony ride so we jumped in line for that.

One year as Reagan and I were headed back to BYU, Dad wanted to follow the pioneer trail. There was a spot at Martin's Cove where you could push a handcart and for whatever reason Dad wanted to take the long way. Whitney, Reagan and I learned a lot of respect for our ancestors (who were handcart pioneers) and decided once was enough. So it was with great reticence that I agreed to the following:

See the pioneer in the corner of the photo who looks like she's running away? Yeah, she gets it.

Especially when the terrain is like this.

Sydney was a sport though and really enjoyed her own handcart adventure. We had a little time left and there was a playground so we headed over there. I don't remember how or why, but I told Sydney she couldn't get off the zipline unless she fully landed on the other platform and man, that became a thing.  

We changed into our church clothes in the bathroom and headed to the Conference Center for the Sunday Evening session. Sydney had seen it on tv and she was so very excited to be there in real life!

We arrive early enough to sit at the front of the balcony which was a wonderful view. We got to see that camera moving around- it must be controlled remotely.

She wanted to wear both her CTR rings for the occasion.

As we walked in, my shoe had been feeling a little funny and I vaguely remembered the heel coming apart and using the glue gun to temporarily patch it. Not only was the patch not holding, it was getting worse and worse.

We also picked up that purple backpack at the Deseret Bookstore and Sydney was so excited to have it with her!

Even though the temple is under construction, she got to see this model of what the inside looks like.

There were so many interesting artifacts among the displays!

I thought this cut paper was so beautiful and I love how the framed box is a more natural, rough wood. 

Look how Sydney is just beaming! I love that I had this time with her.

We walked through Temple Square and thanks to the windows they have on the barricades, you can see the progress they are making. If you follow that beamed bridge across, it goes to the front door. It's so crazy to see how far down they have excavated!

This is when my shoe absolutely died. The heel completely separated from the shoe and I had to walk on tip toe. I thought I was doing a pretty convincing job until Sydney said I looked weird. 

Before heading out, we HAD to stop at the big fountain- I mean that is a must, right?

I was really excited to take Sydney to Bombay House for their butter chicken. Sydney is our pickiest eater- something we battle all the time- and so I also ordered the chicken tikka masala. Brent makes that at home all the time and the kids all love it. Sydney took one bite and proclaimed that Dad's was better which made me laugh. 

She did love the butter chicken though and I got her to try hot gulab jamun which is sooo yummy!!!

Before we headed back down the canyon, the gas was getting a little low so I stopped at a gas station. When I got out of the car, I couldn't figure out how to open the gas tank. I got back in and searched all around the door and the inside of the car. Nothing. I Googled it and read articles and even watch YouTube videos. The button that every article and video said should be there just... didn't exist. I was going crazy and I asked Sydney for help. She couldn't figure it out either and I thought we'd be stuck in that car forever (there was no attendant at this gas station). Finally it dawned on me that I might be able to push on the cover and it might pop open. Lo and behold, that's exactly what it did and I was able to successfully pump the gas. It felt like a victory after a long, long day. Phew!